Deep down I knew, we knew it was all wrong. The Guide system was wrong in all aspects. From starting out as a cadet to the ethos to have for success, The Guide was all wrong. How were we going to win against the "MONARCHY" with all that redundancy from the system, We… No, I'm going to change all of this. I'm going to beat the MONARCHY with this redundant system.
***
"And what do we have here" a woman(?), no a man with an androgynous face and physique looked down on me. "One of the "low forms" in this pub? Might as well stop visiting this place" he went on with contempt in his voice.
Abel Wriggler the one knows as "The Dancer" due to his fluent movement in battle tried to bully me. By "low forms" he meant those with no fruits from the training regimen by The Guide system and well…. I was. the worst of them. Well, I really couldn't be blamed. I was never one to be strong. From playing with my friends in childhood to academy training I was a weakling the worst of the "low forms", and truth to be told I wanted to be stronger but I guess I just wouldn't be.
"I'm sorry kind sir" the head of the pub begged Abel. "He would never be seen here again" the head continued boot-licking Abel. I knew this was going to happen with me being the victim of standings but it wasn't something new. Even among "low forms" I was always bullied due to being the weakest and I was pretty much used to it now.
I stood up and wore my worn-out Hat and was about to walk of the pub with the mind to never ever come back when I felt a force on my back forcing me to trip. "You aren't going anywhere Dan" Abel shouted while smirking. Dan Terry was my name. "Not after your presence ruined my evening" he continued. "Why don't you follow me and I'll teach you never to ruin another thing for me". When he meant "follow" I knew it was to beat me up. Like I said wasn't the first time, normally I would've just resigned to my fate but today (maybe due to the alcohol earlier) I wasn't feeling like getting beat up.
"Why don't you make me" I retorted calmly, readying my posture to a fight mode. "I sure aren't feeling like following you at this point, so why don't we settle it in a good old fashioned fist fight" I said, maybe it was really the alcohol giving me this courage because I didn't have any fear in me of what was going to happen.
"With so much pleasure Dan" said Abel laughing. And before I knew it was with… well bruises will be an understatement cause I'm pretty sure I had a bone or three broken. So, I carried myself back to camp with a lot of pain half walking half dragging myself.
"To be strong is such a good thing" I said to myself with a lot of discomfort rising to the fact I had few teeth missing. " I wish I was one of the strongest cadets". Cadets or Cads for short were part of the resistance army against the "MONARCHY", a group of fiendish beings with unfathomable power that even the strongest of countries got wiped off the face of the world in their presence. And the resistance army were those with powers who were training to defeat the MONARCHY using the guide system. The Guide system was simply our training regimen with other ethos, 5 laps round the mountain, heavy lifting, staying underneath the river surface for 20 mins, weaponry training, mana stability and the likes were all part of the Guide system, and we were all ranked according to how well we did and I was the lowest of the low forms with Abel being one of the high forms. low forms, high forms, supreme forms. those were the forms one could attain and of course a hierarchy was ensued to make sure lower forms knew their place. To even graduate from the low form, one must have perfect control over their mana and well…. I couldn't even use mana yet. Finishing my heavy lifting I was heading towards the river for 20 minutes of hell.
"Hey Dan" another low form (but higher than me) called out to me. "Going under water?" he asked. I really didn't want to answer such an obvious question since he saw I was just heading to the river but- "Yes I am" -I answered with exasperation and I ran towards the river to avoid more stupid questions.
***
"Well that's that" I said coming back from the river after almost drowning and then getting laughed at for my disability to stay underneath the surface for even 5 minutes. And now I was heading to the next hell, "MANA STABILITY". I couldn't even use mana and yet I was subjected to this. I still think it's for the entertainment of the higher forms which made me sad a bit but I determined to give them the best entertainment of their life. "This is so going to be long".
In the mana stability facility were hundreds of cadets training with mana imbued techniques and some low forms were even achieving perfect control over their mana which will make them graduate the low form. Wish that could happen to me but I knew it was all wishful thinking… Life. Well moving on to the machine that measured the amount of mana one could use on a scale of 1-10. Achieving a scale of 4 was considered superior in this academy with the highest scale ever recorded to be 6.4 by one of the current supreme forms.
As I walked towards the machine, I felt all eyes on me with some whispering not minding how loud they were sounding while "whispering". Even some of the girls started throwing comments at me with one saying "Oh this is so going to be good" very obviously out loud throwing the whole facility into a round of laughter at my expense. I grimaced at my plight and sought to be quick with this. I knew the machine was going to scale a straight Zero so I just touched for a second and started on my way to rest after the hell I had been through that morning.
I started walking expecting laughter and comments at me but, surprisingly you could hear a pin drop. Everyone's was surprised with their eyes glued to machine "What's wrong" I said to myself before hearing a "No way, how did he". "Hey people I tried my best you could at least say something" was what I thought to myself before turning back to the machine to see what was wrong and there, I saw the cause of the shock and what will be the most suprising moment of my life. There on the machine a 6 was on the screen. A big straight 6. How? Why? When? Pretty much those were the questions on everyone's mind, but trust me I know nothing then one of the higher forms shouted "he must've used a mana implement, no way he can be one of the supreme forms" and suddenly everyone was in affirmation with screams of "You cheater" went round the facility.
Until a supreme class member was there silence, and due to the rules of hierarchy, everyone not supreme class was meant to bend a knee. Sir. Brian Gale was his name. The 9th strongest supreme form and member of the army. The man known for his speed in the army was before me and naturally I was on my knees shaking.
"Search him" he commanded his assistants. "Search for any mana implements. We kept that in the research room, him holding one of those means he stole them". Deep down I knew I hadn't stolen anything but it was unheard of for a low form to challenge the order of a supreme form and I just went ahead with the search. His assistants searched me and of course they didn't find anything to talk of a mana implement.
"Now that's strange," said Sir. Brian "No implements found on him, let's have the machine go through maintenance, because if this is correct it will even surpass my scale" he said half laughing half serious. "So, you two take the machine for maintenance and let's see if Mr. low form here really has such a high mana scale. Now off you go and no one uses the machine when it's back until Mr. low form has gone through a re-check. I will personally supervise it and he will be in observation starting from now. Take him to the observation room". I stood there dumb-founded, from the mana scale to being accused of cheating to being taken to observation till tomorrow.
"This is really the event Mr. low form" Sir. Brian said to me on the way to the observation room. "A 6 scale. Color me impressed even I didn't achieve above 5" he continued.
"Umm. thanks? And it's Dan sir, Dan Terry. That's my name". I said half scared about giving an answer for what I wasn't asked. I expected at least a hit or something but surprisingly Sir. Brian laughed it off. "You don't have to be scared you know. I'm not a stickler for rules so you can be at ease" he said. Celebrating inwardly, I became at ease and then looked ahead to see we had reached the observation room. "So, you're going to be here till the morn, and don't worry we'll provide necessary amenities like food and water so just bear with us" Sir. Brian said before turning around and walking off to his duties. I inwardly was joyous that there was still a supreme leader who was this nice.
***
And morning it was. After spending a good night in the observation room except for the lack of a bed which meant I didn't get a really good sleep but it was better than waking up with bruises like I did the previous day. I was taken to the mana stability facility and sure enough Sir. Brian was there to supervise the re-check plus hundreds of cadets there to spectate it.
"Check him" Sir. Brian ordered his assistants and immediately I was searched and well obviously nothing was found. Boy how happy I am.
So, nothing being found I was prompted to place my hand on the machine which had gone for maintenance and shockingly the scale that measured 6 the previous day was now measuring 6.2
How? Why? When? I was getting a feeling of Deja-vu knowing the questions on everyone's mind and sure enough the whole facility was dead silent. Not until Sir. Brian broke it with a laugh
"Haha" he laughed. "Who would've though a low form of yesterday will become supreme form today. Such a shocking thing I'm living to witness" he continued to laugh with the surrounding cadets being shocked and some saying they were dreaming of sorts. Such a suprising moment for me, to even be a high class with a scale of above 4 was considered an honor and here I was with a scale of 6 a supreme of supreme class, maybe I might just be strong after all
"Now Now Dan you're going to be put into special training in hopes to at least defeat a monarch" Sir Brian continued. "But for now we're going to focus on your physical training. From tomorrow you're going to face an even worse hell. Hope you enjoy it" he said and smiled before leaving. Hey how am I supposed to enjoy hell. Oh Damn, well seems I'm going to do all I can to be strong.
And so, I left the facility with all eyes on me still to retire to my dormitory. The Dorms were divided into 6 each form having 2 each and the quality of the dorms increasing with class. The low form had 2; weaker dorm and stronger dorm, and the weaker was in no way supposed to come to the stronger dorm of their form or even go to another form dorm. Those were the rules and they weren't going to be changed due to The Guide system and yes, I am going to change all of that.