Chapter 7
"Everyone listen up! First, you need to fill in a form and take the aptitude test! After that, you'll have some free time — and then you can choose your academy on your own!"
"Because you guys have come a day late, you only have one day left. In that time, you must choose an academy where you'll practice magic — otherwise, you'll have to wait until next year!" Jevon's voice boomed over the crowd as he stood ahead of them.
"Now, all of you line up and take a form from me one by one, then enter for the test!"
Jevon sat behind a white table, placing a neat stack of forms before him.
The line moved quickly, and before long it was Adem's turn.
"Fill in your details on this form, then enter the tent and follow the instructions of the person inside."
Adem took the form and noticed it was made of sheepskin paper — rough and faintly textured. The required details were minimal: name, age, birthplace, and a few other fields.
Picking up the goose feather pen, Adem filled it out swiftly. The faint red flower patterns inked into the sheepskin shimmered beautifully under the light.
In his previous life, his handwriting had been terrible. Now, thanks to his perfect control, his letters were smooth, elegant, and precise.
"Come over!" a voice called from inside.
The tent was spacious. Inside sat a white-haired old woman on a black chair, a crystal ball glowing faintly on the table before her.
'She looks just like one of those scam fortune tellers back on Earth,' Adem thought with amusement.
"Hello, ma'am," he greeted politely.
"Bring the form here!" she snapped, her tone cold and impatient.
"Adem, huh? Place your hands on the crystal ball!"
"Carefully look into the water," her voice deepened, carrying a strange authority.
Adem followed her instructions and placed his hands on the crystal sphere.
Icy cold. Vibrations.
A strange sensation ran up his fingers. Then — pain. His head began to throb as if a glass rod were stirring inside his skull.
As the pain increased, the crystal ball glowed brighter.
"Very good! Don't let go!" the witch said sharply, eyes narrowing as she watched the sphere.
Adem gritted his teeth and endured. Compared to some of his past injuries, this was nothing — it felt like the times when his grandfather had whipped him after he'd caused trouble.
After a while, the witch nodded with satisfaction. "Let go."
Adem obeyed, withdrawing his hands.
"Amazing, you are impressive, boy." The witch's cold tone faltered for the first time, her wrinkled hands trembling slightly as she stared at the glow fading from the crystal ball. She leaned closer, her cloudy eyes glinting with something between disbelief and greed. "In all these years… fifth grade," she murmured, almost to herself.
She cleared her throat quickly and straightened her back, regaining her composure, though the corners of her mouth still twitched upward. She took out a goose feather pen and scribbled on Adem's form with brisk movements, but her strokes were just a bit shaky.
"We have categorised the aptitude of the acolytes into five grades, with the first grade as the worst and the fifth grade as the best. You are in the fifth grade, with the best ranked talent to be a Magus."
The witch turned the ring on her hand and made a strange mark on the sheepskin, which gleamed with golden light for a second longer than normal. Even she stared at it with silent wonder before masking her face again. "My examination here is over. You go on behind me. Next!"
"We categorize aptitude into five grades — with the first being the lowest and the fifth the best. You're fifth-grade — top talent for becoming a Magus."
She twisted a ring on her finger and pressed a glowing mark onto the sheepskin.
"My examination is done. Go on behind me. Next!"
As Adem stepped aside, a tall blond youth entered — George. Adem nodded politely, took his form, and moved on to the next tent.
Inside, another examiner waited — this one an elderly man with a long white beard.
"Fifth grade? Good, good! I hope you'll join my Wetland Gardens and become my disciple," the man said, stroking his beard. "Alright, now let's test your elemental affinity."
He knocked on the tabletop. A hidden compartment split open, and a black basin rose from the center. It wasn't smooth but carved from rough stone, filled with a silvery liquid that resembled mercury.
"Carefully look into the water," the old man instructed, his voice deep and commanding.
The old man's brows furrowed, then shot upward as the basin began to hum. "Now, tell me, what do you see?"
Adem's eyes reflected the whirl of colors. "I see… everything. Fire, water, wood, metal, and earth — they're all there, but they're not fighting… they're feeding on each other. Every time one fades, another strengthens it. It's… endless."
The old man froze mid-breath. His hands trembled slightly on the table, and for a moment he forgot to blink. "Five you say?" His voice came out hoarse, almost whispering.
Adem nodded slowly.
"Anything else?"
"There are black specks of light scattered around," Adem muttered, still entranced.
The old man's jaw slackened a little. "Black as well…" He quickly rubbed his eyes, leaning closer to the basin as though afraid he'd imagined it. When he finally snapped his fingers to end the trance, there was a faint tremor of excitement in his movements.
As Adem gasped back to awareness, the old man let out a deep, shaky breath. His face was pale, but his eyes burned bright with amazement. "Your test is over," he said quietly, almost reverently. "In the aspect of elemental affinity… it appears you possess Five Elements ,all with equal affinity. And a trace of darkness as well…"
He hurriedly filled in the form, but his hands were no longer steady. "To think such a combination exists…" he muttered, almost forgetting Adem was still there. When he finally handed back the form, he smiled faintly, a rare, genuine expression. "Boy… I've tested thousands of acolytes, but never one like you. Don't waste that gift."
Adem bowed slightly and turned to leave.
As he lifted the flap of the tent, a ray of sunlight streamed in, washing over his face.
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Please tell me if there is any spelling error or plot error.
You can also leave your powerstones here.
It's a safe space for them.