The Dange stone is a material that can resist mana to some extent. Thus, mages use it to build their training rooms so they can try out magic freely.
To leave a one-inch-deep mark on it, someone needs to have Aura at the Sword Expert mid stage or above.
The academy uses this stone slab as a method to pick students at Sword Expert mid stage or above.
However, since the Left Guardian's disciple Soren Valerian and Zeke von Melvinger had left a 7.3 inch-deep mark on the stone slabs, it meant they were at Sword Master low stage, two stages above the required stage.
The young prospective students who weren't able to leave a one-inch-deep mark showed envy and jealousy toward Soren Valerian and Zeke von Melvinger.
Some even showed admiration toward Soren Valerian, as he had scored the same as Zeke, who was an heir to one of the seven great families, though both of them hadn't used their full strength.
The professors were also chatting about Soren Valerian.
"I heard about him. He's the Ashborn Left Guardian's disciple, an unmatched prodigy. Even the first son of the Ashborn Patriarch isn't a match for him."
"Oho, that's quite the praise."
"However, why is he accompanying the youngest son?" one of the professors asked.
"I was pondering this too. Why waste such a precious prodigy on the weak youngest son?"
"I have the same question."
The professors simultaneously looked at Gray, who was yawning, with narrowed eyes.
They used their mana to sense his soul realm, and it was only at Sword Expert mid stage, while the Left Guardian's disciple was at Sword Master low stage.
However, in reality, Gray was at Sword Master mid stage but was presenting himself as a Sword Expert mid stage with the help of his system.
Just as they were disappointed in Gray, a beautiful female professor with glasses and a white apron rushed to the professors, breathless
"Professor Eva!"
It was Professor Eva, who had checked Gray's magic answer sheet and wanted to talk with him.
"Is something the matter, Professor Eva?" Professor Joseph, in charge of the practical exam, asked.
"Has Gray von Ashborn attempted the practical exam?"
Just as Professor Eva asked this, a huge explosion occurred.
Boom!
The professors jolted and looked at the source.
The explosion had occurred on the platform where the exam was taking place.
Professor Joseph waved his hand, and strong wind pressure blew away the sandy smoke that had occurred as a result.
Fwoooosh....
As the smoke cleared, the professors eyes went wide in surprise.
One of the Dange stone slabs was destroyed, and debris was scattered across the ground.
There stood a prospective student with a huge muscular build and tanned skin, similar to the people of the desert.
The professor recognized him instantly.
"Kalsa Bakiraga!"
The prospective student who destroyed the stone slab was Kalsa Bakiraga, a prodigy from a tribe in the desert.
His father was the chief of the Bakiraga tribe, which rules the desert, and was one of the ten Supreme, known as the strongest of the Empire.
Moreover, their tribe wasn't part of the seven great families, as it is a tribe, not a household, but they are equal to the seven great families.
"Kalsa Bakiraga, completely destroyed the stone slab, pass!" the overseer announced the results with a perplexed expression.
Meanwhile, the prospective students were frozen. They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. The stone slab was 15 inches thick, but he had just destroyed that stone slab with only one fist strike.
That was beyond a prospective student's level.
Then, the tall-built prospective student, Kalsa Bakiraga, walked to the place where the passed individual was staying and sat with a disappointed look.
He wanted to train with his father, but his father sent him here and said he should find a rival so he could grow further. But after coming here, all he was seeing was trash who couldn't even destroy a mere stone.
"Tsk." Kalsa Bakiraga clicked his tongue in anger.
After that, the exam continued, and a replacement stone slab was brought.
"Jaied, 2.3 inches. Pass!"
"Ciel, 1.6 inches. Pass!"
"Nafi, 0.9 inches. Fail!"
Then came Gray's turn. He stepped forward with a confident look.
The professors hadn't shown any interest at first, but after hearing Professor Eva's words, they became greatly interested in his score.
Meanwhile, the students were looking down on him. Some even murmured that he was so foolish that he had taken the magic exam.
However, Gray ignored their words and smiled lightly before placing his hand at the start of the stone slab, slowly pressing into it, and then dragging his five fingers downward.
Creak! Creak!
At the sight, everyone present had their eyes widen in disbelief.
The stone slab was being dug down as if it were made of soft clay.
The professors also had puzzled expressions. They had expected him to score one or two inches, but for him to dig his fingers in without much effort was astonishing.
Even Professor Eva, who came to see Gray, was momentarily dumbfounded. She had read Gray's information, and it clearly stated that he was barely a Sword Expert mid-stage swordsman. Thus, she predicted he might fail or endure a hard time. But what Gray was showing was beyond her imagination.
As she was looking at Gray with confusion, Gray's five fingers reached the bottom of the stone slab, and the slab divided into six blocks and slowly fell to the ground.
However, as soon as the divided stone slab hit the ground, something even more unexpected happened.
Brrrrk
The divided stone slabs shattered into hundreds of cube-sized pieces and scattered across the floor.
"This can't be..." one of the professors stood up with an incomprehensible expression.
The reason was that the cube sizes were precisely one inch thick.
This meant he had divided the stone slab into six parts with his fingers, and the divided pieces were further cut into hundreds of one-inch-thick cubes—the exact size that students are required to mark in order to pass the exam.