A tense atmosphere began to spread among the new students after Professor Pickus' explanation. Everyone's gaze towards their peers was rather unpleasant.
Pickus seemed quite satisfied with the current atmosphere. He announced in a loud voice: "Before the tests begin, I'd like to remind you all that all the test items here are chargeable, and the pricing standards are listed in the new student guide you have. Participation in each test is completely voluntary. You can choose not to participate in a certain test, but naturally, you won't get the corresponding score."
Upon hearing this, the crowd let out a chorus of complaints. How hypocritical! In the face of such a situation, who would dare to give up any of the tests? This so-called "voluntary" participation is nothing but self-deception!
As the tests began, Charlie saw the testing method of the Arcane Circles, and immediately understood the reason for the charges - it was completely different from Rowen Master's previous testing method.
Test participants were required to drink a bottle of azure potion, then be fixed on an alchemy apparatus with steel rings, exposing their arms and legs. Afterwards, a group of teachers carefully inserted crystal needles into the test subjects' bodies to take samples from various parts, and then used different potions and magic to test their reactions.
Judging from this setup, Charlie knew the examination was no trivial matter, and this was just one of the many test items. No wonder the academy was unwilling to bear the testing costs.
The waiting process was long. As the test points repeatedly called out the apprentices' names, the small circles were gradually broken up, and the Gostas brothers, Qiong Xue, and Qing Yan were called to different places for testing, but Charlie's name never came up.
Suddenly, joyful music rang out in the hall, and a gleaming alchemy apparatus emitted dazzling magical energies that flowed happily through the glass conduits. After a series of complex devices, colorful magical waves were sprayed out from the trumpet-like outlets, and the music seemed to come from there.
Then a loud voice rang out: "Jay Bruce, from Twilight City, possesses the physique of a Dragon Vein Sorcerer, with high fire and shadow resistance, a dual magical power pool, and an affinity for fire. His overall talent score is 86, with a comprehensive rating of Excellent Grade A. Please come to the stage to receive your credentials."
A burly young man with a glowing face walked onto the stage, and a dwarf teacher wearing glasses handed him a magic paper scroll: "Ah! You're a lucky one, good luck to you."
The young man respectfully accepted the scroll and walked off the stage, cheering and jubilant, as the apprentices below cast admiring and envious glances at him.
When the voices had calmed down, Charlie's name finally appeared in the magical broadcast: "Please, Charlie, come to Area 13 for the psychic power test."
Charlie's spirit was roused, and he hurried to the corresponding area. He was taken into a completely sealed black room, the door closed, and the interior was immersed in the utmost darkness, where he could not see his hand in front of his face.
An old man's voice sounded: "Charlie, please focus your attention, follow your senses, and discern the real from the illusory. Now... the test begins!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a vast dark sea spread out before Charlie's eyes. He felt as if he was in the depths of a storm-tossed ocean, with no stars or moon in sight. The dark waters gently undulated, with turbulent currents, and he floated barefoot on the surface, the cold, icy water constantly lapping at his feet, as if he might sink into the black, bottomless abyss at any moment.
Again, just like the desert world he had entered when he first came into the hall, he had entered a deceptively realistic illusory world, and his senses could not find any flaws.
"Activate visual analysis," Charlie commanded in his mind, activating the chip's visual analysis function.
Wind speed, wave level, water temperature, water quality, air temperature, stellar distribution, and other data were continuously collected, and an increasingly detailed data model based on the rules of Earth began to take shape in his mind and was constantly being refined.
The difference between illusion and reality often lies in the details, as it is a simulation of reality, and this world is only a test, so it cannot be a perfect illusion.
Sure enough, under the analysis of the data model, Charlie observed some inconsistencies in the airflow and waves, and as his vision focused, the ocean before him gradually faded.
Charlie broke free from the illusion.
"Charlie, congratulations, you have broken through the ocean depth realm. You are the only apprentice so far who has broken through the illusion. In the psychic power domain, I give you full marks," the old man's voice was filled with a touch of delight.
"Thank you." Charlie was incredibly pleased, this was his first full mark.
"Huh! You're already fifteen years old?"
"Yes!"
"Ah! Your magical power pool is still in the single digits at fifteen, what a waste! You could have gone much further!"
Faced with such a lament, Charlie was at a loss for words.
"Alright, you can go now!" Suddenly, the old man lost interest in him.
Charlie received his own identification card at the door, which showed: Psychic domain: 12 points, Total Talent Score: 12 points.
Although it was a full score, its weight was too small, still far from the 80 points.
Just then, the magical broadcast sounded again.
"Qing Yan, from Lansang Double Fish City, has a natural water spirit physique, a talent for a magical power furnace, and an affinity for water elements. Her talent score is 98, with a comprehensive rating of Legendary Grade A. Please come to the stage to receive your credentials..." The announcer couldn't help but comment: "A brand new record, the most talented student in this new class, truly an outstanding young lady!"
The students below were in an uproar, craning their necks to get a good look at this top talent student, and were stunned when they saw Qing Yan's beauty, which was no less dazzling than her talents.
"Oh, my goddess! She's so beautiful!"
"I feel like I've found my life goal," someone said dreamily.
"Heh! Your life goal? I think you're dreaming."
The discussions below were lively.
Hearing this voice, Charlie paused for a moment, feeling happy for Qing Yan, yet with a tinge of disappointment. Oh well, let's just see how I score on all the tests.
...
The testing of all forty-plus apprentices was completed in nearly five hours. During this time, the magical broadcast kept sounding, each time stirring up a storm, and even Charlie's arch-enemy Daniel had his name announced on the magical broadcast, his total talent score just barely scraping the lower limit of the qualification line.
The five of them gathered together again, and Charlie felt a bit awkward as he held the paper with all the scoring results:
Magical Power Pool: Weak, Developed Too LateMagical Resistance: NoneMagical Affinity: NonePsychic Power: Extremely Strong, Peaked at 780, Scored 12 pointsMemory Ability: Strong, Scored 6 pointsCognitive Ability: Strong, Scored 8 pointsConstitution: Frail, No Special AttributesBlood Lineage Detection: No Dominant Higher Bloodline, Lower Bloodlines Not Included in AssessmentSpecial Talents: None DetectedTotal Talent Score: 26Comprehensive Rating: Poor
Psychic power was Charlie's first and only full mark, and his chip's abilities, not belonging to this world's technology, had not been detected, with only some of its powers manifesting in his memory and cognitive abilities.
This talent, not to say the worst in the history of the Arcane Circles, was definitely the poorest among all the test takers today.
There was no doubt that the testing was fair and objective. In Valgran's system, he was a weak one, undoubtedly. Charlie was somewhat mentally prepared for this result.
David was very curious about the paper Charlie was clutching, and kept trying to pick it up and look, but was stopped by his older brother Colin several times. The two women were astute, and seeing Charlie's expression, had already guessed something.
However, the embarrassment was eventually exposed in the public eye.
Daniel walked up to Charlie and smiled, "A total talent score of 26 points, is this a historic record for the Arcane Circles? Charlie, you should be proud!"
His words immediately caused a stir in the surrounding area.
Then he turned to Qing Yan and said, "Qing Yan, is this the caliber of person you've chosen to be friends with? Be careful you don't get dragged down."
Qing Yan was unhappy about this, snorting coldly, "Who I choose to be friends with is my own freedom. What business is it of yours?"
David mocked, "Still looking down on a 26-point apprentice? Wasn't it a 26-point apprentice who beat you to a pulp, with the teacher having to stop it? If I were you, I'd stay as far away as possible."
Daniel's face flushed, and he retorted, "That was a sneak attack, otherwise I would have beaten him."
Colin chuckled, "You're saying your brother was clever, or that you're stupid? If you were beaten in a direct duel, what does that say?"
A few exchanges left Daniel unable to save face, especially in front of so many onlookers, his face alternating between blue and white, quite a spectacle.
In contrast, Charlie was calm and composed, not saying a word in retaliation.
After a pause, Daniel sneered, "Even if you won one round, so what? That's only temporary. From now on, you're already behind me. In every aspect, I'll surpass you by four levels next year. Even if you can play low-level spells like flowers, you won't be my match. Get ready to accept my challenge!"
Charlie smiled lightly and said, "Okay, I'm always ready for your challenge."
Watching Daniel leave with a gloomy face, Qing Yan comforted, "Charlie, you're so powerful! How could you only have this few points? Don't worry, the academy must have made a mistake, there's no way."
"No, the academy didn't make a mistake, and what Daniel said is the truth, my talent is really poor," Charlie shook his head and smiled, "But that doesn't mean I'll learn slower than others, hard work can make up for it!"
Qing Yan gave an approving smile and said, "Great! This is the mindset of a strong person. Charlie, I believe in you!"
On the surface, Charlie had saved face, but the actual situation was not optimistic.
From the information revealed by the instructors, after the new students' levels were divided, each apprentice would have different environments. The students with the best talents might even enjoy one-on-one tutoring from master mages and have access to the Arcane Circles' most advanced and expensive potions, while the students with the poorest talents might have to struggle in their course selections.
The gap between them was far greater than one might think, it could be a deep chasm, the difference between future grand mages and master mages.
The path ahead of Charlie was destined to be a muddy path full of thorns.