Chương 21: 21. Hell Blaze
Geoffrey Gretzmann, Penelope Mantouz and Cherry Blossomine were the first three of the Hunter Trainees to step forward for their Skill Exhibition and Assessment.
Quite fortunately for the three of them, they all elicited a response from the Appraisal Tablet, turning it from its natural dusty brown colour to grey.
Seeing how tensed up Geoffrey had been, simply from being the first of the recruits to be appraised, caused a chuckle to escape my lips.
Many more had gone after them and a few failed to trigger any reaction from the Appraisal Tablet as the relic item just sat bare and maintained its original colour.
With that came intense worry that was visible on the faces of those affected.
In the few encounters that we'd had with Instructor German, a couple of things about him were already clear to us.
One of those things was that he was easygoing but he never bluffed.
If German says something, then he means it and he will see it through.
Loud gulps followed each time a Trainee failed to turn the Tablet grey and beads of sweat appeared generously on their faces as they struck eyes with German, who kept his intimidating gaze on them as well.
They knew what was coming.
I stood where I was, amid Bright, Cassandra and Sarafina, watching each and every recruit that had passed through the Assessment.
After channelling one's Essence into the Appraisal Tablet, the result determined what would happen next.
Those who didn't cause any change were asked to return to the line and those that did, however, had to step up a bit more and inform the Instructors of the skill they had awakened, if they had.
…And where possible, a demonstration.
It sounded like it was easy to lie about not getting a skill and just being plainly awakened, but that was not it.
The intensity of the grey colour of the Appraisal Tablet was what alerted the instructors to a possible acquisition of a skill by a trainee.
A plain, light grey was a sign that one was awakened and a darker variant of it told them that a particular trainee acquired a skill alongside.
This was where I paid the most attention, watching and keenly observing those whose skills were demonstrable.
"Terrence Kenton," Eric's voice resonated throughout the hall.
"Claudia Emberton."
"Theo Ferron."
The next three stepped forward.
Seeing the blond prodigy of the Kenton Family climb up that stage, I felt a sting in my heart.
…A malicious one.
It pained me also that I couldn't do anything to address it other than continue staring at him.
As expected, the Appraisal Tablet turned the darker grey variant from Terrence's touch and after that, he moved over to the next station.
"Tell us about your skill," the instructor in charge of this particular station inquired.
Terrence looked at him for a few seconds and said nothing.
I watched closely as Terrence's gaze shifted from the Instructor to a few other Trainees who had been appraised.
However, there was a particular one among them who Terrence's sight settled on the most.
The green-haired boy, Reid Umstorm.
This same scenario had played out, the exact same way, in the past and same as then, I still didn't understand why he looked at that green-haired boy like that.
Over the period of time that I worked with Terrence in my past existence, I got to learn that he was a diversely skilled Hunter.
He was the most versatile Hunter that I got to tag with, possessing an array of abilities.
However, and unfortunately also, I never figured out what his true Skill was.
Back then, I had my speculations of what it could possibly be.
I strongly believed that his Skill was similar to mine and perhaps, with a different rule guiding it.
'I have to find out his Skill before it's too late,' I thought with grit.
Tracing Terrence's gaze, I caught sight of the green-haired boy as well.
Terrence's lips instantly changed from a straight-faced lip to a sincere smile.
'What a fucking pretender!'
'What a snake!'
He smiled and looked at the Instructor and then back at the green-haired recruit.
"Sorry," he started with an apology. "I've not really mastered the rules that guide it but my Skill is similar to his."
Terrence raised his hand and pointed a finger at the boy.
The instructor turned toward the green-haired boy with the gaze of the official making the boy flustered in an instant.
"Hmm. Like Reid's," he said.
Terrence bobbed his head in agreement and smiled again.
"'So a Buffing Skill then," the instructor muttered as he updated Terrence's profile on his tablet with this new piece of information.
"Can you demonstrate?"
Terrence chuckled nervously.
Seeing how pretentious that little brat was even as young as we are now made me mad.
I was half a hair's breadth too close to bursting an aneurysm.
Terrence shook his head in defiance. "Not really. At least not with someone that I have not recognized as a friend or an ally."
The instructor glanced at the blond boy before him and then at his tablet, inputting more data.
"I see. You can return to the line then."
Fucking bastard!
'How could they not have noticed that he is lying?'
I could smell it from where I was that Terrence was lying but they didn't notice.
On the bright side, it meant that I could succeed with my own plans as I had also intended to hoard my true skill just as Terrence had done his.
After all, my truthfulness in the past was what made me a target for the Kenton brat.
Never again!
As Terrence climbed down the stairs of the stage, I narrowed my eyes as I watched him take every step until he returned to his previous standing spot.
'What are you planning, you bastard?'
I looked at the green-haired boy as thoroughly as both distance and angle could afford me but I couldn't recall any tangible piece of information about him in my head.
I do remember Terrence doing a similar thing today just as he did then but that was where my memories of this recruit ended.
'Reid Umstorm.'
I wouldn't have remembered his name had the instructor not called him earlier to be appraised.
Was this going to be a problem?
That I didn't know but I was going to play it safe.
Terrence locking his eyes on him was like a predator locking in on prey and patiently trailing them.
If Terrence had developed even the slightest interest in this kid, then he was in trouble.
…Big trouble!
And if Terrence has already gone bananas at this point…
Then I'm not taking any chances.
I watched Claudia step forward for her appraisal.
There was no waste of time and her skill was almost like everyone expected it to be and whether I had prior knowledge of it, it was kind of obvious.
She was an Emberton after all, a family very popular for their flame-based skills.
"Can we get a demonstration?"
Claudia smiled, her happiness had come from a place of arrogance as someone born gifted and from a prestigious family.
She turned to face us and then struck a pose.
Claudia then took three deep breaths.
'Here it comes,' I thought as I focused keenly on her every movement and mannerisms.
The Emberton clapped her hands loudly and from in-between her palms, a small ball of fire appeared.
She continued to focus on this ball of fire which grew to the size of a tennis ball and suddenly dispersed into thin air.
"Not bad," the instructors commended her, his praise massaging her ego as she turned to us and winked.
Twink–!
Meanwhile, from where I stood, I was immensely overjoyed.
Overjoyed that the restriction that was placed on me in my past life did not keep me bound this time around.
Terrence made certain to limit the usage of my skill under the guise of protecting our then guild members but now, I knew better.
Without such a restriction, I am at all liberties to become the very thing that destroys him.
As I basked in my thoughts, a row of golden texts appeared before my eyes.
Bzzt~!!
[You have acquired a new skill — Hell Blaze]
Right there and then, Claudia's skill had also become mine.
The feeling of someone's hand on my shoulder brought me back.
I glanced to my side and it was Bright staring at me.
"Are you okay, man?"
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