Chapter 11: Conditions
The person was wearing a purple cloak that covered his whole body from head to toe. A small insignia of twinkling stars was attached on it showcasing his organization's symbol. His steps were steady and firm as he slowly approached Dave, standing beside him. His face was hidden within the cloak making it quite difficult to understand his intentions.
He's the cosmologer who helped us greatly during the Awakening Ceremony. His name is Clark Hamilton.
clap clap clap
Loud applause resounded throughout the hall upon Clark's arrival. The awakened individuals were very grateful for his help so they displayed their intentions clearly.
Before I reveal information about the test, There was another test conducted personally by Sir Clark during your awakening ceremony. Sir Clark, would you please explain the details to them? Dave humbly requested, passing the stage to Clark.
Clark lifted his head up, gazing at the crowd before him. His eyes landed momentarily on Lucian's group before passing them.
My test was quite simple. He announced with his aged voice. I was responsible for examining the mana wave produced by the recently awakened individuals's Starseed and determine their talent through them.
Everyone tensed up upon hearing those words. They understood from a young age that not everyone had the same talent but they were taught that success could be achieved through hard work and talent was just one of the means.
Umm…How do you determine a talent through mana wave?
A courageous individual stood up and respectfully expressed his question. He was sweating profusely as he felt Clark's gaze over him.
Clark's eyes landed on him before he answered his question.
It's quite simple. He replied, extending his hand upward. A small ball of mana condensed rapidly above his hand forming a seed.
A Starseed with extraordinary elements produces a higher frequency of mana waves compared to a Starseed with basic elements.
He added his sound element to the Mana seed and released a small mana wave with high frequency, enough for the awakened to sense it.
Lucian faintly felt a wave of Mana around him accompanied by a soft hum sound. Is this the Mana wave frequency? He whispered, feeling incredibly relaxed and calm.
Next, Clark changed the sound element into the wind element and released its frequency.
This time instead of feeling relaxed and calm, he felt refreshed and energized. Although the frequency was fainter than before, he could still sense it.
Here basic elements are referred to as Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind element. They are also called foundational elements by ancient philosophers and cosmologers. He stopped channeling mana into the seed as it vanished completely in thin air.
The crowd was memorized throughout his explanation and only after the Mana seed had dispersed, they broke apart from their reverie.
Woah, So cool. Someone voiced out his fascination, getting a nod of approval from everyone around him.
Clark continued his explanation, I filtered out the mana wavelength and noted down the names of those with higher mana wave frequency.
Everybody's expression tensed up upon hearing those words. They felt it was quite unfair and protested inwardly.
Dave sensing their dissatisfaction stepped forward and quickly responded, Relax. This was just a private test to measure your talents and it won't directly affect the upcoming test. Everyone here has a chance of entering The FaithHaven Academy.
The crowd heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing those words as their dissatisfaction toned down a bit.
What they didn't know was the talented individuals were already guaranteed invitations.
Thank you Sir Clark for your wonderful explanation. Now, We will begin the entrance test shortly. Be prepared!! He exclaimed loudly and exited the stage with others.
Minutes passed by as Lucian patiently waited for the test. Hope it's not too difficult. He mumbled inwardly, glancing around the excited crowd.
A few minutes later, A middle-aged man wearing black jeans, a white T-shirt, and a navy blue jacket appeared on the stage. He had a dark skin, handsome face with brown-colored hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and a friendly look on him.
He smiled glancing at the crowd and began explaining, I'm Davis Matthew, a professor from the FaithHaven Academy. Let's begin the test.
Upon finishing his words, a heavy pressure descended upon the hall. The mana around the room oppressed them directly pressing them hard against the floor.
Everyone had a panicked look on their face as they desperately channeled the mana through their body.
The test is simple. He lifted his hand, extending his five fingers together. Withstand this pressure for five minutes.
His smile appeared similar to a Devil's smile in the eyes of everyone.
While everyone was desperately channeling their mana, Lucian stood unfazed with a puzzled look on his face.
Why am I unaffected? He muttered, gazing at the tense faces around him. Is it due to the Blessing of the Stars? Or is it due to the cosmic energy within me?
These were the two unknown things within him that could roughly explain his current situation. He thought for a while before giving up. The information was too little and he was in a precarious situation right now.
It would be suspicious if I appeared unfazed, I should act like everybody else. He thought, swiftly changing his expression. He acted like he was resisting the pressure, displaying a struggling expression.
This should be enough.
bang
While he was busy acting, some people couldn't withstand the pressure any longer and fainted directly. It seemed that the Mana Pressure was a bit too much for these recently awakened individuals.
Time passed by as the number of fainted individuals continued to increase from single-digit to double-digit numbers within a span of a minute.
There were around three hundred-fifty individuals during the beginning but halfway through two hundred of them had already fainted. The remaining individuals were also struggling desperately but were only holding out through their sheer willpower.
The Mana Pressure could be withstood or deflected by coating your body with your own mana but it's easier said than done.
Hmm…Interesting. We've got some talented seeds this year. Davis muttered, eying Lucian's group.
He gazed landed on Zeph, who was using his body to brute force his way through the mana pressure.
His physique seems quite sturdy and durable. Is he Mordris's Son? Like father like son huh.
He then turned towards Kiara, who was using some kind of mana manipulation technique to lessen the pressure around her. She was utilizing it quite stealthily.
Tch…Even her habits are similar to her mother's. Davis remarked, feeling slightly annoyed. It seemed he had some bad memories with Kiara's mother.
He ignored her cheap tricks and focused his gaze on Lucian. Hmm?! Why can't I observe him? He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Lucian's body deeply. His mana got directly deflected backward upon contact with Lucian's body which was extremely unusual.
Is it some kind of ability? Or is he simply overpowering my Mana? He analyzed but shook his head afterward. That's impossible. To overpower my Mana, he would either have to be stronger than me or have better Mana control than me. Both are impossible since he's just awakened his Starseed not too long ago. It seems he has some kind of unknown ability that deflects Mana directly. His eyes continued to analyze Lucian's ability before concluding.
It's more like submission rather than deflection. Is he immune to pure Mana-related abilities? I should inspect it later. A talented seed indeed. He muttered, taking his gaze off Lucian.
A few others caught Davis's attention including Cale, Lia, and Luke. All of them had incredible willpower and sufficient talent. Their Mana control was growing slowly as they adjusted their body to withstand the Mana Pressure from Davis.
Five minutes passed by,
Davis retracted the pressure back and gazed at the individuals before him with a smile on his face.
Congratulations. You've passed the test. He announced to the twenty-five remaining individuals. You heard it correctly, Out of three hundred-fifty people, only twenty-five survived. The rest? They had fainted directly and were lying on the ground, sleeping peacefully.
Can we attend the FaithHaven Academy now? One of them inquired while slumping down on the ground. The test took a lot of their mental power leaving them all tired and fatigued.
Yes, You all will formally receive an invitation to the FaithHaven Academy within this week. He replied before continuing, Any more questions?
When will the classes begin?
Are we traveling there alone or will someone pick us up?
How far is the FaithHaven Academy?
A barrage of questions landed on Davis as he simply lifted his finger. Instantly, the crowd went completely silent.
Everything will be written alongside the Invitation. Anything else? He inquired with a smile. If not, I shall leave then.
Oh right, You are currently a Starseed Initiate Rank awakened individual which is also the lowest rank of the spectrum. Don't get arrogant just cause you've awakened your powers else you might regret it sooner than you'd expect. He exited the room with those words as Dave entered inside.
The awakening ceremony is officially over now. You may leave the hall and celebrate your successful awakening with your family. Once again, Congratulations and Best of Luck for your upcoming future. He grandly announced.
The entrance door opened as the crowd dispersed outside, leaving an empty hall behind.