Xavier's eyes flew wide.
"Holy shit.....it actually works".
The reality of the situation slammed into him like a hammer. It was real.
He already knew this but you know what they say, "seeing is believing"
Darius remained completely unaware he had been seen through by a high schooler. He stepped forward raising a hand for attention.
"Kids", he said, his voice warm but firm. "I'll be your examinee for today's test".
A few students giggled nervously, some stiffened and a few tried to look brave.
"I know you're all nervous", that's to be expected he continued his eyes scanning the hall.
"But unless you fail to awaken as a mage, you have nothing to be afraid of".
Once you awaken, getting into any magic institution shouldn't be a problem.
So relax, the process is quite simple and painless.
He held out a vial glowing deep blue.
"This potion will stimulate the mana channels in your bodies". "Take a slip-just a small one and after that, you'll place your hand on this stone tab"
He tapped a palm-sized crystal carved with ancient runes.
"It will reveal your elemental affinity and its grade, that's if you had one".
Murmurs spread across the hall.
Xavier breathed slowly, watching from the corner. This was just a formality to him at this point. He was only here to play along.
"The process wasn't exactly complicated or dangerous", he thought.
Which made what he went through all the more unsettling. He had almost died a second time during his awakening.
Xavier watched as one boy stepped forward trembling slightly. The kid's fingers shook so badly that the potion nearly slipped from his grasp. Yet, when he finally touched the stone, it simply flashed a green light.
EARTH ELEMENT! LOW PURITY!
The crowd clapped, probably to cheer him up.
Another stepped up-WATER ELEMENT!LOW PURITY!
Like this , it went on and on. Nothing impressive, but respectable.
As expected from a low-tier district school.
But then , something unusual happened...
A girl with long dark-blue hair approached the stone. She drank the potion calmly. Her hands didn't shake like the others and her gaze was sharp.
She placed her hand on the stone.
The runes blazed bright red-
The bright blue.
The hall erupted.
A Dual Elementalist.
Fire and water. Flame and fluid. Destruction and manipulation. A rare combination.
"DUAL ELEMENTS FIRE AND WATER! MID PURITY!" Darius announced.
Students gasped. Teachers nearly fainted.
Even Xavier raised an eye brow. After all, like her he had affinity with multiple elements.
It was impressive alright.
Dual affinity mages didn't appear often, at least that was what he had heard. And when they did, academies fought like wild beasts over them.
Naturally she became the centre of attention. That was until his turn came.
He walked calmly toward the stone. Drinking the potion, and as expected he felt nothing.
Darius's gaze suddenly sharpened.
"It's him", he thought. That kid from last night.
"He is already up and walking as if nothing happened".
What happened to him last night?
He must know something.....maybe he saw the butcher. Either way I have to talk to him later.
With that decision made, Darius regained his composure.
Xavier exhaled softly and pressed his hand against the cool stone.
What was going to happen next was going to be a huge pain, even if for him..
A heartbeat passed.... Then another...
Then the stone shone with a brilliant blue light, flooding the entire hall with shimmering water essence.
Murmurs began.
"WATER ELEMENT"..... Darius muttered. But that purity-
A second later, the stone displayed his measurement.
WATER ELEMENT! HIGH PURITY!
And the crowd went wild.
"Here it was, the reaction he expected", Xavier muttered. He already knew this was going to happen.
The system could hide his other elements but it couldn't hide it's grade. Not that it was a big deal anyway, sooner or
later people were bound to find out.
He had suddenly become the centre of attention.
"This is going to be a pain", he sighed internally.