HP: The Arcane Thief-Novel

"!!!!!"

Everyone had really thought that Axel was done for this time. But when they saw him somehow saved, a loud cheer erupted in the viewers.

"That has to be a fluke, right?"

"It has to be! It's his first time attempting this!"

After all, the Laser was nothing to scoff at. Even if they believe that Axel saw the signs of the aircraft attacking and moved beforehand, he'd have had some information first, which is impossible since it's apparently his first time seeing this trial.

Axel didn't just stop there. Taking the opportunity, he continued getting closer to the aircraft. He then turned on the blasters and fired a concentrated beam of his own, hitting it squarely in the middle. The aircraft didn't even have the time to deploy its shield before it was shot, crashing sideways into a building.

The trial had attracted a lot of attention by now.

Due to the ongoing war, everyone is competing to get rewarded, earn merits, or make a name for themselves. This is especially the case with the military division. In this turbulent time, the appearance of someone with extremely high talent and potential is bound to cause waves.

That's why, the number of people watching Axel's trial has been skyrocketing, especially after the beginning of the second stage. Physical fitness is just the basics. But if Axel showed the same phenomenal mastery in shooting and riding, then he is definitely someone to pay attention to.

Because then, he can directly participate in war and even play a crucial role.

More and more Higher ups were now paying attention to Axel's match.

"Some of his skills... are better than even me," said a man with four stars shining on his shoulder, displaying his authority. Astonishment was visible on his face as he looked at Axel who was back to shooting down the smaller enemies now.

"Better than even you?" The officer beside him was surprised. "Surely, that is an exaggeration...?"

"No," the man said firmly. "Look at him. He hasn't missed a single shot yet."

"?!" It was only then did the officer realise that this might indeed be the case. Axel has been shooting so fast that most people haven't even had the time to ascertain whether his shots were reaching their marks or not. But of course, the Major Protectate and one of the best Shooters in Atlantis, who has already attempted the trial countless times, can easily tell. Axel has not missed. Not once.

But, that wasn't even the most fearsome thing. It was the fact that he was using the basic gun and readymade bullets, while shooting at the range of snipers. He's calculating the extreme deviation into account while also firing multiple bullets, even upto five per Target sometimes, to make up for the lack of penetration.

"Who is he?" The man with four- star authority asked, clearly looking to commit it through his memory.

The officer, who works in the royal court, had already done his research. "His name is Chris Martin. We know nothing else except for the fact that he is a guest of the Royal Princess. She is apparently on close enough terms with him that she assigned Sylthia Eryndor to help him take his trial."

The man furrowed his brows. If such big figures are involved, then it might be difficult to recruit him.

Meanwhile, Axel was in a bigger trouble this time. Three aircraft were chasing him at the same time. But Axel still seemed to have the time to shoot other hostiles.

He suddenly dipped low, zig-zagging through the high-rise structures of the city. While he was passing through them, suddenly—

"What—?!"

"Where is he?"

Axel suddenly disappeared! He hadn't emerged on the other side. Apparently, the enemy aircraft were also deceived, because their speeds also slowed down noticeably when they passed through the towering spiral buildings.

At this moment, multiple beams hit the three aircraft from behind, causing them to go out of control and crash. Then, Axel, who had been following them, flew back into the view from between the buildings.

It was a simple enough trick to pull off for Axel, but it didn't seem to be the case for others.

"How…?"

"S-Stealth Maneuvers!"

"I didn't see it wrong, did I?!"

"Who taught him that?!"

Those who had some knowledge on what he had done were in disbelief, while those who had no idea were cheering in awe because it was simply too spectacular!

Meanwhile, the four star Major of the Guardian Division was still gaping in astonishment. Unlike others, he knew what Axel had and how he had done it. He just couldn't believe he was watching it from someone who is 16 years old and new to Riding a Neptunite.

"He has to be recruited into the Protectors," he said firmly. "I must inform the higher ups."

The Protectors. A crucial division of the Atlantian military that Rides the Neptunite. Often patrolling the city, they deal in Aerial combat, civilian rescue, maintaining order, etc.

Due to the difficulty of each path, usually, a rider is accompanied by a shooter, making for an optimal team. But Axel can ride and shoot extremely well on his own. He's guaranteed to rise through the ranks quickly.

The officer nodded. "I believe no one will fight you for it," he said without urgency. "Who will, when he has such aptitude for both Riding and Shooting?"

The man shook his head with uncertainty. "You can't say that for sure. The specialized divisions would also not want to miss such a talent. Besides, that kid has also applied for the Warrior and Spellcaster paths as well."

He had a feeling that it won't be so easy to recruit Axel.

His feeling, of course, turned out to be true.

...

Axel entered the last stage of the trial immediately. He was currently suspended in the air. Looking down, he found that he was in a war zone again. But this time, there were two words to describe his surroundings: Utter Chaos.

Two sides were currently in an all out war. Judging by his own Armor, Axel was on the side of Atlantis.

And by the bizarre look of the other side, he was willing to bet the other side was Kraken.

It consisted mostly of monsters, and humans who no longer looked like humans. The giant monsters were abominations created from a mixture of sea creatures. The humans, on the other hand, all had tattoos, and most of them seemed to have weird genetic mutations.

[Stage 3: This is an improbable simulation of a war. Fight for Atlantis and survive as long as possible using the warrior and Spellcaster path. There is no stage clearing criteria. Results will be determined based on your performance before 'death' or forfeit.]

Axel blankly looked at the scene in front of him. What exactly... is he supposed to do? Fight and Survive? Is he supposed to subdue them without eliminating them? No, that would be idiotic, since this is a war simulation, not a friendly match.

But then, does this mean what he is thinking it means? Killing.

Now that he considered it, killing, at least in simulation, seems quite normal in Atlantis.

In the last stage, he didn't think much about it since he was just shooting down enemies from a distance, not knowing whether they were dying or not. But now, it's a bit different. People around him were slaughtering each other, and he was being encouraged to participate.

This came as somewhat of a culture shock to Axel. Whether it was the muggle Britain or the Wizarding Britain, killing was considered one of the worst taboos there.

Some of it can be attributed to the fact that he is applying for the Army right now, for which, learning to use lethal force is necessary. But in Britain, the Aurors are at most taught how to subdue enemies, not kill. Even if you're fighting dangerous criminals, taking a life is considered a last resort, and it can still get you into a lot of trouble.

Regardless, with the war imminent, Axel agreed that this was the best way to ensure a soldier's survival. It might be harsh, but it'll keep them alive. The other side is ready to kill you. If you still try to be soft, you'll be the one to die.

[Choose your Weapons]

Instantly, a list appeared in front of Axel, showing a variety of weapons. Since it was supposed to be a Warrior and Spellcaster Stage, there were Weapons for both the stages.

Axel scrolled through the long list. There were various types of weapons here, some of which Axel couldn't even recognise, let alone know how to use. Among the ones he knew about, there were: Different types of magic swords, shields, Tridents, nets, maces, hammers, bows, magic staves, wands, rings, amulets. etc.

Axel knew that he had to fire some spells and show off some of his combat skills. His choice was simple: A dagger and a wand.

[Get Ready]

Axel looked at the dagger he had chosen. Sharp and durable, balanced well in his hand. It would do. He casually tried running his magic through it, and was surprised to see a sharp coat of magic power appear along the blade. He checked the wand next. He was surprised to find that it was actually made out of metal. When he passed magic through it, it made a whirring sound while giving out a slight vibration.

[3]

[2]

[1]

Axel decided to just go with it. It's not like he ever has had any problems with killing. In fact, he was somewhat looking forward to the fight.

On the other hand, when the crowd outside saw Axel's trial, some of the spectators gawked in bafflement while some were cheering as if they'd expected.

"Is this really… the Legendary War simulation?"

"It is. But I'm not surprised. If someone can trigger it, it's him."

Many of them were dumbfounded to see the legendary 'hell-mode' difficulty stage that they had only seen in videos actually appear while others lamented for Axel's bad luck. If he has actually triggered it, he to suffer.

The war scenario. The simulations for participants. For example, Axel's Trial is comparatively more difficult from the beginning, since more Paths have to be tested in three stages.

But another fact that influences the scenario is your performance. If it's above a certain level, then the simulations of subsequent stages change in order to keep it challenging for the participant. It means that the default simulation is not enough to check the full capabilities of a participant.

Among these cases, there is one scenario that particularly stands out: The war scenario, the most difficult scenario of the trial room. If a challenger has triggered it, then it means that 2-star level is not sufficient to test a participant's full capabilities.

Obviously, no student has ever triggered it. It has only happened when some big shot has entered to show off, which is extremely rare.

But since a war is interesting to watch, the videos of its precedents are extremely popular.

Most of the students were naturally thrilled to be able to watch it in real time. But many also had concerns. This scenario is the most gory and brutal of all. Some students in the past used a higher ups authority to forcefully activate this trial, but they were traumatized after experience and quit from the Frontline division.

Students need to train for a minimum of three to four years before they are gradually able to mentally face such kinds of situations. Since it's Axel's first time attempting the trial, the result can be imagined.

Of course, no one tried to stop it. Even though they knew it was the right thing to do. Because… everyone was just too curious!

By now, everyone is somewhat used to Axel doing everything in a flash. The words 'genius', 'unreasonable', 'defying logic' have already been attributed to him. What would happen when this person faces this stage of 'hell mode' difficulty?

That's why, everyone watched without anyone trying to interfere.

"Dagger and Wand?"

Once again, Axel showed them through his actions that they should just stop thinking logically when he chose a knife and wand as his weapon.

The most common weapon for a magic warrior in Atlantis is a Trident. It can be use for both Spellcasting and Melee combat, the range can also be adjusted, thus making it the standard weapon. Dagger? It's just a supplementary Weapon!

Now, people were beginning to have doubts.

[3]

[2]

[1]

As soon as the countdown was over, Axel was dropped into the war zone.

Like a wolf entering a flock of sheep.