Blake Stone

An extremely bright light pierced into their eyes. After staying in a dark tunnel for so long, the daylight was not uncomfortable to the eyes but stinging!

White!

All they could see was a blinding white as they felt the water pushing them forward, out of it.

Huh?

They felt their weight leave their bodies and the chilly, moist wind crashing on their faces blow after blow, taking away the little heat they had left in their bodies.

"!!!", the six behind Blake did not even had the energy to scream.

Flash!

Their momentary blindness ended to reveal the stunning scene they were surrounded by.

The high sun, the high mountains, the sparkling green vegetation and the arrogant conifers. And the abrupt cliff from which the water flowed down, forming a magnificent waterfall. Surrounded by rocky sands in the middle of the sandy beach connected to the salty seawater in the sea.

Such a contrasting view. At one side was highlands and mountains with tall trees and cool air and fresh water while on the other side, after an abrupt cliff, was the deserted hot beach deep down and the salty sea.

For a moment, they forgot that they were falling, forgot that they were freezing, forgot that their lives were a step away from gone and forgot that they needed to get out of where they were!

For a moment...

"Ahhh! We really are gonna die this time!" There were no qualms about Lucy suddenly transforming from a positive young girl to someone who continuously spouted out negative things under such circumstances.

They were silently commending her for having enough energy to at least say this.

Thinking about it, their eyes shifted towards Blake. Since they were tied together with a line, they could only see his back since he was in the lead.

But just looking at the back was enough to turn the coldness in their eyes to raging infernos!

That madman is enjoying this!

Blake was continuously moving in the air. Some times he would spread his limbs like a flying squirrel, sometimes he would crouch like a ball to spin through the air and sometimes, he would straighten up like a diving eagle...

You are the reason we are in this situation! Take some responsibility!

...

In a large white hall filled with computers and screens. The robotic man was standing respectfully behind the dignified old man seated behind the head desk. In front of them was a large screen, at which they looked and frowned.

There had been no terrorist attack. The Academy would not be left with any face to show the world if there was one. This was just a way for them to test the new arrivals. The seven were highly qualified with the fact that they were able to start cultivation before the age of fifteen.

Cultivation was a strenuous task which highly depended on mental fortitude and corporeal strength. The reason children were kept away from cultivation was that children lack mental fortitude and knowledge. Even if they are geniuses or prodigies who have what it takes to comprehend the profound cultivation techniques and endure the hardships like the tribulations, they must first possess a body strong enough for it to handle the energy!

These children were the cream of the crop of their generation but they could not let them pass without any tests, could they?

To these kinds of geniuses, the had long ago decided to test them under dire circumstances to test their characters and ability to adapt.

They had even deliberately chosen to make the hole in a place where the fall would not be able to injure them. They had even cleared away the much stronger beasts and only left the Blind Mountain Worms which was easier to deal with. Afterwards, they had set up cameras to monitor them.

They were very impressed by that Awiergan kid who had prepared for any accidents early on. Sajjad was extremely adapting and had not panicked either. He even had the Big Book of Monsters with him which he carefully read, gaining extra points for himself. Sproule was also quite calm and was helping much to liven up the atmosphere with his jokes. Blake's ability to identify the beast by seeing the tracks was extremely astonishing. The girls had not had any major negative reactions either. But just when they were praising how this year's bunch was so good, that expressionless kid had to drag his peers into the river...

They did not delay in sending two rescue teams. One in the cavern and one at the end of that tunnel to the waterfall.

...

They were quickly closing into the ground with a constantly increasing speed.

100 meters!

90 meters!

75 meters!

55 meters!

30 meters!

But just when they were about to hit the ground, seven parallel figures cut through the air and caught the falling kids before safely landing. The seven craters overlapping each other told how much haste they had made to not be able to slow down in time.

Six of the seven figures dropped to their knees in exhaustion as they let out sighs of relief while the one who had caught Blake, the robotic man, took out warm blankets and covered the seven in them. To the side, they could see the tall pointy rocks filling the small lake where the water fell continuously. If they had landed there, the best case scenario would be them having numerous holes in their bodies!

"So close!" The robotic man let out a sigh. He wanted to pat a kid's head but refrained from when he saw their hair. It was frozen in place by the cold water and wind, pointing up just like the pointy rocks under the fall. The girls' long hair was, too, standing upright and dwarfing the men.

He turned back towards Blake, who stood motionless with his chin up. He was gazing at the opening where the water was continuously rushing out from.

"You there! Blake Stone I suppose. Look towards me when I'm talking!" He scolded.

"Hm?" Blake finally turned towards him.

"Don't 'hm' me! Do you know how much danger you had put on yourself and your friends?!"

"Your voice is more robotic than I thought", Blake held his chin in contemplation.

"You! Can you imagine what could've happened if you hit any rocks or the walls in the tunnel or if we didn't come to catch you in time?Can you imagine what could've happened?"

"Sorry, I can't imagine the impossible", he smiled confidently.