Chapter 145: Ice Boars
"Oh."
Just then, a commotion rose from the front of the line.
"Hmm, what happened there?" Aur thought with a frown on his face.
He walked forward, and with his big height, he could directly see a blond-haired man at the centre of the commotion. One of the perks of having a big height.
"Oh, it\'s William\'s," Aur thought with an amused smile as he casually shrugged, returning back to his place.
"That guy is a trouble magnet; I shouldn\'t stay by his side."
Just then, Noah entered the stage with his usual casual clothing, a simple white shirt and black pants. He still had a friendly smile on his face.
The moment he arrived, the entire place fell silent. The commotion from the front also ceased at the exact moment Noah arrived.
Noah looked at this with a satisfied expression.
"Hello, students. Most of you have already known me. However, for those who haven\'t, I am the leader of this village, Noah."
All the students became silent, their eyes shining in anticipation.
"As you know, you all are gathered here for the year-end competition. For those who are new and don\'t have any clue about what this competition signifies, I will tell you," Noah shouted.
"The first-place winner will get the chance to enter our sect treasury and pick any one spell from there. Not only that, he or she will win a high-grade mana crystal as well, along with countless benefits from the academy."
The moment he uttered those words, poor students who came from ordinary origins had their eyes light up. However, for those who had a wizard origin in their family, it was already a known fact to them.
"The top twenty places will also receive various resources."
Noah said casually.
"Now, for the competition and how it will be conducted."
Suddenly, every student\'s ears perked as they carefully listened to Noah\'s announcement.
"You guys already know about the wilderness, right?" Noah said with a smile on his face.
Some of the students\' eyes lit up with excitement.
"The wizard path is a cruel and frightening journey where you have to risk your life for the village and yourself if you want to progress. So, this year\'s competition is to hunt ice boars found in the wilderness at this time," Noah announced, causing everyone\'s body to tremble.
"The one who kills the most boars in a day will be ranked the highest."
The ice boar was a beast usually found in the cold season in the wilderness around the village.
These beasts had strong and sharp tusks that could crack a boulder in half with just their strength.
But that wasn\'t their full strength. Their most formidable aspect was their sturdy pelt, providing great defence that could withstand almost any weapon, making the boar invulnerable even to the most lethal spells.
Their vitality was even more terrifying, with their five hundred kilograms of body, they were a formidable beast capable of forcing a peak wizard apprentice to retreat in helplessness.
"Oh?" Aur, however, was amused when he heard this.
"Peak wizard apprentice, huh…"
Noah shook his head, observing the despair in the eyes of the students.
"Although this batch has more mages than the previous ones, they have become more cowardly…" he thought with a frown on his face.
Tough times create stronger humans, while safety creates weaker humans with weaker minds!
Having more wizards in every single batch was always better; however, the younger generation had become lazier because of it, thanks to an excess of safety.
"These kids should learn to strengthen themselves more after the weaker ones die," Noah thought, a cold glint in his eyes.
"Alright, calm down. The rules will be explained by the fifth elder," Noah said, shaking his hand, which instantly silenced everyone.
With a smile on his face, he left the platform. However, his gaze was suddenly drawn to his disciple William, who was looking at someone with intense hatred.
"Who is that kid again?" Noah\'s attention was directed to the person whom William was looking at with hatred.
"Oh, that is the third eldest son, Henry, huh…"
As he left the platform, an old lady appeared on the stage with a cold expression on her face.
"I am the seventh elder of the village," the old lady announced expressionlessly.
"Now, I will be announcing the rules," the old lady declared.
Aur listened patiently, absorbing the rules with great attention. The old lady continued, her words battering and patterning the air for a solid half-hour as she meticulously detailed every aspect of the competition. Finally, she nodded her head.
"If there is any confusion, you can ask me."
A heavy silence enveloped the crowd. The old lady nodded again. "The competition starts now."
The students were stunned by the sudden commencement of the event.
Aur, with his crimson eyes flashing with a spell, immediately sprang into action. He cast a spell and raced towards the village wall as fast as he could, the wind tearing around him. Other students also started running, but Aur\'s sheer speed left them astounded.
Even William, not one to be easily impressed, looked at Aur with astonishment as he effortlessly soared through the air, almost as if he was tearing through the very fabric of reality on his way to the walls.
"This guy runs too fast," William muttered to himself, wearing a strange expression.
"There is always someone better than you, kid," Asmodeus\'s sneering voice echoed inside William\'s head, adding a touch of salt to the wind.
William rolled his eyes, increasing his pace. "If I could use the bloodline form, I would have been faster," he grumbled to himself.
Those who were slow in catching on now realised their mistakes.
"Wait for me, I am also coming!" one of them shouted and sprinted.
This acted like a key that awakened the entire group, and they ran as fast as they could.