Skill Maker In A New World: Start By Creating A 10x SP Skill-Chapter 78: Recruitment Test

Shawn continued from where he had paused as the Trial Nexus became ready on the stage.

"Now listen carefully," he said for the rules.

"Four of you will touch the Nexus at once, then you'll be transported together into the Battle Plane, where the recruitment test begins."

"You'll be paired randomly into teams of two. Your first trial will pit your team against three waves of monsters. The task is to survive them all, where your endurance, battle intelligence, and teamwork will be tested."

"Then, in the second trial, you'll be split apart and matched with one warrior each from the other team—if the team survived. There, you'll duel. Only one of each pairing proceeds. The rest will be disqualified, or worse, dead."

The rules of the recruitment test were unlike anything the aspirants had ever encountered. It left them concerned about the survival rate.

After three waves of monsters, having to duel another warrior afterward felt inhumane.

Since endurance, health, and stamina would be pushed to their limits, Darien seemed to have the advantage over the others.

Still, he wasn't entirely sure he understood the full extent of the rules.

As Shawn scanned them with a sinister smile, one aspirant raised his hand, a plain, young man.

"What if only one warrior from a team survives the monster waves? Would he have to fight both members of the opposing team in the duel?" Darien asked.

Shawn had thought it'd be a stupid question, but it was a clever one, rather.

"In that case," he said, rubbing his chin, "it'd turn into a three-way battle. One against two? No. Why do you ask, boy? You think you'll be the one left standing? Planning to stab your Magus teammate in the back with that spike and call it a free pass?"

A few chuckles rippled through the hall, but Darien didn't flinch.

Even after changing Jakob's status to Advanced level, he was still seen as weak.

He didn't mind. In fact, he preferred being underestimated.

"If there'll be no more questions," Shawn said, "let's begin."

Four names were called. Darien's wasn't among them, but Rutha's was.

With that same confident stride that always set her apart, she ascended the stage alongside the three other appointed warriors.

The moment their hands touched the glowing surface of the Trial Nexus, their bodies shimmered before dissolving away in sparkles.

A heartbeat later, they appeared inside the Battle Plane, two groups in two separate instances.

Everyone in the arena could see them clearly. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The Trial Nexus's unique magic allowed every spectator to mentally project into the battlefields, observing each instance as though they stood within it themselves.

Darien watched Rutha.

Her teammate turned out to be another woman, tall and slender, wielding a whip of fire.

As the first wave of savage wildlings thundered down a hill toward them, the two women exchanged a nod before jumping into action.

In the other instance, two male aspirants faced their own incoming horde.

Within moments, chaos engulfed both planes.

Spells flared across the battlefield, steel sang, and monsters were cut down in flashes of blood as every warrior fought for a place in the Honored Spire Guild.

Both sides managed to clear their three waves without a single casualty, though their stamina was heavily drained.

However, the warriors with the highest kill counts on each side received a sudden surge of energy, a stamina boost gifted by the Trial Nexus itself.

Rutha, who had slain over 120 monsters, felt the rejuvenation rush through her limbs and soul.

If not for that, she knew she would've struggled to stay on her feet, let alone stand a chance in the duel to come.

Back on the stage, the other aspirants noticed Shawn's satisfied grin.

He'd designed the test well.

The Trial Nexus rewarded the most dominant warrior of each pair with renewed strength, while the lesser partner, though still alive, gained nothing.

Shawn knew some would try to preserve their health by letting their partner do all the work. Now, that strategy would betray them.

Rutha stood revitalized, her aura sharp and ready, while beside her, her teammate, the whip-wielder, had eyes burning red with envy!

The scenery of the battle plane shifted nocturnal, signaling the start of the duels.

Split again, the four surviving aspirants from the two teams were randomly reassigned to their new opponents.

Woe! Unlucky for Rutha's teammate, she was paired against the man from the opposing group who had been fully rejuvenated, just like Rutha herself!

The same thing applied on the other side. Rutha's opponent turned out to be the weaker survivor from the other team, the one who hadn't earned the Nexus's reward.

Now, he faced a fresh, hardened she-warrior armed with a warhammer and a sharp glare.

The hall of spectators murmured. The other aspirants, including Darien, understood the lesson.

Getting the highest number of kills was about survival, not even pride.

As expected, the imbalance decided the outcome of the duels even before they began, because no one expected the twist.

Rutha's opponent barely stood a chance.

With a thunderous swing of her warhammer, she shattered his guard completely, forcing him to yield before the second blow could land.

Across the other instance, her teammate, the Battlemage, was caught midair by a swirling mini tornado, suspended helplessly until she, too, surrendered.

When the victors were confirmed, the energy dimmed, and they all reappeared onto the stage.

"Rutha Giantsbane," one of the captains declared, "welcome to the Honored Spire Guild."

Proudly, Rutha descended from the stage, the faint crackle of residual lightning still dancing around her hammer. She flashed Darien a confident nod he didn't miss.

She had fought valiantly; her victory was well earned. Darien didn't see why he should be envious.

All guild captains rose to welcome her, along with the other victor, offering gestures of approval and satisfaction.

Their success set a high bar for those yet to fight.

Then came the next round of names.

At the sound of Jakob, Darien stepped forward with his spear.

His set looked powerful enough, but Darien didn't expect any of them to trouble him once he found the edge.

Still, he couldn't help wondering who his lucky teammate would be, because he didn't need one.

As they faded into the battle plane, hearts pounding and Energy humming in their veins, Darien turned his gaze to the figure beside him.

His teammate was the archer, but also a Battlemage, too.

That wasn't bad. He wasn't weak.

But it also meant the strongest one of the four had likely been sent to the other team.

~Growl growl

The snarls and guttural roars of monster-like humans came rumbling down the hill.

The battle plane was a vast, green expanse marked with gentle slopes and valleys under a brilliant, open sky.

It was perfect terrain for both close combat and long-range strikes.

Darien and his teammate lunged forward without hesitation, instinct taking the lead before words could form.

Even without verbal claim, both warriors knew the other was going for the highest kill, making it a competition between teammates.

WHHHRRRRRMMM!

Darien hurled the Redthorn Spike into the sky, the air splitting at its speed.

The magical spear spun like a crimson cyclone before Darien clenched his palm and redirected it mid-flight.

This new technique, which he believed he had invented, let him guide every motion of the weapon like a conductor.

Thwack! Schluk! Schluk! Schluk!

[You slayed a Rank 1 monster!] x14

The weapon tore through flesh after flesh, bursting through the chests of the humanoid beasts in a devastating chain.

Blood splattered the grasslands as the spear curved and returned, then spun again into another deadly path.

When his teammate saw the destruction Darien was unleashing, his shoulders sagged in silent defeat. Instantly, he knew he'd lost the race for the most kills.

But at the rate of Darien's killings, it seemed he might not even get to exert his stamina at all.

If he cleared all three waves this quickly with that unbelievable spear, his teammate would simply be left watching in awe and might never even reach the stage of actual exhaustion.

Outside, back on the arena stage, Rutha couldn't believe her eyes.

Darien's mastery of the spear was nothing short of breathtaking, and that spear itself was special, far beyond what she initially assumed.

The receptionist watched in silence, too. Now she understood why the boy had chosen the Redthorn Spike.

It no longer looked like the same weapon she'd sold him, and she feared Darien might truly have a chance at victory.

Reede and the others watched as well, completely absorbed by the sight of what looked like a seasoned spearman with an unmatched bond with his spear.

They felt sorry for ever doubting Darien.

[You slayed a Rank 1 monster!]x203

[You get 830 XP!] x203.

[Knight Rank: Expert 306800/250000]

Ding!

(Congratulations on reaching Rank 1 Ascendant)

(+1 points all Attributes)

[Knight Rank: Ascendant 56800/500000]

"Very nice," Darien's teammate told him. "You saved me a lot of Energy."