Argeus the Paladin
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Prologue
The Qingslayer’s Exam
Every institution that the universe had known of would usually have its own way of informing those involved of a new day. The tenants and students of the Vladivoskovy Institute were acquainted to the tune of a fine, sharp and lengthy trumpet at exactly sunrise every day to mark that coming. While not very pleasant, and in fact, no alarm could ever be, the “Vlad bell” as people coined it had become a dominant trait of life in the Institute over its hundreds of years in existence.
Thomas Oldacre woke up to the bright sun of a new day with a large yawn, followed by a deep breath of nervousness. Looking around the place, the young man came to the realization that his other roommates were still habitually clinging to their warm blanket and pillow defiantly upon hearing the first round of trumpet. After all, classes would not begin before the end of the third round, so there was no visible incentive for them to get started yet. However, none of them were going to undergo what Thomas was expected to that day, effectively singling him out in his course of action. Thomas shook his head, as he jumped out of his dormitory bed, heading for the lavatory. It was time for a daily morning wash. Habitually, Thomas cupped a handful of water from the tap, throwing it over his face. As the clear water dripped off his drenched visage, it appeared in the mirror before him, half-cloaked away by the blanket of water over his pupils.
Compared to the so-handsome-that-they-appear effeminate-looking students in the Magic school, as well as to the hyper-muscular dudes taking up Bodybuilding classes, Thomas was absolutely average at best. As a greenhorn Knight Cadet, Thomas’ outer look sometimes even managed to betray him, especially the way his hair often came into other people’s judgement of him. The young man’s hair, having grown grey much before his time was due, seemed to have logically contradicted the fact that he was no older than twenty-two, and whose real-life battle experience was as good as non-existent. Not only did that fact deny him of any chance for female companionship, like his comrades, but it also ruined a great deal of anyone’s first impression of him, as everyone would be convinced that walking next to a young knight with hair almost as white as a retiree would more likely than not guarantee no implications of safety. Regardless, Thomas never had the intention to dye it black, for reasons he would rather keep to himself.
Thomas spent a good deal of time looking at the mirror, examining every corner of his innately average looking face, towel in hand so as to wipe, clean, and do away with any messy implication he could find with it. Needless to say, his white hair could not be helped with too much, and in the end, the Knight Cadet found himself cursing his aging hair a little. Normally, Thomas would care not about how he looked- a student who could attend class with an uncombed hair and unwashed face could very well go on for a good time without much grooming needed. But that day was special to Thomas- a day when his dream would start to be realized, at least in the first steps. It was not one of those days you would want your outer look to mess up everything. On that day, he was to overcome his final challenge in combat prowess before he could graduate from the Vladivoskovy School of Applied Warfare as a Knight of Actual Combat majoring in Single Fighting Tactics.
It took Thomas no time at all to get dressed in the Institute’s uniform- a military trench coat and steel helmet to match it with. That day, Thomas’ usual question of “Why must we wear this junk that has nothing to do with an armored Knight’s training” was unremarkably dropped from his agenda, as the Cadet grabbed his weapon of choice- a standard-issue one handed short sword and a wooden buckler- and zoomed out of the bedroom. Nervousness and eagerness had seized control of the cadet’s legs, and as a result, he unconsciously covered roughly half a mile from his dorm room to the examination venue on campus in less than five minutes, past the beautiful and well cared for garden of the Institute without even a glance back. As he ran, the Knight-to-be felt the air of specialness as well as anxiety rushing into his mind- as if the Gothic keeps and ancient buildings of the Institute were all following the footstep of another graduate. After all, how could he not feel the elitism in his every move, when only roughly twenty percent of those enrolled would ever make it through to the final examination round, and how could he not be anxious, as even fewer would pass the exam to become a full-fledged Knight? And that is not to mention that the School of Applied Warfare had the highest on-campus casualties rate and lowest pass rate of them all.
The venue of the exam was a huge colosseum in the middle of the campus, serving both as the heart of Vladivoskovy’s student life and the most brutal testing ground of the school. Last year’s exam resulted in four students suffering from permanently severed limbs, three enduring post-trauma amnesia, and five hospitalized due to internal organ damage, as well as around a couple of dozen other minor injuries. And every so often someone would end up losing his life, their graves still lining up along the southern entrance of the building. And yet, a promising future for those having survived with a degree would mean that the school would still attract students. Thomas couldn’t help but gasp a little at the sight of the graves of the worst of those having failed the final exam.
”I wouldn’t die before I can get his head on my platter,” Thomas calmed himself down, “A little challenge like this would never stop me. Ever.”
With those thoughts of self assurance, Thomas Oldacre proudly presented himself along the southern entrance of the stadium, his student ID ready in hand, ready for any challenge that would pose itself before him. A long, dimly lit corridor smelt of old moss and excess moisture was what confronted him next, a sight Thomas had been used to seeing, but also what was inevitably making his heart beat faster. Finally, after a walk that appeared to have lasted a century, Thomas ended up standing in front of his destination. A wooden door with a noteworthy engraving was perhaps the only thing between him and his fate by now.
“Room 2031, KSJ Colosseum,” Thomas read out aloud, “This must be it.”
“Come in,” a voice sounded beyond the door, to Thomas’ startling. Whoever was in the room must have heard his voice, as Thomas didn’t have a habit to speak softly when preoccupied with thoughts. Taking a deep breath as the mossy air entered his lungs, skyrocketing his psyche even further, Thomas reached for the door knob, turned it, and opened the very old oak door, before presenting himself inside the chamber.
What appeared before him was completely different from his impression of the corridor. The old-fashioned, antique gateway concealed behind it a room built with extremely advanced technology, under the influence of modern architecture and art. Gone was the mossy, dark and damp hallway, in this spacious room what hit Thomas first and foremost was a tough, heavy-duty mainframe with all sorts of machinery connected to it, bleeping and flaring on a secondly basis, apparently made for specialist purpose. It was rumored by the school’s students that the sort of machines in the testing center was able to even measure a living human’s heartbeat and brainwave wirelessly. The training dummy in the middle of the room could, if anything, help add the sense of post-modernity to the already high-tech environment, continuously switching its signal lights on and off, denoting each region on the human body accurately to the millimeter, allowing a perfect evaluation of the damage dealt and impact of a delivered hit. On the ceiling, light and heat-sensitive cameras were there, in order to deliver the best of technique evaluation to the examiner in charge. Though Thomas’ lecture and tutorial halls themselves enjoyed a good degree of high-tech equipment, they were nowhere close to the level available in the room. Once again, the cadet gasped, this time due to the sheer astonishment.
“Mr. Thomas H. Oldacre, Student ID Number U4692111, am I right?” the person sitting in front of the computer turned back, facing the examinee, with an official question in a friendly tone. The school official, nowhere older than forty, with a friendly smile, in contradiction to his rather stern look, an uniformly distributed attribute of all lecturers and tutors of the Vladivoskovy Institute, was obviously the one who would be overseeing his final exam and responsible for his testing procedures.
“Y…yes, sir. I am Thomas,” the cadet said anxiously, glancing at the official in charge.
“Good day, Cadet. I am Professor Bushodo Hikaru, your examiner,” the school official stated, “If I got myself correctly, you are the only cadet from the School of Applied Combat of ours to have passed the Single Combat Tactic exam with maximum score this year. I congratulate you on that result.”
“But that doesn’t guarantee that you would pass this exam safe and sound,” Professor Hikaru said, after a pause, “You know what happened to Jonas McDonald last year, don’t you?”
“He was the one who lost both arms in the exam…” Thomas shivered a little.
“…And yet he was not at all a bad learner. Having taught him for a semester I know that,” Professor Hikaru emphasized, “Do you know what that means?”
“Yes, sir. I’ll do my best!” Thomas nodded, trying to control his confidence.
“Now then, I believe you have got all your theories ready and waiting, don’t you?” Professor Hikaru smiled, walking slowly towards the mainframe as he spoke.
“I am ready, sir!” Thomas reassured.
“But then, still, you are the pride of our faculty this year, and none of the staff would like to see you fail,” said the helpful examiner, “So, I would like to give you a little revision on what you have learnt in the past years before we start. Let us try a small warm up first, shall we?”
With the computer keyboard just an arm’s reach from him, the examiner pressed a button, and before Thomas could realize what was happening, the background of the room turned black, and all the mechanical equipment, as well as the examiner, vanished from his sight, save for the training dummies. In due time, though, the dummies flashed brightly, and in a matter of seconds, before Thomas appeared a couple of seemingly hostile slimy gel monsters.
“You are now in virtual reality mode, Cadet Oldacre,” Thomas could hear the professor’s voice from beyond the background, “Sorry if the announcement sounded redundant, but this is the time for you to hone back your skills before the actual test. Make sure you are fine with your stats and weapon before you go on.”
“My stats…”
“As I can see from the monitor here, you are currently a Level 1 Knight with 10 Strength and 5 Intellect. Remarkable stats for someone of your skill level, as I say,” Professor Hikaru continued, “Do you remember the Hit Point and Mana Accumulation rule, as well as the Base and Weapon Damage Addition Rule?”
“Yes, sir!” Thomas answered confidently, remembering the various lessons he had spent on the topic, “My HP and MP are both exactly ten times my Strength and Intellect, respectively! My Strength and Intellect would also act as my primary stat modifier, officially called Base Damage Modifier for my attack damage! If I use a melee weapon, my BDM would be equal to my Strength, and similarly with magic weapon and Intellect!”
“Very good. Currently, you are using a Vladivoskovsky Standard Issue short sword, which adds 3 points to your attack. Not a bad choice, I see. Could you tell me why you chose this weapon?”
“Yes, sir! Though the sword has potentially the lowest Weapon Damage, it has the highest BDM bonus and suffers no other weapon penalty, unlike the Axe and the Lance!!”
“You memorized your lessons well. Yes, a Sword would give you 120% BDM, and thusly, your current damage is 10 x 120% + 3, equalling 15 points of damage. But having passed the tactics exam with such a high score, I understand that you would not underestimate the use of armors, shields and other defensive equipment! Please state why.”
“Because armors and shields are highly efficient to make sure we survive longer in the field, sir!” Thomas replied enthusiastically, “And surviving longer would mean having more to dish out in terms of damage!”
“Excellent. I hope that you haven’t forgotten the benefit of high stats, have you?”
“Never, sir! A high Strength would allow me to gain Stat armor, which mean making it harder for enemies to do me serious damage, and the formula is SA = Strength/10!”
“Perfect, Mr. Oldacre,” praised the examiner, “Therefore, with the Wooden Buckler that you are wielding, which gives an additional 1 armor, you now have a defense rating of 2! You know what that means, I insist?”
“That means all attacks directed at me, if they are physical, will deal 2 point less in terms of damage!” Thomas replied.
“Very well then. The slimes that I released before you each has 3 Strength and 0 Intellect, giving them 3 attack damage, 30 HP and zero armor,” Professor Hikaru said, “Well-prepared as you are, you should have little problem confronting them, do you? Go on ahead and demonstrate what you have got.”
“Yes, sir!” Thomas replied, and in a flash, the knight in training had already set upon what he thought fit. Six attacks went home as Thomas cut through each and every of his enemies, reducing them to a mess of gooey liquid, suffering minimal damage in the meantime. No sooner than the last foe had fallen than Thomas heard Professor Hikaru again.
“Congratulations, Mr. Oldacre,” Professor Hikaru said joyfully, “Let us do that again, but a little differently, alright?”
With those words heard, Thomas looked back to find the three enemies of his reviving themselves on the ground, as fit and healthy as ever, ready for another battle.
“Tell me, Mr. Oldacre,” Professor Hikaru questioned, “What is the Theory of Charged Assault like?”
“Yes, sir!” Thomas replied, “A Charged Assault occurs when and only when a warrior sacrifice a turn’s precious time in combat to focus in the weapon he wields. The resulting attack would not only do much more damage than two cumulative blows, but would render some extremely useful effects as well! This sword of mine, for example, when charged, will be able to deliver up to 250% Base and Weapon damage as well as totally negating enemy defense for the duration of the attack!”
“Therefore, when your blade is charged up, you shall do as much as 250% x 15 = 37.5, rounded to 38, points of damage, negating the opponent’s armor, at the price of one turn doing nothing. You know how this is used, right?”
“I can demonstrate, sir!” Thomas said confidently, as he brandished his blade and rushed into the fray. His charged tactic was more than effective this time: As Thomas neglected the onslaught of the slimy foes, his blade glowed with the collective power of concentration, and the resulting cleave looked as if it could cut through the toughest of hides. The resulting shockwave would slice through the enemies, dissecting each and every slime into two portions, bringing an even earlier victory than before. As on his behalf, Thomas suffered not even a visible injury.
“Very well, very well indeed, Mr. Oldacre. You are almost ready for the exam now.” The examiner’s voice sounded again, upon the death of the last foe.
“Almost, sir?”
“There is just one more thing I’d like to make known before you enter combat…”
“I am ready for anything now, sir!” Thomas twirled his blade defiantly - the white-haired Knight of Actual Combat had an unmistakable habit of doing so in any fit of excitement.
There was a brief pause, as Thomas supposed the professor was preparing his paperwork from the blackness beyond. After all, it was an important exam, and somehow Thomas got the feeling that what hint the professor was giving him was not completely legal.
“Pay attention, Thomas Oldacre, as this last hint is among the two only things that separate a graduate from a failer, or a fortunate failer who lives and one who isn’t quite so,” Professor Hikaru’s voice sounded solemnly at last, as ceremonial as Thomas could have expected, “We call that Combat Skills. If you truly deserved the record-high score that you have attained, you should be able to know what that means, don’t you?”
“I can never forget it, sir!” Thomas sighed in relief upon hearing the question. After all, he was the only cadet who got full score in the section concerning Combat Skills in the theoretical exam, giving him sole right to brag about the subject to his schoolmates.
“You shall need it in order to pass the final exam,” Professor Hikaru asserted from beyond the shadowy virtual reality “Tell me briefly what you know about Combat Skills and how to apply it.”
“Combat Skills are the core of battle for a Vladivoskovy Student as well as any other. It involves the use of our weapons, body and mind correlating with our specialty so as to create the optimum combat effect to our desire!” Thomas replied firmly- having read the book for hundreds of times, he now knew the definition almost by heart.
“That is exactly the definition as mentioned in Principles of Combat Skills, Book One, by Mikhail J. Kutuzov,” Professor Hikaru said, “Tell me further if you can. What is it that you know beyond the book?”
“My primary Combat Skill is the Critical Combo skill. It allows me to do 150% Base and 200% Weapon damage in one turn for either 5 MP or 5 HP, whichever still remains at the time of execution,” Thomas presented proudly.
“I see. No doubt, that is the signature skill of any Knight of Actual Combat,” Professor Hikaru replied coolly, “If you use it well, then you stand a high chance of passing the exam without a scratch.”
“I understand, but… Could I start the exam now, sir?” Thomas asked impatiently as he twisted the handle of his blade- the white-haired knight-to-be had never been too patient to begin with.
All of a sudden, Thomas felt an abnormal silence covering and overshadowing the entire space. For a couple of seconds, quietness reigned upon the virtual reality cyber space around the knight-to-be, so haunting that he could hear a pin drop. Naturally, Thomas felt that he had spoken something he shouldn’t have… or did he?
Fortunately, the silence didn’t last for too long, and so did the darkness. No more than half a minute since the instance, all the lights in the room was switched on, dispersing the darkness in its wake, and in Thomas’ eyes, objects in the real world started to visualize and materialize, respectively. From his experience with the virtual reality mode, Thomas quickly came to the realization that the cyber space “test”, “evaluation”, “hint”, or whatever it could be called, has come to an abrupt end. And there next to the computer, the figure of a both-serious-and-kind test giver was standing, with a smile of approval that Thomas was not yet able to fully comprehend.
“Cadet Thomas Han Oldacre, you have successfully passed the Oral section of the examination with full score. This means that you are now entitled to go on with the Combat Experience section of the exam,” Professor Hikaru said ceremoniously, to Thomas’ astonishment.
“What? There is… an Oral section to the final Exam?” Thomas Oldacre gasped in astonishment, “Why didn’t I know about this?”.
“The reason is simple, Cadet Oldacre,” Professor Hikaru’s explained, finally clearing up Thomas’ doubts “Due to the excessive number of casualties every year, many of which is caused by ignorance in terms of combat theory or lack of application know-how, this year, the Institute is carrying out a new policy. Each student, before taking the final exam, must overcome an Oral section. If he passes, he would proceed with the norm. If he fails, he automatically fails the exam. The point is, the student is not to know about his being given an oral test, for reasons too obvious. As you see, the Oral test was given to you without you realizing that you are being examined…”
“So…” Thomas said in an absence of other words to say.
“You had better get yourself ready now, Cadet Oldacre,” Professor Hikaru said, “Because your final exam is tough and, in a way, still dangerous even to one of your calibre. This is when your theory can help you no more. This is when the second difference between the passer and the failer comes into effect.”
“What is this… second difference?” Thomas asked blankly- probably it was his excitement and nervousness speaking.
“Use your head, Cadet Oldacre. You must know when to use what,” said Professor Hikaru, “Well, your exam venue is beyond the door over there at the end of this room.”
“I am ready, sir,” Thomas said, swinging his shield over his shoulder.
“I could only wish you best of luck now, Cadet Oldacre,” Professor Hikaru concluded in a friendly tone.
“Thank you, sir,” Thomas smiled confidently, “I will pass for sure.”
With those words, Thomas proceeded towards the door at the end of the chamber, knowing that behind the door lay his final challenge and the last barrier to his graduation. After the door opened with an electronic blip, the hallway that presented itself before him was treaded with brisk, wide steps of both haste and impatience. Excitement and nervousness, as well as a sizable degree of eagerness had turned the Cadet’s eyes from the normally remarkable corridor leading towards the final testing venue- a steel-built corridor with a considerably large amount of built-in electronic equipment that kept blipping and switching on and off in tandem with the cadet’s steps. In barely a minute, Thomas reached the end of the hallway, presenting himself before a huge, forbidding portcullis- or rather an electronically controlled door resembling one, for the sake of creating the atmosphere. A jolt of tingling shock was sent through Thomas’ body as he reached for the control unit next to the beautifully and realistically crafted gateway, as the cadet felt his heart beating faster than ever before, as anxiousness and a little fright started to enter his train of thoughts.
However, he was in no position to back off. Decisively, Thomas Oldacre stepped before the gateway while pressing the combination of buttons denoting his Student ID Number hastily. With a chime of confirmation from the control unit when the last key was entered, the magnificent steel structure before him started to rumble majestically, before opening up slowly but mightily, lifting its steel prongs off the ground with deafening noises. In due time, the portcullis was fully drawn, revealing whatever beyond it to the cadet. Thomas, confronted by what titanic happening before him, knew of just one thing. He had come all his way to Vladivoskovy to learn what he needed to achieve his dreams, had spent three tough and hard years to learns, and had worked hard and diligently enough in the past time to not back up now. Decisively, wringing up all the confidence he could muster at the moment, Thomas slowly and courageously stepped into the opening, and then continued the last few yards past the last stretch of hallway, before sunlight from the outdoors was able to blur his vision.
After the cadet had adjusted to the sunlight and took a good look around, what presented itself before him was shocking at least: The knight-to-be now was standing on a sunlit, circular and extremely spacious sandy ground, a Colosseum norm. But in the sky, an airship-shaped structure was circling around the perimeter, and from the looks of things, it was also rigged with electronic equipment built solely for the purpose of supervision and evaluation. Thomas Oldacre was supposed to fight someone in this arena, with the only audience being the electronic behemoth above him. But Thomas didn’t have too much time to question, as no sooner had he taken a firm footing in the arena than the airship began an announcement.
“Cadet Thomas Han Oldacre, Student ID 4692111, you are to fight the examiner codenamed Cyber Paladin for your final examination. You are only allowed to bring one primary arm and one secondary arm equipment into the exam arena. If you have brought in any excess, you can dispose of it now. Any sign of cheating or unethical behaviour in the examination arena will result in instant failure. Remember that you are marked primarily not on the basis of graceful and beautiful moves, but rather on how effectively you neutralize your enemy. Plan your attacks well based on this ground.”
“Cyber Paladin?” Thomas pondered, “Who is this…”
Before Thomas could finish his train of thought, the distinctive sound of someone teleporting into the middle of the arena was heard, and Thomas’ attention was immediately drawn towards this appearance. Now, before him stood a fully armored knight, with a heavy shield and large, imposing two-handed axe, which he wielded by just one hand. A heavy steel visor concealed the opponent’s face, while offering perfect protection to the face and upper neck. Greaves and heavy gauntlets dashed out Thomas’ last hopes in finding a way through the opponent’s limbs, to offer a final conclusion. From the first look, it appeared that there was no way for Thomas to emerge victorious in this battle. The second look, though, was even more depressing: The airship above the two fighters, by then, had finally finished the primary analysis of the test taker and the tester, and the stats of both competitors were now on display on the airship’s attached LCD, which read:
“Thomas Han Oldacre, ID 4692111: Strength 10, Intellect 5, HP: 100, MP: 50
Equipment: Short Sword, Wooden Shield, BDM 12, Weapon Damage 3, Shield Defense 1, Total Damage 12+3, Total Defense 1+1
Cyber Paladin, Examiner: Strength 12, Intellect 0, HP: 120, MP: 0
Equipment: Two-handed Great Axe, Heavy Tower, Heavy Legging, Heavy Gloves, Heavy Visor, BDM 12-6, Weapon Damage 10, Armor Defense 5, Shield Defense 5, Helm Defense 3, Other Defense 3, Total Damage 12+4, Total Defense 1+5+5+3+3”
With that kind of awfully flawed stats, even a child would know that Thomas’ attacks could graze the enemy’s armor at best. Frustrated, the Cadet started to realize why so many casualties would take place at school every year- they were basically pitched against overwhelming enemies. For his case, Thomas, a fighter who relied on weapons and strength to do damage, was placed against a complete tank. For a second, Thomas wondered if the school administrators were in their right minds…
There was no time for questioning though, for the Cyber Paladin started his assault as soon as the starting signal was given out. In two charges, he was able to do major damage to the Cadet, while Thomas was doing one-HP-attacks every time. In his right mind, Thomas realized that in order to knock down his foe, he needed to strike a total of 118 more blows, in which time, the Cyber Paladin would be able to kill off a dozen Thomases with impunity. After all, was there any way for him to beat the monster? Not being able to answer, the third charge ended with Thomas taking another major hit, and still he hadn’t been able to do anything better. At that rate, Thomas was going to join the crowd at the cemetery sooner than he could dream of.
It was then that Thomas recollected Professor Hikaru’s words. Truly, if exams were that rigged and unbeatable, how could so many Knights, Mages and Combatants graduate every year, many of whom were able to establish major careers later on, as shown in the Institute Halls of Fame? And so, it made much sense that the battle was to be won by cleverly using one’s skills to outmaneuver the enemy, not by out-tanking or out-nuking them. Thinking so, Thomas quickly leaped up, avoiding the Cyber Paladin’s next blow, dashing a few yards from his threat, and, upon realization that the danger was no longer imminent, started planning his next move.
Analyzing his foe on the ground of the LCD stats display, Thomas realized that, stat-wise, the Cyber Paladin was not that great. He only beat Thomas by two points in strength, and had no intellect. Furthermore, his effort to wield a two-handed weapon with one hand while wearing super heavy armor and a shield to top it with basically reduced his BDM drastically, to the point that his direct attack was not so much of a big threat. The only strength that the Cyber Paladin possessed was an extremely durable armor. However, even that tank isn’t flawless. After all, Thomas DID have a move to overcome that imposing defense…
Straightening up his heavily beaten up trench coat and capsized helm, Thomas stood up, and, contrary to the Cyber Paladin’s expectation, stood still without doing anything. Quickly dismissing Thomas’ actions as giving up, the Cyber Paladin once again opened his charge, and his next, fourth blow managed to reduce Thomas’ HP to merely 44. In another four turns, Thomas would be finished for sure.
What the Cyber Paladin didn’t realize, though, was the eerie and dangerously mysterious green glow that started on the tip of Thomas’ weapon. The beam of green glow quickly covered the full length of the blade, and once the Cyber Paladin was able to tell the truth, it was already too late. Thomas raised his weapon to the air, causing the green glow to finalize into a full-blown lightning-shaped blade, and when it landed on the Cyber Paladin, resulted in a terrific crash. But unlike the last times, this time, Thomas’ blade sank right through the armor, delivering what appeared to be a critical blow, virtually knocking the Cyber Paladin back writhing in pain with a good hole in all his defensive equipment.
The wise Thomas, this time, had chosen to utilize a Charged Attack. Executing it simultaneously with the Critical Combo signature primary ability, Thomas was able to unleash an armor-cleaving blow that did (12 x 150% x 250%) + (3 x 200% x 250%) = 60 points of damage, effectively both negated the imposing, unbalanced armor that the Cyber Paladin placed much pride in, as well as shaving off half of his HP in just one blow. The price of the attack, though, was a measly 10 mana and a turn spent standing like a silly sitting duck.
The verdict was then simple, as the table is now completely turned: In another two turns, the Cyber Paladin would be defeated for sure, when the Cadet spent another turn charging up his blade and delivering another critical, to which the Cyber Paladin’s defense wouldn’t work. Due to his lack of Combat Skill and mana, the Cyber Paladin had exhausted all his options to do otherwise. Fight as he must, he would still lose in two turns to come, as there was no way for him to defeat Thomas in the little time he had left. And the school computer seemed to have calculated the outcome…
“The exam has ended decisively before time is due because of a foreseeable inevitable outcome!” boomed the airship’s vocal device, “To avoid further damage to all concerned party, we hereby conclude Cadet Thomas Han Oldacre’s Final Exam. Cadet Oldacre, Student ID 4692111, is now declared pass with perfect score!”
Thomas Oldacre stood still, frozen by the suddenness of the declaration, wondering if he had heard the right thing. He had won, after all. For a moment, the event appeared to Thomas both as something unbelievable and yet had to somehow come as a matter of course. With the Cyber Paladin downtrodden, his armor badly damaged and his flesh badly scarred by the charge, yielding to the might and intellect that the cadet could proudly announced as his own, Thomas stood victoriously in the center of the ring, his still flashing short sword waving triumphantly in the air.
"Mothers... Fathers... I have completed the inevitable in your names..." Thomas Oldacre almost wept with joy as the news came to him like an unbearable rejoicement, "I have finally attained the degree of a Knight of Actual Combat... After this day, Qianlong would wish he had never been born and crowned..."
For the rest of that day, Thomas Oldacre was in a state of mental ecstasy, being more excited and hyped than he had ever been before. For a couple of hours, the cadet failed to control his movement, and in the end, found himself doing a ten-round sprint around the entire campus in a skyhigh mood, laughing and shouting hysterically as his steps pounded rapidly on the cobbled road, disregarding the oblivious bystanders staring at him cluelessly. His attitude was so over the top that had it not been for the now common knowledge that he had passed the final exam with top score, everyone could have written his reaction down as mental disorder. Still, it was strange, as his reaction that day totally clashed with the normally mature and silent personality that Thomas always displayed throughout the academic adventure.
Though any graduate would always behave in such a manner when his adventure at a learning institution finally came to an end, Thomas' behavior was more than just a relief after the study-crazed period was finally all over. For in his eyes, an observant bystander could readily recognize something abnormal, something sinister, something inhuman- a crave for carnage and vengeance. Thomas' wild howl as he treaded the school ground was later on described as "savage and reeked of bloodlust". Without doubt, this man was to bring about the death of an entire empire- just by his own will.
*****
< Message edited by Argeus the Paladin -- 10/3/2008 4:33:44 >
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