Kapitel 2: A CLOSE CALL

"Just like any other year, this entrance test will be carried out in two phases. The first phase is to see if you all can generate mana out of your body, while the second which is the last phase will be to to survive" The middle aged man spoke up with a stern look now on his face.

'To survive? Don't tell me we are going to stay in the domain of the ferocious beasts?' Kaelen thought with a panicked look on his face. It seems like Morris could hear what Kaelen is thinking as he suddenly spoke up in a soft chuckle.

"You don't have to worry about the second phase of the entrance exam. Based on what my relatives told me, the second phase of the exam will be carried out in a pocket dimension which is created by the founder of the Academy"

"A pocket dimension!" Kaelen muttered quite loudly with a shocked look on his face. Luckily, his voice wasn't loud enough to get the people's attention.

"Yeah. Although they don't know how to describe the pocket dimension since it changes every year, but they are sure it is a pocket dimension" Morris said with a respectful look on his face.

'I wonder how strong the founder of this Academy is?' Kaelen thought with a curious look now on his face. But he didn't know that right at that moment, the middle aged man who is standing in front of the group seated has brought out a mystical orb out of a small bag that is hung on his waist.

"What you see in my hand right now is called the Mana Sphere inwhich it will be used to check the level of mana you can release" The middle aged man announced with a straight look on his face.

The Mana Sphere is a translucent, crystalline globe about the size of a grapefruit. Its surface shimmered with a soft, iridescent glow, constantly shifting through hues of blue, green, and violet. Intricate silver runes were etched around its circumference, pulsing gently as if alive. When held, the orb felt cool to the touch, and a faint hum could be heard, resonating with the holder's own energy.

"To check a your mana output, you must place their hands on the orb. Upon contact, the Mana Sphere would react immediately, the inner light intensifying and swirling more rapidly. The colors within the orb would change to reflect the nature and strength of the person's mana: a bright, vibrant hue signifying high output, while a dimmer, more subdued light indicated lower levels. Tiny sparks of energy would dance across the surface, mapping the unique magical signature of your mana, providing a clear and immediate visualization of their mana potential" The middle aged man explained as he suddenly let go of the Mana Sphere.

Shockingly, the Mana Sphere began to float right in front of the middle aged man while it drew the attention of everyone seated.

"If the Mana Sphere failed to bring out a speck of light upon you having contact with it, then you are disqualified from the entrance exam" The middle aged man said again as a clipboard with a pen suddenly materialized in his hands before he continued.

"Now then, let us begin"

And so, the student who was seated right at the front edge of the group suddenly stood up and walked towards the orb that is floating infront of the middle aged man. Not wasting a single minute, the boy placed his hands on the Mana Sphere with a pounded heart.

The soft, iridescent glow within the Mana Sphere intensified briefly, swirling with hues of blue and green. The group seated leaned in, their eyes fixed on the orb. But instead of bursting into a radiant display of light and energy, the colors within the sphere began to dim, settling into a faint, subdued glow.

Tiny sparks flickered weakly across the surface before fading away.A hushed murmur rippled through the grounds, the collective tone of mockery palpable. The boys cheeks flushed as he withdrew his hands, staring at the Mana Sphere in disbelief. But the middle aged man didn't seem to care as he suddenly spoke up while writing something down on the clipboard.

"You barely passed, go behind Nathan"

When the boy heard him, his eyes quickly brightened as he replied with a light bow out of excitement.

"Ok Headmaster"

After that, he quickly went and stood quietly stood behind the boy who is standing beside the Headmaster. But Headmaster himself seems to have already moved on as he exclaimed.

"Next!!"

And so, the group who were seated began to go through the process one at a time. Some were eliminated due to the Mana Sphere wasn't able to produce any light when it was their turn, while some passed in various degrees.

'Morris is really a monster' Kaelen thought with a shocked look on his face when he witnessed the blinding light which is coming out from the Mana Sphere during Morris turn.

"Good, very good. You can go and stand behind Nathan" With a pleased look on his face, the Headmaster said in a soft tone.

"Ok Headmaster" Morris replied in a calm tone before he walked towards Nathan and stood behind him.

"Not bad" Right at that moment, Nathan suddenly spoke up for the first time since his arrival which shocked the people who stood behind him.

But Morris still remained calm as he spoke up while various eyes filled with envy landed on him.

"Thank you senior"

"Next!!"

'My turn is up' Kaelen thought calmly as he slowly stood up from his chair. As soon as he did, the girl who has been standing beside the Headmaster suddenly twitched for just a millisecond before she came back to her normal composure.

"Hey look, it's finally Kaelen's turn"

"I wonder if the orb will shine if he placed his hands on it"

"Bahh!! What nonsense are you spouting? Not only will the orb fail to produce any light due to his presence, but it might even break due to him sucking out all the mana residue in it"

"Oh my G*d, that's so true hahaha"

While the remaining people seated began to whisper amongst themselves, Kaelen calmly stood before the Mana Sphere.

'Well, here goes....' And with a deep breath, Kaelen thought as he placed his hands on the Mana Sphere. As soon as he did, everyone including Nathan and the girl who is standing beside the Headmaster put their attention on the Mana Sphere.

'Come on Kaelen, you can do this' Morris thought hopefully as he stares at the Mana Sphere which hasn't produced any light for five minutes since when Kaelen first placed his hands on it.

'Don't tell me I am going be disqualified here in front of her?' Kaelen thought as he began to feel anxious while he stared at the Mana Sphere which hasn't produced any light.

But that thought didn't stay in his head for long as a speck of light suddenly popped out from the Mana Sphere. When both him and Morris saw this speck of light, they quickly let out a sigh of relief as excitement began to paint their faces.

"Woah!! Kaelen actually didn't get disqualified!!?"

"This is the greatest miracle he might have had in his entire life"

"Even if he got through the first phase, there is no way he will pass the second phase"

"Well that's true, but let's not ruin the only moment he got to shine in his entire life"

'Thats a close call' While whispers began to go on amongst the people who are seated and the people standing behind Nathan and the mysterious girl, Kaelen thought in relief as he put his gaze on the Headmaster. But as soon as he put his gaze on the Headmaster, he instantly shuddered.

What he saw on the Headmasters face is a gaze which has hardened, his eyes narrowing into slits that seemed to cut through Kaelen's very soul. His lips pressed into a thin line, and the furrow in his brow deepened, creating shadows that accentuated the severity of his expression.

The headmaster's face, usually composed and stern, now radiated a palpable sense of disappointment and anger.Kaelen felt a chill run down his spine, his mouth going dry as he tried to hold the Headmaster's gaze. The weight of the Headmaster's look was almost unbearable, a silent but powerful reprimand that spoke volumes. It was a look that promised consequences and demanded explanations, leaving Kaelen completely clueless of the gravity of his actions.

"Go and stand behind Nathan" But in the end, the Headmaster spoke up in an indifferent tone. When Kaelen heard him, he hastily answered before he walked towards where Nathan stood.

"Yes Headmaster"

But he failed to notice the millisecond long twitch which has appeared on the face of the girl who stood beside the Headmaster as she quietly held the helm of her skirt tightly.