(Klaus's Pov)
Today is the day of the test and I along with my father arrived at the entrance of the academy.
At the entrance, there are counters where everyone has to register themselves. After registering, the participants would be given a number token. From what my brothers have informed me, this is not only for convenience but also used during the second part of the test.
The test is divided into two parts. First is where our power rank would be measured and the next is combat ability. This isn't a test where participants were eliminated test by test. The elimination would be after the entire test is completed, which means the marks are combined from both parts of the test.
"Father, I got my token. The number is 268. I'm going in". I informed my father. This is because the guardians could only watch from a spectator stand, while the participants are the only ones that were allowed into the testing grounds.
When I entered the grounds, the participants were sitting in chairs in the open ground. For part one of the test, they would measure our power level by using the power-identify instruments. These can check how powerful a person is but it can only be done if the person is in contact with it and also let it check your power.
I randomly chose a vacant chair to sit down. The sitting is random and there is no specific seat for us to sit.
"Hello, my name is Theon", spoke one of the participants to my side.
"Klaus", I extended my hand to shake hands.
"I'm from Toria. Where are you from?" Theon asked me.
I didn't think about this. Many people would recognize me if I say my family name, so I only introduced my name.
Now I have to tell him where I am from. It wouldn't take long to make the connections. If they knew that I'm the son of an archduke or a rich merchant, the probability of making genuine friends would collapse to zero.
If I tell him that he is from Emsier Archduchy or Ibben or Kralin, he could connect them easily.
Wait a minute. He said that he is from Toria.
Toria is the governing city of the Terru region. It is the weakest region of the empire. The reason for this is because of its lack of resources and its location. It is very far away from the capital.
There is a high probability he never heard about him or even his family.
To be sure he decided to go with his base city rather than his family's.
"I'm from Kralin", I responded to his question.
When I mentioned Kralin, there was not much response from Theon. He just nodded. He definitely doesn't know about Kralin or even my family.
Wait, something feels weird about him. I can't put a pin on that. I should observe him a bit more before making any conclusions.
At that moment a cold voice spoke. It wasn't loud but everyone could clearly hear the voice.
"Participants from across the empire, we the academy welcome you today".
"Most of you probably would have learned the test and how to gain the entry. Let me refresh how this works for those who were already in the known and those who don't, this would be their introduction".
"The test itself has two parts. The first part of the test is where your rank level is measured using devices. The second part is where your combat power is measured. Though there were two parts, the qualification to enter and study in the academy or not would only be realized after both were completed".
"So if you make a low impact in the first part, make a high impact in the second one, as high as you can".
"Now, when your token number is called, walk towards the stage where your rank could be measured. Once every participant is measured, you would be escorted through the back door, the one behind the stage. Through there you'll reach the test ground for the next part of the test. Once you do, you'll be informed about the next part of the test".
The voice said that spoke never showed their face. It feels like an old man who had a lot of experience in life but at the same time felt cold. It felt like some robotic announcement.
After the voice ended, a few proctors came and started the first part of the test. My number is in the late two hundred, so I have to wait for a bit.
The testing went smoothly. Most of them have reached Low-level Tier-1. The weakest is Peak-level Tier-0. It looks like everyone takes this a lot seriously. I don't need to be first but should be among the top ranks. I thought this would be enough for that.
From what I heard, there were only a few that reached low-level Tier-1 in the previous years. The number could always be counted on a single hand.
Something changed this year. I have a bad feeling about this.
This is when I heard the collective gasp of the participants. I looked around to see what is happening.
I wanted to shout what they are making the fuss for but I stopped myself and followed them.
I too got surprised and shocked when I saw what they were looking at.
NO! THIS CAN'T BE.
Is this the reason I felt something weird before?