The man in the pendulum was satisfied with the children he had in this room. He found some good potential and talent here and there, fine specimens to raise and nurture. It was enough to pacify his irritation of being sent in here.
That child with the last name of Dynes was interesting. She's stubborn and a piece of work for a child. She actually dared to challenge him in the face of many audiences— children they might be, but still they saw someone going against him.
He was not pleased with that fact, but the child was brilliant so he won't take action. The country needs these types of talents and he won't be able to return to his real station if something happens to any of the children. Maybe if fate allows them to meet again, it's not too late to return the favor.
Though the instructions given to him didn't mention anything about disciplining them. He will teach these young talents a test they will remember for years to come. A teacher needs to teach their students about life after all.
"Is anybody not called yet?" Aljur asked the crowd. No one responded so he took it as all had their turn in the above the ground. He then waved in the air. A huge screen then appeared out of nothing.
"Now I wanted you all to go through the old testing methods, but the instructions given to me doesn't allow me to do so. The memo told me to use the standard test, but honestly this type of examination is not really very comprehensive and effective in my opinion. Instead I decided to get creative with our test. The note did mention it is on the in charge's discretion to judge the most appropriate method to use." Aljur stated as he smiled madly in the direction of the children.
Leila had a bad feeling about what was going to happen. The man is clearly dangerous to be around children. Are the immediate superiors of this man didn't know how mad the said man is? The former goddess is feeling a stress that she should not be even worrying about.
In her mind she really should not mind this kind of thing. But considering her current form, she really cannot do anything about it. She's currently a hapless little child whose words may even be dismissed by the adults around her.
With alertness in her eyes, Leila warned Khelly with the upcoming danger. She used some hand gestures that they once used to playing when Brian was still around. The boy always made the most interesting games and activities to distract their bunch. Who knew the mechanics of that game of silence is useful now?
Thankfully the blond was smart enough to understand her message. Afterwards, Khelly tried to warn their other classmates who arrived much later than them using the same method. It was the best she could. For the rest of the children, she did her best to convey the message too. If they understood it's good, if not they have no one else to blame but themselves.
Leila also did her best to warn others. But obviously only a few believe in her words. They after all don't know her to trust her words.
A few understood the warning and made ample preparations.They were a smart bunch. Leila is looking forward to these children's futures in lieu of their current performance.
Among them was Harvey who antagonized the girls earlier. He also made his closest people to be prepared for whatever is coming. The boy had some inkling all along, but was not sure enough to act on it. So having others take the initiative is more favorable on his side than doing so himself. If it turns out to be a false alarm, someone else will take the blame.
Seeing at least half of the room's population bracing themselves, Leila is now more at ease. Though not entirely. Now all the blue eyed pairs stay alert from the madman's instructions.
"To fulfill the instructions given to me, I'll now announce the rules and instructions for my test." Aljur commanded attention to himself. He noticed the small movements that the children did and he smiled approvingly at their actions. The little boy who made prompt actions earned his special appreciation greatly.
He thought that they are perspective and smart enough to know the upcoming [danger] and made precautions against them. He likes these types of students under his wings. If they get good results, they'll get special admissions to be his students when they're older.
"First rule. No cheating allowed. If any of you broke this rule, I'll have them accompany me to the next examination site where they will demonstrate the test to the next batch of children."
"Second. You cannot help your peers. No matter how critical someone is in this room you cannot help them. I won't count those from before as this rule is only effective the moment I announce them. Should you break this rule, I'll have you experience what the one suffering is feeling."
"Third and final rule. I'll have the decision to pass you or fail you regardless how excellent you performed in the test. Prove to me that you have what it takes to survive the life that awaits us Mana users."
Everyone was silent as they heard the man finished the rules. A few of them were looking panicked and some were afraid. The rules were cruel and the children were helpless should anything happen. Furthermore if this guy somehow did not like you, failure is not unachievable.
They are justifiedly afraid. They after don't understand life or anything complicated it brings to them. Their minds are still full of games, of rainbows and sunshine. All they know is this test is important and they have to be their best for it. This sudden talk of a future they didn't know at all is just too far from their minds.
The man was satisfied with the look that the children are showing. He decided that having to scare kids is worthwhile. Maybe instead of being forced to come over in these types of things, he might volunteer himself next time.
Before the children got to fully digest the rules, the man then continued speaking about the actual test. The screen that he conjured showed a series of texts and images. A magnified manual of the words he had said and will be uttering in a while.
"The test for today is you children will have to endure my pressure and summon your latent magic. You have nothing to do but stay standing over the period of time you can last. Afterwards we need to stay in this room until our allocated time is done, which is by the way a full hour. I doubt many of you will last that long, so I will just say that in advance. Next is that as the test goes by you need to hold on the spheres you guys had acquired from earlier. That sphere will be important in evaluating you. Any changes on it, you need not to mind. You have to give them to me as you will be leaving the room. Do you kids understand?" He said and looked over the crowd. There was silence again and he just interpreted it as they understood. Without warning he said the word "Begin."
The children felt a suffocating heaviness upon their being. They had trouble breathing with how they laboured in the weight that seems to have straddled to them. And what was worse, they were not prepared enough to withstand such a thing. Some of them struggled to even stand.
Leila was in a much better situation than her roommates. She immediately adjusted her breathing in the most efficient way she knew and she also asked the mana in the air to continue the camouflage she had weaved into herself. But despite all that she didn't let the Mana disturb her from taking the test.
Beads of sweat fell from her forehead as she poured her concentration into the ball. As the man said the sphere is important, so the test result should be dependent on what happens inside the ball. So she began to examine it and thought how to change the results that will be in favor of her.
She observed what was inside and saw that it adapts into the mana drawn to the holder. She then had an answer to her earlier question of how they examine children with multiple affinities. It was a simple thing really. All they need is to trap the surrounding mana into the spheres to see the colors that respond well to them. Just a little sample from moderate stimulations is needed to have its results.
Leila understood the concept and the actual goals of this test. But what she doesn't understand is the need to torment children with pressure they haven't trained themselves with. Is he trying to cripple the children if they cannot bear this test?
Not a few minutes passed, a child fell on the floor. Pale and weak from trying to keep upright, he inelegantly collapsed on the floor. He was no longer able to continue the exams. The sound that was produced with the fall had distracted Leila and most of the children in the room. Causing them to momentarily break their concentration and felt the pressure on them full force.
Beads of sweat fell upon their faces as they tried to regain their momentum. Some with more capability casted the fallen a worried glance. A few children wanted to help, but they remembered the rules. Even if they wanted to help, they could not risk staying in the same space as the man if they could help it. With what they are currently experiencing, they knew they didn't want to experience this exam the second time around.
A green light covered the child, making the rest of the children not see what was happening inside. It came from the sphere that the child has. It briefly changed from its default white color to grey then the green light. Which Leila guess corresponds to Wind and Metal.
"If I were you, you should not concern yourself with that child. You still had more than three-fourth of an hour to continue this." Aljur said as he reminded the children. He expected the scene but he couldn't help but be disappointed with how fast one of them had fallen. He should have not put expectations on them as he does to his own students. It was only ten minutes and it happened.
Most of the kids resumed their attention on staying still, but as if it was a trigger one by one other children fell and once again wrapped in the green light of their spheres. And by the half hour mark only ten children from the original thirty had remained standing. And surprisingly Khelly, that boy Harvey and three of his friends had endured quite well.
Leila was also one of the ten children standing. She had already adapted well on the current pressure and was observing the other children. Most of them looked haggard and pale, but they held on quite well.
Aljur was delighted that at least one-third of the students had endured well on the current weight. His other students were not able to take this level of pressure. He actually started level 3 instead of the original plan of the lowest level of 0.
Due to the fire in the eyes of that child with the last name of Dynes he decided to end the test early. Not to mention he had some expectations for this batch after seeing some likable children. Teaching rebellious kids are his favourites, especially when their fires get dosed from his teachings.
But what do you know, he found some unexpected surprise. It was a surprise to see many great potentials present. They didn't disappoint at all.
In his excitement, he added more pressure on the field. He wanted to see their limits. To test the quality of seeds that he can cultivate in the future. There is nothing wrong putting claims this early right? It was he who found them first. First come, first serve, if others complain they can only blame themselves for not discovering them early.
The children who were already doing their best to stay upright felt the change. They struggled to keep up, one of them was even in a kneeling position just to keep going. They reach this far, so why not stay 'till the end?
Leila cursed in an ancient language when she felt the added weight on her being. In her mind, the man's privilege of teaching should be taken away. Instead of cherishing the young and the future of the country, this guy is clearly out to cripple children. She once again adjusted her breathing and stabilized her body. She won't fall for now….it's still not yet time.
The kneeling child wasn't able to keep up and passed out with how much everything is, Leila hoped that nothing bad would happen to him after this. The true state of her body is not really that far from the passed out child.
In Leila's assessment, her current body is truly too frail compared to the old her by at least a few thousands of times. If she doesn't train herself the earliest she can, she's definitely too fragile to do whatever she likes in the future. Only because she is doing her best to regulate everything that she came this far.
And adding to the fact that she's being stubborn to just fall like that, she won't be falling until she finds it's enough. It's not proper as a former goddess to be anything less than at least one of the best. Her future is as important as any other too. She won't like anything to keep her at bay all because she wasn't good enough to reach her basic standards.
With her present constitution, Khelly is actually more robust and stronger. And that is evident that the said girl is still standing with some difficulties but still stubbornly upright. Compared to her who is on the verge of collapsing.
But if she wanted to be the last one standing, it's just a matter of making up her mind. If she truly had the mindset of doing so, her strong soul and the Mana around is more than enough to strengthen her overall body to meet her needs. Only that it's unfair. And with her pride she would never resort to something less than honorable.
Leila took a glance on the rest of the remaining children. She planned to be not the worse of the worst in the ranks of these strong children. There are only nine, she decided that after three more children go down, she'll no longer keep up with this test. Her parents will be more than happy to stay within the top ten.
She then focused her eyes on the ball in her hand, her fringes blocking the view of her eyes. Her sweat falling rapidly in her efforts to follow her decision. Closing her eyes, she heightened her hearing to monitor the other children.
And in only forty-five minutes, the exam was finally done. Leila had faithfully followed her plans and dropped a few minutes after the third child of her counting had fallen.
Whoever the most stubborn child that remained, she no longer had the luxury to know. She's already too tired to continue standing and bearing the weight.
She is definitely telling her parents about it, she doesn't know if aptitude tests should be this hard for their age group. If something was indeed wrong with their test, the adults should take care of it.
And of course she's cursing the man for this act, that man will be in constant bad luck for at least a month. Not the most harmful thing to have, but the most annoying one that might lead things that will be demerital to oneself. She guaranteed its effectiveness as the darkness covered her sight.
Editing progress: 7/42
Edited: 1/3/21 13:55