The academy's history has spanned a lengthy 402 years, our history rich with power and legacy."
He paused as the words soaked into each teenager present, soaking into their minds as this was no mere play around; It was the catalyst that would determine their future.
"This year is no different. Many of you have earned merely the right to be in this courtyard; now we will weed you out. The strong will be distinguished from the weak, and this day will mark whether you will become a soldier of the Heretics or a casual civilian roaming the streets.
But none of you came here for that, did you?
You all came here to show your strength. To grow into something better than you are now.
To become a man or woman of immense power that would make the Revered quake in their boots at the mere sight of you.
If you strive for anything less than that, there is no point in being here. We do not foster those with weak wills; we only home the ones who have the mindset of the strongest.
You will hurt.
You will rage.
You will sulk.
That is the natural process of life.
This academy is different than the schools you came from.
There is no room for failure, and there is rarely any leniency.
Our goal is to create the best warriors, and anyone who doesn't meet our criteria will be kicked out.
There is no set limit to how many examinees can enroll in the academy; all of you can make it if you show that you have the determination and the potential to be here.
So, are you going to show me you belong here, or are you going to make me think of you as a lesser being?"
Cillian paused; His gaze scouring over each student present. They felt a lingering presence in their souls as if he made eye contact with every single one of them.
"SHOW ME.
SHOW ME YOU BELONG.
SHOW ME YOU'LL FIGHT.
SHOW ME YOU'LL LEAD THE FUTURE OF THE HERETICS."
"RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Every examinee released the excitement bubbling in their hearts, their voices raw with determination as the words sank into their hearts, shattering open their shells. Their eyes filled with awe and newfound will, and they didn't hesitate to unleash it all.
A minuscule earthquake rattled the ground, the decibels reaching a height where even Ryan's ears tinged. Cillian's gaze deepened as he watched every shout, every thump of the chest that brimmed with excitement.
The yelling naturally died down to a still, leaving Cillian to speak further, "The first test will be a basic Physical.
You will traverse five kilometers of terrain. This will make you climb, crawl, jump, and sprint. It will be gauging each physical aspect.
Your stamina.
Your strength.
Your agility.
Your adaptiveness.
Show me you possess the mere physicality of a warrior."
SNAP!
A simple snap of his fingers, and every examinee in the courtyard vanished from sight.
Ryan widened his eyes as the sight caught him entirely off-guard, "Uhh, where'd they go?"
He asked curiously, as he was sure it was due to the Headmaster.
"A pocket dimension. Of course, we can't let nearly ten thousand of them run around at the same time, now can we?"
A faint smile formed on his lips as three translucent screens displaying a hazy static were conjured in front of them. "There is not really a point in watching, as the ones who pass will be listed in order. This is mainly just to supervise in case a predicament breaks out."
Ryan understood and nodded in reply as his eyes trained on the screens, his eyes darting around as he looked for Agnus.
—
Agnus himself stood in the centre of nearly two hundred students, a vast landscape stretching beyond the horizon in front of him.
The land abruptly changed into one of staggering heights, formidable slopes, and deep water.
The test would challenge him on each factor, but he never planned to fail.
An opaque text with glowing outlines glistened above the group of examinees, displaying a timer which read [0:56].
Agnus rotated his head as he scanned over each member and realized how weak they seemed.
An eye test was a basic way of scouting your opponent, as the way they held themselves could tell a lot about their strength. Some nervously fidgeted with their hands, others casually indulged in conversation as if the APE was a joke and not worth their time.
'If I were normal, would I be like them?' The question rang in his head, and the answer was unclear. He could only think logically, and knowing that this test would play a part in whether he passed or not, he could not afford to treat it as a simple test.
His mind traced back to the Headmaster's words, where he said anyone could pass as long as they met the requirements.
Was that really true?
What good was a warrior if they only strived for the bare-minimum?
The clock ticked down, and as it reached the 20-second mark, the conversation died out as the students took position.
Some stretched, some stood casually as they stared at the timer. His eyes that were naturally imbued with mana searched into every examinee, and their power only reached the zenith of the Ascendant tier, meaning they were all on equal footing in terms of strength.
Excluding Agnus, of course.
The drawback of not being able to use spells came with its own advantages, and physical enhancement was the center of it.
Each joint in his body carried significantly more power, his flexibility allowing him to perform extreme maneuvers with envied ease, and his fingertips alone could send him flying in the air. His body was naturally amplified by mana, a technique that everyone else would have to learn themselves.
[0:10]
Examinees lowered themselves to a knee, arching their backs as they assumed a sprinting-stance, their finger tips pressing against the ground.
Agnus did the same, lowering himself to his knees and raising his buttocks, sliding his arm next to his hip as fingers were aimed forward.
"Hey, traitor's son." A voice called from behind Agnus, to which he promptly turned his head to grasp the visage of the person speaking.
Behind him, a boy with a trimmed buzzcut smiled, his gaze narrowed as he peered into Agnus's eyes. "I hope you don't actually plan to pass this test. No one will let that happen."
Agnus merely stared back before turning his eyes back in front of him, completely ignoring his words. 'I won't play fair then.' He stated in his mind.
There was no reason to purposefully sabotage another examinee's trial, but if they tried to do it to him, he wouldn't hesitate to do the same.
[0:03]
[0:02]
[0:01]
[0:00]
BANG!