"Students, please line after each other and come to demonstrate your abilities here. I and Mr. Smith will be here to assist you and evaluate you accordingly."
The students followed the instructors and made two lines in the training hall. Some of them were yawning, and some were excited. However, what made Avian amused was that no one seemed to be bothered or afraid of this sudden evaluation.
'I guess it only makes sense since they are the top.'
The royal academy gathered the most talented and capable students across the empire. There was no reason for the students to fret over a simple evaluation; they had absolute confidence in their abilities.
Zenith and Avian looked at each other for a long time without uttering a word as the students were being called slowly. Avian's eyes seemed to be completely locked onto Zenith's, making him shift his stance several times.
"Are you not going to watch the students?"
He asked, a little uncomfortable with her intense gaze as it came off to be too sudden. A moment ago she was almost cursing him to disappear from her sight, and the next moment she was staring at his soul.
'Why is she looking at me like this?'
Thoughts started to cloud his brain as he waited patiently for his answer, but Avian continued to stare at him without saying a single word.
In the end, he lifted his hands in a surrendering gesture and reluctantly shifted his gaze to focus on the instructor and the students.
Trying to ignore the piercing gaze of Avian, Zenith observed the 'evaluation process' with a curious gaze. He noticed a young woman walking confidently toward the two instructors, her green curls slightly moving with her.
She wore a simple outfit with a cloak, hiding her figure, but he could estimate her petite body underneath it. For an unknown reason, this young woman reminded him of Avian.
In front of the two instructors were three machines.
One had a small, fist-sized orb settling in the middle of it with four crimson rods holding it in its place, emitting a purplish mist around it with a few sparks dancing on its side; the second machine was simple in appearance too; a simple target for the students to strike to measure their strength; and lastly, the third machine.
The third machine was to check the attributes of each student. It was a dummy made of special material that could not be destroyed unless you reach one of the highest levels in your aspiration.
Zenith's gaze flickered to the young woman's hands as they touched the orb.
The main object of this was to evaluate the purity and quantity of her mana. The purple orb shook, and the four rods that were supporting it started to absorb the student's mana, then slowly injected it into the purple orb.
Greenish-blue mana filled inside the purple orb, changing its color and slowly filling it up. The green-haired young woman seemed to be one of the best as the instructor hummed with satisfaction.
"Miss Misa, I'm very happy for your growth. Your mana level had increased, and so did its purity. That's an amazing achievement in this short amount of time."
"Thank you very much!"
Just then, Zenith felt Avian's gaze shift from him. Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned to her and froze. She was smiling softly at the green-haired woman, as if she were looking at a person she knew for a while.
"Do you know her?"
Without hesitation, Zenith blurted out. He frowned and bit his inner cheek as he rebuked himself, 'How could I ask her so bluntly?'
At the very least, he should have been a bit more subtle. But he ended up questioning Avian on the spot. That alone could make anyone uncomfortable and annoyed, and Zenith could only blame himself.
Surprisingly enough, Avian did not get upset.
"She is the girl who guided me around the academy. I sensed a strong mana inside her; I'm happy I wasn't wrong; I suppose I'm not that rusty yet."
"Rusty? Wait, you aren't strong enough to be sensing mana. How did you manage to do that?"
With a cheeky grin, Avian closed her mouth and did not comment further. Her narrowed eyes held a beautiful mirth, and her curved lips looked enchanting beyond reason.
Unable to focus on anything but her beauty, Zenith was dazed until she had finally left her place and stood before the instruction.
"Lord Avian, would you like to demonstrate your ability in front of your classmates? You are a newcomer, and we don't have anything to record your progress; however, I believe it would be to your benefit to show what you can do now."
The female instructor, Mrs. Smith, whispered the last part with a kind smile. The genuine kindness made Avian smile, and she nodded before putting her hands around the orb.
Her hands tingled with a weird sensation at first, then her mana was eagerly sucked by the crimson rods. It did not take long before the rods poured her pure lilac mana directly into the orb, filling the orb within a minute.
"Ugh!"
Feeling slightly dizzy with how her mana was drained, Avian suppressed her groan and kept a straight appearance. She could not show them any weakness.
Mr. Smith gasped in amazement, "Incredible! I have not seen mana as pure as this for a very long while, and the quantity, the orb, is filled to the brim."
"Indeed, Lord Avian had shown astounding results as such before. I hope everyone will acknowledge his amazing abilities."
The students murmured and chattered together; however, their gazes now held a tinge of respect for Avian despite not knowing her unique attribute yet.
They were eager to see what she would do next, but they were puzzled when the two instructors pulled the machines away and put three Spiritual Rats in front of her.
Mrs. Smith explained kindly, "Lord Avian's special attribute is something unseen before. It is the only one of its kind, and perhaps the thing that will save us from a lot of trouble if it was cultivated well."
Every student looked at her with the same questioning gaze.
"Lord Avian's ability is called 'Sensor'. Yes, as the name suggests, it is truly a magnificent thing; don't you all agree with me?"
Mr. Smith chuckled at the slack-jawed students and spread his arms.
"In front of us now are three Spiritual Rats; each of them has a different mana attribute. Fire, water, and wind. To you all, there is no difference between these spiritual rats, as for Lord Avian."
"Perhaps you would call my ability a cheat," Avian shrugged, aiming a sneaky glance at Zenith before moving her gaze to the mass in front of her. "But it is very difficult to utilize. These rats now all look the same, but that is only physically. What my eyes can see is their spiritual shape."
Avian closed her eyes before opening them again; her pupils changed from their circular shape into a pyramid shape.
Faintly glowing, Avian's vision changed completely.
She was no longer able to see bodies made of bones and flesh, but only spiritual veins filled with spiritual essence and spiritual power, or, as it was also called, mana, running through them.
"Wind, fire, and water."
Identifying these rats was a piece of cake.