Chapter 123 - Magic Academy Entrance Exam (Part 1)
Nathan Evenhart:
"Hurry up, Nate! You're so slow!" Chloe shouted as she darted ahead, running full speed.
"Chloe!" my aunt called out, her voice stern. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
We were in the Royal Capital, preparing for the entrance exams of the Apsalon Magic Academy. The place was a massive building serving as a magical academy in the capital and was being used as the exam center for Apsalon admissions. Anyone looking to enter the academy had to go through their kingdom's capital rather than traveling all the way to Apsalon. One of the benefits of having the exam in the capital was the ease of transportation, thanks to the underground systems similar to ships that used flooded tunnels, connecting the kingdom's capital to the main territories of the duchies.
I'm already 15, and so much has changed since the last time we spoke—and not just my body... because I hit puberty for the second time in my life. But I'm talking about everything that changed for me since awakening my Special Eyes and discovering I possessed all the elemental powers of nature. I became much closer to Cylla due to her ability to communicate with me directly, and I eventually had to explain to my family that I could understand her. It took a while for them to believe me, though, since Cylla still growled or made strange noises when talking to them, and those sounds were now more intimidating thanks to her body's changes.
I went through puberty, and apparently, so did she? The difference is, she has a deeper voice than mine when making those beastly sounds... I mentioned that to her once, and she slapped me, so I'll keep that to myself from now on.
Over the past few years, I've been training with the Legacies and perfecting things I didn't know. I had training in economics, administration, poisons, plants, etiquette, survival, bestiaries, and many other subjects. At least I got to practice magic by learning some elemental knowledge from each of them. Even though I've applied my understanding of Aura and my unique way of using Thunder, I wanted to study how each person's magic behaves. I also trained with my mother and Professor Adrihna in the art of golem creation. Adrihna spent a lot of time helping me with the use of my Special Eyes as well.
My Special Eyes granted me the power of a summoner, allowing me to use the elements for both attacks and transforming them into elemental creatures. Since my eyes are categorized under Summoning, rather than my Mana Gem, I'm not as versatile as Chloe or my mother in golem creation, and my creatures aren't capable of casting complex spells. But I won't brag too much about what I can do. I summon elemental soldier warriors that obey my commands as servants. I call them 'Titans,' as a tribute to my old friends from another world.
My golems aren't as sentient as those my mother, Chloe, or Adrihna summon, but they're 'alive' and love battles.
I guess they take after their owner…
I can't learn golem spells either. Chloe, for example, knows a ton, including how to create a frozen knight or even a frozen wolf. As for me, I can only generate the same basic golems. They are summoned through my eyes, and I can have up to five active golems at a time, while Chloe and my mother can summon larger numbers and even bigger golems. My mother is even more special as a full summoner, to the point where she covers the fortress grounds with plant-based golems that act as extra soldiers.
And I have a sixth golem…
This sixth golem is a secret I'll reveal to you at the right time. Let's just say it's the combination of my five golems—a monstrosity I named 'Chronos.' This was the name of my great friend from the other world; she was the mother of the Titans. I thought it was a fitting reference, especially since Chronos was torn apart and thrown into Tartarus, and my sixth golem is the fusion of the powers from the other golems. A fitting tribute to the woman who was my best friend in another life.
Cylla has been helping me as much as she can with the Celestial Eyes, though even she struggles since she doesn't fully have access to all of her powers—just the basics. She has a strong grasp of the Aspect of the Body and the Aspect of Life, but when it comes to the others, she can't use them consciously. We concluded that her abilities are likely blocked due to the process of 'Inheritance', as she's still undergoing changes in her physical form. The Celestial Eyes will probably be the last thing she fully unlocks.
At the age of 12, I became a 'man' according to this world's customs, or at least I took a major step toward adulthood. They celebrate when children reach 12 here, and you receive a special gift from your family. My mother gave me a storage bracelet, Adrihna gifted me a spellbook focused on plant and light elements, along with a house in the elf kingdom, and my aunt gave me a special sword forged from the metal of the Infernal Chains. Sifu told me the shape of the sword is called a 'katana,' and as soon as I received it, I had a rather wicked idea.
I asked my aunt to dismantle the gift she had just given me—for a good reason, of course. We separated the blade from the sword and modified the hilt. With the pure Akonium stone Adrihna had given me, a blacksmith, an engineer, and I worked together on something special. We rebuilt the hilt, embedding the Akonium stone inside it, ensuring the balance and aerodynamics wouldn't be affected by the added weight. The result was that if I ever threw my sword, I could make it fly back to my hand using electromagnetism.
Genius, right?
Now, manipulating Akonium to make the sword fly constantly would fail due to the instability of the mana, which would damage the stone over time. But by filling it with electromagnetic mana and linking it to my hand like a magnet… you can imagine the result. If the sword is far from me, I simply activate the mana stored in the Akonium, and it flies directly back into my hand, ready for battle. The sword is always positioned perfectly, ensuring I can grab it and be instantly prepared to fight.
The blade itself retains the effect of the cursed relic from the chain. My aunt mentioned it was quite a challenge to avoid breaking the enchantment and that she had to spend a fortune on magical seals and runes, but she said it was worth it since it was for me. She kept half of the chain, and my half became this sword. Anyone who touches the blade, even without being cut, feels a burning sensation, which I can use to mess with my opponent's mind, making them feel intense pain. Sifu mentioned that it resembled a cursed sword because of the chain's enchantment, and I adopted that name for it. My katana is called the 'Cursed Blade.'
We discovered over time some other rather sinister benefits from that cursed metal, but I'll explain more about that another time.
"You forgot my kiss, dear. You need to say goodbye properly," my aunt called out to Chloe.
Chloe blushed with shyness but kissed her mother on the cheek. "Can I go now, Mom?"
"Yes, go ahead, and good luck, my dear."
I tried to leave, but a hand caught the back of my neck.
"And where do you think you're going, Nathan Evenhart?" my mother said.
I looked at her.
"I want my goodbye kiss too," she said with a smile.
I said goodbye to my mother, and she wished me luck.
"Do what we agreed on, okay? No drawing attention," she said to me.
"Don't worry, I won't cause any trouble."
She sighed. "I have a feeling saying that will only make you cause more trouble..."
I tried to leave, but another hand grabbed the back of my neck.
What did I do now?
"Nate, use only the thunder element like we agreed, and don't let anyone take the elemental stone test if they ask, or they'll find out your secret," my aunt said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "Adrihna will be there to help you."
I nodded, but as I turned to go, she stopped me and looked at my face.
"Your eyes are beautiful, but you know where the real issue lies, right?"
"My hair..."
Every day, more silver strands were showing up. I'd been cutting them out, but it was getting to the point where more and more kept appearing.
"I'll try to find a solution to keep your hair dark before the classes start, but it's likely that what Adrihna said will come true—your hair might turn completely silver at some point."
The solution we came up with was to buy a special dye for me. The problem was that High Elves have a stronger affinity with magic, so even their hair has a certain magical vitality, making regular dyes ineffective. The only option left was enchanted dyes, the kind noblewomen ordered at high prices. I could walk around the house with silver streaks in my hair, but since I'd be living at the academy, I needed to keep it dyed.
"I understand that one reason I shouldn't tell anyone I'm a descendant of a High Elf is that an elf like that falling in love with a human hasn't happened since the founding of the kingdoms, but what's so special about this elf that Adrihna insisted I keep it a secret?"
"It's not time for you to know yet... and no one's ever awakened this much elven blood like you have. We'll keep this secret—for your own good," Aunt Margie said, and my mother nodded in agreement.
I trusted their judgment since they loved me and wanted the best for me. My plan was to avoid drawing attention, and I didn't want anyone to find out about my peculiarities. I would dodge Ryan once I got to the academy, but I knew I'd see him again when I turned 20 and would have to find a way to change my eye color back to what it was when he updated my records. My hope rested in Adrihna, who said that by the time I turned 20, she would have already found a way to solve all my problems. I didn't ask how she would work that magic… but I chose to trust my teacher.
"Let's go!" Chloe appeared and started pulling me along.
"Wait!" I tried to say, but she yanked harder.
I hurried to keep up with her pace.
"Bye, kids. See you later," they waved as we headed toward the exam room.