Moments before.
---------------------
"Alright, it's been about 10 minutes now should we call Professor Lop to appear?"
"Yes do call him. They made it through the first session patients" Ariana says.
"It's a shame that some of the students walked back to their dorms or went home" Celeste comments.
"Celeste, do you think your students can pass this exam?" Ariana asks.
"Yes, I believe they can." Celeste Carmen says as she stares at Valerus from behind and as he suddenly looks back at them.
Ariana then turns her body in a different direction"Taz how about you?"
"Yeah am, pretty sure Albeck and Jericho can as well but if they overthink this portion," Taz says.
"Hold on," a voice says in the distance.
"Oh, there he is I hope they dont-" Taz speaks as he cuts off.
"Shh let's wait and see their reaction this year," Ariana says in excitement.
"I hope this group is more-"
A roar of laughter echoes throughout the school.
STEP STEP STEP
Captain Percival and lieutenant Alekzader come up too the homeroom teachers.
"What's happening now" Percival asks.
"Oh Professor Lop. Uh oh" Alekzander speaks.
STEP STEP STEP
The five student council members appear.
Faith turns the corner with her hands behind her back "What's going on-"
She watched as Ezekiel walked up to the Bunny.
Luna and Axel showed a regretful face.
Issac wore an expression of "Ooh that's going to hurt"
Ceaser stood in silence.
The Captain and lieutenant watched as this played out.
The teachers look in shock and worry.
Faith calls out to him but it's too late.
Ezekiel gets flown around.
"Ughh that idiot," Faith says as she takes off her hat and scratches her head.
"Ahhh" Luna and Axel share the same expression as Faith with their heads down in disappointment.
Celeste crosses her arms and tilts her head "Hmm could've been worse."
"Uh," Taz and Ariana stand in disbelief.
"So that's Leo huh well he isn't so bright" Alekzander remarks.
"He's confident and bold in his abilities but naive at the same time. Leo alright, I want to see him in action" Percival remarks as he surveys the other students "Hmm"
"What is it?" Alekzander asks.
"Nothing am going to prepare to watch the next stage".
"Alright, Captain I'll watch this part and catch up a little bit."
Percival heads in the opposite direction towards Stage 2 "So the Pearson Family decided to enroll their son after all. Valerus has grown up Marko. Let's see if he can live up to your name"Percival looks up to the clear blue sky.
----------------------------------------------
Back to the examinees.
We watched in anticipation to see if Rose and her group would pass.
Rose goes first. Although usually calm her face said otherwise. She stood before the professor for a moment, then finally moved. She moved past the bunny and walked to the side that passed.
"She made it through," I said.
The others continue to watch how the rest of them do.
Sunneta the girl with short yellow hair, a bob cut, and a pin on the left side of her hair, was up next as she looked nervous as well, but ultimately passed in the end. After she was the two girls that faced off Faith and Luna in a losing effort Bella the girl with long purple hair light purple eyes, and bangs that almost covered her forehead, and Lily, the girl with short white hair that she tied with a plaid bow, golden brown eyes. They both passed.
"Hmm her group isn't just all looks" Eriko remarks.
"They did fair pretty well against Faith and Luna," I remark.
"But did they beat them?" Eriko follows up.
"No"
Albeck then walks by us as he stands in line to answer the three questions. With Jericho still babbling his mouth to him.
"Am going next"
"Wait hold on Eri you gotta think this through"
"I got this I believe in my ability do you Val? Now come let's go" she says as she drags me along.
"Guess am going too" Ezekiel follows.
With Eriko and Ezekiel in front of me, I watched as a couple of mages pass then it was Albeck's turn.
He steps forward a short moment after he steps to the passing side.
"Hmm not even a minute," I said to myself.
Jericho goes next. He passes as well. "Too easy," he says to himself.
The mages who were in front of us didn't as they let out remarks such as "It was that why? That's so confusing. How can it be?"
The last one then turned to us "the last one is a trick question do not fall- woaah" He then gets tossed too the failed side getting caught by the others who failed.
Eriko steps forward.
Complete silence between the two a minute goes by a Eriko takes a deep breath. I waited for a response was it a sigh of relief or defeat? She turned around a gave us a thumbs up and smile.
"Alright my turn," Ezekiel says.
I watched Ezekiel's body jolt and jerk as he grunts, and contemplates with his hands on his chin, and when he tries to answer he then thinks again. After a couple of nods and noises, he walked passed the bunny. "You got this Valerus dont sweat this."
I step forward waiting for my questions. Thoughts begin running through my head again. "No not this again this feeling that I felt.
I hear a woman's voice in my head. "Max, you'll never amount to your cousins" You must pass this test. We didn't pay for all this schooling for you to not pass" I thought that I remembered. "Max its alright man dont listen to her you'll do fine just try your best," a young male voice says.
"Hmm interesting Valerus Marina a voice calls out in my head" I look up it is the voice of the bunny. "Very interesting indeed"
"What are these memories that am seeing? "An unfamiliar world? Hmmm. Well, this is a matter that I can look into later. In this world, you are the Valerus Marina the Son of Marko Marina and Lila Marina. But you are a mystery. What are you? Or who are you?"
"What? Is this part of the test" I ask Professor Loop telepathically.
"No, it is not I shall let you know when the questions I ask are about to be spoken. The questions I ask now am for my pure imagination"
"Am Valerus Marina I live in the southern part of Aiz in Kubridge"
"Ahh we're sticking with that for now. Ok. The exam questions will now be asked."
I take a gulp.
"Speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with wind. What am I?
I felt my face change to a dazed look of bewilderment. "Huh" I said aloud.
"Speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with wind. What am I? Since you are interested I'll let you have 1 redo for any of the three questions." The talking bunny asks with a little speck of concern in his voice.
I repeat the question in my head "Speak without a mouth and hear without ears" no thats not where it is but I come alive with wind.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
An echo I answer.
"Is that your final answer?"
"Uhh"
"Is it not"
"It is !"
"Correct. Question 2 Name me the 7 overlords and 7 demon lords from hell.
"This is an easy one.
Overlord of Weapons, Overlord of Curses, Overlord of Time, Overlord of Death, Overlord of Understanding, Overlord of Illusion, and the Overlord of Love.
The demon lords are Wrath, Envy, Lust, Greed, Sloth, Pride, and Gluttony
"Correct. Last and final question"
I eagerly wait and see what question he will ask.
"I am always near, but never far.
I am always around, but never seen.
I am often avoided, but I always catch up.
I will come when you are old and grey, or maybe even the very next day.
I will come with cold embrace, and give you rest with a chill kiss on your face.
I come in many forms whether it's irony, love, laughter, or hate.
I am everyone's final fate.
What am I?"
"Death"
I speak it without any hesitation.
"Why did I just say that? How?" "Waiii I dont know"
"Congratulations Mr Marina you pass. Please head on over there to the side where the others are"
As shocked as I was I couldn't help but be happy as I strolled on to my friends.
"Mr.Marina remember this. Death awaits everyone. And I have seen what you saw. They will come back. They'll come for you. You must be careful. Hold your friends dear. Cause the end is drawing near." Professor Lop warns me in a serious tone.
I continue to walk forward disregarding what the telepathic bunny just told me.
I passed the first stage.
"Good job Val I know you could do it!" Eriko says as she smiles and hugs me,
"Great Job man that was fast faster than me" Ezekiel responds and Eriko adds "honestly you were faster than me"
"Really was I really that fast? It felt like an eternity answering those questions" I say to them as I look back at Professor Lop. "Who is he," I ask myself.
He then turned towards me and smiled at me as if he could still hear my thoughts.
"Hey you passed Valerus that's good" Bianca walks over to us as she passes Lop it turns out she was a couple of mages behind us.
"Bianca you passed as well good job how were your questions"
"Pretty easy"
"Hi Eriko Ezekiel"
"Hi Bianca" Eriko smiles.
"Sup"
"You guys ready for the next stage?"
"Yeah-"
"It should be really easy"Eriko again cuts me off and answers for me. "So Bianca how do you feel" Eriko says as she walks away with Bianca.
"Man she's jealous"
"I know. I know"
I also feel looks from Rose and her group Albeck and Jericho.
VOOSH
A familiar figure appears before us. Issac Di Angelo The Treasurer of the Student Council.
Issac speaks and claps "Congrats on passing"
Everyone begins cheering.
"Yes, we get to fight," Ezekiel says excitingly.
"We must find out our partners first."
"part 1 of the stage 1 exam"
"What!" a commotion erupts.
"What the hell was the point in that then?" "Why?"
"I guess I was wrong," Jericho says.
Rose and her groups looked ticked off in fact everyone was ticked off about this revelation.
Our first-year class was almost cut into more than half from a group of 150 it was cut down to a mere 50.
"Why you all ask because its too narrow you folks down to the very best of the best. That first part with Professor Lop taught you about patients waiting in the hot sun for 10 minutes while some of your classmates dropped out. The second being is the riddles that were given all of you had at least 1 riddle to solve the other two. The point of it is a social or instructional tool, as well as a means of testing someone's wit and originality. In battle, you will have to think outside of the box and use your creativity to think regardless if you are alone or with the team"
CLAP CLAP "Alright we shall now start part 2 of stage 1" he creates a rectangle with his hands
ILLUSION MAGIC: CLASSROOM
A classroom is then built from his magic. Time to take a test he says with a pair of glasses on.
"UHHHHHH" Ezekiel moans out.
With the first half of the 1st stage over, we arrived in the testing room where the exam was originally going for many of us.
We entered the room. The testing room is laid out like our homerooms but in a much smaller capacity.
"Issac being the test instructor for this round is something," Ezekiel says as he walks with me side by side while Eriko and Bianca follow us closely from behind.
We take our seats in the middle row and I look to see where everyone else is seated.
Jericho and Albeck are seated in the left bottom corner of the room. While I didn't see Rose and her group I suspect they must be watching us from above. I looked to take a quick glance in the back of us they were seated at the top in the middle area.
SHUT
The door closes as Issac walks in.
"Hello, fellow students this is the written exam part of the Magus Exam. You will all be given 10 questions to answer. You will be given half an hour to take it. Make sure to double-check your answers. No cheating if you cheat you will be eliminated from the Exam and be asked to leave through that door. You will all turn in the exam at the same time. If you finish early please sit quietly and wait for 30 minutes"
"Alright we got this," I said.
"Reveal," Issac says as the papers were right in front of us the whole time along with a pencil and eraser.
"So his illusions are that good huh?" Ezekiel says.
"They were here the whole time I thought"
"I thought I could sense something on here," Bianca says.
"This is it. He wasn't kidding it's only 10 questions" Eriko says.
Breifely looking at the questions I saw a question about a mage's ability which made me think "Did he say anything about using your abilities" I whispered to the other three.
"No am afraid not," Bianca responds.
"He didn't say we couldn't. If anything that should've been the priority rule" Eriko says.
"These questions," Ezekiel says as he doesn't respond to the question but that's right it would really apply to any of us because were all use offense. "Never mind disregard my question it wouldn't apply to any of us. I take a brief pause to think again "Although someone else may use there's?"
--------
Rose's group.
"Hey girls what if we use our abilities to eliminate more players? Lily try using your ability to distort the other participants."
"But Rose" Lily questions. "Did the rules state that we couldn't use our abilities?" Rose responds. "No, but-" "I agree with Rose on this one" Bella speaks. "We could mess up their questions and distort their minds." "Yeah, we'll activate your ability mid-way through the exam," Sunneta adds. "Well, what about you guys?" "The use of everyone else's abilities would be too on the nose and very disruptive," Azalea says.
"Well, what about your Azalea?"
"Umm uh"
"Azalea it's okay we just ask Lily to use hers. It's the most ideal in this situation. Everyone else save yours for the 2nd stage. We can remove some people" Rose says as she stares at Eriko.
-------------------------
Albeck and Jericho
"Remember what I told you the second exam is based on points so if we score-"
"Dont wanna"
"But-"
"Like I said before no. Besides Dragonclad wouldn't you want to ultimately win in the end due to your family's name?"
"Uh"
"Am right if we are partnered up and make it to the third stage we'll eventually have to fight for the S Rank Mage. Also, I thought you were supposed to be the strongest one here?" Albeck says as he shuts the Dragonclad up.
Both wait in silence as they prepare to take the exam.
---------------------------------------------
Issac takes a stance on the podium "You may now begin the exam"
We all begin to write and quickly answer the questions.
It was very simple questions mostly multiple choice with the last two being short answers such as "Who started "The Battle of the Overlords" The Overlord of Death.
Who was the founder of this School? Aurora Oriana.
How many Captains are there Currently in the Federation? That is a trick question because it says currently so I answer eight instead of 10. The emblem of the federation is not a decagon but an octagon.
Very simple questions with very obvious answers.
I breezed through the first 8 questions easily but when it came to the final two I began to feel uneasy. The letters became distorted and started to float from my page. I looked over at everyone else and they became affected as well. "What the hell" as I clench my head.
"Words are coming off the paper," Bianca says.
"I think this is right," Ezekiel says.
"What's happening?"
"10 minutes remaining" Issac calls out.
"How is he not getting affected by this?" I look over my shoulder.
Am greeted with a surprise Rose's girl looks perfectly fine taking the exam. "It's the girl that Faith and Luna fought the one that distorts your senses. She's using her abilities now?"
I look forward as I see Issac doing nothing. "He's just watching dammit he's going to let this go on isn't he" I placed my head down as I look over to my right as he puts his hands out and mouthed something"
"Argh" the girls then get hit with her own ability. Like it got reflected back to her. I look over to that student again as he now has his palms closed continuing this exam. "I've never seen him before," I thought. I then noticed his hood. "That's why he most likely wore his hood around school but he can't be in our class he must be in someone else's"
"Alright the exam is now over please turn in your tests"
With the exam now over the students wait to see their assigned partners for the Second Stage.
"Your partners will now be displayed" Issac hands glide across the board as 25 pairs are listed only 4 pairs can make it through too the third round."
Eriko Agnello - Rose Providence
Valerus Marina - Bianca Roche
Ezekiel Agnes - Albeck Reigns
Bella Providence - Lily Providence
Suneeta Providence- Jonathan Fultear
Azalea Providence - Jericho Pearson
"I think this is too much of a coincidence, isn't it Valerus?" Bianca says as she smiles at me. I respond with a nervous chuckle and "yeah".
"Aye me and you Albeck" Ezekiel calls out.
"Yes we're team up Bell" "That is crazy," Lily says.
"Jonathan Fultear who that?" Sunneta calls out.
"Hello, Ms Azalea I am Jericho Pearson nice to meet you. Although you guys gave me the cold shoulder the other day that's fine"
"H-hello"
"Hey Jericho you better treat her nice," Bella says. "We'll be coming for you," Lily says. "I'll eliminate you myself," Sunneta says.
"Ladies calm yourselves I will do nothing of that manner I promise I'll keep her safe"
"This is absolute bull," Rose says.
"Unbelievable" Eriko responds.
"Hey Valerus," Bianca says. "Hey, we partners isn't that a coincidence," I tell her. I look around as we have some tough teams. Ezekiel and Albeck are the most notable and most likely the favored to dominate this stage.
With the duos being named a few things caught my attention. One fact the girls in Roses group all share the last name Providence. Are they sisters? They dont look related. The second is the the duos that were made all these duos have some sort of history besides the last two on the list. Speaking of the last two the name Jonathan Fultear sounded unfamiliar to me.
"Hey Bianca do you know a Jonathan Fultear?"
Bianca thinks to herself"Oh Jonathan I rarely see him since he wears a hood, but my guesses are he's in Class 1A"
"I see"
I overhear the conversation between Ezekiel and Albeck well not really a conversation but Ezekiel just going on about them being the duo to beat which is arguably true.
"These are your partners they will hopefully get you both thorough to stage three"
I spot another strong duo but their bond isn't so good. I watched as both their hands go up
"I want to switch partners,". Eriko and Rose say at the same time. "There is teaming with the girl that put our lives in danger," Rose says. "I dont wanna work with a person who thinks they're all high and mighty and only cares about themselves," Eriko says.
"Care about themselves? You dont know anything about me!" Rose stands firmly as that took this to the next level. "You dont know what I no we had to go through," Rose said mere feet away from rocking Eriko. Her group stops her. "
"Rose calm down it's alright," Bella says.
"Relax" Lily spoke.
"Don't let it get to you"
"Calm. Breathe please" Azalea says.
As four bodies try to hold Rose back.
Rose then calms down as she backs off.
Illusion Magic: CELL
Issac's magic is used once more this time encasing Eriko and Rose into a small space.
"Now you two need to get along or else you both will pass this stage" Issac warns them with a smile on his face. "Moving on, every duo will receive two rings." Two gold rings that are engraved and carved with fancy designs on them. Your objective in this stage is to defeat opposing teams and retrieve their rings once both rings are taken from a duo you are eliminated and who be asked to leave the testing zone? Now so that there won't be any campers the testing zone will close every 30 minutes. This will last until there are 4 duos left." Issac says as he slowly walks to the board and materializes a chair.
"Students you may now step forward and grab your rings"
The duos go up one by one to retrieve the two rings. I watch as everyone grabs their rings. Then it was Eriko and Rose's turn.
"You grab the ring and hold them"
"No, I won't be the one to carry your stuff. You do it"
"No, you"
With an exhausted expression puts both his hands out "Ladies take them" as he gives one to each of them.
Bianca and I get up to the podium "am excited to see what you can do Valerus. And of course the Earth Saint in action. Remember Bianca the student council is here for you even if you dont win. "I appreciate you reaching out but my goal is to win the whole thing," Bianca says as she smiles. "Isn't that everyone's"Issac remarks.
CLAP CLAP
"You all must be wondering where and when will this exam take place... RIGHT NOW"
Issac motions his hands.
"Huh"
The floor of the classroom disappears as we all drop from the sky to land in a forest.
"Remember the rules, everyone. Dont worry food and supplies will be given. That's if you don't get eliminated as soon as you touch the ground. I will give further information regarding the stage when you drop. See you later guys" Issac says as he waves from the small platform he stands on.
AGHGFHGHGHHHHHHHHHHH
