Assessment

Magnus Alaric clicks his fingers, summoning the world to attention.

The air grew heavy. The vibrant nature of the Cultivation Highland altered, replaced by a dim darkness.

Everyone turned in different directions. The sky above was a pale black, resembling the moment of daybreak.

Surprised gasps escaped from their lungs.

Zmey frowned. He dragged in a deep breath, turning his glance to Alaric. So far, this man seemed to know what he was doing.

He grinned in curiosity, 'Are you showing us how it feels to tame?'

Without notice, something began to mould from the thin air before the instructor.

Most students had jerked backwards in absolute surprise. Some had wide eyes.

But a very excellent number remained unfazed. Their bold exteriors put a smile on the Archsage's face when he noticed.

That means he was breeding the warriors they wanted with great effort.

Nero drew two deep breaths into his lungs. He had shut his eyes for a few seconds, pressing his palm against his chest.

The moment he looked up, he realised something again.

He had fallen in with those who were quick to frighten. The potential warriors, yet, were getting excited.

As a matter of fact, he could see Zmey in the distance.

Arms crossed, staring up at the instructor with an expression devoid of anything.

Nero clenched his jaw. 'Curse it...!'

The moulding was finally completed. Zmey's brows creased as he locked eyes on it.

The guy beside him adjusted his spectacles, while some others raised their brows too.

But there were still some like Zmey.

The material in the thin air stood with a noble presence. Blue energy spread beneath it for support.

It seemed real, but at the same time, as if it were blending with the air.

Nero mumbled, looking straight at it, 'An alchemical cauldron...'

The cauldron was big and dark, made of old iron. Its surface was rough with marks and dents from use.

It stood stable on three legs, pressed against the air. It looked old.

To Zmey, this was another bewildering sight he encountered in this world.

He didn't know much about it, but it was obvious this was a kind of equipment.

Magnus Alaric began addressing them, gesturing at the moulded material, "... Some of you already know what this is. That's for those who have at least studied things a little before coming to the Sanctuary.

Before you fire-borne warriors is an alchemical cauldron, a high-grade copper metal made specifically for operations at a very high temperature..."

The instructor's earlier note resounded in Zmey's head. They, being beast tamers, possess the fire element...

"... An alchemical cauldron? Flame? Beast taming?" he pondered. 'Come on, memory. It's time to pop up...'

....

At that moment, a wave of something swelled over Zmey. A grin then spread across his face.

"... Your fire element works best for beast taming because... in alchemy, you can produce pills inside the cauldron to bond with beasts.

The grade of pills varies from one another in consideration of the ranks of beasts. Don't get me wrong.

The rank of beasts is different from their realms, different from the rank of dark mage body and pure mage body. But everything functions in harmony with one another.

Without the beast realms, the beasts will not exist to establish a hierarchy.

If you, as a tamer, can't evolve your elemental magic, you will only be able to produce one single pill. And the greatest insult to a sorcerer is getting stuck in one rank."

The spectacled guy nodded his head. Zmey agreed as well - the man was right. Everything and everyone exist for one another, after all.

"But now, you guys are still far behind. None of you have opened your meridians, so you can't cultivate. It feels superficial when you think of actually wielding magic now.

But trust me, right after you open your meridians, cultivation itself will open up for you. It's something exhilarating, though with future consequences.

Wielding the elements available in the atmosphere will be a piece of cake for you."

Not long after the man paused in speech, he moved his hand across the air. Then, everyone realised a cold feeling rubbing against their palms.

Some might have taken a while to notice. Their minds may have been fading from the outset after hearing these things.

On their palms was a glowing red round crystal that the man relayed to them as an Enhancement Pill. He further classified this under the types of pills an alchemist could make.

This particular one could boost a beast's stats during battles or could also boost a tamer's stats.

Or, open the meridians of ordinary people. This would let their Starless Mage Body ascend.

Magnus had said: "When you take this, you will feel shivers in every part of your body. It means the atmosphere's energy recognises you. It enters and exits your bodies at will.

Though there are limitations to the amount you can use in cultivation based on the rank you are."

Excitement, delight, and resolve washed over the newbies. People began consuming the pill. Among the first-timers were the spectacled guy and a lady Zmey spotted in the distance.

He cast a long glance at the pill.

'Meridian opening...' Zmey pondered.

He grounded his mind to let go of the pill. He didn't need it. But he held back when he thought about what if he was wrong all this while. And Aura's perspective was the same.

What if no one had opened his meridians, and they had mistaken it all this while?

'Well, it won't hurt to try a second time...' As he was about to consume it, a memory shrieked up in his mind.

His hand shook, and the pill slipped away. It plummeted through the clouds to the waterfall.

He shut his eyes, pressing his fingers against his temples.

He opened it to realise the pill was no longer in his hand. He simply stared at the clouds, mumbling, "Oh..."

His chest tightened a bit, but he thought whatever would happen should. The memory he gained now warned him.

Taking the pill after opening the meridian would contaminate the mage's body. It might cause paralysis. And a probable consequence was death occurring immediately.

If he had taken the pill, he had taken a risk. And now that the pill was gone, he was unsure. He didn't know if his meridian was open. He could only let events reveal the truth.

"... Dear warriors, behold my first order. For the next month, you are not allowed to exit the Cultivation Highland.

You shall be grounded in here for intense mastery of your elements now that your meridians are opened..."

Some ladies shared glances at one another. And guys clasping their waists did the same thing, mouths half-open.

Sensing the need to give the next line, Magnus continued, "You don't need to worry about food or water.

So far, you're in an illusionary cultivation space. You don't need them."

He flickered his wrist, the cauldron vanishing from the air. The darkening sky showed sharp blue gradients. Golden embers danced in the air.

The instructor then said, "Remember, you aren't kids or teenagers. There's a reason the least age needed for awakening is twenty years.

No one will teach you how to wield magic or anything. You have to find out for yourself.

All I can help you with is this. If you can conjure the elements into a fireball for twenty seconds, you have passed the test.

Behold my return in the next month. Not making a fireball would disqualify you from the upcoming assessment competition. And you will fall behind your mates. Till then..."

Right afterwards, the air imprisoned his wholeness. Something swept across everyone.