Three days passed by in a jiffy, the day of the exam finally arrived. Kenji, dressed in his best clothes, stepped out from his room, his eyes hopeful for today.
He felt the small reservoir of shadow energy he'd painstakingly gathered over the past weeks, a cool presence within him. It wasn't much. His dark flame was still pitifully small. But his body felt... better. Stronger than the original boy's ever was.
Reaching the vast, dusty field, Kenji saw the other examinees already gathered. Rough youths from villages huddled nervously, while better-dressed town kids stood apart, looking arrogant. Then there were some, who sat with an eerily calm disposition, as if everything around them amounted to nothing.
At the front of the field, standing before the line of instructors, was a tall, stern-looking man with sharp features and robes slightly finer than the others – likely the overseer for the Outer Sect exams. He waited until the murmuring crowd quieted before speaking, his voice magically amplified to carry across the field.
"Silence! I am Senior Instructor Marius, overseer of this year's Outer Sect Entrance Examination."
His gaze swept across the people, and a hint of disapproval in his eyes.
"You stand here today seeking entry into the prestigious Astra Academy. Know this: talent is paramount, but dedication and adherence to rules are essential."
He gestured broadly. "There are approximately applicants before me today. Farmers' sons, merchants' daughters, hopeful orphans, and yes," another pointed look towards Kenji, "even Academy staff seeking elevation. A diverse group, yet only a fraction will succeed."
A nervous ripple went through the crowd. 'One thousand?' Kenji thought. 'How many spots are there?'
As if reading their minds, Marius continued, "The Outer Sect will accept no more than fifty new disciples this cycle. Fifty. That means nine and a half out of every ten of you will be returning home by sunset. Do not harbor illusions. This is not a game."
'Fifty spots... the odds are terrible,' Kenji calculated, his stomach knotting again. However, he soon calmed down.
He had already briefly evaluated all the people who had come for the test, and was confident in defeating at least 50% of them. As for the others, well, time would tell.
"The examination consists of five tests," Marius announced, holding up a hand to forestall questions. "Magic Sensing, Basic Spell Casting, Strength Testing, Aptitude Testing, and Willpower Testing. You must achieve a minimum passing score in at least three tests to be considered. Excelling in one area may compensate for minor deficiencies elsewhere, but gross incompetence in multiple areas guarantees failure."
A youth near the front raised his hand. "Instructor Marius, sir! What constitutes a passing score?"
Marius fixed him with a cold stare. "The standards are set by the examining instructors for each test. They are fair and consistent. Do your best, and do not question their judgment." His tone clearly discouraged further interruption.
"Furthermore," Marius continued, his voice hardening, "any attempt to cheat, interfere with another applicant, or disobey an instructor's direct command will result in immediate disqualification and permanent banishment from Academy grounds. Are there any pertinent questions regarding the rules or procedures?"
Silence hung over the field. No one dared speak.
"Very well," Marius concluded. "The instructors will now guide you to the first testing station. May your talents prove sufficient. Begin!"
Soon, the crowd was herded towards the first station. An instructor stood before them, holding a small bag. "First test: Magic Sensing!" he called out.
"I will release controlled bursts of elemental mana into the air before you. You will identify the type. Simple, yes? Step forward when your name is called."
He reached into the bag and tossed a pinch of sparkling powder into the air. It erupted into shimmering strands of distinct colors – bright red, clear blue, vibrant green, and pure white – drifting slowly like ethereal ribbons.
Names were called. Examinees stepped forward, squinting. "Identify the blue strand!" the instructor commanded one youth. "Uh... wind mana?" the youth stammered. "Correct. Next!"
Another examinee. "Identify the white strand!" "Light mana!" "Correct. Next!"
Some struggled, misidentifying colors or seeing nothing at all. They were quickly marked as failures for this test.
Kenji watched the full process intently. 'Okay, this is just like the graveyard, but controlled. I can see the colors easily.'
"Kenji!" his name was called. He stepped forward, ignoring the snickers from some nearby youths.
The instructor tossed another pinch of powder. Red, blue, green, white strands drifted before him. "Identify all mana types present!" the instructor commanded.
Kenji focused his vision, easily picking out the familiar colors. "Fire mana," he pointed to the red strand. "Wind mana," gesturing to the blue. "Nature mana," indicating the green. "And light mana," for the white. He paused, then added, "And... there's also a faint grey energy present. Shadow mana."
The instructor frowned, his eyes scanning the air where the bright strands were fading. "Shadow mana? I only released the four standard elements." He looked at his pouch, then back at Kenji with a puzzled expression. "Are you certain? Perhaps ambient energy?"
"I see it clearly," Kenji maintained, trying to sound confident.
The instructor hesitated, clearly unsure. "Well... you correctly identified the four primary types released. Unusual claim about the shadow mana... but your primary identification was accurate."
He made a note on his clipboard.
"Passable. Next!"
Kenji let out a quiet breath and stepped back into the crowd. 'He didn't add shadow mana? So why did I see it? Is it always here, just faint? Or is it because of the Codex?'
"Looks like I should try to find out more about this form of mana."
Soon, all the participants had finished testing. Out of the original one thousand applicants, still 920 remained.
After all, who would waste their time applying to get admitted if they could not even sense basic forms of mana?
Soon, the failed candidates were moved away, and the rest of the candidates were herded into another hall.
Second test: Basic Spell Casting