*Murmur* *Chatter*
Everyone gathered in the courtyard again, a gloomy atmosphere could be seen on their faces—even though they have passed. It seems some of their friends didn't make it—with only 500 remaining of the original 2000 enrollees.
"This is unacceptable! Is the Royal Academy oppressing us, commoners!?" One woman voiced her complaint.
"That's right! No one heard about a sudden assessment of elemental arts! It's not that easy to cultivate an element—especially for us with no aptitude!"
"Hmm~?"
They all had vented their frustrations—most of them had barely passed, after all. The majority of them couldn't understand why cultivating elemental art mattered since their strength was already well above the average person's.
"Then~ Will this answer your question?" Eira smiled at the ringleader of the ongoing mob.
"Eeek!" The girl flinched backward, dropping to the ground.
Before anyone noticed it, Eira was already beside her—just when she was at the podium earlier.
"I hope everyone doesn't make a fuss... I understand where you are all coming from but—"
"Without showing a capability to produce elements... your future is limited~" Eira continued, making sure that everyone understood.
Everyone stood in silence, some still had defiant looks on their faces—though no one rebutted. This was because they were quite aware that it was their own incompetency.
Meanwhile... Naoki stood there in silence—finding something odd.
"I feel like I'm being watched..." He looked around, only to find nothing.
"With that~ I hope everyone is prepared for the next exam..." Eira clasped her hand, her tone remaining about the same despite her gesture.
<<----------->>
"Then! We will now begin the main assessment exam! Begin!!!" The referee announced.
Everyone gulped at the task before them. It wasn't a fight, it wasn't even going to need any significant effort—all they had to do was touch the girl that was in front of them, namely Eira Hrothford herself.
"Do your best~" She sat at a chair that she prepared for this, predicting it would take long.
*Ripple*
"This... the soul world is tinged with black."
That's right, the challenge was for cultivators to touch Eira inside her own Soul World Projection, which stretched 30 meters in diameter. She had made it invisible outside but Naoki can tell that going inside is not good—a fear welled up in his gut.
"We just have to get through this, right!?" A girl pompously declared, entering the spherical world without a thought.
"Shadow arts..." The guy beside Naoki said.
"Eh...? What do you mean?"
"Eira Hrothford, her specialty is that of manipulating the dark arcane mystic and alike. It is said that even people from the Soul Chart fear her projection—as it can haunt your inner fears." The guy fixed his glasses, the situation seems to be clear to him.
It seems that glasses were quite normal in this world—the "Lady" that they helped the other day was also wearing one, Naoki randomly thought. He still wondered what was that all about, her physique and attire changed immediately as with her hair lengthening. Needless to say, Naoki didn't pry—it seems it's gonna get him killed if he pestered about it.
"Ahhh!!!" The girl ran out crying, before dropping into a fetal position.
"Eh...!? what happened?"
"What are we going to do!?"
Everyone panicked, the confidence from the girl earlier have completely vanished—all that was left is her broken mental state. Although, It seems like the effects aren't permanent.
"See? I suggest you be careful out there." The guy cautioned Naoki.
"Ha... wait, how about you?"
"Oh, me? I'm from the Soul Arts division, I just recently finished my assessment exam from there." The guy said proudly, fixing his glasses once more.
The Academy didn't only foster cultivators—Alchemists, Inscriptionists, and Blacksmiths were welcome as well and had their own assessment on a different site on the campus. They were quite useful in the kingdom, after all—as they provide most of the resources needed for cultivators to flourish.
"Well, good luck." The guy waved Naoki goodbye as if he was already done spectating.
"Mhm, thanks for the heads up." Naoki faced the barrier once again.
It was eerie and quite dark—its circumference gooey. More than 50 had already entered, yet each one of them came back, scarred. What was inside that made these people fear for their life? Naoki asked himself, the morbid curiosity to try things out is what's pushing him forward.
*Ripple*
"Here goes..."
He touched the outside once more before taking a deep breath. If Naoki wants to pass and become stronger, he has to go through this.
The inside was dark and as he strode forward, it felt like he was swimming through a swamp—the inside suffocating him slowly.
"Naoki!" A familiar person called out to him.
"Eh... Carol!? What are you doing here."
"Na..oki..."
Before Naoki realized it, she lay motionless on the ground—her head rolled off to him as blood was seen everywhere.
"Ah..! Ahh!!! Ca...Carol!" He rushed forward, panic on his face as he comes to her aid.
But before he was given the chance to reach her, she disappeared—instead, he realized that he had stepped on her body, to be precise, a hundred copies of her body. All of them seem to be deformed, mutilated, and badly damaged.
"Sh*t! This isn't a funny joke for an illusion!!!" Naoki covered his mouth, trying not to puke.
"Hey, little girl, why don't you come with us—we'll have plenty of fun." A guy's voice echoed.
"Sure, hehe, the peasant is just being irresponsible with me, after all—not like you guys. You are all far more worth my time than him."
"That's the spirit! Haha, we'll have lots of fun tonight."
2 men wrapped their arms around a girl's waist—a girl that Naoki knows very well.
"Dorothy...?"
"..."
Naoki stood in silence, he knew that this was his own fear and is part of the recesses of his subconscious. He fears being abandoned, and people leaving him behind. Most of all though, he fears that he is not enough.
"I... I always thought that I was in control of myself and that I can live all on my own—though I guess not. In the end, I'm still worried if I'm enough for my loved ones, for them to not leave me behind." Naoki thought to himself, continuing forward.
"It seems that I'm still my same old weak self, always relying on others to guide me my way—to be a pillar of my life."
"But...!"
"This time...!"
"...~?" Eira noticed the approaching Naoki.
"Wait for me... this time..." Naoki thought to himself.
*Touch*
"Will that do?"
"Mhm~ congratulations... you're?" Eira said, her tone still the same as ever.
"Naoki. Naoki Ozawa."
It seems he was the first one to reach this far, a sense of accomplishment welled up inside him—a sigh of relief escaped his mouth. After conversing shortly with Eira, Naoki proceeded to exit—his knees gave up as soon as he saw the bright sun again.
With that, his exam drew to a close—though he wasn't particularly happy as there were still a lot of things he ought to do, things that actually mattered to him.