Plethora, Knight Of The World 18 Examination Assembly

As they walked Megalo asked Plethora, "Are you sure your mom is okay?"

"Yes, she's a strong woman, and I've tried cheering her up after she wanted to be alone for a while... let's just say it's better to not do that." Plethora said with a wry smile.

"Okay, well, I'm not the one she's going to be mad at anyways." Megalo shrugs. "But what did you pick?"

"Hmm?"

"From Moeder's list? I thought you'd have picked something with cloning, but I can't find it in the list." Megalo asks nonchalantly.

"Wait... What!?" Plethora stops walking and looks at Megalo. "You mean that you can pick a specialization from Moeder too!? That's amazing! Maybe that's why there are two suns there..."

"Hehe you'll like my mission even more. 'Help Plethora grow stronger'. Sweet of her right?" He smiles a haughty smile at Plethora. "If making you grow stronger didn't involve growing stronger myself I wouldn't have bothered though!"

"Thanks, Megalo." A sincere smile surfaces on Percy's face. "So, what are you going to pick?"

"Hmm well, even though I'll mainly be growing stronger for myself, I'll still need to think about fighting together. As we'll stay together pretty much all the time anyway. And as you have plenty of close combat fighters already I won't need to do that... You probably could make the sky turn black with arrows at one point, so not that either... What if I could... I think that's a good idea... Oh yeah, it is a good idea hahaHAHAHA." Megalo starts laughing maniacally.

"What are you thinking of?" Plethora pushes Megalo to speak, to no avail.

"I already picked. You told me you have this technique that dabbles a bit in curses to make your clones kill an opponent even after 'dying'? Imagine packing your clones so full of curses that they almost explode! I think we can make it work. And if it won't work I believe that all paths taken through Moeder will lead to the pinnacle, it'll definitely be of help."

"You picked Cursing? That's pretty cool, I even wanted to take a look at that myself, but having you specialize in it will make it way better!" Plethora says excitedly. He really was intrigued by what curses can do to help his clones after seeing it integrated in One More, but if Megalo decides to specialize in it he will go way further down that path than Plethora if he decides to just dabble in it a little.

They continue walking while talking some more. Theorizing about Moeder a bit, like that one specialization cannot be picked twice. Megalo didn't want to tell Plethora about the technique he gained. He did say however that it wasn't an actual curse, more like a pa.s.sive effect that will help him way in the future.

As they come closer and closer to the inner city they notice more and more people that look geared up for battle. People wearing different kinds of armor and weapons, having slightly weird phenomena around them, like floating or see-through hair, glowing eyes, moving a bigger distance then their steps seem to take.

"We're getting close Plethora, are you ready?" Megalo asks with an excited look in his eyes. He has never truly been with so many people, the drive to battle to improve himself is coming out, and so is the confidence of a.s.suming he will win. The pride of his being shining through.

"Of course I am ready. But it won't start for another few hours, so come, let's not make to much of a scene." Plethora says as his face loses all the emotions he can show when he is just together with his family, or Megalo. Megalo feels as close as family too, probably due to the bound they got.

Megalo merges into Plethora, combining with his other phantoms. Making the slightly scary effect of the shadows moving separately from Plethora even stronger, the green in Megalo disappearing.

After arriving at the great square where they need to a.s.semble Plethora started getting vibes of something he really doesn't like. A n.o.ble's social event. There is arrogant youth that thinks they're the best. The ones holding their heads low trying not to be noticed, but still hoping for a lucky encounter. The supporting words while the eyes are stabbing daggers.

'Oh great..' Plethora thinks as he pulls his hood further over his head.

But as he walks around looking for a quiet corner he sees something that lifts his mood. A familiar face, or well, familiar hair. Dark forest green hair.

"Anna!" He says as he walks closer.

She turns around with surprise is her eyes and a little flower on her wrist. The flower is special, as it points itself at Plethora without Anna moving her wrist. "Plethora!" She calls back. "I thought you wouldn't make it in time."

"Why's that? There's still a few hours left right?"

"Yeah, well, the only tip my sis gave me was that I needed to be early, as they tend to start earlier without caring about anyone who comes after they start. Even if they are technically on time." She says while looking around nervously. Ready to jump to a start at the moment it starts. "Oh and can you call me Arn.o.ba when we are in public... you're not the only one who has a nickname you know."

Plethora looks surprised at her when she says that. Not for the fact that she uses a nickname but "You're using the name of a G.o.d? A very old G.o.d, but still a G.o.d?"

She looks with a little distressed when Plethora points it out. "Yeah, well, it has been given to me by the forest I'm from... It told me I'll be okay." She fiddles with a leaf from the flower.

"Okay, if your name is given it should be okay." Plethora gives her a small smile. It really is quite a taboo to take the name of a G.o.d when you are weak. Typhon was powerful, so it wasn't to Plethora to judge his name, not that it matters anymore.

As they stand there the thing Arn.o.ba warned about happened. "The examination to enter Boundless Ocean will soon commence, those who don't want to join should vacate the area quickly."

Right away the square falls into chaos, people talking loudly to wish luck before running out. It is such a high contrast compared to the military that it baffles Plethora slightly. Plethora and Arn.o.ba decide to walk to the front where the speaker was, they want to make a good impression and want to be close to catch things they couldn't notice from within the crowd.

Just as Plethora and Arn.o.ba where checking out the old lean man with long wavy silver hair and a lean but slightly bent over posture and with his hands in the sleeves of his robe he starts talking while standing on a platform. His voice sounding as if he stands right in front of them.

"As this is an examination and not a picknick you have pa.s.sed the first two tests. Being on time and knowing what you come for." The words don't really make a lot of sense until Plethora looks around and sees that there's a lot less people, only about 300 left. "Everyone who couldn't focus enough to do what they came for has been disqualified, there's no need for such people in Boundless Ocean."

The man starts walking from side to side on the platform. His steps small and slightly shaky, he really looks old. Plethora doesn't dare to underestimate him though, someone send to represent a big sect must never be underestimated.

"The next test will be the same no matter which sect you try to join, but after taking this test but failing to live up to the standards can never try to join one anymore. Stay if you trust yourself or leave if one wants to improve himself more before trying next year." The man pauses, giving the two dozen people the chance to walk away.

"Good. The first test is comprehension, we all know that one grows stronger by furthering ones techniques, so comprehension almost equals strength. The technique you are to learn is called Shooting Eyes, it's a technique used to read quickly. It'll increase your observation and intelligence through mastery." He flicks his sleeve, showing his small hand covered in wrinkly skin, from his sleeve books fly out and hover in front of everybody present. "When opening the book you will gain a brand that will only react when one reads the book again, so those who don't want to be branded, or those that don't want to be caught don't open the book again."

This made Plethora think, but he decided that he will open the book anyway. His parents want him to succeed, he'll make them proud, that is more important than a brand like that.

He does notice a few people who don't open the book. And one that starts screaming, someone who did read the book before.

Plethora feels rather confident in this challenge, as he spend some time reading Pupil and in that way discovered a way to learn quicker by using his clones.

His nine phantoms are like nine other Plethoras, and by reading the book himself and letting his phantoms read it he actually reads it nine times at once. Giving him nine slightly different points of view. The tenth one reading is Megalo, giving him a final very different point of view.

He reads the book, and it is actually quite simple compared to the techniques he uses. It might help him go further with Pupil though, using this technique to fill in some of the blanks, creating something new altogether.

And as he is reading he slowly starts to apply the technique, reading faster and faster. And by the time he finishes the book he feels pain in his eyes. All 20 of them. His pupils fold open in a way to make a three pointed star shape that closes right after it completes forming.

He realises that it is the star eye mentioned in the book, the pupil changes in the shape of a star. That's where the name comes from, when one advances far enough it'll look like a shooting star through the pages.

He looks up at the old man, the old man is looking at Plethora. "You did well young man, you pa.s.sed first and you are now admitted to join Boundless Ocean. Don't slack in the following exams to get better treatment later." The man smiles a small smile before moving on to look at other people.

"Well done Plethora!" Arn.o.ba says before she starts reading again. For a moment Plethora thought she was going to ask for help, but she continues on her own. Something Plethora likes in a person.

"Hey hey Plethora. Guess where I found a curse to study?" Megalo says out of the blue.