Leveling Up With My Dragon System

The thud resonated with the room as Rerna landed on her stomach, sending pain all over her body. A gormorker had emerged from underneath Rerna pulling her from underneath her feet. The gormorker picked her up from her feet slamming her against the cold floor. Rerna was no match for her new opponent as its surprise attack had weakened her making her immobile.

"One minute to stoppage time." A mechanical voice chimed through the speakers as it announced the Remaining time for Rerna's assessment.

With her remaining strength Rerna managed to pick herself up from the floor creating a quicksand underneath the feet of the gormorker.

The more the gormorker struggled to get out of the sand the more it sank. Rerna began forming big chunks of earth balls as she used them to slam against the monster.

The light in the room brightened up almost immediately as the time elapsed leaving Rerna standing alone in the room.

"Assessment complete. Reflex and agility 62 out of a hundred. Please move towards the essence chair and take a seat." Sergeant Valkyrie ordered.

Kai watched with horror as Rerna climbed onto the seat. The essence chair was the whole point of the exercise and if a recruit failed to pass or come out successful it would mean defeat.

The essence chair fastened its belt around Rerna locking her safely against the seat. The continuous sound of the whirl closed in on Rerna's head as the head strap merged with her head.

The light on the indicator started to flicker turning different colors before stopping at blue. "The total average is 89. That's a very impressive score for someone who joined later in the academy. You are ranked blue."

Rerna came out of the room with a wide grin on her face as she received praise from her teammates. "You performed better than expected, welcome to the team." Ake Randi complimented her. Ever since the loss of Stu, Ake had found it hard to accept Rerna into his team which was Stu's team, but after seeing her performance today he was ready to accept her.

"She made the top 20." Ingrid's voice persisted through the noisy recruit. "She's got potential I must say," Annika concluded.

The exercise continued with more recruits passing with flying colors. The top 50 rank had been occupied and recruits now dropped slowly as every recruit that came out of the assessment chamber was a challenge to the existing top 50.

"Frode Sigurd, 144." Sergeant Valkyrie called. "Please move to the room."

"Time to show what I'm made of," Frode said trying to motivate himself.

"Please step into the center of the room, the assessment begins with a precision target." She announced. "Note that every assessment is created to suit the node bearer.

Frode took a deep breath as he stepped into the power assessment chamber, the cool metallic scent of the room-filling his nostrils. He knew this was his chance to prove himself to the academy and more importantly, to his team.

"Precision target exercise initiating," the sergeant announced, and Frode's eyes lit up as he saw a series of small, floating crystals appearing around him. His magic node was attuned to light, and he could manipulate photons to create illusions and distort reality. He focused his gaze on the crystals, his eyes glowing slightly with the power that surged within him.

One by one, Frode targeted the crystals, using his magic to make them dance and twirl in the air, confusing their trajectory. The recruit's eyes darted around the room, trying to follow the pattern of light created by the crystals. His mind raced as he calculated the perfect moment to strike.

"Fire at will," the sergeant's voice echoed in the chamber.

Frode raised his hand and a beam of pure light shot out from his fingertips, striking a crystal dead center. It shattered into a million shards of light that reflected around the room. The crowd gasped as he swiftly took out another, and another, his movements calculated and precise. He had always struggled with controlling the intensity of his powers, but today, it was as if the light obeyed his every command.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Good, now for speed," the sergeant called out. The crystals began to move faster, and Frode's heart pounded in his chest. He had to be quicker, and more decisive. He took a moment to compose himself, then let loose a barrage of light beams, each one hitting a crystal before it had a chance to dodge. The room was a whirlwind of light and sound as crystal after crystal met its end at Frode's hand.

"Agility and reflexes," the sergeant announced, and Frode felt his stomach drop. The room shifted, and suddenly, the floor was moving in random patterns beneath him. He had to stay focused, had to anticipate where the crystals would appear next. He jumped and spun, weaving through the air as if he were part of a complex ballet of light and shadow.

The crystals grew more erratic, coming at him from every angle. Frode's reflexes had always been sharp, but he had never pushed them to this limit before. His heart hammered in his chest as he dodged and shot, dodged and shot again, his body a blur of motion.

The final crystal hovered just out of reach, and Frode knew he had to end this. He took a deep breath and focused, willing the light from his hand to coalesce into a single, powerful beam. Time seemed to slow as he aimed, and with a shout, he sent the beam hurtling toward the crystal. It exploded in a burst of light, and the room grew still.

"Congratulations, Frode Sigurd. Your performance was excellent. Now, for the essence chair," said Professor Dastain, his eyes gleaming with approval.

Frode walked over to the chair with a mix of excitement and trepidation. The essence chair was the ultimate test of a node bearer's abilities, a chance to showcase their power and push themselves to new limits. He sat down, feeling the cold steel embrace him as the restraints tightened.

The sergeant's voice crackled over the intercom. "Essence extraction begins in 3... 2... 1."

Frode's body jolted as the chair activated, a warm sensation spreading from the base of his spine up through his neck. The light in the room grew brighter, and he felt a gentle tug at the core of his magic. He focused his mind, willing his power to cooperate with the chair's technology. The extraction process was delicate; it could either amplify a node bearer's abilities or leave them drained and weakened.

The warmth grew more intense, and Frode's eyes snapped open as he felt his power surge through his veins. The chair's restraints tightened, holding him in place as his body began to glow with the intensity of his magic. The light grew so bright it was almost painful to look at, and the recruits outside the chamber had to shield their eyes.

"Frode, hold on! You're doing great!" Kai's voice was faint, muffled by the pounding of Frode's heart in his ears. He clenched his fists, fighting against the chair's grasp as the essence extraction reached its peak.

The light grew so intense that it felt like a star had been born inside him. Frode could feel his magic pulsing in time with his heartbeat, pushing against the boundaries of his physical form. He gritted his teeth, willing the power to flow into the chair and not to consume him.

As suddenly as it had begun, the light dimmed, and the chair released him with a hiss. Frode slumped in the seat, panting heavily. The room was silent for a moment before the sergeant spoke again. "Frode Sigurd, your essence has been extracted. Your new rank is..."

The tension in the air was palpable as the ranking board flickered and changed. Frode's heart raced as he watched his name rise through the list, passing others until it finally stopped. "Blue... ranked twenty-four." The crowd erupted in a mix of cheers and murmurs. Frode felt a rush of relief and pride. He had made it into the top fifty, and he had done it on his terms.

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The next to step into the chamber was Ingrid. As a Banshee node bearer, her abilities were swift and sharp, much like the frost that coated the walls of the arena. Her precision was unmatched, and she took down the crystals with a grace that made even Rerna nod in approval. Her speed was average, but her agility and reflexes were astonishing, allowing her to dodge and weave around the chamber with ease.

When it was her turn in the essence chair, she closed her eyes, her breathing calm and even. The process was silent except for the occasional crackle of the chair's energy. When the light dimmed and the chair released her, she stood with a poise that belied the intense pressure she had just endured.

"Your new rank is..." The sergeant's voice trailed off as the board updated. Ingrid's eyes snapped open, and she saw her name flash in green, nestling at number 38. The crowd roared with excitement, and even some of her competitors couldn't help but clap for her impressive performance.

The tension in the room grew as Annika was called next. Known for her fiery spirit, her water node was feared and revered. She stepped into the chamber, her eyes ablaze with determination. The precision exercise began, and she moved with the grace of a dancer, her fiery fists slicing through the air, shattering crystals as if they were made of glass.