Now the magical examinations was the second of its kind. It involved a theoretical exam but that exam only made up ten percentage of the full accumulated score. The true exam were the practical exams where every students gathered together to prove that they were worth a second awakening, and would be able to perform better than their peers.
It was also a chance for the low graded students to prove that they deserved an higher grade, but the chances were slim for them as the high graded also needed to show that they were able to keep. Their spot for a while.
Everyone had gathered in a huge hall behind the school. The students were nervous, and this anxiety was more common in grades from the D-grade to the F-grade.
There were mumbling from different corners of the hall.
"I think I'm going to puke out my guts."
"Why? Don't be so close to me if you want to create a mess."
"If I get a stronger opponent. I would immediately jump down from the roof of the school."
"Hey, give me your wallet."
"Why?"
"You don't need money in the grave."
"Shut your mouth. I'll send you to the grave myself."
The students were all fidgeting, and the hall had become quite rowdy.
This magical examinations was one of the biggest events, as this was the chance for the students to prove that they deserved the sponsors of the great families that had appeared at the examinations.
Standing in a corner, a boy rested his back on the wall while his eyes were closed, seemingly unaware of what was going on around him.
A couple of students were standing around him, and they couldn't help but notice his tranquility and calm state of mind.
Did this strange looking boy think that every thing happening here was a joke?
"Who the heck is this guy?"
"Don't you know? He is an F-grade student. I heard that he was that sexy teacher's favorite student. They both went every where together."
"He doesn't seem all that big to me."
"And he is the guy you told me about yesterday. That's him."
"The one that rejected Rider?! Are you kidding me? He is just an F grade!"
Martin didn't care about what he was hearing. He had other things in his mind.
He had completed all the primary spells of his wind rune, and he was a stage where he needed to open up his fire rune so he could start his vigorous training.
If he was a normal mage, just opening all the primary spells of his first rune was enough to make him eligible for a second awakening but he had three runes to take care of.
Martin looked around, and he knew that he was at a disadvantage.
Most of the students here had their awakening at the age of sixteen.
It was just enough time for them to know basically everything about their new rune, and enough time to develop immense battle strategies while he had gotten his rune a month ago with no physical training on how he would be able to fight efficiently against humans.
Those practice dummies weren't just enough for him, and he had not fully perfected his third spell.
Yet, he felt a huge amount of confidence as he stared at the level above the hall.
He had to impress those people in order to get into an A-grade class, it would be rough as these kind of people were used to the brilliance of students in the A-grade.
Martin let out a sigh. He never knew he would have to fight someone until Lance spoke to him yesterday right after the theoretical exams saying that they would be given opponents to contend with in order to pass, and sometimes the ruling would be unfair but nevertheless everyone had to prepare.
The exams were not about the winner of the match but about what the judges had decided.
The winner may get added points but if the magic skills of his opponent were higher, his opponent could be promoted instead of him.
According to the former records, this competition was going to last for three days but no one would fight more than once.
Martin couldn't help but feel excited.
_______
A boy stood straight,tall and confident, while someone brushed his hair behind him getting him ready for the competition that was already taking place.
A man walked inside causing the two men to halt whatever they were doing to face the source of the intrusion.
When they saw who it was, they immediately bowed their head in respect.
"Uncle Dergin." The boy bowed, his voice tinged with respect.
"You can rise up." Dergin said as he walked closer to the both of them, he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and stared into his eyes.
"You know who you are doing this for right?" Dergin said with bitterness leaking from his voice.
"Yes Uncle, I'm going to cripple that boy for ruining my cousin's life." The boy's emerald eyes sparkled. He had heard of what had happened, and he was filled with immense and anger.
Dergin's face immediately brightened up as a small smile appeared on his lips.
He knew that what he was doing was wrong but he had no other choice than to send this little child to do his bidding as he himself couldn't do anything.
"Thank you Frey. The Craven family would always stand by you."
Dergin said, and turned away with a heavy weight on his chest.
It was meant to be his son standing there but now that the boy could perform magic, he had to present his niece as a substitute.
He suddenly felt that maybe using his niece would be too much, if the boy wasn't controlled, he could end up killing that Axton kid.
Either way, it was a win-win situation. Axton knew what he had put his finger into when he had crippled Jin.
The Craven Family was never the one to keep quiet, and let it go.
"I don't want a single strand out Albert." Frey looked at the mirror as he spoke.
"Ok Master." Albert answered him with a small tone, he knew that the boy had serious anger issues so he couldn't dare to offend him at the moment.
Frey knew that his uncle had arranged it in a way that he woke be placed in a match with Axton.
Yet, he couldn't help but wonder how strong his opponent was that he was able to cripple his own cousin, and he could help but feel an itch on his spine. His fingers clenched tightly.
He couldn't control this feeling in the pit of his stomach, he was excited.
________
Tana stood at the hall of the school, along with a boy a light blue wavy hair. Theo smiled at her, and squeezed her shoulder.
"You'll be fine. You are already an apprentice mage. Judging a little match shouldn't be that much of a deal to you." Theodore's eyes had a bright glint in them as he looked at Tana.
"I am not judging them. I just need to pick out special people for my father. He says he wants to sponsor another powerhouse apart from me." Tana looked away, she just wanted to go home, and have a good sleep.
"Oh." Theo could only utter one word as he didn't know what he could tell her. This was not the first time they had spoken together, and every time he always perceived this air of tiredness around her.
"Let's just go in. I want to see Axton."
Theodore immediately found his words after thinking for a while, but the girl was already making her way in. He really had not seen his friend in a long time, and he was sure that Tana would like Axton once he had introduced both of them.
Tana didn't hear what Theo had said, she just wanted to get this over with, and go back home.
From her research, after going through the school records, she didn't know if she could find anyone with a fire rune worthy enough to be sponsored by her family.
Her father wanted her to pick the best of the bests, and one who could even surpass her feats but this was a hard choice for Tana.
She let out a sigh, and just pushed the thoughts out of her head, she would just enjoy the show, and maybe she could see that one boy perform.
"Good morning, Students." One of the staff stood in front of the hall, his voice boomed around every corners transmitting his message to all the students. He was the teacher in charge of the physical training class, Mr. Walker.
He only needed to give them the basic information, and the rules of the matches.
Everyone was matched by luck, as the names of all students present had already been separated into two boxes which the Dean himself would call out.
The match would be watched by himself, and another teacher who was a water mage as it would be easier to nullify the spells in time.
Walker warned the students that they needed to have a fair match, and any signs of cheating would result in immediate rustication.
Hushed whispers escaped from the gathering of the students as they heard the harsh rules.
Martin's eyes was on the audience level above the hall, he had spotted Tana, and she had given him a little smile before looking away.
Martin didn't bother much about it because he knew that her father was the reason for her strange behavior.
His eyes moved to see the Family Head of the Kian Family sitting in the middle of everyone. The atmosphere around him commanded a deep air of respect and sovereignty that no one dared to defy unless it was the university dean.
The man who had drove his family into a life of misery, who had caused them to struggle till death.
Martin understood this feelings because of the reaction Axton's body was emitting as he stared at that seat.
His hands had become wet, not the good kind, and his back had been drenched in cold sweat.
He could remember what had happened on that day, how his father had been treated like a mere piece of rag, and he promised himself to pay back such unkindness.
Martin sighed, he was going to fulfill Axton's wish as payment for using his body.
Martin remembered the name of the man as his tongue felt bitter.
The name of the Family Head was a name that sent shudders through the body of any human, a name that was feared by every human in Hartford City, and his name was Sigrid Calmar Kian, the second strongest human in the city with a cultivation level of Elemental Savant which was also called the Master level.