There were about fifteen hundred kids in the auditorium and only ten Mana Awakening devices with Elemental Awakening gears attached, installed in the establishment. So the kids had to be separated into ten different groups.
Kiel was in group 3 with number 143. One of the last to take the test. So he had to endure for even more than expected. It seems that there was no end to the waiting for him now.
As everyone strode forth to each of the ten Awakeners guided by the staff personnel, the big Mana Awakening devices came into their view.
The big rounded globules of unknown metals which were completely transparent, with even a portable entrance in the front looked entirely out of some sci-fi movie instead of the fantasy world.
The Awakeners were more like extra-large aquariums with a delicate metal membrane at the base.
Myriad other pieces of equipment and instruments were attached to them, ranging from mana-stone power inlets to the glowing Element Communication gears. This spectacular sight refreshed his view of the world's primitive technology.
Maybe the way of thinking that reincarnated magical worlds are technological backwards was a wrong concept, to begin with.
After all, humans are not dumb and have their own understanding, with their own varying history. Living for so long, various necessities are bound to arise, and with these, the ways to overcome them.
Even if people dependence changed from science to magic here, the basic needs and comfort still remained the same. They were all humans, to begin with; so there was bound to be some advancement in the technical zone.
As Kiel strode onto his designated seat, a young man of around twenty came up and informed them that he and another professor were their instructors here and would assist them in their awakening process.
He also introduced his name but Kiel was too lazy to pay attention to it. Not that it mattered to him. He would rather remember the periodic table than to memorize someone facial features or name.
But the instructor unaware of such a kid continued as he explained how the awakening would be conducted in front of numerous people who would note down their various parameters for future reference. One by one their numbers and names would be called out, and then they would stride front to enter the Awakeners.
They would then have to cooperate with the professors to open their mana nodes and absorb their very first genuine strand of mana. While absorbing this genuine strand of mana, they would then be able to influenced by the highly active elements in there and awaken their possible elements.
The process sounds easy but it was possible for the awakening to fail at any of the stages, as the various lectures told him. So Kiel was genuinely worried about this part. After all, he was practising his chakra this morning only. But worrying about this would lead to nowhere. So he had to wait patiently for his turn.
As everyone settled down, the instructors of other groups ahead started calling everyone by their numbers, one by one in an orderly manner, as the kids went inside the awakeners. Kiel could even see how the kids sat there with full concentration not wanting to make even a single mistake.
Not only Kiel, but everyone watched the kids who entered the Awakeners with their full concentration to not miss even a single thing.
In Kiel's group, there were a few idol type kids seating in the front. He could see most of the kids looking up to these kids, and them also enjoying the attention. A few noble kids even had a family element, and if they were able to awaken their family elements, they would be able to enjoy much more resources from their families. They already had a path designed for them while others would start their own today.
While everyone was nervous, their instructor also called out.
"Number three- Lia Silentheart!"
As the number was called, a brunette girl with a haughty attitude stood up. Her facial features almost resembled that of a doll. A small brunette doll. The air around her deemed her as one of the feisty nobles.
"That's Lia Silentheart. Waw!... she is so beautiful!"
"Yeah! She is Goddess Lia. I saw her on the way here. If only I could get to marry someone like her!"
"You! Go and hook up with a donkey instead. That would be better for you. Only I would suit her."
"Shhh! Be quiet you too. I wonder what element will see awaken? I reckon it won't be any crap elements like water or light!"
Glimpsing at all this fuss, Kiel, however, was amused and shook his head. These kids already labelled some elements as crap. This mentality was bound to doom them later. Every element had its own strength. No element was weak.
However, what really intrigued him was little 5-year old kids talking about love. Thinking what do these five-year kids know about love, Kiel had a hard time stopping a grin from appearing on his face. Expecting to marry a girl now? If they were in his previous world, U-tube would regard this as child pornography. At least grow some hairs down there and secrete some hormones. Then think about love. Hehe!
The blondie girl's name sounded somewhat familiar. So Kiel looked at her direction too.
"She is Lia Silentheart, from the Silentheart Marquisdom, famous for their Ice element."
A skinny boy beside Kiel informed him noticing his gaze towards the girl. He seemed to be the chatty type. So Kiel ignored him. No chatting with all this nervousness my friend!
"Oh, a marquis!" Kiel remembered learning about the five marquis families in the kingdom. 'So that's why she sounded familiar'
Kiel just gave a short reply and closed his eyes. The boy across wanted to talk more but sensing his attitude, humphed before turning away to chat with someone else.
Hearing the ice element, Kie recollected that his big sister Hazel also had the ice element. He had now not seen her for two years.
'I wonder what she's doing now?'
Lia stood up and immediately heard a few boys and girls chattering incessantly about her. At the same time, she also attracted starry-eyed infatuations from other groups.
But Lia wore an indifferent expression. Her eyes, however, betrayed her enjoying the praises. She walked to the front and stood before the young instructor from before, still with an indifferent look.
The young man seemingly recognizing her gave her a quick look.
"Lia Silentheart, you're from the Silentheart Marquis Family who is renowned for their Ice element right?" the young man asked with a slight smile.
"Precisely."
"Good, if you awaken the ice element, then you will gain a superior edge compared to others due to it. However, don't forget to put in effort too. After all, talent isn't the decisive aspect of everything."
Lia nodded, but she thought to herself, "Yes, talent can't decide everything, but then without talent and family resources, one would have to live forever at the bottom of the society."
With permission from the teacher, Lia went forward to Awakener, where another old man was waiting for her. The old man took out a dimly lit stone from the back of the device and replaced it with a brighter one and nodded towards her. After greeting him back, Lia went inside the Awakener and sat cross-legged, closing her eyes.
'These may be the mana stones that I heard which contain concentrated mana in them'
The instructor put his hand on the awakener and started it. Four long cylindrical pipes with four claw structures at their ends came out from beneath and attached themselves to Lia's back like from some sci-fi movies. Kiel even noticed a tinge of pain appearing on her face for quite a while.
'It may be painful'
A thick, star-shaped compass emerged, along with a clear palm print on the Awakener, which signified the start of the process. Lia seemed tranquil, but her heart was nervous as she sat cross-legged, trying to sense the mana within her.
Thanks to her bloodline, the possibility of her awakening Ice Element was very high. However, there could also be exceptional circumstances.
If she awakened the Water or Light Element then the Silentheart Family was unlikely to continue attaching much importance to her, even if she was the daughter of the current marquis. After all, there was no way they would expend their finances totally just so they could find resources suitable to a different attribute.
Maybe only her father would help her at that. But the ice element was a rare one at that. If she could awaken the element she would have limitless prospects.
In the midst of her various thoughts, the Awakener suddenly emanated milky-white radiance. This radiance then turned into tiny ice crystals as they slowly drifted to her.
This was everyone's first time seeing an awakening with their own eyes; the kids all stood up and tiptoed as they watched Lia.
Lia still sat there closed-eyed and unmoving unaware of what was happening all around her, as though she was suddenly enlightened. But at that moment she raised her head slowly…
"Creak, creak, creak~~~~"
A sudden frosty air curled itself within the Awakener.
The air became more and denser. It actually even slowly froze the surface of the Awakener, forming a layer of frost!
"Ice Element! It really is the Ice Element!!!"
Suddenly, a person behind began yelling. Following this yell, a few girls screeched.
As Lia heard the noises, she opened her eyes in joy!
She had actually awakened the Ice element. With the rare ice element, her status in the family would rise to a new level. She would be like suddenly gaining wings, and the day she would soar to the skies seemed to be not far.
The young instructor also seemed to be wide-eyed. "Very good. A very pure ice element. And your mana aptitude also seems very good from seeing the mana phenomenon. Cultivate harder and try to open up your energy centre quickly."
[A/N: energy centre is actually the dantian. If you all have any good suggestions for a replacement word, please comment.]
"If you wanna join our academy feel free to do so. We would be glad to have the highly talented marquis daughter as our student'
To his words, however, Lia just smiled.
Although the instructor wanted to invite her to their academy, he knew that the Marquis family would have their own path. So he could just indicate her.
The ability to freeze the Awakener during the awakening meant that the power of her Ice Element surpassed an average person. She was likely to be a very talented Ice Element Inceptor, and her future was also very promising! She may even reach the Medius phase early with the ice element.
"Next, nine- Queen Amor!"
After the instructor called again, a girl with a somewhat confident look on her face came over and entered the Awakener. And slowly the ground inside the Awakener started to solidify until the surface became totally rocky.
"Alright, Earth Element. Your mana phenomenon isn't bad at all. Keep up!"
.
.
.
"Next, fifty- Sam Santrea!"
"Oh! another Ice Element! It seems that this year many rare elements have appeared"
At this moment, even Kiel tiptoed to watch. He discovered that the person who also awakened the Ice Element, caused a layer of faint frosty mist to emerge. It did not freeze the Awakener though.
At this moment, Kiel tiptoed to watch. He discovered that the person who also awakened the Ice Element, Sam Santrea, caused a layer of faint frosty mist to emerge. It did not freeze the Awakening Stone though.
From this, one could tell that even if this was the Ice Element, Sam's talent and cultivation was much lower than Lia Silentheart.
"Next, sixty-three Lux Criteria." A poor looking kid went into the Awakener. But this time only a little water vapour to surrounded him.
"Hm, Water Element!"
"Ahhh, oh my god, how could I be Water Element? I should be a Fire Element!" suddenly, the one named Lux called out in bewilderment. The people all around heard this and looked at him.
"Don't be discouraged. No matter what element you possess, as long as you can become a Medius-level Mage, you will surely obtain recognition."
The one named Lux had no other choice. He could only return to his own seat in low spirits.
In fact, the awakening played a major role in the belief of the people. If it was an element with good attacking ability, then one could possess a certain level of combat prowess as an Inceptor-level Magician. That allowed future cultivation to happen much more easily.
The Inceptor-rank Water element mages, however, have to carry water around with them for their optimal performance, as the water element was energy exhausting to use from around them usually, unlike what other mages could do. If one was not proficient in it, then the effects were not very clear. At the very least, that's how it worked among the Inceptor-rank Mages.
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