Of course, Astr's memory is not so bad that he will forget the person who provoked him just a few days ago. What's more, Rafeal was also very impressive. After all, it is rare to see people with eyes and nostrils of this kind.
"I was just kidding, Mr. Rafeal Louis." Astr smiled sweetly. No one could be angry with this smiling face. "Are you really angry? No? yes? So stingy." Ohhh, Astr teased Rafeal with hurtful words that didn't look very hurtful.
"You!!!" Rafeal gasped like a broken bellows, his chest heaving violently, and he was so angry that he couldn't speak.
'He is a fucking warrior.' The other candidates looked at Astr with admiration.
Anyone with eyes can see that Rafeal is as furious as a volcano about to erupt.
Astr is worthy of being the first person in the history of examinations to achieve a perfect score; he can make an arrogant young master stop.
"Ahem."
Instructor Byron cleared his throat and focused the candidates' attention on himself.
'Although I really wanted to watch the show that is going on here, I still somewhat remember that I am the main examiner of the practical examination. So before the "real combat" starts, I must fulfil all my duties otherwise, my upcoming days will not be good.'
Although Byron really wanted to watch the show,
"Okay, young gentleman and ladies, it's time to stop what you are doing and save your strength for your practical exam." Instructor Byron clapped his hands.
"I will make it impossible for you and your entire family to recover the loss you are going to face in the future after offending me." Rafeal glared at Astr sinisterly and gave a cold warning as if he could.
"I'm looking forward to it, Mr. Rafeal." Astr's eyes actually lit up after hearing this because he has been bored for a month and there is an urge in his body that wants him to do something interesting, and he was waiting for something like this.
Rafeal choked, and his back molars were almost shattered.
'Fucking madman, this guy's brain is definitely not normal'
Rafeal took a deep breath. He turned around after that, stopped talking to Astr, and secretly made up his mind.
'In the written test, I only made a small mistake and was only 2 points lower than this damn lunatic, but in terms of actual combat, relying on my willpower, physical fitness, and training that I did all these years, it is impossible for me to lose again.'
Thinking of this, Rafeal suddenly felt a shudder from the bottom of his heart, as if something was about to slip out of his control again.
' No, no, don't panic. Calm down and think again properly'.Rafeal closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and took a deep breath.
'This guy has a terminal illness, and he has been bedridden for many years. This is an undeniable fact. Even after awakening his wizard talent, his health is improving, but he still needs a wheelchair to get around every day, and this illness is still affecting him because it is clearly visible on his face and looks pale and weak. So.....'
Rafeal glanced at the side of Astr's waist, and he saw the sword embroidered with rose patterns, which obviously looked thinner than the normal sword.
Rafeal sneered and raised the corners of his mouth, regaining his confidence.
'Although he is wearing a sword, anyone with good eyes can tell at a glance that it is just for decoration.'
'After all, knowledge surpasses wit and swordsmanship, but physical prowess is truly paramount. Can Astr utilise his fragile body for agile swordplay? A joke. Astr is not a swordsman genius.'
After all this contemplation, Rafeal felt somewhat relieved. The arrogance and pride calmed his pounding heart and straightened his back. He became confident again.
On the stage, Instructor Byron, who had just finished introducing himself, began to talk about the precautions for this exam.
"You all know that even though we have taken adequate protective measures, Astral's actual combat test is not without accidents. Every year, many get seriously injured, and some of them die."
Instructor Byron, who has always been frivolous, but when it comes to life, his expression and tone were also... Get serious.
"You must also know that the total duration of the next trip is expected to be 6 hours. The entire journey requires you to be highly concentrated and even tense. Over the years, there have been many candidates who collapsed halfway, fell behind, and even suffered irreversible losses as a result."
"If you are not confident in your physical strength and will, think that you cannot complete the journey, and have the intention of retreating, then please follow your heart. This is not timidity, but self-awareness."
After these words fell, Rafeal glanced at Astr and said softly, "I advise you to quit as soon as possible. You are already sick, and I am sure you will die in the middle.
These words can be said to be very vicious, and they looked more sinister from Rafeal's mouth.
Astr rolled his eyes, and when those icy-blue eyes looked at Rafeal, a bone-chilling cold suddenly crawled up Rafeal's back. In an instant, fear choked Rafeal's breath, making his eyes widen suddenly. It was as if he was being stared at by something indescribable.
And just the next second, Astr looked away like he didn't do anything, and the feeling of suffocation receded from Rafeal.
"Pah!" Rafeal immediately gasped and coughed many times, and his whole body was covered in sweat.
At this moment, Rafeal actually felt as if he were in another world. He was in a daze, unable to relax, and he didn't even notice the surprised looks from the people around him.
'What was that? What happened to me?' These were his thoughts.
{ You are so merciful} the voice of the Canvasbane sounded in Astr's mind, filled with the smell of blood.
{ If it were me, this ungrateful human being would have become a beautiful painting for me...}
{No, I think I would have devoured him directly because...}
{Because I like his face...}
The tone of the canvas becomes salivating and greedy, and the swirling oil paint eyes look greedily from another dimension at Rafeal.
Astr ignored it and listened to the examiner's explanation.
'Just like in my memory, Astral's practical exam remains the same every year. '
At twelve o'clock in the night, we have to walk into a forest behind the college and reach the thousand-year-old oak tree in the center.
The one-way trip is estimated to take 6 hours, and after you reach there successfully in time, you will be sent back by horse-driven carriage.
At this point, the candidates who reached there successfully will officially become new Astral Academy students.
But it is not a simple walk, as people think there are many dangers involved.
'According to my memory and what I heard from NPCs and players who passed the exam, when they arrived at the oak tree as huge as a castle, sweating profusely and exhausted, the sense of accomplishment rose together with the rising sun.'
'The indescribable beauty comes into view. At this moment, there is a sense of vastness that the world is within your pocket.'
The actual combat examination evolved from the "Journey to the End" - the ritual for a wizard apprentice to be promoted to a formal wizard.'
'The real "Journey to the End" begins at twelve o'clock at night on the last day of the year.
The ritual is not held in the "back mountains" of the academy but in the far north of the world, in an uninhabited land.
There are cold wind howls and snow all the time of the year. And there, what we have to fight against is not only the human instinctive fear of darkness and the unknown, but also the real weird spirits.
People can only walk alone, not in groups, on the ice, passing through the dark forest that reaches into the sky like iron, traversing the wailing tombs with many monuments of unknown monsters, and crossing the Lake of the Dead connected to the Underworld, populated by white one-horned unicorns.
Only when you reach the small church built by an unknown person and receive the blessing from one of the 30 respective guardians could he be successfully promoted to an official wizard.
Astr snapped out of his thoughts when instructor Byron called him out.
"As long as you follow the main force, everything will be fine. The medical team will be right behind."
'In any case, the final journey of the practical examination version is still very safe, maybe, I think,'Astr thought after snapping out while he listened to instructions from Byron.
The examiner's assistant distributed small lanterns burning with faint blue flames to each candidate.
"This alchemical product can ensure that the flame will not go out under most circumstances and can be seen from a long distance." He explained
"This flame matches your eyes~" When they were being distributed to Astr, one of the female assistants winked at him playfully.
"Thank you," Astr said, taking the lantern and smiling.
"I hope I can see you again in Astral. And come on, cheer up first, and you shouldn't be too forced."
The female assistant looked at Astr's pale and weak face, she said worriedly while cheering him up.
"Well, I will do what I can." Astr nodded, and the female assistant smiled and continued to distribute the lanterns.
When everything was ready, Instructor Byron excitedly drew out his shining silver sword and pointed it at the crescent moon. After that, he announced directly
"I announce that the Astral Private Academy practical examination of the year 1587 has officially begun."
"Keep up with me, kids. Let's start—!"