As the final announcement escaped professor Kresha's mouth, the next instance, two of the other professors present there turned their backs to the students.
Taking a few steps away, the two created a strange stance, then buried themselves in concentration and as they did the ground of the entire stadium trembled.
For a while this continued until finall, the fields began to part into two halves, one in which all the students stood on and the other was where the instructors had their body facing.
The green fields receeded like some sort of bacterial dying quickly and as it disappeared, what stayed beneath it was a layer of obsidian rock flooring rough and filled with sharp bumps the size of fists illuminated by different colours of green, pink, red and white.
The two professors similarly possessed the same abilities, which allowed them an affinity to earth control.
That was their major reason for being there that day.
Beneath that half of the field was patch of black which was called by the name dark Rimstones;
It was the material responsible for forcing out the awakening of humans in this age, and since it was singularly rare to find much of it, most of the Rimstones were owned by government agencies or either clans.
ALCRAN academy was owned by the government so their supply of Dark Rimstone was one very large and envied by even the greatest clans.
Drake squinted his eyes at the layers of dark Rimstone which had been used to build the layer of flooring that was now half of the stadium platform. "It's time." He whispered to himself.
"Now please step onto the platforms," Professor Kresha stated to them.
And one after the other, each of the students began to move forward all at once to the dark Rimstone platform.
It was a slow torturing march that made the atmosphere of the crowd inconceivable. Many broke into murmurs and many more went silent in wait of what would occur in today's examination.
Drake stared lifelessly at the patch of dark Rimstone as he drawed nearer to them. 'This is surely nostalgic, in my first world we had to touch dark pillars to awaken. This world isn't much different.
The test was simple, get onto the patch of dark Rimstone and take a few steps into it! then when the pressure is felt you stop.
Those that cannot withstand the pressure and fall to their knees or face, those were people considered to have a low talent, probably an; E rank, D rank, or maybe a C rank.
Those that could withstand the pressure and stand; were B Rank and A Rank.
But those that lifted into the air with a manifestation of a Deity mark, They were the S rank, SS rank and SSS ranked talents that Awakened.
And those that could walk right through the entire platform without feeling the pressure at all were talentless.
Maybe it was better to fake falling than be that guy that walks right through it all.
Drake went through the teachings he had learnt from the academy once more in his head to prepare himself as he neared the black platform.
Finally he reached the platform of Dark Rimstone and without hesitation he began to take subtle steps onto it. Later onwards a few others came to join him, and soon all the students were on the platform taking short eager steps.
Gary Dwight, one of the students there, not an original but a commoner, stared at his foot again and again as his boots met with the Rimstones with the fear of not awakening clouding his mind.
He was so anxious to the point he got lightheaded, stumbling forward to fall to his face in embarrassment.
Luckily one of the students caught sight of him quickly and grabbed him by the collar. .
"Get a hold of yourself Gary," the female that had saved him from falling and becoming the laugh of the entire stadium spoke, pulling the short skinny boy back to get his balance.
Gary swallowed hard in appreciation for being caught before he fell. After all, his parents were watching in the crowd, he wouldn't want them to see him disgrace their family's name.
He turned to the girl and portrayed the most confident smile he could, "thank you."
The bright young woman—Tessa smiled, patting him on the shoulder and continuing forward, leaving Gary behind all by himself.
The young man froze for a bit then shook his head to knock himself from his daze, 'How is she so confident?' that was the question on his mind.
The girl that had caught him was not an original! True... However she was one of the most promising students of their class. Tessa Grey, who had given most of the originals a challenge and even bested Drake in a sparring match, or so He heard.
Soon enough, the time for thinking came to an end as a monstrous pressure set in on all the students as they reached a section of the Dark Rimstone.
The sounds of students crying out one after the other as they dropped knee first to the grimstone holding their throats filled the air.
None had expected the Awakening process to be heroin, but at this moment TV was surely different from real life experience.
They found it hard to breathe under the pressure especially those that had fallen down to their knees or side...
About half of the numbers had dropped to their knees...
"Grrrh!"
"Arrrgh!"
This sight certainly raised gasps and whispers from the crowd as they watched with hungry eyes aimed at spotting the greatest talents there.
Even the professors held their breath. ALCRAN was the top academy in the world, if it were to produce a lot of failures this year that title would be no more, and their high paying jobs would no longer carry the reputations it did once before.
How convenient.
So this was actually a life changing moment for not just the students but all of ALCRAN currently.
Now, from the students that had fallen knees first to the ground, holographic projections began to appear in the air above their heads for everyone to see, and also for the students right before their eyes.
This projections was to display their awakening stats.
Gary who was one of the students that had fallen, gritted his teeth as he read through the notification before his eyes...
{Name: Dwight Gary.}
{Rank: C Rank}
{Talent: pocket dimension}
Gary scoffed his eyes growing heavy with tears, whether joyful or sad, it was hard to notice.
But one thing was sure, his talent was At least a C rank, a rank that would get him respect from many.
Gary smiled, 'People like me are satisfied with this much, I am still very talented, whatever talent I have I will be able to see many opportunities as a C rank Awakened, my family would enjoy a lot of privileges even though this I'm not the highestrank...'
Out of curiosity to know what others has gotten Gary lifted his head to see others, maybe to get a sense of appreciation or joy from not being the only one that fell, or to see how many had gotten a higher talent than he, however what he saw next was something he found hard to comprehend with his mind. .
Right before his gaze, was a seen so, obscene, outrageous maybe, or probably exalted and regal.
To those sitting comfortably in their seats and watching the event play out, it was probably something normal to behold, clearly fascinating.
But to Gary it was much more than that... He was in a kowtowing position only able to raise his head slightly and when he did, he saw many other students in the same position as he was, as though bowing in respect to those in front.
And in front were a few standing and trembling while struggling to hold their stance against the pressure, but that wasn't all.
Set in the air, as though deities... higher beings, were a few students.
Many of them manifesting diverse colours of Mana that truly made those kowtowing and those trembling in their stand seem like they were bowing to exhalted beings.
One of them was Tessa in the air consumed by a thick red fire from head to toe but she didn't burn, instead , she took the form of an angel of flames...
How symbolic.
And on the right, beside her, also in the air holding one of the most significant Aura , was Drake.
He was different from the others, surrounded by layers of shadow like energy, forming spikes and rough marks all over his skin as it bubbled all over.
From Gary's aspect, the sight resembled that of a demon preying down on it's subject for malicious reasons.
'So this is it,' Gary's eyes widened in amazement, 'The group of students that never settle for less... The SSS ranked talent awakened.
Imperials, monsters, divinity beyond human comprehension, that is the definition of an SSS Rank Talent awakened.'