The lady could not believe her eyes. Her smile from before was replaced with a shocked mouth that was slightly agape. She stood from her chair as she looked at Lyrian through the dome in real life to check if she was seeing things correctly.
Lyrian sheathed his blade. The lady sat back down, perplexed. 'He... broke through? That should be impossible for a first-year student... did the dummy break?' She thought for an instant.
"Our first passing student for today is Lyrian Theageld! Congratulations!" She exclaimed.
The students looking at Lyrian through the dome were equally as shocked as her. They all exchanged glances with each other, and then back at the MVP who stood menacingly in the middle of the dome.
"H... holy shit! That was awesome!" One kid exclaimed in excitement.
"I know, right!? The power of an MVP, sheesh!"
"I wish I was that powerful... how lucky."
"He actually passed!"
The lady then continued, "Now, moving on to the final stage of the hunting license exam!"
As soon as she said this, a single brow raised on Lyrian's face. He turned to look back at the lady, "Huh? This is bull shit! How many surprises am I going to encounter today, god damn it..."
As he said this, the dummy arose once again. Soon, the cavity in its chest as a result of Lyrian's attack healed up, and it returned to face Lyrian.
"You have passed the first stage. Congratulations," the dummy said, its voice showing no emotion.
"Yeah... thanks, bud," Lyrian sarcastically spoke.
"Next, you will have a true test," the dummy stated, as it quickly began to transform on the spot. Soon enough, it had turned into a giant bull carving made of thick wood.
It dragged its front foot against the ground, kicking up dust. Staring ferociously at Lyrian, it huffed out a cloud of smoke.
"Huh? Where is that even coming from? And just how dangerous is the forest outside of this school, for the exam to be this hard... I feel like only the top students of the academy could pass it. Even I'm having some trouble."
Naturally, the raging bull offered no reply, opting instead to charge forward with the primal determination of its wild counterpart. Lyrian, however, held his ground steadfastly, unwavering from his chosen spot.
The group of children observed with bated breath as the bull rapidly closed the distance to Lyrian. Suddenly, one of the kids couldn't contain his excitement and burst out, "I think I know what he's up to! How clever of him!"
The others turned their curious gazes toward him, eager to hear his insight. "He intends to remain still until the very last moment, and then swiftly evade the bull's charge, causing it to miss!" His proclamation garnered nods of admiration from the rest, impressed by his ability to discern such a brilliant maneuver in real time.
The bull drew closer, its massive form looming, and it came within a mere five feet of Lyrian. The tension in the room grew palpable, and the crowd of students, along with the lady at the desk, collectively held their breath.
Every eye was fixed on Lyrian. When would he move? In which direction would he evade? The air was thick with anticipation, and the uncertainty of the wooden bull's reaction prompted a few muffled giggles of exhilaration as the suspense reached its peak.
At last, with the bull just inches away, Lyrian seized the creature's massive horns, channeling a strong Enhancement into his hands and feet. "HUH!?" The student who'd proposed the theory cried out in astonishment, leaving everyone else equally flabbergasted by the unexpected turn of events.
The resounding impact of the wooden bull's horns striking Lyrian's palms resonated throughout the dome. Yet, the resolute boy remained immobile, his jaw clenched in unwavering determination as he forcefully pushed the grunting bull backward.
Spectators in the waiting area watched in sheer disbelief as Lyrian continued to drive the bull, gaining momentum with each step. Eventually, he stepped back once, pulling the bull toward him and hoisting it into the air before slamming it down on the opposite side.
The bull lay sprawled on its back, utterly incapacitated. Within seconds, the wooden bull reverted to its original form, a motionless dummy, which returned to its designated position at the center of the dome.
Amid the stunned silence, the children exchanged wide-eyed glances, realizing that they had just witnessed a remarkable feat of strength and technique that defied all expectations.
"Y-you have passed the entire exam... well done... Lyrian..." The lady at the desk was shocked. She hadn't seen anything like this before in her entire career of working for the academy.
Lyrian smirked, grasping his hands. They were blistered and even slightly torn, but he didn't care too much. He was just happy that he got the exam out of the way.
As he stepped outside of the dome, the kids waiting near the glass stared at him.
"Hey... why didn't you just move out of the way?" One asked, still in a daze of awe.
"Yeah... that's what we expected," another added.
Lyrian didn't hesitate to answer, "Why would I dodge it? I want to overpower it and defeat it, not run away. It was a fight." He stated before turning and walking to the desk.
This left the kids struck with a profound feeling. As Lyrian got his license from the stunned lady at the desk and quickly exited the room, one of the kids couldn't help but exclaim, "So that is how an MVP is..."
Lyrian found himself in the halls of the academy soon after, examining his little hunting license. It was a small plate made of some sort of white metal that had a very slight purple hue to it. From what he knew, it was made of platinum and was round.
It had some lettering on it that indicated that it was a hunting license, and no more than that.
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