Chapter: Fastest Man Wins

"Okay for this test you will just have to make your way up the hill, all the way to the top with your chosen partner, and there is no rule against students attacking each other!!" Falera explained while shouting

"That guy really loves shouting" Rex quietly said standing next to me

"Now everyone, find a partner!!" Falera shouted

"Sorry Ken, but Leo and I will be teaming up," Drew said

"Yeah, we will be racing each other!" Ken said with an excited look

"Then wouldn't it make sense to be on separate team's?" I said looking at Leo and Drew

"Right, but if we are on separate team's, then depending on who our partner is, one of us could have an unfair advantage" Drew explained

"Somehow that makes sense. I guess I'll look for someone else" I replied

Everyone moved around looking for a partner, Rex just stood there thinking about who knows what, so I decided to reduce the hustle of looking for a partner and just ask Rex

"Yoh Rex, want to be my partner?" I asked with a smile

Rex looked at me with a blank expression and said "Sure I'll help you pass"

For some reason it really annoyed me, like who says I need his help in passing this test, his making it sound like I'm hopeless in need of help, but I need to calm down and just get this over and done with. Soon everyone seemed to have partnered up with someone.

Falera slowly phased into the ground, everyone was confused but soon after, Falera reappeared at the very top of the hill.

"Now for some rules to make it a little more interesting!! No flying of any sort aloud, be it magically or naturally. Second, both you and your partner have to reach the top or you fail. Third, no use of enchantment magic to enchant your speed!!!" Falera shouted while setting the rules

"Alright without any further delay, let the race begin!!!" Falera shouted at the top of his lungs. I'm surprised he hasn't lost his voice yet.

With a loud battle cry, everyone ran into the forest with their partner, towards the top of the hill trying to reach the top first. Rex and I ran up the hill, although we were partners it seemed like I was in a race with him.

"Hey Rex! we need to stick together if we are going to pass this test" I called out to Rex

"Yes, so make sure not to slow me down" Rex replied running ahead of me

"That dude! Who does he think he is!" I said to myself catching up to him

Soon everyone had spread out, we were no longer running in a big flock, some travelled by the trees, and some conjured beast to use as a mount, everyone did whatever they needed to reach the top.

All of a sudden, Rex immediately stopped without warning, making me run into him and falling on my butt.

"Hey, why did you all of a sudden stop?!" I asked as I stood up

"Listen..." Rex replied looking around

I looked around listening for whatever Rex was hearing, within a second I could hear movement and by the rhythm of the steps, I could tell it was three people preying on us. It looks like I was too busy being annoyed at Rex that I was distracted and couldn't hear this earlier, but now I can easily tell where they are.

Before I could dash towards the enemy, a hail of more than a hundred arrows came showering down on Me and Rex, but dodging and avoiding the incoming arrows was simple for both of us.

"Come out, there is no point trying to hide" I called out as I picked up one of the arrows "We know you're out there!" I said throwing an arrow in their direction

"I'm surprised you were able to detect us you bastard," A student with black hair said, walking out of hiding with his partner who had brown hair

"What's there to be surprised about? You guys are obviously rookies, half baked mages at best" Rex said with a plain expression In an expressionless tone

"Hey, you shut up! Our business is with Ken not you, so stay out of it if you don't want to get hurt!" the brown-haired student said annoyed and angry

"Well Ken, I'll meet you up ahead," Rex said before running off

"Hey, Rex, get back here! We are a team remember!!" I shouted, but it was too late Rex had already dashed off

"Looks like your partner ditched you, we will take you out then go after him, so don't worry," The black-haired student said

"Jeez can't believe he did that," I thought to myself "Anyways why are you two hunting me? Shouldn't you try and reach the finishing line instead?" I asked, looking at both of them

"We have been wanting a chance to take you out for quite some time now, and now is the perfect chance" the Black hair chuckled

"Well then come at me with everything you got and don't hold back!" I replied

The student with black hair summoned a six-foot humanoid ice golem, by the looks of its appearance, it was a low tier golem, nothing I can't handle on my own. The brown hair student conjured up a flaming sword and gripped it tightly with both hands.

I smirked as I clashed both my fists together. "Steel Flesh!" I mumbled to myself. A greyish aura surrounded my whole body making my skin density as Tough as Steel.

The Golem charged at me and launched a heavy punch straight at me, but it wasn't quick enough as I was able to grab its fist before it could reach me, the Golem tried punching me with its other hand, but I was able to grab that with my other hand as well. The Golem tried pulling back but my grip on it was too tight.

"Is this seriously the best you can do?" I asked before putting pressure into my grip and crushing both the Golems arms completely

"You bastard don't get full of yourself!!" The brown hair student shouted

The Brown hair ran at me and swung his fire sword at me wildly, but he was also too slow as I was able to see every swing as if he was moving in slow motion. I grabbed his flaming sword then pulled him closer to me, and head-butted him straight on the head knocking him out completely.

"You barbaric!" The black hair shouted

The black hair raised both his hands towards me creating a blue magic circle in front of him. "Ice shard barrage!!" He shouted. A barrage of sharp ice fired out of the magic circle, towards me rapidly like a machine gun. But it still wasn't fast enough, as I was able to walk up to him while smashing the incoming ice shards with my fist. Once I reached him, I punched him straight in the stomach, knocking him out cold.

"Alright, time to find that heartless idiot Rex!" I thought to myself

I ran through the forest up the hill looking for Rex, while taking out other students that tried attacking me. Most of the students that attacked me weren't a problem and were easy to deal with, but some students were able to put up quite a fight, which made me use some effort which was interesting.

I continued running up the hill and without being careful, I stepped on a yellow magic circle that was a trap, the trap activated as soon as I stepped on the magic circle, trapping me in a cage of light and binding my hands together with shackles made out of light.

"So people are setting up traps?...I need to be more careful" I said to myself

This is a pretty tough trap, I can tell someone well experienced in both healing and ward magic set this trap up. Looks like it'll take me some time to break out of this cage. The bindings on my hand stopped me from doing magic and completely paralyzed them, so they are basically useless but luckily the trap was written in the common language which made it easier to rewrite, with my feet.

Meanwhile

Rex had taken out that fired individual that fired arrows at them and was now running back down the hill looking around for Ken, when all of a sudden he too stepped in a magic trap, the trap activated and froze his entire body from his neck to his foot in solid ice, magic chains sprung out from the trap and lashed itself around the ice, encasing it in a cocoon-like form, restricting his entire movement.

"An ice trap? And binding chains? Isn't that interesting" Rex said trying to move his hands within the ice

"Hey, you! Do you need any help!?" A student with light brown hair called out, walking up to Rex with a girl that had short black hair

"Why waste your time helping me? Wouldn't you want to finish the test?" Rex asked confused

"Yes I do but I'm not going to ignore someone in need of help," the brown hair student said with a smile

"Interesting, but you do know if this situation was reversed I wouldn't help you, I wouldn't even stop to ask if you need help, I'd run right past you," Rex said emotionless

"Regardless, my father told me to always help, even those that don't deserve it" The brown hair replied

"meanie!" The black-haired girl said looking up at Rex with a pout

"by the way my name is Danny and this is Julz," Danny said introducing himself and his partner

Danny got ready to cast a spell that'll safely free Rex from the ice trap, but before he could cast it a giant boulder with the shape of a wrecking ball, came rolling down the hill towards them really fast destroying everything in its way.

"you might want to hurry up," Julz said looking at the boulder rushing towards them

"I can't! this is a heating spell, it'll take some time to completely melt the ice!" Danny said with a worried expression

"Okay can you at least turn me around and face me towards the boulder" Rex sighed

"O-okay sure?" Danny replied

Danny pushed Rex around and stepped back, with some resistance Rex forced his right arm out of the solid ice and chains. He pointed his hand up at the incoming boulder. "Dovkel Varah kinsaw radah!" Rex said, as a blazing red magic circle with a dragon head symbol appeared in front of his hand.

From the magic circle, a blazing dragon serpent made completely out of the raging fire, flew out at high speed, and crushed the boulder using its powerful flaming jaws, completely destroying the boulder into nothing but rubble and dust. Then with a single punch, Rex shattered the solid ice and binding chains into pieces, freeing himself.

"Finally," Rex said to himself "oh and my name is Rex" Rex said patting himself down to get rid of the small ice bits on him

"Woh! you know Dragon Tongue?" Danny asked amazed

"Yeah, only a little tho" Rex replied.

"Found you, Rex!!" I shouted running up to him frustrated

"Oh Ken you made it, good job now let's keep going" Rex replied

"Yeah, no thanks to you!...anyways, who are these two?" I asked

"I'm Danny and this is Julz" Danny introduced himself and Julz

"I'm the one that took out the archer so relax" Rex yawned

"Archer?...oh right now that I think about it, we were ambushed by showering arrows..still should have said something," I said not as frustrated anymore

"If you boys are done, then I suggest we get going before we arrive last" Julz said

"Right, let's keep going!" I said

Next Time: Challenging Hill