Inside an artificial dungeon in the Horizon.
Students stood in a coordinated and orderly manner staring at the many mountain ranges covered in mist that was before them.
Each mountain range has a peak of approximately 10 Km long.
The instructor stood at the side and looked at the students with a fiery gaze and shouted"Cadets before you, there are many mountain ranges and each range has a specific number. You need to climb the peak according to the number you have got before entering the dungeon. After climbing the peak, there will be a platform where you will find instructors waiting for you."
Everyone gulped as they looked at the high peaks which went straight into the skies and wondered how the horizon was able to create such a huge structure artificially.
Starting at large mountain peaks meeting the sky, they prepared themselves for a new hellish nightmare.
The instructors looked at the students who had awe and horror-stricken expression and nodded in satisfaction and gave a rough explanation"On reaching the peak you have to fight with the instructor and defeat them and if you were able to defeat them, you don't have to take this training session."
"What the hell?"
"You are telling us to fight with an instructor with our current level."
A small commotion broke out as they were informed that they have to fight with an instructor.
"Quiet." The instructor roared bursting out the eardrums of the students.
"Like you, the instructor's strength would be suppressed and he would also wear the bracelet like you all and he wouldn't be able to use mana. You have to defeat him in physical combat, if you lose you will be thrown down the mountain and have to climb, again and again until you can defeat him or until today's training session is over." The instructor gave gentle a vicious smile that sent a chill down the spine of the students.
The students shuddered in fear after hearing the explanation.
Seeing his gentle smile everyone had one thought about him.
'This guy is seriously a masochist who finds happiness in seeing us in pain.'
"Now get your ass over there."He shouted.
Followed by his shout, without wasting any time, loud footsteps were heard and the ground rumbled as the students ran toward the mountain.
Lucas didn't take it slow and stepped on the accelerator and ran at his full speed.
He had already wasted too much time laying unconscious for nearly a month and he won't have the leisure to take it slowly and steadily like the way he did in the previous training regime.
He wore a tag of number six on his right shoulder which signified that he had to climb mountain number six
Lucas leapt through the ground and jumped over the head of the students at the front by stepping on a boulder at the side to went over the crowd of students that were running slowly.
The students looked at Lucas in awe as his silhouette passed over them. There have already been many rumours about him circulating before but after the expedition, there is one thing circulating among his peers and spreading like a fire.
" Don't mess with him. He is not what he seems."
Even the arrogant and egoistical Charles is making sure to keep his head down before Lucas's presence so who the hell will have the courage to shit Lucas.
But it is a common thing in human nature that no matter how one is warned, some people have their screws loose and they will only know the fear after they get bitten.
A boy making his way through the crowd shouted"Look who is up the head."
"The great and almighty Lucas, the boys whose valour had been the talk of the academy."
"Hey, it's just a rumour. If he is as awesome as the people say he wouldn't have accepted to become Princess dog and lick her toes."Another boy spoke.
" Tsk. At least he had such pleasure."Another boy spoke clicking his tongue.
Lucas didn't bait an eye as their voices got louder and louder, their shit talk started to irritate him.
Lucas sighed as he thought' The World is filled with people like these.'
Lucas turned back to see the annoying bunch and in the next turn while running forward, he kicked a stone with his back foot towards one of the students with a great force.
The annoying boy whose all attention was on badmouthing Lucas, didn't see the incoming stones aimed directly at the place where he was about to step.
The boy stepped on the stone and tripped over his steps falling on the road and sliding through the ground.
The others behind him who were running fast weren't able to react in time and even after trying to avoid it, stepped on his thigh and hands.
Some tried to stop their steps but only ended up falling on the boy.
"Arghhhhhh."
Lucas smirked without looking back as he heard a piercing cry behind his back from a distance.
Lucas got near the foot of the mountain and jumped by stomping the ground and grabbing a protruding rocking one hand and putting his foot on another one to balance his body, he started to climb up.
He pushed his upper body by applying force to his legs and using his hands to look for anything to hold on to.
He put his fingers in between the gaps of the rocks and gripping his fingers tightly, he supported his full body and tried to lift his body.
After one and half hours of climbing Lucas was panting heavily as he stood on the peak of the mountain.
His entire back was drenched in sweat.
He took a moment off to catch up his breath before challenging the instructor.
There were many small areas like rings on the top of the peak and he saw students getting beaten by the instructors and getting thrown down the mountain on the other side.
Lucas heard the crying sound of the students as they were thrown down the mountain mercilessly by the instructor after being beaten.
Lucas stepped onto one of the arenas and bowing his head, he gave a small greeting to the instructor before the fighting.
The instructor gave a brief nod and waved his hand signalling Lucas to start.
Lucas took his fighting stance raising both his fist and pulling his left leg back, he shift his centre of weight to the right side.
On getting the instructor's signal, he used his left leg as a spring to launch himself at the instructor and clenching his fist, he threw a punch at the instructor's chest.
The instructors sidestepped to avoid it and using a hand like a knife gave a karate chop to Lucas's neck.
Lucas's eyes narrowed as he pulled his fist back and raised it in the air to block.
Both of their attacks collided and Lucas felt pain in his hands.
'Just how hard is his hand.'Lucas thought as he felt his hands collide with the steel.
The instruction raised his right leg and kicked Lucas's torso to which Lucas raised his knee to block but this gave an opening to the instructor, who punched him in the guts making Lucas take a few steps backwards.
"That hurts," Lucas muttered as he stared at the instructor.
Since both their mana and power are sealed what will make the difference will be the fighting experience, the combat technique their body strength and physique
Fighting a fully professional is different from fighting with a brainless monster.
Lucas took a deep breath and looked at the instructor with sharp eyes and lunged forward with his right arm stretched towards the instructor while his left arm was near the waist.
The instructor flinched a little as he saw Lucas stare and stood at its spot waiting for Lucas to make a move.
As Lucas reached near the instructor, he saw that the instructor had no intention of attacking him.
Lucas did a leap and with a burst of speed, appeared before the instructor.
Lucas gripped his right fist and threw a straight punch toward the instructor's face.
The instructor as if able to read Lucas's movement wholly tilted his head to the right ducking the punch.
Lucas as if expected this and threw an uppercut at the instructor's jaw with his left hand.
The instructor smirked.
Putting a hand on Lucas's shoulder, he tightened the grip on Lucas's shoulder rotating his whole body, he jumped back and somersaulted, holding Lucas and tired threw him out of the arena.
Lucas narrowed his eyeball and spun his body in the mid-air and was able to land at the edge of the arena at the other end of the arena.
He was just a step from falling down the mountain.
Lucas wiped the sweat from his forehead and after calming down, ran towards the instructor in a zig-zag path and kicked the instructor's chest.
The instructor quickly put his right arm and blocked the blow and as he successfully blocked it, he swept towards Lucas's left leg, trying to trip him over.
Lucas saw it coming and quickly raised his left leg to dodge the instructor's sweeping kick and then did a quick step backwards but the instructor didn't let it happen and he instantly switched from a defensive to an offensive stance and started to take Lucas in close combat.
The instructor threw multiple attacks at Lucas with his fist and legs but Lucas was able to block them easily and evade the dangerous ones.
Lucas frowned and furrowed his brows as he thought' The instructor is toying with me. His attack just carries the minimum strength for fighting with its swift speed that's why I was able to block them easily. If his attack carried a little more strength, I would have been easily thrown out of the arena.'
Seeing the instructor going easy on him made him quite annoyed at his helplessness cause if he was stronger there is no way the instructor would take him lightly.
Little did he know, on the other hand, the instructor was thinking' This is a kid is quite good even for his rank. If he can overcome the flaws in his attacks. He can surely improve into a top-notch fighter. Even I have to keep full attention to him to block his attacks.'
The instructor did a sidekick but Lucas blocked it with his left arm but Lucas wasn't done with this.
He gripped the leg with his right arm and pulled it towards him.
The instructor frowned and punched Lucas's chest.
Lucas rotated his body 90 and gave a superkick towards the instructor's face which the instructor barely avoids the kick brushed past his hair as he bend down and kicked Lucas sending him flying in the air out of the arena.