Rubia's POV

The Gnosis-Academy was considered to be the best academy on this planet, in every field, thus it was named after Planet Gnosis itself. But its name was well deserved as more than ninety percent people attending this academy were 'Exceeds', the people who were able to use bloodline abilities and transcended humanity. But that wasn't the real reason for its prestige. The amount of resources required to make a large city were invested only in this Academy. Presently the Academy had the best training and study resources throughout the planet. The study fields ranged from medical science and technology management to combat training and specializing in different weaponry. The Academy also did not differentiate between students based on their social standings and even a lot of commoners were attending it. But there was no free lunch in the world. Although most people didn't know it but one of the main objectives of the Academy was to nurture Exceeds to counter external threats.

Gnosis was a Planet that was discovered only 300 years ago in 2700AG. It was discovered by Duke Gnosis of Planet Klanz. After discovering a new Planet he established his own Sovereignty. Many people from other planets migrated to Gnosis in search of new opportunities. But Gnosis was still a very small Planet compared to Klanz in both size and manpower. It would be normal if Klanz or other surrounding powers waged war to get a piece of this treasure trove. But the most unnatural thing was that Gnosis was never attacked in the last 300 years. Something was preventing the other powers from waging a war. Although its connections and interactions with outside were reduced, it never faced an armed conflict. But there was no saying when 'someone's greed will get the better of them' and a war will break out. Due to this learning fighting was mandatory for anyone who wanted to stay in the Gnosis-Academy, so that when the time came Gnosis would have enough strength to hold its ground.

Standing in front of a large door the only thought in Rubia's mind was 'I'm fucked'. Although all the cuts on her cheeks were gone the dark circles were still evident around her eyes. She was wearing a white long coat over her uniform which was a black pant and black shirt. The dressing code of Gnosis-Academy was very lenient but for certain occasions special uniforms provided by the academy were mandatory. And this was one such occasion, the final test of the first term students, the combat assessment.

After getting her Digi-watch scanned by a scanner beside the door, the large door opened. What appeared in front of Rubia was a large man with toned muscles, which were outlined by his shirt. He had shoulder length black hair and black pupils with a tint of green at the end. The black coat he was wearing, which represented teachers and instructors in the academy, also enhanced his features. He also had a handsome face but the smile which he gave Rubia sent a shudder down her spine.

"Sorry Farmount, I'm a little late," Rubia apologized in a timid manner.

"A little," a smile escaped Farmount's mouth. But it didn't seem friendly at all.

"Maybe, more than a little."

"Just more than a little."

"Maybe, totally late."

"Yes, you are as late as you can be". Farmount had an angry expression. He spoke something in his Digi-watch. Then he stared at Rubia for a few seconds before informing "It will take some time for the test to be arranged. Till then we have to wait here". Then he went and sat on an armchair in the centre of the room and started contemplating something.

With nothing to do, Rubia started to observe the room. It was completely white in color with no windows but its size was around a few yards. There were a few machines at the four corners of the room for ventilation and air conditioning. Being only a waiting room it still had several armchairs scattered throughout the room. This just went on to show how heavily loaded the Gnosis-Academy was.

"Come and sit here" Farmount pointed to the chair in front of him. The anger which he showed before had completely disappeared. After Rubia seated herself in front of Farmount he continued "As we have nothing else to do, lets go over the basics."

"Okay" Rubia knew what Farmount was going to ask and she could answer it even in her sleep.

Farmount started with his questions "Do you know what is there in the test"

"Yes, the candidate appearing will have to fight with a monster"

"What is difference between a normal animal and monsters."

"Well animals are the beasts which are present in their natural state without undergoing any mutation. On the other hand monsters undergo several mutations and become abnormally violent and their physical capabilities also exceed their limits. They also develop a variety of supernatural characteristics, from self regeneration to elemental control. A lot of different species of monsters are scattered throughout the universe. The ones present on Gnosis lean on the weaker side."

"How can we kill monsters"

"The skin of a monster is as hard as metals hence any weapons made from normal metals don't work on them. Then there is also the regenerative ability which most of the monsters have. Due to this, only weapons made from an alloy of a stronger metal and a metal with supernatural properties are relied upon to kill them. Although nano-bullets are also used but making them is very harder and consumes more materials compared to weapons."

"What will-"before Farmount could finish his next question the door to the room opened. A blonde young woman came inside. She was also wearing a black coat. After glancing at the papers in her hand she continued, "Rubia Lapis you will now be taking your combat test. Knight Farmount you will be presiding over it. Get ready to leave quickly."

"I don't have anything to prepare." Rubia said getting up from the armchair.

"I'm also ready" Farmount added.

" Follow me" the woman started to lead them out of the room.

Rubia and Red started following the woman. They were already inside the testing building, which was also the 'Training Arena' for specially privileged students. After walking for some time through a set of stairs Rubia complained, "Today you're being so cold, Sofia."

"Anyone will be angry if you make them work overtime. It is already midday and already two hours have passed since the last candidate took the test."

"I'm Sorry. I just overslept" Rubia again apologized.

'Even an idiot wont believe she just overslept' thought Sofia and shot Rubia a glare. 'Its true that I just overslept a little" thought Rubia 'But its just that I went to sleep at the break of dawn'.

Although it didn't look that large from the outside, but the Training Arena was actually much larger than anyone could imagine. It was a combination of various lecture halls, weaponry training fields, virtual survival rooms, and also a few sparring fields. But even in Gnosis Academy such facilities cannot be given to everyone. Only individuals who showed high growth potential were given special access to use them.

After walking for nearly ten minutes through several stairways and corridors they finally arrived at their destination. They were standing in front of a small door which was embedded in the white walls. After approaching it, the door slid aside making way for them. The scene which entered her eyes made Rubia awestruck.

There was a very large arena which could seat several thousands of people. The ceiling was illuminated with mini lights in such a manner that it looked like a small artificial sun. The actual sparring field was covered by a dome shaped glass barrier to prevent any damage to the seated audience. There were several drone cameras floating around the arena ready to record any fight taking place. There were also large screens around the arena to show the fight from different angles. It was like an upgraded version of the sparring field she used last night.

Several people wearing black coats were standing at one side of the audience stand. Farmount was going to oversee the fight but these were the examiners who will grade Rubia's performance. Most of them were the teachers or instructors of second and above terms.

It took a lot of time to get the arena ready again because all the examiners thought that every candidate had appeared for the test. Just as they finished wrapping up and were ready to leave, they got a call notifying that Rubia, the latecomer, has appeared to take the test. Rubia was sure they would have cursed her a lot already. After greeting them briefly she went into the glass barrier and started to do warm up.

After a few minutes when Rubia felt that she was ready she nodded at Sofia's direction. Sofia nodded back and spoke with the examiners for a minute before making the announcement.

"Rubia Lapis, daughter of Count Argos Lapis, by the recommendation of Knight Kyle Farmount , is going to take the 'Special Combat  Assessment'. The test consists of a battle of survival against a monster selected by the examiners. The rules are as follows:

- You will pass if you survive for 10 minutes or more.

- You will pass if the monster is incapacitated or killed irrelevant of how much time it takes.

If you are on the verge of death or incapacitated, the Knight overseeing the battle will rescue you making the test count as a failure by default. The Knight overseeing this match is Knight Kyle Farmount. Use of your bloodline abilities is permitted. Any Questions?"

"No!"

"Let us begin the Special Combat Assessment"

Rubia rushed to the inner edge of the glass dome where weapons were placed. After a few seconds a gap developed in the floor at the centre of the sparring field and a wolf, which unexpectedly had two heads, leapt out.

The 'Twin-Headed Wolf' had shiny black fur and bloodshot red eyes. It stared at Rubia with his black pupils. Its black eyes were so menacing that even Rubia flinched unconsciously. Its height was around 5 foot and length around 7 foot which made it seem very large. There was a silver metallic collar around its neck which temporarily stopped it from attacking.

Rubia quickly recalled all the information she had regarding the Twin-headed wolf. Although it was not among the strongest monsters on Gnosis, it was among the most troublesome ones. It had high strength and swift speed which was unhindered by its size. The coordination between its two different heads was also impeccable. But the thing which made it truly threatening was its fast regenerative power. If its not killed instantly and the fight drags on, the difficulty of killing it increases several folds by every passing second. But there was still a way to kill it in a prolonged fight if its opponent had a lot of stamina.

She examined the weapons placed beside her. There were all types of weapons ranging from guns to swords. She noticed that they were all made from 1060 high carbon steel and their edges were coated with alloy of carbon-steel and Glenz. Although it was nothing much compared to Veril, Glenz was also a newly discovered element which affected monsters and was a lot more abundant than Veril. Even if these weapons appeared to be amazing they were the worst ones among everything present in Gnosis-Academy. 'Maybe they want me to suffer here. Well they are in for a treat then'.

She picked up a plain flexible spear and hung a sword and a handgun around her waist. The handgun only had five nano-bullets. It was the restriction placed so that nobody can exploit the long range of guns. She nodded at Farmount and the collar around the wolf's neck was released.

Rubia hurriedly took a defensive stance. After feeling its freedom the wolf charged towards Rubia. After it got close, Rubia thrust her spear towards the wolf with the spearhead pointed at the intersection of the two necks. The wolf dodged towards the side but a deep gash was left on the side of its right shoulder.

Seeing the window of opportunity when Rubia was off balance it jumped at her from her right side. She already anticipated this and quickly slashed at the wolf with her unsheathed sword. Despite the fact that Rubia showed inhuman reflexes, the wolf did not suffer much. It showed its monstrous instincts and dodged to the side with only a slight cut on its front legs.

It stared at Rubia from a distance. It had finally acknowledged her as a threat worthy of its full attention. The wounds on its body were starting to regenerate at a rate visible to the naked eye. After a minute into the fight they both were evenly matched.

Rubia felt an adrenaline rush. Her heart rate increased and senses were heightened. She began to breathe rapidly and felt the strength in her muscles increase. In this situation she decided to actively attack. Using the spear for attacking the wolf from distance and the sword to protect herself when it managed to come near her, she was able to drag on the fight.

Five minutes into the fight Rubia came across a vital problem. She was getting exhausted at a much faster rate than she had anticipated. Last night's fight had taken a much serious toll on her body. And to top it off the weapons available to her were the worst ones present in the Academy, which were hardly affecting the regeneration ability of the wolf. If she ever got a chance she was going to give these examiners a piece of her mind.

Eight minutes into the fight she knew that  she was going to be totally worn out so she decided to put all her remaining energy into a last do or die plan, even if it may leave her vulnerable.

Even if the wolf was able to regenerate the external injuries it was hard to cope up with the broken bones, by the thrashing received by the spear. And regenerating a lot was also making it fatigued. Its senses had also dulled compared to before.

This time instead of just thrusting the spear Rubia threw it at the wolf. The wolf dodged it and rolled sideways but by the time it noticed Rubia, who was standing a few yards away from it and rushed at inhuman speed and was now standing in front of him, a sword was already approaching its neck. It quickly dodged but a large slash had already appeared on its side.

In order to continue applying pressure Rubia even threw the sword at the wolf when it moved away. This time unluckily the sword did not even touch the wolf. Looking at the unarmed Rubia the wolf's courage increased. It rushed towards Rubia. Instead of moving back Rubia also charged at the wolf.

While running she took out the handgun and started shooting at the wolf. Out of five, one bullet blasted the right head of the wolf and one hit its shoulder but the others missed. She threw the empty gun at the wolf, who easily dodged it. She was completely exhausted and only holding onto her consciousness with sheer willpower.

The examiners also thought that she was going to fail just by looking at her. Even Farmount got ready to rush ahead when required, but looking at Rubia's bright eyes he felt that there was no need.

Even with its one head gone, seeing its mortal enemy on the verge of collapse the wolf pounced on Rubia. In order to dodge the wolf Rubia lowered her body and slid on the floor while running. She noticed that its right leg was about to hit her face. She blocked it with her left hand, which was seriously cut.

After evading the life threatening situation Rubia glanced at Farmount and gave a faint smile. Her initial plan was to drag out the fight as long as she could before dealing the killing blow but her body forced her to make this new one. When she tried to get up her legs gave out. All the accumulated fatigue hit her at once. She was not able to hold out any longer and fell down unconscious. Farmount hurriedly rushed towards her.

Outside the Dome the examiners were talking with each other. The timer had hit exactly ten minutes. Rubia had barely passed the 'Special Combat Assessment'. However before they could give the final result Sofia pointed out "The wolf isn't moving".

"What do you mean" asked one examiner.

"It hasn't moved a single step since landing".

They all stared at the wolf which was standing still like a statue. After a few seconds it fell down with its eyes closed. A handle of a knife was visible at the spot above its heart. Without a doubt it was dead. No matter how strong its regeneration was it cannot heal a punctured heart.

One of them glanced at Farmount carrying the unconscious Rubia and complimented "I have to commend her for exceeding all of my expectations and passing in the most unpredictable manner."

"Nearly all of those who incapacitated the monsters today gave better performance than her", countered another one.

"Its true that she isn't an Exceed. else she would have been stronger than most of them. Both siblings are insanely talented but are limited by strong bloodlines. Sometimes strength is also a curse." the first examiner sighed in a melancholic voice. The others also nodded their heads in agreement.

Red's POV

After travelling for two weeks Red had finally reached his destination. He was in the back alleys of Tule, one of the seven major cities of Gnosis. His accomplice, who he later learned was a young girl named Lara, was leading the way. She didn't speak much except when necessary and was adept at everything. A perfect companion for him, who also hated useless chatting and valued efficiency.

The security of Tule was very slack when compared to Noir. He had sneaked into the city nearly three hours ago but had not seen a single guard. The back alleys of such a city were the perfect hiding place for outlaws. And also perfect for travelling unnoticed.

After passing through several narrow paths and alleys they arrived in front of a small weapon store. Lara knocked five times on the store's door in a rhythmic manner. After waiting for a minute an old lady opened the door.

"What do you want" she inquired.

"Two daggers" replied Lara.

"Anything else?".

"Some old swords".

"My eyesight has degraded. You can come in and take what you want. The oldest swords are placed at the back of the room."

"Ok" Lara went inside the store and signalled to Red to follow her.

The old woman closed the store's door and followed after them. The back room of the store was completely empty. The old woman went to the floor and pressed her Digi-watch against the floor. The watch gave a faint light and the sound of gears turning was heard. Soon an opening appeared in the floor. There were stairs leading down.

Lara nodded at the woman and started to descend the stairs. Red followed after her. At the end of the stairs there was a secret tunnel. They continued to follow the tunnel for nearly a hour before stumbling upon a metal door. Lara knocked on the door three times with a different rhythm.

Soon the door opened and a girl dressed in completely black, including a mask to cover her face, appeared. She seemed pleased to see Lara and welcomed them both inside. Red observed that the interior of this place was like a small house.

"She is waiting in the room above the stairs", the disguised woman told Lara.

Lara nodded at her. She led Red to the room above the stairs.

Before they opened the door they heard a voice from inside, "Wait a minute. I am readying myself".

Lara and Red glanced at each other and stood outside the room. After a minute the metal door automatically opened. The whole room was dark except for the light of a lamp placed on the table. A woman wearing a veil was sitting at one side of a table. She signalled Red to sit at the other side of the table.

Red seated himself opposite to her. Lara went and stood behind her.

The woman removed her veil. Her face was covered by a veil of mist but her pointed ears were visible. Her long blonde hair were nearly touching the floor.

"Shall we reintroduce ourselves. My name if Lena Nightshade." Lena said extending her hand.

Although Red was surprised he did not let it show on his face. It was not impossible for elves to be here. He shook the Lena's hand and replied, "Red Lapis".

"Before we begin I would like to ask. Will you truly not regret it? Your decisions don't affect only you alone but also those around you." the veiled woman asked in a serious voice.

"I'm pretty sure we are not here to discuss those things. I will help you and you will give me what I want. No more no less" Red answered in an emotionless voice.

"Just remember my last advice. You are going against the flow of destiny. After today even I would not be able to predict what will happen with you",

Red gazed at the pendant around his neck containing the image of his family and nodded his head with a serious expression.

Lena threw a Digi-watch at Red, "You destroyed yours so take it as a sign of friendship."

Soon they began discussing more about the details of the deal. It was the first step Red had taken which will slowly change the world.

 

                                                                                                               Author's Note

 

Hello dear readers, thank you for picking this novel. You can expect the next chapter before Sunday night.