“I’ll get straight into it because I’m sure you guys are all are tired of these tests going on for so long. The aim of this test is simply to use the wind slice as many times as you can until you can’t.” Anastasia told the group. “I will add however many times you use it in this test to the numbers that I’ve recorded over the past couple tests to work out your elemental capacity. Sound good?”

The group simply nodded at her.

Natalie raised her hand.

“I think I’ll sit this test out. I don’t think I can use the skill any more times.” She told the instructor.

“Very well. Oh that does remind me.” Anastasia said, face palming. “Please please monitor yourselves carefully, if like Natalie you feel you can’t go on and you do anyway, it can have serious detrimental effects on your health. At best you’ll pass out, at worse you’ll be in a coma for weeks.”

Wren and the rest of the group looked at her in shock. Wondering why she hadn’t given that information until now.

“What?” Anastasia said innocently. “I forgot.”

Natalie herself was reeling from the news. She was completely at her limit and for all she knew if she tried to use the wind slice one more time she would have been hospitalised.

“Wren, you’re up.” Anastasia said.

“WHAT!? Me, again?” He exclaimed.

“Don’t be a baby, you’ve had the most resting time out of everyone here.” She told him.

“That’s true I guess.” He mumbled, moving to stand on the white marker.

Before even raising his hand he called up the system screen to check his status.

[Status]

[Name: Wren Spectre]

[Race: Human Level 1]

[XP 10/100]

[HP 15/20]

[EP 4/20]

[Strength: 5]

[Speed: 14]

[Stamina: 7]

His eyes widened in surprise. His EP had dropped all the way down to four. He felt for the green energy inside him, looking it over, examining it. It was almost depleted and he knew that he wouldn’t be able to use the skill for much longer.

Quickly opening up the skill page so that no one would notice what was going on, he scanned over the information before him.

[Wind Slice (Common): Level 1]

[A horizontal blade of air shoots out from the users palm and continues for a set distance. Power and distance of slice varies on skill level]

[Skill cost: 2 EP]

The skill cost 2 EP and he had 4 EP left, whatever EP was. So that meant he could use the skill no more than two times. The question was what would happen when he completely depleted his EP, would he pass out like Anastasia said, or was that only if he tried to use the skill when he had no EP left.

“Well.” Anastasia called out to him.

“Right, sorry, just lost in thought.” Wren replied.

He fired off his first wind slice and it collided with the target. The power reading hadn’t been turned off so the numbers still lit up above it and showed his power level of one.

He could only use the skill once more. Even if he didn’t have the system screen to aid him, he knew that much. It was like a straining ache coming from the core of his body, it wasn’t unbearable, but it was still there. The question was whether to use the last wind slice or call it a day.

It was worth the risk to learn more. He needed to find out more about the system, how it worked, if it was directly tied to his body as he thought it was and what it’s limits were. He needed to find out more about his abilities, not only because using them were addictive, but because even the smallest extra grain of knowledge could save his life one day. He didn’t know what was out there, but he needed to be prepared.

He called up the last of the green energy from within him and channelled it into his palm, letting loose his final wind slice. The energy swept through him, and as it departed the ache he had been feeling before became stronger, seeping into every inch of his body. As soon as the wind slice left his palm he sunk to his knees, no longer able to hold up the weight of his body.

“Wren!” Anastasia called, panic in her voice. Without even thinking, she rushed to him and knelt down next to him placing her arms around his body. “Are you okay?”

He groaned in pain. It wasn’t a physical pain, nothing like when Chadwick had laid into him the day before. It felt more spiritual; he’d never experienced anything like it before.

“Just peachy.” He got out.

Anastasia breathed a sigh of relief before realising what she was doing. She had her arms wrapped around the boy and was holding him close. She quickly got to her feet and stepped back, hiding the blush creeping across her face.

“I told you to be careful Mr Spectre.” She said, trying to maintain an even tone in her voice.

“Terribly sorry about that. I’ll try my best next time.” He replied.

She tried to keep the smile from creeping across her face, but it was a losing battle.

“Who’s next.” She said.

The group were silent, their features were a mixture of confusion and amusement as they watched the two interact.

Wren had crawled to his feet and stumbled over to stand by the rest of the group. He couldn’t maintain it for long before falling to the floor once again.

He looked down at his hands, squeezing and flexing them, trying to shift the dull ache that permeated through his body. That was when he noticed the band around his forearm. When it appeared the day before during the awakening ceremony it had been a bright glowing green, it hadn’t changed at all since he’d got it. But now the glow had disappeared. The colour seemed to have been sapped from it, leaving it looking like just a dim green tattoo wrapped around his arm.