11th September, 1507

As Seren strode forward, his silver hair swayed in the wind, his calm demeanor belying the depth of his intentions.

Kai, Lorien, Finn, and the Elders paid special attention to Seren for they had seen the deep schemes this kid was capable of pulling. The stars quietly hung over the plains with a singular colossal Luminar tree bearing witness to all.

With each measured step Seren took across the field, the pulse of anticipation among the gathered youths quickened. Among them, a myriad of hopes and expectations swirled: some yearned to witness Seren's downfall, others thirsted for a glimpse of his true prowess, while a few simply craved entertainment. Yet, they all had one thing in common.

They expected something of Seren, and he was about to give them just that!

Seren stopped just short of the white dandelions as he waited for the minotaur to materialize.

Then, in a heartbeat, the colossal minotaur materialized a mere five meters from Seren, its massive form casting a shadow over the field. Yet, unlike previous encounters, its eyes lacked the usual wild gleam of bloodlust and were instead replaced by a calculating intensity that could send shivers down anyone’s spine. It surveyed him with a predatory focus as if discerning his every weakness, every vulnerability.

It possessed intelligence!

Having survived and triumphed in ninety battles prior, it bore the scars of experience and the wisdom of a seasoned warrior. Its muscles tensed with anticipation, honed instincts poised to react to every move Seren might make.

This just increased the difficulty of the match to an unprecedented degree, as Seren could no longer rely on previously utilised strategies, and he also had to face a minotaur with enough intelligence to not attack rashly.

As the minotaur's gaze shifted, it caught sight of the watching crowd, their silent anticipation almost tangible in the charged atmosphere. The weight of their expectations hung heavy in the air, adding an extra layer of pressure to the impending clash between man and beast.

Seren interpreted the minotaur's movements as an invitation to reveal his cards. Seren scoffed indifferently before replying, "If that is what you want, then that is what you will get." Then he reached into his sleeve and drew out a green rope with a thin metal wire attached to its end.

This was a whip.

...

Elara saw Seren's weapon and stroked his chin in thought, then he smiled with amusement as he continued to observe. Beside him, Darius's closed eyes betrayed the workings of his mind, his sudden frown hinting at the weight of his thoughts. Meanwhile, Kaelen's casual demeanor belied the keen interest with which he observed Seren's every move.

In the midst of the crowd, confusion reigned supreme as they struggled to comprehend Seren's unorthodox choice of weapon. Some speculated that he intended to mimic Lorien's tactic of binding the minotaur, while others puzzled over the placement of the metal wire. Lorien, in particular, found himself grappling with conflicting thoughts, his brow furrowing as he mentally rehearsed the impending battle.

And then it hit him, as the realization of Seren's audacious plan dawned on Lorien, his eyes widened in disbelief as refused to accept he could pull this off. Yet, deep down, a seed of doubt took root, unsettling the certainty of his own expectations.

...

As Seren expertly maneuvered the whip, his movements were precise and deliberate with each flick of the wrist sending it whirling through the air in a slow hypnotic dance. With his left hand gripping the thin end and his right hand controlling the other, he began to build momentum, the whip tracing a mesmerizing arc above his head.

Observing Seren's actions, the minotaur's initial apprehension gave way to a sense of mild annoyance. It had faced opponents far stronger and swifter than the young man before it, and it doubted that Seren's tactics would prove effective against its formidable strength.

With a resigned exhale, the minotaur weighed its options, recognizing that Seren posed little threat in terms of raw power. Nevertheless, it remained cautious, wary of the potential for unexpected maneuvers that could bind its movements.

With an air of nonchalance, the minotaur then began to advance toward Seren calmly.

As the distance between them narrowed, Seren's 12-foot whip seemed dwarfed by the minotaur's towering presence. Yet, beneath the surface calmness of the beast, it was prepared to meet whatever challenge Seren might present.

Lorien saw this scene play out with a flabbergasted expression as he screamed in his mind to the minotaur.

‘NO NO WHAT ARE YOU DOING, RUSH FORWARD OR YOU WILL DIE!!!’

Seren counted in his mind with patience as the minotaur drew closer.

‘4 feet

3 feet

2 feet

1 foot’

Just when the minotaur was about to reach the attacking range of the whip it stuck out its hand trying to catch the whip to pull Seren forward and butcher him into pieces.

Seren, who was still spinning the whip above his head clockwise, quickly increased the frequency of the revolutions.

The minotaur went forward at the same rate, unconcerned, until he was within striking distance.

Then suddenly Seren performed a 360-degree clockwise revolution with his body, and when he finished, he halted both of his arms, which were now spinning just below his head, and performed a single enormous counterclockwise swing.

The end of the whip, which had yet to respond to the change in direction, appeared slow to the minotaur. Just as the minotaur was poised to grasp the whip, it instantly reversed direction, and the thin end of the whip vanished.

SNAP!

The whip snap echoed through the grassland as the thin green end of the whip had snapped, and the metal wire had fallen to the ground.

The minotaur noticed his opponent’s weapon broke and this made it curl its lip all the way up to his eyes, giving off the appearance of a demon. It was ready to rush forward and savour its final victim of the day when it felt a stinging ache in its chest.

It looked down and noticed a small crack in the blue gem. The jewel then completely broke apart and dropped to the ground, dissolving into nothingness.

As the minotaur felt the gap in its chest, its emotions were filled with confusion as it tried to understand what had just happened. The confusion only lasted a second before a surge of bewildered fury coursed through its veins, mingling with the bitter taste of humiliation.

With a deep snarl that echoed through the grassland, the minotaur propelled itself forward, its powerful legs pushing it forward with a primal urgency. Each step strained against the weight of its fury as it hurtled toward Seren, the very air trembling in its wake.

Driven by an insatiable thirst for retribution, the minotaur's axe sliced through the air with deadly precision aimed squarely at Seren's exposed neck. Yet, despite the impending danger, Seren remained as still as a statue with his eyes locked onto the approaching threat with an eerie calm.

In the final heartbeat before impact, the minotaur's weapon which was poised to deliver its fatal blow, disintegrated into a shower of radiant particles, leaving behind a trail of ephemeral sparks that danced in the air like fireflies on a summer's night.

Seren stood untouched amidst the fading remnants of the minotaur's fury, his gaze unwavering as he turned his attention to the enigmatic silhouette of the Luminar tree. The ancient behemoth loomed in the distance, its gnarled branches reaching toward the heavens like silent witnesses to the unfolding drama below.

‘A man cannot be defeated by a mere beast’

As Seren retrieved the metal wire from the dusty ground, a hushed awe descended upon the crowd with their collective gaze fixed upon Seren in a mixture of disbelief and apprehension. Words eluded them, their minds struggling to comprehend the extraordinary feat they had just witnessed.

The essence of Seren's triumph lay within the lightning speed of his whip—a weapon capable of reaching velocities that defied comprehension. A 12-foot whip paired with a good technique can reach a breathtaking 900 miles per hour or 1300 feet per second.

Per second!

This extraordinary velocity was not merely a product of brute force, but rather the intricate physics at play. With each swing, the energy of the initial motion was concentrated into a minuscule point at the whip's edge, transforming it into a weapon of unparalleled lethality.

Such velocity rendered Seren's attacks virtually invisible with their trajectory impossible to predict as he seamlessly altered the direction of his strikes.

Yet, harnessing the full potential of the whip demanded more than raw talent—it required years of painstaking practice and refinement. But Seren had countless lifetimes of training in all kinds of weapons he had previously used, being an expert and an unparalleled genius in each one of them.

Seren had observed the first ten battles of the Rite and saw how the minotaur's movements were gradually altering and improving with each battle. He concluded that by the last match, the minotaur would most likely develop enough wisdom to avoid rushing into battle and instead wait for its opponents to attack.

Seren would have been in serious trouble if the minotaur had rushed forward from the start because a whip is not a close-range weapon and Seren couldn't outrun it to gain distance, but this was a gamble he was willing to take.

Seren had previously urged Elara to have him go last saying he was still not mentally prepared. Elara agreed to this request because, in his mind, it didn't actually offer him an advantage, but rather made it basically impossible for a normal human to defeat a minotaur with intellect.

For the last 80 battles, Seren gathered grass to create the whip and asked Lorien to lend him the metal wire to boost the whip's damage because grass is not strong enough to resist the whip's speed and power at its peak and there was a chance of it snapping before it even reached its target.

Seren wasn't concerned that one of the contestants would use a whip and the minotaur would adapt because no one was stupid enough to bring a whip to a battle. A whip is only good for catching opponents or dealing blunt damage to a small area, and the youths had no idea what was going to be in the Rite beforehand, so everyone would choose a weapon that could be used to effectively deal with all types of enemies.

As Seren passed by Elara, who wore a faint smile tinged with amusement, the air crackled with unspoken tension. He then said to Seren in a glee tone “You tricked me good back there with that request, but I will let it slide since you didn’t break any rules”.

Seren continued to walk as if he didn’t hear anything. Elara's words hung in the air like a delicate veil, a playful acknowledgment of Seren's cunning stratagem.

In the wake of Seren's triumph, the significance of his victory reverberated throughout the arena. Of the 91 contenders who had dared to face the challenge, 21 passed by touching the gem and only 3 people had managed to breach the formidable barrier of the blue gem. Finn, wielding his golden spear with unmatched prowess, had shattered the gem with the aid of outside assistance, while the girl with the bob cut, wielding her ninjato with deadly precision had broken the gem with a sacrifice of her own and Seren, who with his cunning and resourcefulness, created the perfect weapon for the battle.

As Seren approached Lorien, the weight of his achievement hung heavy in the air with an incredulous gaze colouring his ally. Without a word of thanks, Seren handed over the metal wire, his actions speaking volumes as he retreated to a secluded corner and fixed his gaze fixed on the horizon.

Then finally Elara announced with his hands in his pockets, “The second phase of the Realms Rite involves the assessment of your inherent aptitude. Inherent aptitude shows how much of your soul and body resonate with Heaven’s essence. A heads up, even if you managed to beat the minotaur, you might not be able to become a Lexarch if your body or soul does not resonate with Heaven, but the chances of this happening are less than 20%.” Elara continued with the instructions, “All of you are to head over to the base of the Luminar tree, each of you grab a single white dandelion, and put it in your mouth. Then, place your hands on the bark of the Luminar tree. Your body will then emit light in one of the following grades:

Ignis

Lumina

Arcana

Apex

Ethereal

In our world, Lexarchs manipulate elements, laws, and concepts to wield unimaginable might. Each grade signifies the extent to which you can tap into this power—from the basic Ignis, up to the pinnacle of Ethereal. It's a scale, ranging from 10% to 100%, broken into tiers: 10-20%, 20-40%, 40-60%, 60-80%, and 80-100%.

Your grade isn't just about raw potential. It's a blend of genetics and luck. Those of you hailing from common households will likely find yourselves in the lower tiers, with a shot at the middle if you get lucky. On the flip side, kids from established Lexarch families are primed for the upper echelons of the grade. Genetics, luck—both play their part in shaping your future."

With a sinister smile, Elara said “Let's see where your destiny leads you."

The announcement hung heavy in the air, sending ripples of uncertainty and anxiety through the gathered crowd. Faces twisted in turmoil with each individual grappling with the weight of their own limitations.

For those whose genetic lineage promised little, despair gnawed at their hearts with a bitter reminder of the hurdles they faced on the path ahead. Some sought solace in the arms of loved ones, their anguish etched upon tear-streaked faces, while others retreated into themselves, lost in the world of their own thoughts.

Yet, amidst the turmoil, a flicker of determination burned bright in the eyes of a Seren. For him, this setback was not the end, but merely a detour on the road to greatness. Seren was an orphan from a common family so his chances of getting a high grade were slim.

“Um sir, what do people who managed to break the gem in their fight get?”

The girl with the bob cut had woken up just before Elara’s speech and was already standing on her feet with her left arm missing.

Elara: “It can range from a weapon, higher aptitude, special elemental power or directly get some of the powers of a law or concept”

Everyone stared at the girl and Seren with jealousy and regret. Had they known the gifts were going to be this good they might have been willing to sacrifice more. All of their thoughts were similar to:

‘I regret not training hard enough

I wish I hadn't wasted so much time on things that didn't matter

If only I hadn’t been a coward

If only I had taken that chance when it was right in front of me...

Opportunities are like fleeting whispers in the wind; once ignored, they may echo as regrets through a lifetime, while those who seize them will carve pathways to unparalleled heights.