Chapter - 53 White  Magic Tower [4]

""All applicants with exam numbers from one to one hundred are cleared to enter the testing site!" declared a random senior mage.

As the test administrator's voice resonated, a large crowd of students surged forward into the exam hall.

If one listened closely, the sounds of nervous groans and chattering teeth filled the air.

This process of calling out numbers went on in grand fashion until finally…

"All applicants with exam numbers from 3101 to 3200 may now enter the testing site," announced the voice.

The woman at the podium, with her gray hair and the look of someone in her early thirties, appeared visibly worn from her responsibilities. Her tired eyes hinted at sleepless nights, and her unkempt hair and rumpled clothing echoed her fatigue.

Upon hearing my number called, I nodded absentmindedly before grabbing my rucksack and tossing it over my shoulder."

As I made my way to the testing site, my thoughts spiraled back to the events that had just unfolded moments earlier.

A crimson liquid streamed down his face.

That sensation of power…

It was as if I was staring directly into the abyss of strength…

"I put on a brave face in front of my old rival, but deep inside, fear gripped me… and I despise that feeling. I have to become stronger, faster," I thought. "No, mere strength won't suffice. I could spend countless days training and refining my skills, but that would only take me so far… If I truly want to attain sovereign strength and enlightenment, I must aspire to..."

Godhood. In this lifetime, I've been gifted with a body bursting with potential, so perhaps I can finally achieve that lofty goal.

Godhood, Anything that is genuinely worshiped long enough and by enough people can become a god, from man to Dragons, and even demons can reach such heights through the process called Apotheosis, a term used to describe the rare phenomenon where a mortal can ascend into a god or goddess.

And what better world than this world of 'Damn Reincarnation', a place where beings can elevate to such a status, for example, Hamel Diaz or Eugene my current foster brother, In his first life as Agaroth, was a human who was able to ascend into godhood and was so powerful that he was the only person or god who was able to injure the Demon King of Destruction!

Such power, but I need more than him more than anyone. I need to take my revenge against those bastards… obviously, this will take centuries and thus hard work and dedication. 

I'll focus on taking things one step at a time: first the test, then working on getting stronger.

"..." 

***

The entire auditorium felt desolate, merely a husk of its former self that had thrived with anxious mages and cheerful conversation.

Edward, along with the other 99 students, was being escorted to their designated testing location.

As he walked, he took a moment to glance around.

Step step

The whole area was quiet no one daring to say anything out of fear. 

Most of the applicants were still in their early teens, and to cope with the stressed environment they would take deep breaths in an attempt to calm their turmoiled minds. 

A minute later they were brought to a large room, 

A minute later, they were led into a spacious room.

The space was filled with rows of desks, where natural light mingled with the gentle glow of mana stones, illuminating everything beautifully.

Each testing unit featured its own crystal tablet embedded in the elegant desks.

"Every examinee will have ten minutes to tackle a test consisting of 150 questions," the gray-haired senior said, taking a brief pause before adding, "To have even a slight chance of acceptance in the academic portion, you must correctly answer at least 140 questions." She stressed the importance of this requirement.

"Any questions?"

While most applicants had already faced this challenge before, the newcomers looked ready to faint at the daunting task ahead.

"...I-I would like to forfeit the test," one nervous novice mage finally blurted out, overwhelmed by anxiety.

Ignoring the youth's hasty remark, the senior noticed that the others remained silent, either unwilling or too intimidated to voice any concerns.

"If there are no questions, please take your assigned seats. You can find your designated spot on the back of your test slip," she instructed.

"Any form of cheating will not be tolerated and will result in immediate failure of the test, along with a permanent ban from any future applications," she declared firmly.

Listening to the senior one or two applicants immediately averted their gaze from the woman and to the floor board pretending to have an occupied mind. 

"To those who think themself exempted from this rule then you are gravely mistaken," she lastly said with a stern gaze ending her speech. 

"94," I mumbled, squinting at the back of my paper.

As I settled into my desk, a frosted crystal divider appeared out of nowhere.

"Start," the gray-haired woman said, ringing an alert.

Saying this a ten-minute timer appeared on the top left of the crystal tablet. 

"Let me see the first question…"

Where does magic come from? · Is magic divided into categories? · On what lines are these categories drawn? · How accurate are these categories?

"As I thought easy" 

Before I knew it, three minutes had already zipped by.

Edward glanced at the timer and saw there were still over six minutes left.

That meant he had managed to finish the entire test in just three minutes.

As Edward rested his arms on his head he had fallen asleep. 

"ZzZz.."

Four minutes had slipped by,

and by the seven-minute mark, most of the seasoned applicants had already completed the test.

Sadly, many of the younger mages were left staring blankly at the questions, studying each one twice before deciding on their final answers.

At last, time ran out.

"You may now exit the testing site and proceed to the next area," announced the gray-haired woman, her brow furrowed in concern.

"As I anticipated, most applicants performed poorly… but what is this?" Her complexion drained of color as she rubbed her eyes, astonished at the three highest scores.

Erebus - Exam number 94 [150/150]

Atticus - Exam number 82 [150/150] 

Ren - Exam number 48 [149/150]

'How in the holy fuck did they manage this?!?' 'I only got 90 out of 150 questions right on my first try?!' '...And who is Erebus?'

As she gaped dumbfounded at the results. The students heeding her instructions exited the chamber.

***

"That test was rubbish… anyway, what do you think you did?" spoke a random

"... if I passed then my prayers would have been answered" the other responded with a roll of their eyes. 

"I definitely failed, I definitely failed, there's no way I passed," another applicant lamented while hyperventilating and nervously tugging at the hem of his cloak.

Listening to the rants emanating from behind him, the sky blue-haired senor cladded with a white cloak finally bellowed "Enough of your bickering! You'll have plenty of time to annoy each other once the tests are done," he said with a scowl "Instead, focus on reviewing the list of practical tests instead of wasting time."

The rest of the walk to the consecutive testing sight was mainly in silence except for a few rowdy youths.

Choosing to tune out the racket, Edward focused on the upcoming practical tests that had seemingly appeared on the back of the parchment handed to each examinee.

"I guess the test tickets are made of a simple yet versatile magic," Edward noted internally. 

[Practical Exam]

Applicants Elemental AffinitySpirit AffinityMana conversionMana purityMental domain 

and ….

Physical Appearance

"Physical appearance?" Edward pondered internally as he scanned the last line on the parchment "I may be lacking in that department, there's no need to deny it, but the rest should be a breeze" Edward thought as he glanced over the other tests for a second time

"Piece of cake" Edward spoke aloud.

As this happened to one of the two applicants who received a perfect score, Atticus watched Edward amused yet confused. 

Atticus Euzeland, the first son of Hiridus Euzeland, the Blue Magic tower master, but unlike his father, he failed to excel at battle magic, so rather than trending a soiled path he opted to transverse spirit magic and he was a monster in his own right, reaching the fifth magic circle at the age 16 contracting with several high level spirits of differing elements. 

Despite possessing such remarkable talent, he found himself overshadowed by two standout figures: Honein Abram, the Crown Prince of Aroth, and the extraordinary Eugene Lionheart. In just four short years, Eugene matched the progress of both Atticus and Honein and is now pursuing his studies at Akaron.

But rather than envying these two individuals which would only be a waste of time, he rather admired them but lacked the confidence to dare talk or challange them. 

"... he seems quite powerful," he thought as he attempted to sense Edward's mana. 

"...Weird though," he thought shuttering. 

***

Arriving at the hall of the practical exam the blue-haired senior walked up to another test administrator alerting him of their arrival. The senor in mention donned raven-colored hair with piercing red eyes and wore a similar white robe with a notable exception, they had a silver sigle on their left chest. 

"senor, where are these applicant's testing sites" the blue-haired man spoke.

"Your group?" he replied indifferent.

"31st" 

"Then go to the 31st testing site" the Raven-haired man spoke apathetic "Is that not obvious?"

The younger mages, their curiosity piqued, couldn't help but stifle a laugh as they listened in on the conversation between the two.

When the blue-haired man concluded his talk, he walked back with a stoic face that starkly contrasted with the lightness of the moment, but it hardly mattered.

He shared directives for the next steps. 

Soon enough, they arrived at the site for practical testing.

The Elemental Chamber lay before them also known as testing site 31, its entrance marked by an intricately carved archway that seemed to pulse with a faint glow. It was as if mana stones were illuminating the surroundings, but in fact, they were all high-ranking spirits that were intended to test the applicants to determine the most fitting elemental affinity, and attraction to spirits (physical appearance), and to determine if the examinees can resist the spiritual pressure exerted high ranking spirits. 

"Examinees numbered 1-20, please proceed into the chamber," the blue-haired senior instructed, his voice cutting through the air like a command.

With that cue, a dynamic wave of twenty hopefuls surged into the chamber, disappearing from view as they stepped inside.

As Edward keenly observed the group's focused energy, insights about the chamber's layout swiftly pieced together in his mind.

After an hour of watching as four distinct groups flowed in and out of the Elemental chamber, the moment finally arrived for his own group to step forward.

"The remaining examinees may now enter the chamber," the announcer declared.

With those words, I strode toward the Elemental chamber's entrance with a confident glint.

***

"What is this rubbish?!" Edward yelled inside the chamber

Although Edward entered into a contract with Glacias, the Spit King of Ice, this was merely a result of the agreement he struck...

 Beyond that, the spirits had avidly avoided Edward within the Spirit realm and now the Elemental chamber.

Why?

Spirit Magic was usually difficult to get into. If they weren't born with the trait that made a person attractive to spirits, even an excellent wizard wouldn't be able to summon a low-class spirit. 

Though Edward's innate talent was built by going through countless genuine life-threatening battles. 

The primary reason spirits seemed to slip through his grasp was the unsettling nature of his soul, which throbbed with a dark, almost sinister aura, steeped in an overwhelming sense of void. It was a tempest of anger, grief, rage, fear, and a longing for revenge.

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