The Runic Alchemist

Damian and Sam walked away from the crowd and stood on the side, glancing once in a while at other kids trying their best to pass the test. His 10 man group was also doing the same. That Yovan guy who looked like he was the most tired and exhausted out of all of them came walking towards Damian and Sam and just sat down on the snow next to them.

Damian looked at him once and nodded then ignored him, trying to find someone using a rare spell so he could copy it.

"That was some amazing mana control kid.." The boy said while looking at other kids performing in the test.

"Thanks.." Damian replied.

"How did you train it so well..?" He asked.

"When you have limited mana and few coins, you either learn to hunt monsters efficiently or go hungry.." Damian lied with a straight face with no hesitation at all. Sam looked at him as if he could not recognize who was even standing beside him. Damian just grabbed his face and pushed him away.

"What do you think the last test will be..?" asked Yovan while yawning.

"Something that Spellswords are good at.." Sam said while sitting next to the guy.

"Uhm.. yeah that makes sense.." Yovan seems to have missed the connection in each test.

"What do you know about this new unit and this job..?" Damian asked while also sitting next to the two boys. All keeping their eyes on the people trying to destroy their targets.

"Nothing much.. My grandmother told me, the credits were very valuable things, it could be used to get runic tools and even knighthood.. They say this unit is formed to test the new talents and whoever shines could even get a permanent job in royal army." The boy explained with bit of enthusiasm.

"Cool.. As long as the pay is good it's all nice and dandy.." Sam revealed his inner most thoughts.

"Hmphh.. outsiders huh..? What is your class again..? I don't think I saw you do anything at all.."

"Phffffahhh..." Damian could not stop himself from laughing, Sam looked at him as if he was his biggest enemy.

"I am saving myself for the last test.. My 'friend' here does things for me.." Sam said proudly. Damian could not comprehend where he kept all this bullshit stored in his tiny body.

An hour later finally the mage captain stopped the test. Everyone was exhausted anyways. Three other groups managed to destroy the target, all somehow going around the shield using spells at an angle. Some even used their swords, throwing them at an angle hoping to hit the target. It was indeed entertaining to say the least.

"All the names I will speak now have passed the test and will be attending the final test. Those who are not selected can try some other day, the recruitments will be ongoing for a long time now. So don't get discouraged and prepare better for the next time. Whoever is selected will be given an hour to rest after that your last test will begin."

The mage captain spread the paper he had in his hand and called out names one by one. Damian and his team were the very first people on the list. They had an hour of free time so Damian and Sam left from there and were just going to find a good place to rest when a soldier raised his arm and gestured them to come towards him.

Curious Damian walked up to him and he just pointed his one hand towards one of the big tents near them where rows of tables and benches were placed. A cafeteria.

'Ahh, they are offering us food.'

Damian was just thinking about eating so it was kind of a good timing. Sam and Damian with other kids who were called walked into the big tent and ate the army food together. Yovan also followed behind with some of the other teammates they had for the second trial. Then after resting for a while the last test began.

They were gathered in the same spot as the second test, but the chairs and other things had been removed and only three big rings of vines were placed on the snow covered land. Three captains were standing in front of each ring. The armored Spellsword captain came forward and removed his helmet, the face was pretty handsome one actually. He looked a proper Eldoris citizen.

The blonde hair made him look like a price charming in animation movies.

"For your third test you can form a team of five people and challenge any one of us. If you manage to push us out of the ring you instantly pass. But don't worry, we just want to check your strength and potential. It is not necessary to push us outside to pass, just do your best and the qualified ones will get selected. You have to do your best if you were not that high in your previous tests though.

Only 100 will be selected today."

With that he placed the helmet back on his face and removed his sword from it's sheath holding it with two hands, putting the tip in the ground. As if saying 'Pass if you dare'.

Kids all around Damian started murmuring and discussing amongst themselves. Yovan walked near them and just stood there saying nothing as if it was given that he will be joining their team. Many others came towards them but Damian only took those two who came first and took up the spot, he did not care who was with him for this one.

The winning was optional and he had already done good in two tests so he wasn't worried about getting selected, but there was a slight chance that not seeing anything noteworthy from Sam might not get him selected. Even though he scored well the final choice was theirs and so they would have to give it a good fight.

Once the team was formed Damian took Sam away from everyone for a quick chat.

"You have to attack him head on.." Damian said.

"The Spellsword..? Shouldn't we use strategy or something..?" Sam asked.

"It's not necessary.. We have most likely already made it but you will have to show them that you know good swordsmanship... Do just as we practiced.. Okay..?"

"Fine.. but you know I am not very good yet... What if they use my openings and hit me hard..?"

"Don't worry about that. I will cover you."

"Okay.. Let' do this.."

"Yes, let's go."

The woman captain was most likely pugilist and if she hit back, little Sam would be obliterated. The mage won't let them get near him. The Spellsword was armored head to toe and was most terrifying but at least there will be more chances for Sam to get close and show some of his moves. He wasn't good yet but he had learned enough to handle himself in a fight.

Most of these kids were poor and either from the streets or from nearby villages or doing odd jobs in the city for their family. Noble kids would not give tests to get recruited in the lowest tier army rank unit, they would most likely learn to lead or something if they joined the war that was. Rarely anyone would have a proper training in combat so Sam's chances were high.

The kids here were all going to learn the fighting and weapon mastery once they get selected. This one thing was right from Sam, it was a good training no matter how the war goes or whether or not they participated in it at all. They will have housing and food and even training which for now was what they needed exactly.

Their five men team had Damian, Sam, Yovan and the two pugilist guys who were in their team last time. Looking at the Spellsword captain Sam unsheathed the sword Damian had given him and Damian himself picked up a spear from the side where many weapons were arranged on a table for challengers to take and prepared themselves.

The pugilists guys got into their forms and Yovan stood behind them ready to fire away his spells. Entering the ring of the Spellsword captain as others watched, they waited for the captain to sign the start of the test. They didn't have to wait long. The Spellsword captain nodded at them and they all charged at him except Yovan who started chanting.

The two pugilists charged at the armored captain from left and right with their fists raised high, The Spellsword captain did not even move from his place and just followed the two with his eyes as they got closer, the powerful fists made contact but not on the captain's armor but on flat side of his sword. The speed at the Spellsword captain moved his sword was unreal.

Even though Damian had followed it with his eyes, he himself could not boast of repeating the thing himself. Maybe choosing Spellsword was not that good of an idea..

Sam was also shaken seeing how the pugilists were blocked and thrown back out of the ring. There was no restriction on challengers if they stayed or not in the ring.

Despite knowing the results Sam braved himself and ran towards the bulky captain and Damian followed behind. Unexpectedly Sam made a feint even Damian was surprised and attacked from the captain's right, Damian noticed the captain smirking a little as he raises his heavy two handed sword and swings it in full motion towards incoming Sam. It was a clean hit if Damian let it happen, but he did not.

Before the Sword could reach Sam, Damian rushed in with tremendous power behind his legs, using dragon breaks the ranks spear version aiming in the slight gap between his chest-plates which was one of the very few weaknesses the Spellsword captain's full plate armor had. The captain had no choice, he had to use his sword swing's momentum in covering his weakness and blocking Damian's head on spear.

Sam's attack had clear path, but just as Sam came close the captain kicked him with his armored leg so hard he was sent flying outside the ring.

Damian felt bad for his poor assistant, but the kick was a desperate move from the Spellsword captain and making him use it Sam had already achieved what they needed here to achieve.

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