HBWnovel [Rewrite] Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 4: The Sudden Change In Scenery
[Rewrite] Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 4: The Sudden Change In Scenery
[Rewrite] Act 1: Blue Ocean Pavilion - Chapter 4: The Sudden Change In Scenery
"Then let us begin." Robert's aged yet domineering voice echoed across the large courtyard.
The crowd tensed up at Robert's words. The Blue Ocean Pavilion was the holy land for all developing Exalts in the Brilliant Drake Empire. The heaven for those who were found worthy but hell for those who fell short.
What sort of trials were we walking into? How many people would even pass? These questions occupied their minds. If they failed here, then they might as well leave and give up any hope.
Oscar stood patiently with a calm expression, but the sweat on his brow betrayed his anxiousness.
Robert looked at the crowd of prospects and sighed. From a mere sentence, many had given in to fear. He did not enjoy seeing such cowardly behavior.
"Come through this door and move onto the platform," Robert instructed.
Oscar followed the crowd as they stepped onto the large platform, feeling like he was a sheep in a wooden pen. Everyone gazed at Robert, waiting for what was to come.
Robert nodded and said, "Be ready!"
Suddenly the stone platform began to shine, making everyone squint or cover their eyes. The sudden brightness caught them all off-guard, and some shrieked from the flash that overwhelmed their eyes.
"Good Luck."
Oscar heard Robert's voice before he felt his body being squeezed. The feeling was so uncomfortable that Oscar was reminded of the time he had a really bad stomachache. He let out a cry of pain, as did many around him.V/\IssịT for the b/est novel reading experi/en/ce
The stone platform released a final burst of light, engulfing everyone. The next moment, it returned to normal, but the crowd was gone as if no one ever stood there.
Robert opened his eyes, revealing an odd pair of red and blue eyes. He smiled and stroked his beard while addressing the other elders of the Pavilion below him. "Let's head to the control room. I hope the students can do well to show what they can do."
The other elders of the Pavilion bowed their heads in agreement and followed Robert at a respectful distance.
.......
Oscar felt his vision returning from the initial bright shock, but his stomach was very uncomfortable. With a green face, he vomited out his entire breakfast, taking large breaths. "What the hell happened?"
He recovered but had a pale face. "Where am I?"
The ground was not the stone platform he once stood on; it was a vibrant spread of dark dirt and green grass. All around him were big trees and some large boulders in the distance; the layout of the place reminded Oscar of the forest he sometimes wandered and traveled around near his home.
But the trees here were much taller and wider.
"These trees could definitely provide thrice as much firewood." Oscar placed his hand on the thick birchwood. His eyes glanced slowly around and spotted a small hill in the distance. As he thought about going there, a metal cylinder suddenly dropped on his head, followed by a small bag.
"Ouch!" Oscar yelped. "What is this?"
He gripped the metal cylinder and noticed it was a container. With a forceful tug, the lid popped open, and a scroll dropped out. Oscar picked up the scroll, unfurled it, and read.
The scroll's contents said the following.
"Congratulations on being one of the lucky ones to take the trial. Your trial is to find three tokens laid around the whole field. There's a chance all of you could find the three tokens, or none of you can.
The time limit for finding them is three days. There is also a bag of food and water that will last for the duration of the trial. If you are in any danger, there is also a small medallion that you can break to give up.
Fighting is allowed, but do not take things too far or else.
Happy scavenging!"
The message from the Pavilion seemed very accommodating, but it carried a particular chilling sentence that made Oscar tense. Fighting was allowed during this trial. Oscar had never been in a fight before, so he knew he was at a disadvantage.
Oscar checked the bag, saw the food inside, and pulled out the medallion. It was a small green coin that matched the grass below. Oscar stowed it in his pocket and reviewed all the information in his thought.
"The trees provide great cover."
Oscar heard a loud voice and turned in its direction. It was the voice of the stranger who had saved him. From the exasperation and anger, Oscar knew the stranger was in danger and sprinted ahead.
As the shouts grew louder, Oscar closed in on the scene and slowed his steps. Behind a tree, he peeked ahead and saw the stranger stuck with a rocky wall behind him. Two others flanked him from both sides.
Oscar recognized one of them as one of the teens who accompanied Stan, the proctor who goaded Lewis.
"Samuel, you piece of shit!" The stranger shouted and swung.
"Oi, is that the right way to talk to a member of the Carter Viscount?" Samuel arrogantly declared. His blond hair flowed down his shoulders, and his yellow eyes eyed the stranger like a predator.
Behind the stranger, the other person swung at him, and the stranger was forced back to the rocky wall.
"Two on you is too much for you?" Samuel sneered. "You're one hell of an idiot. By the way, this is my associate, Greg."
"Don't care about scum like you two." The stranger spat out some blood and took up a stance.
"Scum? Please, I am a Grade Six Exolsia talent. If anything, you're the scum. Didn't your family ostracize you after the fact? But then again, the biggest trash was that fool, Teresa."
The stranger's eyes were bloodshot, and he charged in a rage at Samuel. "You!"
Samuel blocked while Greg put a strong kick in the stranger's gut.
"Ah, I remember, Frederick. You always smacked me or embarrassed me in front of everyone. This is payback for the humiliation you gave me. Don't worry, I won't take it too far, but sometime I will kill you."
He punched the stranger, Frederick, in the face.
But Frederick chuckled with a defiant look. "I remember you were a helpless idiot who thought he could do anything he wanted. I disciplined you in your family's place, and they forced you to stay at home for a year. That was hilarious."
Samuel's face turned red with rage. He quickly picked up a large stick, waving it around. "Enjoy your life in the Minor Hall."
However, a small rock smacked him hard in the back of the head. Samuel dropped the stick, holding his head with a twisted expression, and barked out, "Who the hell?"
Suddenly, Oscar came out of nowhere and pushed Samuel to the rock wall. "Get out of here!"
Frederick stared blankly at Oscar, who was waving his hand and telling him to leave. He only thought about what kind of idiot this person was.
"Who do you think you are?!" Greg moved.
Oscar quickly picked up the stick and slammed it on Greg, crashing him to the ground. He quickly took Frederick's hand and dragged him off. "I told you to run!"
"You...." Frederick was still in disbelief.
Samuel got up and saw the two running off. He tried to follow, but they already ran far. He could only let out a shout. "I'll kill you!"
After their desperate getaway, Oscar and Frederick panted and stopped to catch a breather.
"It's fast approaching nighttime. They shouldn't be chasing us anymore." Oscar drank some water, one of the provisions in his bag.
Frederick quickly regained his breathing and stared at Oscar intently. "Why did you jump in? I can tell you can't fight well, so what if it went wrong? Are you an idiot?"
Oscar frowned and answered, "What words to say to the person that saved you just now? I saved you because I wanted to. Why did you save me from the cliff?"
Frederick fell silent and said, "You're one crazy idiot."
"Aren't you the same? You decide to save some stranger like me despite the risks involved, and you tried to fight two-on-one." Oscar laughed. "I never got to ask, what's your name? My name is Oscar Terr."
Frederick slumped to rest on a tree and chuckled, "Now you're trying to make a friend? I'm Frederick Klein. Nice to meet you."