From the very first question, Elijah felt the weight settle on his shoulders. This wasn't like the history section with its neat, multiple-choice trivia. These questions were designed to reach into his chest, pull at his conscience, and force him to commit to answers that—if they were real—would change lives.
Question 1: The Trolley Problem
You are standing by the tracks of a trolley. There are two paths the trolley can go down. On one track, a well-known politician, famous for his altruistic work and credited with helping hundreds of thousands of people, has fallen and cannot escape in time. On the other track, your closest family member and best friend are unconscious, also unable to move before the trolley would kill them.
The trolley barrels forward at breakneck speed toward the track with your loved ones. The brakes are not working. You are standing by a lever that could divert it onto the politician instead.
What do you do?
Pull the lever, killing the altruistic politician but saving your loved ones.
Leave the trolley on its current path, sacrificing your loved ones but sparing the politician.
Provide your thought process for whichever answer you choose.
Elijah stared at the problem for a long moment. His pencil hovered uselessly above the paper.
The right answer's obvious, isn't it? he thought. Pull the lever, save the most lives. That's what they want me to say. But… screw that. I can't just let my family die. I'd never forgive myself. The "logical" answer isn't always the right one when it's your people on the line.
He began scribbling quickly, pouring his reasoning into neat lines.
I choose A.
There are two reasons. First, while saving the politician could potentially save the most people in the long run, it is only that—a potential. There is no guarantee of his future choices or impact. In the immediate term, saving two people over one creates a guaranteed net positive. Second, if the politician is truly altruistic, he would likely choose to sacrifice himself to spare two innocent lives. And as a final, selfish but honest reason: they're my loved ones. I cannot let them die if I can stop it.
Elijah leaned back for a second, reading what he'd written. A triumphant smirk tugged at his lips—until it fell. "Okay, maybe I got a little mouthy at the end," he muttered under his breath. "But… hey, honesty counts for something, right?"
On to the next question.
Question 2: You Can't Protect Everyone
You are the captain of an elite military force of a hundred men and women you care for like your own family. An uprising among the peasants threatens the capital, and you are tasked with quashing it.
In an effort to understand their cause, you disguise yourself and live among the rebels before the battle. You come to see their desperation firsthand and even grow to care for them as people striving to secure better lives for their loved ones. When your identity is discovered, you flee, and the next day the attack begins.
As the battle unfolds, your soldiers—the comrades you've trained with for years—clash with the very peasants you've learned to respect. Both sides are dying before your eyes. Who do you fight with? Explain.
The rebel peasants
Your soldiers and kingdom
This time, Elijah didn't hesitate. His pencil scratched hard against the page.
The answer is B.
As a commander, you've sworn loyalty to your kingdom and your soldiers. They've fought beside you in deadly situations, and abandoning them in the heat of battle would be the ultimate betrayal. You may sympathize with the peasants, but sympathy cannot outweigh duty. The best choice is to fight with your soldiers, win as swiftly as possible, and minimize casualties where you can. Afterward, you can use what you've learned to advocate for reform from within the system.
Elijah exhaled and tapped his eraser on the paper. "That one's… brutal," he admitted quietly to himself. Easy to write. Harder if it were real.
The rest of the ethics section wasn't quite as dramatic, though a few questions pried deeper than he expected. Some forced him to weigh personal loyalty against abstract duty. Others probed his views on justice and whether mercy could exist in a world where power decided survival. By the end, his thoughts buzzed like a beehive—uncomfortable but sharp.
He turned the page and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Over halfway done. Mana sciences, combat theory, then I'm free. Not free-free… but free enough to move on to the next round of hell.
When he saw the heading Mana Sciences, his stomach knotted. He only had an hour left. And unlike ethics, this section could be mercilessly technical.
Still, Elijah cracked his knuckles. "Alright. Time to spar with physics."
Question 1: The Law of Acceleration Force Equation
Also known as Issac's Second Law of Motion.
Elijah grinned. "Finally, a softball." He dashed off the answer with confidence.
F = m × a × √(mana).
The force exerted by any moving object or attack is defined by the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration, with an additional multiplier tied to the mana field. Because mana couples universally with matter, it enhances force in proportion to its availability. However, the relationship follows a square root—meaning increased mana amplifies force but with diminishing returns as supply rises.
Easy. Almost too easy. Elijah didn't even stop to reread before moving on.
Question 2: The Five Fundamental Forces of the Universe
List them and explain at least one aspect of each.
Another layup. He scribbled quickly:
The five forces are gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear, weak nuclear, and mana.
Gravity: always attractive, acts on both mass and energy, and is the weakest but most far-reaching force.
Electromagnetism: carried by photons, governs charged particles, and enables both light and electricity.
Strong nuclear force: binds quarks and nucleons, incredibly powerful but limited to subatomic ranges.
Weak nuclear force: short-ranged and comparatively weak, but drives radioactive decay and stellar fusion.
Mana: permeates space like gravity, but instead of acting on matter uniformly, it resonates biologically. Every living being couples with mana uniquely, amplifying abilities in ways that defy conventional symmetry. Unlike the other forces, mana is not entirely quantized—it flows, pools, and aligns with will as much as with mass.
Elijah paused and gave himself a small, approving nod. He couldn't help but add a line:
Mana's most dangerous property is also its most mysterious: while the other forces operate under universal constants, mana scales with intent. That unpredictability makes it both a gift and a threat.
He sat back for a moment, drumming his pencil against the desk. Okay, that sounded smart. Hopefully the graders eat it up.
The next few problems in the section ramped up in difficulty. Some asked him to predict how mana fields interacted with magnetic currents. Others wanted him to model resonance equations he had only skimmed in study notes. Elijah's answers became less confident the further he went, but he managed to scribble something for each.
When he finally set his pencil down at the end of the section, his timer told him he had only fifteen minutes left.
"Great," he whispered under his breath. "Perfect. Now all that's left is combat theory. The one section I'd actually like more time on."
He rubbed his face, stretched his fingers, and forced himself to turn the page.
Elijah glanced at the timer again. Fifteen minutes. Fifteen measly minutes to prove he had a brain for tactics. He groaned inwardly. Why couldn't they have given me more time here? This is the one part that actually matters in a fight, and they're rushing us through it.
The Ability and Combat Theory section opened with bold, blocky letters that almost seemed to sneer at him. The first question made his stomach tighten.
Question 1: Speed vs. Strength
A duel is staged between two Hyumans. Fighter A: a Goliath-type with extreme raw strength. Fighter B: a speed-type with the ability to temporarily double their movement speed, accelerating rapidly in short bursts.
Which fighter has the advantage?
What tactics should each fighter employ to maximize their chances of victory?
Elijah tapped his pencil against the desk, his thoughts racing as fast as the speed-type in the problem. Classic matchup. Brute force versus agility. The textbooks say strength wins in a confined space and speed wins if there's room to maneuver. But it's never that simple.
He scrawled quickly:
The advantage depends on environment and endurance. In open terrain, the speed-type can kite the Goliath, forcing him to waste energy in futile chases. Short bursts of acceleration would allow hit-and-run tactics aimed at weak points. However, in a closed arena or if stamina runs low, the Goliath gains the upper hand. One solid hit could end the fight instantly. To maximize his odds, the speed-type should never commit to prolonged melee and should instead bait swings to exploit openings. The Goliath should limit movement, guard his centerline, and force the fight into corners where raw strength dominates.
Elijah smirked. "Not bad, me. Not bad." He glanced at the dwindling timer. "Ugh. Next."
Question 2: Combat Synergy
Two Hyumans with compatible abilities often outperform a single stronger fighter. Describe an example where two weaker abilities, combined strategically, could defeat one opponent with a stronger ability or higher cultivation level.
This one made Elijah pause longer than he liked. He imagined the kinds of powers he'd seen among his peers. Hmm. Synergy, huh? Something like pairing… light with speed? Or maybe defense with attack?
He jotted down:
One example: a Hyuman with minor wind manipulation paired with a partner who specializes in precision projectile throwing. Alone, the wind user can barely create breezes, and the projectile thrower lacks range or power. But together, the wind can alter trajectories mid-flight, allowing projectiles to curve around shields or strike from unexpected angles. Against a stronger opponent, this synergy creates unpredictability and forces constant defense. Similarly, a defensive barrier user working with a close-combat fighter could trap an enemy in a controlled zone, neutralizing mobility advantages.
He underlined his last sentence with a bit of flair, then leaned back. "Yeah, that'll do."
The questions kept coming, each one dripping with "real-world application" energy.
Battlefield Priorities: If your unit is ambushed, do you (A) rally everyone to a defensive formation, (B) send your fastest scout to call reinforcements, or (C) counterattack aggressively before the enemy organizes?
Mana Exhaustion: If your ability drains your reserves faster than your opponent's, what tactical adjustments should you make in prolonged combat?
Kill or Capture: Which is more strategically valuable—defeating an enemy commander outright or capturing them alive? Explain your reasoning with respect to morale and logistics.
Elijah's answers grew messier and more rushed with each passing minute. He barely read the full text of some before scribbling whatever half-decent thought came to mind. The exam pod's walls seemed to press inward, the silence amplifying his panic. He could almost hear the clock ticking, each second hammering against his skull.
"C'mon, c'mon, think faster!" he muttered under his breath. "No way Tim's having fun with this either."
The final question hit him like a sucker punch:
Question: The Role of Mana Resonance
Two equally skilled fighters face off. One has cultivated his ability to perfectly resonate with his mana field, while the other wields a raw surplus of mana but little control. Who holds the advantage? Why?
Elijah groaned, dragging his hand down his face. Of course they'd throw in a theory question like this at the end. Control versus raw power. Classic bait.
His pencil moved, the words flowing on instinct.
Resonance provides superior efficiency. The fighter with perfect resonance wastes almost no energy, meaning every movement and strike lands with consistent force. The raw surplus user may overwhelm in short bursts, but his lack of control ensures leakage and inefficiency. In prolonged combat, the resonant fighter can outlast and exploit openings. Only in scenarios where a fight is decided in seconds would the raw surplus user hold a temporary advantage.
As he scrawled his conclusion, the exam timer ticked to its final moments. He barely had time to underline his last word before the page dissolved into shimmering motes of light.
Elijah froze, staring at his now-empty desk. His pencil slipped from his fingers and clattered softly against the surface.
"…You've got to be kidding me. Thirty more minutes. That's all I needed. Thirty more minutes and I would've crushed that section."
He leaned back in his chair with a grimace, rubbing the back of his neck. Maybe I pulled an eighty percent. Seventy-five if the graders are jerks. Ugh.
He risked a glance sideways. Tim sat stiff and pale in his pod, staring blankly at the empty space where his papers had vanished. He looked like someone had just stolen his soul. Elijah almost laughed, then stopped when he realized most of the class looked exactly the same.
A forest of shell-shocked faces filled the room. Students slumped in their seats. Some rubbed their temples. A few even mouthed silent curses into the air.
Of course, not everyone was shaken. Elijah's eyes drifted to Kat. She sat ramrod straight, her face utterly unreadable. If the exam had rattled her, she hid it perfectly.
Still, Elijah couldn't help himself. He grinned, leaned forward, and gave her a goofy wave and a dramatic thumbs-up. For the briefest heartbeat, the corner of her mouth twitched into a smile before she smothered it.
"Ha! Got her," Elijah whispered triumphantly, slumping back with satisfaction.
The victory was short-lived. That familiar prickling sensation crawled across his skin, followed by the stomach-lurching tug of teleportation. His body shimmered, the pod dissolving around him in a flash of light.
"Oh boy," Elijah muttered, clutching his stomach. "Never gonna get used to this."
The world blinked, and suddenly he was standing back in the coliseum, surrounded by the other students as the roar of the crowd returned in force. The abrupt noise felt almost violent after the silence of the exam hall.
High above the arena, the announcer's form reappeared in a shimmer of mana. His grin spread wide as he addressed the weary examinees below.
"I trust you all enjoyed that simple little exam," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
A wave of glares rose from the floor, dozens of eyes narrowed in unison. Some students muttered under their breath, others clenched fists, but the announcer only chuckled and soaked it in like it was music to his ears.
"Now then…" He spread his arms dramatically, his voice booming across the arena. "Who's ready for the third trial?!"
The crowd erupted, half in cheers, half in groans. Elijah groaned with them, rubbing his temples.
"Here we go again," he muttered.