Novel Catchup
Chapter 76 : Thect
"ITADORI!" a voice called out. The body turned, looking into the distance, and finally spoke its first human words.
"I... ta... do... ri..." Enjoy new chapters from empire
Boom... crack... The human body moved with stunning speed, reaching the school. Looking up, it saw a creature with worm-like appendages covering its massive, grotesque body. Without hesitation, the human body leapt up.
At the height of its jump, it saw a broken glass window and burst through it, landing right in front of the creature, which seemed to be waiting.
Boom! The body crashed into it, causing the creature to explode. A figure nearby raised a hand to shield himself from the blood that sprayed from the creature's massive frame.
The body stood up, seeing a boy with pink hair, kneeling on the ground, holding a girl and another boy in his arms.
"ITADORI..." the body repeated as it scanned the area.
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"What... what was that?" Kai whispered in fear.
"Kai... I got you now," came a voice, and Kai's expression shifted as he turned. A boy, stocky for his age, approached with a grin. It was Muchen, a friend who always stayed close to Kai, even though Kai was often cold and indifferent to others.
"Heh... why do you look so scared? First time seeing that expression on you," Muchen teased with a chuckle.
"I'm fine," Kai replied, turning away. "Are you sure? Come on, I'm your buddy—tell me," Muchen insisted, throwing an arm around Kai's shoulder.
Kai frowned but allowed it. "I'm just surprised by what he told us," Kai admitted.
"You should be... it's crazy! Ten thousand kids here, but only one thousand will get into this sect," Muchen mused.
In this world, children matured quickly and were more developed than average. Though they were between four and six years old, they could talk and reason like ten-year-olds.
"But I still think we can make it," Muchen said with a laugh.
Kai rolled his eyes and shrugged off Muchen's hand. "Maybe this world isn't as boring as I thought," he said with a slight smile.
"Follow me," said the man leading them through the gate. Inside was a completely different world. The ground was tiled, trees lined the paths, and older students were walking around—some even flying. The sight was awe-inspiring, and the children struggled to take it all in.
"This is where those who fail the trial stay," the man explained. "They aren't expelled but nurtured. If they reach the Nascent Soul Realm by fifty, they can become true disciples."
As they walked, Kai and the others listened intently. It was a mystery how the man's voice reached all ten thousand children, but none dared ask.
After twenty minutes, they arrived at a large building. Inside, there was an enormous brown wall.
"Now, we'll be moving to our ride," the man announced with a smile. The children looked around but saw no carriages or means of transportation. They were puzzled—how would they travel?
"I know what you're wondering. See that wall? That's our ride," the man said, waving his hand. Instantly, they were transported to a place surrounded by thick brown fur, as tall as they were.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Flap... They heard the flapping of wings as the fur beneath them shook. Only then did they realize they were standing on a massive creature—something bird-like, but covered in fur instead of feathers.
They couldn't see its full size, but they knew it was enormous; anything that could carry ten thousand children, plus their teacher, had to be huge.
Within minutes, the creature descended, bringing them to the edge of a vast forest. Even from kilometers away, the creature was still visible in all its grandeur. It resembled a bird but had fur instead of feathers, four clawed legs, a long tail, bird-like wings, and a sharp beak.
"Alright, your main test starts in this forest. This might be your only test if enough of you don't make it," the man warned. "But remember: if you die in this forest, no one is coming to save you. The teachers will return in three days. If you survive, that's your luck; if not, you're doomed."
"Check your wrists," the man instructed. The kids noticed they each wore bands on their wrists.
"These show your ranking. Get to the top three, and you'll be personal disciples of the sect's creator. Top ten means a lesson from the creator and acceptance by the elders. Top one hundred, and senior teachers will teach you. Top one thousand, and teachers will accept you as personal disciples. Top thirty thousand, and you're admitted," the man explained, grinning.
"But there are only ten thousand of us here... won't we all pass?" Muchen shouted, grinning mischievously.
The man laughed. "You're not the only group! We have Thirty regions in total... good luck!" And with that, he disappeared, leaving Muchen's mouth agape.
Kai looked around. Most of the kids were still hesitant to enter, paralyzed with fear. Smiling, Kai pushed through the crowd and stepped into the forest without hesitation.
"He couldn't even wait," Muchen muttered, grinning as he followed close behind.
It took the others a few moments to process, but soon the noble children began entering, followed by everyone else.
High in the sky, the man watched as the small figures disappeared into the forest. "That kid..." he murmured with a smile.
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Linkir and Sword Demon entered as well, and Sword Demon was immediately attacked by a strange creature with a constantly shifting form.
Sword Demon drew his sword from his pocket space and slashed downward.
Slash! The creature split into two but quickly reformed, counterattacking with claw-like appendages.
Slash!
"Argh!" Sword Demon grunted, stepping back. Five claw marks appeared on his chest.
"How did it do that? My attack didn't even phase it," he muttered, frustrated but determined.
Without giving up, Sword Demon lunged again, this time unable to cut through the creature as it struck back. He staggered back several steps, a part of his arm slashed off before it healed quickly.
"What is this... how?" Sword Demon growled, gripping his sword tightly.
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