"Alright, everyone! Time's up! I believe all of you had finished preparing yourself for the exam ahead, and perhaps some of you even paired up with your fellow students."
The headmaster yelled at the top of his voice. His voice boomed and echoed across the hall, entering through the earholes of those staring in awe at him.
Lillian saw those gazes and couldn't really blame them for their highly respectful looks towards the old, boisterous man, who seemed like one of those elders found in a nursing home partaking in some activities held there.
This man is, after all, holding a spot as a Tier 5 mage. Not many could hope to reach such a level since most end up dying in the brutal war. So, coming out of it with an entire shopping list of achievements while also entering a tier only five people had achieved in this region is superbly impressive.
'And to top it all off, he managed to get given the funds to create this entire place. I guess his achievement played a huge part in his ability to achieve this.'
The headmaster looked across the hall before his eyes landed on a purple-headed girl engaging in a cheerful conversation with the tired-looking Prince.
His head bobbed up and down, agreeing to whatever Millis had to say while occasionally covering his mouth to yawn.
The headmaster stroked his unusually long beard. His eyes flashed with amusement.
"Well then, shall we all begin the process of putting you all into the exam?" With a snap of his finger, they all disappeared, only to reappear in unfamiliar and bright surroundings.
Those who were unable to adapt to such a bright scenery in such a short manner of time were immediately blinded - holding their arm over their eyes.
Fortunately, Lillian had already prepared herself for the unintentional flashbang. She moved her arm away from her eyes and gazed around the room, taking in its futuristic appearance before staring at the hundreds of pods they would be entering.
This place is one of the many technological sectors of the academy. A place where those who weren't exceeding well in the combat courses were sent here to delve into the creation and invention of items to help them win the war.
'Hm... what if...' Lillian focused on the pods and watched as the system analysed it and displayed it to her.
[Item Name: "Louis Mana Academy's Simulation Pod"]
'A boring name, but it is plain and simple. Nothing wrong with that.' She couldn't help but smile in amusement at how straightforward the name was before looking down and reading its description.
[Item Rank: 3]
[Item Type: Tool]
[Description: "An ingenious tech used mainly for simulating certain situations, surroundings, scenarios, and much more. Having been invented by Techman, a highly prestigious tech company, it had become a worldwide staple in places such as a region's military, academies, and tech companies."]
[Enchantments: "Safety Measures", "Nutrient Infusion"]
'The names of these enchantments are quite interesting...' Having been taken over by curiosity, she began to read the enchantment's description.
[Enchantment: "Safety Measures"]
[Enchantment's Description: "Through careful inspections, Techman, a prestigious company, discovered that not only could they feel the virtual world within, but also discovered that death is possible. After constant reworks and tinkering, they had successfully solved the issue. Enchanting this ingenious machine with the enchantment would not only halve the pain produced but also eject the user out of the world after it has perceived that the pain is well above their tolerance."]
[Enchantment: "Nutrient Infusion"]
[Enchantment's Description: "Such a machine is typically used for prolonged usage of time. So, after careful consideration, Techman, a prestigious tech company, devised a plan to create an enchantment that would siphon mana powering this ingenious machine and transform it into nutrients that would then be diffused through the user's skin and into their body."]
Lillian blinked at the first enchantment before rubbing her eyes. This pod can kill you? This thing that can send you into a dream-like realistic world is capable of killing you if you're not too careful?
'How the hell did they create something like this?! Techman is way too inventive...' She dragged on the 'way' inside the head before watching the Headmaster begin to open the glass door into it.
'Ugh... I know it'll be safe, and I can't help but feel like I'll be entering my very own coffin of my own volition...'
"I have a question, if I may."
Lillian's eyes shot to a raised hand that led to a girl with dark blue hair, glasses, and quite a cute face. Her manner was elegant and confident, and most of all, it was a textbook definition of a smarty-pants.
Lillian rolled her eyes at the girl.
'Testrie Gla Tyria. Oh, how I remember the countless times you bothered me.'
Testrie is what you'd call a "Rule-freak". The stereotypical person in glasses who is absolutely obsessed with holding up the rules. Especially the one about running in the halls that teacher always scold their students about.
The headmaster swung his head around and stared directly at the girl.
"Go ahead, Ms Tyria!"
Testrie nodded, "How may these simulation pods know who we have decided to pair up with?"
"Brilliant question! All you need to do is have the person in mind before entering the exam."
"Were those already inside their pods aware of this before?"
She pointed towards those who had already hopped into their simulation pods with the help of the staff members wearing lab coats with the academy's embroidery on them.
The glass doors that blocked those outside were foggy - hiding the person inside from those who were outside.
The headmaster walked up to one of them and knocked with the back of his hand, "Hello? Can you hear me, kid?"
"U-uh yeah...?"
He then turned back to Testrie, "They heard what I said. Do not worry, Ms Tyria." The headmaster turned his eyes towards the rest, "Now then, does anyone have any more questions before you enter? Last chance."
After seeing no one had anything else to ask, he smiled, "Then let's begin this wonderful exam, shall we?"