CHAPTER 37: THE TEST’S FIRST HOUR

Chapter 37: The Test’s First Hour

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Arios held the question booklet and his OMR answer sheet in his hand, a focused intensity in his eyes. He sat in his row, the silence of the large auditorium broken only by the nervous shuffling of feet. At the back, Instructor Bale gave a slight nod to Professor Vaelian. With a snap of his fingers, the professor materialized a sand hourglass that floated in the air above the podium.

"The examination will consist of four subjects, with 50 questions each," Professor Vaelian announced, his voice echoing through the hall. "We will begin with mathematics. You will have one hour for each subject. You may now begin."

Arios opened his question booklet and a smirk of relief spread across his face. The mathematics questions were at the same high school level he was used to from his previous world. The academy’s textbooks didn’t deviate much from the fundamental concepts he already knew. He quickly began solving the problems.

He breezed through a set of trigonometry questions, proving that (sin\cos = tan) and solving for the unknown side of a triangle with a given angle and side length. He then moved on to the calculus section, where he was met with problems on differentiation and integration. One question asked him to find the derivative of the function (f(x) = 3x^2 + 2x - 5). Another required him to evaluate the definite integral of the function (g(x) = 4x^3 - 7x) from (x=1 to x=3). He worked with practiced ease, his pen flying across the paper as he scribbled down the solutions.

More than 30 minutes had passed, and the hourglass still floated at the front of the auditorium, its sand halfway gone. The tension in the hall was palpable, a mix of frantic energy and silent dread. Murmurs could be heard, and in some rows behind Arios, a student named Ryder and his group of friends were waiting, their eyes fixed on the professor’s movements.

Nathan de Acosta, the student who had scored 91 on the placement test, second only to Elisa Ravencroft, was known for his exceptional mana control. He had planned with Ryder that, for a large sum of points, he would tap his desk in an inaudible manner and release tiny mana pulses in a specific rhythm—a kind of Morse code—to signal the answers.

The phoenix’s eyesight was incredibly sharp, but it didn’t sense mana flow as keenly. Nathan turned his head to check if Ryder was prepared, and Ryder replied with a quick nod. Nathan then began tapping his desk. The sound was almost inaudible, but a signal was being conveyed to Ryder in a rhythm they had practiced before the test began, each pitch representing a different answer. Ryder quickly began to shade his OMR sheet with the answers he received.

The phoenix at the back of the auditorium, however, noticed how often Ryder’s ears twitched. Its eyes, which had been darting around the room, began to condense with a subtle mana. The phoenix flapped its wings in Ryder’s direction, and the action sent a wave of terror through him.

"You stupid bird, what are you doing?" Ryder cursed under his breath.

With a flick of his hand, Professor Vaelian made Ryder float, pulling him toward the front of the auditorium. Ryder was even more terrified now, his body trembling in the air. The professor’s gaze locked on him. "After the exams," he said, his voice cold and stern, "the student council will investigate any potential malpractice from your row." With another gesture, Ryder was sent back to his seat.

Then, the professor’s eyes locked on Nathan. Nathan quickly darted his gaze away, a bead of sweat forming on his brow. The professor smirked to himself, Only at the Mana Refinement stage, and he has this much mana control. Interesting.

"Time’s up," the professor announced as the last grains of sand fell through the hourglass. A satisfied smirk appeared on Arios’s face. He knew he had passed the first test with flying colors. Three more scripts remained. The professor announced a ten-minute break and dismissed the students.

As the other students began to exit the auditorium, the professor’s voice rang out, "Nathan de Acosta, stay. I want to talk with you." Elisa, who was walking out, glanced back and saw the professor’s eyes fixed on Nathan, a pang of jealousy striking her heart.

As the students began to leave, Nathan remained, a nervous lump forming in his throat as the professor’s gaze settled on him. Once they were alone, Professor Vaelian let out a small chuckle.

"It takes a truly special kind of talent to do what you just did," the professor said, walking slowly toward him. "Without even establishing a spirit vein, you were able to precisely direct mana to your finger to create a signal. That kind of control is rare. It has even awed me, a great mage."

Nathan was completely in awe, his mind reeling as he processed how the professor had seen through his elaborate plan and caught him so easily. "If I may ask," Nathan said, his voice barely a whisper, "what do you plan to do with me?"

The professor’s laughter was louder this time, though it wasn’t unkind. "From your name, you come from no noble house but rather from the small town of Acosta. You have honed your mana skills from a young age to a level that has even awed me. I am here to offer you a proposition: join me as my apprentice and level up your standing in this academy."

The fear on Nathan’s face lingered, but a spark of hope ignited in his eyes. "And what if I don’t?" he asked.

"Nothing," the professor said simply. "I won’t report you. I wish not to lose a talent like you, but make sure not to try this again."

Outside the hall, the cool air was a welcome relief. Lucy met Arios and hugged him from behind, her arms wrapping around his waist. She kissed his cheek. "How did it go?" she asked, her voice filled with warmth.

Arios turned and smiled. "It went great. How about you?"

"Better than expected," she said with a relieved sigh. "I’m pretty certain I’ll get above 50."

"That’s fantastic," he replied, and for a moment, they just stood there, enjoying the quiet.

"I’ll be back in a sec," Arios said, spotting Greg across the hall. He walked over to where Greg was scolding Ryder, who was in his study group. Greg had tutored Ryder tirelessly, but it seemed to have little effect. Greg saw Arios and a smile lit up his face. He extended his hand, giving Arios a firm shake. "How’d it go?"

"Very well," Arios said, his eyes scanning the crowd. That’s when he saw Kyousuke, tapping Rian on the shoulder, looking as though he were comforting him. Arios couldn’t help but smirk, knowing that there was nothing Kyousuke could do to stop Rian, who was undeniably the most unintelligent student in the class, from failing the test.

Suddenly, the auditorium doors swung open, and Instructor Bale’s voice boomed across the hallway, "Students, the second script is about to begin!" Arios wished Greg good luck, and Greg returned the sentiment. Everyone filed back into the hall.

Once they were all seated, the professor did the same cheat-detecting spell, releasing his aura and scanning every student. No new cheat materials were found. The students weren’t foolish enough to bring another set. Instructor Bale and the apprentice began handing out the general science questions, and the professor announced that the 50 questions were divided into five sections for each science: Biology, Alchemic Chemistry, Physics, and Manatheic Synthesis.

Arios held the question booklet in his hand, and the professor materialized another sand hourglass, his eyes glinting. "Let the second script begin."