Lars Zemof, the most prominent genius in the Elden house of Zemof since the birth of Horace is sitting across a panel of five people, and on his side were his fellow students who will be part of the pioneering group of the Prestige class.
Lars was wearing the signature three-sword insignia of the Zemof family, and with the signature silver hair of the Zemof's, his identity could easily be distinguished.
He recognized most of his peers since half of the people here were famous kids belonging in influential families. They can also be found in MagiWeb where information could easily be obtained.
The other half were students from unknown backgrounds. There was even a teenager who was discovered in the mountains who grew up with beasts. The diversity and the unknown excited everyone in the group. Lars could feel the intensity and the spirit of competition.
He felt a bit nervous by the people surrounding him since he weren't used to being with kids who had the same level of strength as him. Some of them were even more talented and gifted than him.
Ziront may be a huge state that populated by billions, but the Republic is a domain that houses ninety billion people. It was predominantly human, but there are other races who resides in the Republic.
To gather anomalous individuals from among tens of billions of people into a single room was breathtaking. Lars might have been nervous, but he was not scared.
Quite the contrary, he was excited to be challenged.
On his side were nineteen other teenagers ranging the age of twelve to fifteen. Their presence were emanating the strength of the initial stages of rank 2 to late stage rank 2.
It could be said that they were the cream of the crop since it usually takes five years for a normal genius to reach rank 2 from their awakening.
Meanwhile, this group of teenagers only took a year or two to reach rank 2, and even more impressive was that one of them reached the late-stage rank.
The people on the MagiWeb were celebrating the establishment of the Prestige class as the hope of the Republic against the impending descent of the Abyssal one hundred years into the future.
Most of the experts had already reached their potential since they weren't nurtured properly when they were younger. Some held onto foolish material tethers that doomed them to be stuck in their progress. While others pursued influence instead of individual power since they felt comfortable in the status quo.
There was no war after the cataclysmic war. It wasn't called the 'first' cataclysmic war back then, just the 'cataclysmic war,' because they believed that the abyssals wouldn't return. So they focused on the mortal coil, indulged themselves in foolish pursuits to abuse their power and influence.
Now that they have learned of the certainty of the abyssal's arrival, they were scrambling for any way that can increase their power. But to no avail, the years of luxurious lifestyle caught up to them, and the prospect of advancing their strength was close to impossible.
Almost everyone had given up in pursuing strength after failing to breakthrough in their ranks for uncountable years.
However, some of these experts can still participate in defending the nation against the invaders. After all, a common enemy that will harm their personal interests is the best way to unite a fragmented nation.
Only the existing powers of the Elden Houses, Senate, The ten Cabinet members, Adventurer's Guild, Arcana Institute, National Military, and some prominent Sects are the first line of defense that will face the abyssals in the future.
It may look like that these organizations are enough, but the first cataclysmic war of the abyssal from five thousand years ago proved the Republic wrong.
It wasn't enough since the ashes of war is indelibly painted in the soil of these lands, the canvas of death and destruction is a reminder of their failure. The blood and remains of the brave people who fought that war had permanently stained the very ground these people are living on.
The youth, with their boundless potential along with the leading military strength of the Republic, will be the beacon of light in the midst of the mists of uncertainty.
Each applicant who passed the main exam were teenagers that has the potential to reach the peak echelons of power. All students reached at least 70% in their attributes with impressive innate talents while the standout among this group was the three students who reached 80% in their attributes.
The testing sites were comprehensive. The Republic didn't hold back their expenses to accommodate billions of children to uncover the hidden geniuses that are rarely given the opportunity to see their potential. Even the most rural and hidden places in the Republic was scoured to see if there were talented individuals who could qualify and join the Prestige class.
Billions of children participated in the selection, but only these twenty students came out on top. It wasn't the end of the line for the failed participants since other organizations recruited those who didn't make the cut, but still had exquisite talents.
Some even had at least 70% in their affinity but wasn't accepted due to some of the qualified students having overpowered innate talents.
The talent of humans as a whole fades in comparison towards other gifted creatures, but with great numbers and high fertility rates, it was just a matter of 'when' that a talented person will be born. And in this era where there are billions of humans populating the Republic, it is fated that there will be anomalies who will be born.
Almost every person had a single attribute since it was rare for anyone to have more than one element. It was one in a hundred million for a single person to possess more than one element with high affinities, but five students in this group have two elements with high affinities.
Meanwhile, a single student has three elements with 80% affinity. She was dubbed as the single most talented genius that the Republic had ever seen since the government was formed.
This was the most talented cohort that the academy had ever handled since its establishment hundreds of thousands of years ago.
——
Tension was rising in the room as the group of teenagers looked at the panelists with intense focus and solemnity. After a few seconds, which felt like hours of silence, one of the panelists asked the group about their dreams.
The first to raise a hand was a teenager with flowing red hair cascading down his back. His feminine beauty and delicate features could easily make him mistaken for a woman, if not for his Adam's apple.
That boy was scowling and acting tough; compensating to establish his dominance and remove all doubts about his masculinity. It was all for naught though, for his face had soft features that would make women squeal in his cuteness.
Everyone held their breaths as to what he would say when he said his words with a forced deep voice, "I, Razael Lily, dream of a day when I grow a beard." The red-haired (chick) boy answered seriously.
Truly, a collection of aberration and otherworldly personalities in a single group of students.