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Chapter 25: The Day of Assessment

Early one morning all the freshmen of Saint Gobban Academy got up at dawn, for today they would face their first assessment since enrollment.

These proud geniuses brimmed with confidence, having prepared for this test for a long time.

Ashura also rose early, fetched breakfast from the cafeteria for his three roommates as usual, and the four of them enjoyed an excellent camaraderie.

Their self-made “Top 10 Freshman Beauties” list, spiced with half-true gossip, had even earned them over 1,000 credits when sold as info cards.

The windfall thrilled the four brothers, and their leader Jin Ze declared that they would split the credits equally; Ashura, feeling he had done little, tried to repay the group by doing whatever chores he could.

After breakfast the three encouraged one another and headed to their respective classes to await the test, while the fourth roommate Angelo was exempt and habitually slept in.

When Ashura entered Magic School Class 13, most students were already present, yet they largely ignored the black-haired boy because he frequently skipped class.

Rumor said he missed lessons to train martial arts in order to chase girls, which made these self-important magicians look down on him even more, and whispers claimed his magic level was abysmally low.

The only classmates who remained friendly toward him were the silver-haired girl Clara and the chubby Na Wei.

Those two were among Ashura’s few friends in the Magic School.

Clara probably felt close to him because they had entered the academy together, while Na Wei, who had poor grades, assumed Ashura was a fellow underachiever and felt kinship.

Na Wei’s greatest hobby was eating, and he spent all his credits on the gourmet dishes sold on the cafeteria’s second floor.

Ashura had visited that second floor once and silently clicked his tongue at the posted prices, unwilling to squander his hard-earned credits on mere cravings.

While everyone whispered about the looming exam, Clara turned and asked softly, “The assessment is today; do you think you can pass?”

Lounging lazily in his chair, Ashura answered carelessly, “How could a man admit he can’t?”

Clara rolled her eyes dramatically; she had grown used to his flippant attitude, and although he was somewhat slack, she still enjoyed talking with him.

Unlike the other boys, Ashura never pretended to be perfect or schemed to win her favor with ulterior motives.

The recently released “Top 10 Academy Beauties” card even listed her hobbies and quirks, attracting suitors who buzzed around her like flies and drove her crazy.

If she ever discovered that this mischievous boy beside her had leaked all that information, she might no longer feel so fond of him.

At that moment Na Wei turned from the front row and said, “Ashura, after the test let’s hit the cafeteria’s second floor and eat through your credits; you’re getting kicked out anyway, so don’t let them go to waste!”

Hearing this, Ashura grabbed the notebook on the desk, ready to hurl it at Na Wei’s head, but Clara shot him a sharp glare.

He sheepishly put the notebook back, for it contained Clara’s daily study notes and their chat logs.

If he dared throw it, Clara, a Magician Stage 2, would immediately strike him with a bolt of lightning.

Indeed, the prodigious Clara had already advanced to Magician Stage 2.

The class representative Kyle had likewise reached Magician Stage 2, and the achievement convinced him he was the goddess’s destined partner, the only one worthy of her.

Ashura glared at the chubby Na Wei and snapped, “Jinx, worry about yourself first!”

Chastised, the fatty shrank his neck; although he was Magician Stage 1, he had never studied his magic skills seriously.

Even the basic lightning-element spell Summon Lightning worked only sporadically for him; he worried that he would fail the mannequin test and wondered if he had to resort to his family’s secret spell.

While Na Wei was lost in such thoughts, the beautiful homeroom instructor Ella entered the classroom, dressed especially formally today.

Wearing a solemn yet expectant expression, she looked at the 14 magic students before her and declared, “All members of Magic Class 13, follow me to the test arena for your magic assessment!”

After speaking, the whole class rose with serious faces and followed Instructor Ella to the magic testing ground.

The magic testing ground was a spacious semicircular arena, and with the roof retracted sunlight flooded in, making the place brilliantly bright.

As they entered, students from Magic Class 12 were just finishing; several shuffled out, crestfallen, clearly having failed.

One girl was sobbing uncontrollably, which made Class 13 even more anxious.

Seeing their nervousness, Instructor Ella encouraged them, “Relax, lightning-element mages have the highest damage output, so it’s easier for you to pass the mannequin test!”

“I know each of your abilities, and I believe all of you can succeed!”

Her words lifted their spirits; after three months together they knew Instructor Ella was not only beautiful and skillful in teaching but also possessed impeccable character.

She was beloved by students, her classes drew the most auditors, and it was no wonder so many male instructors pursued her.

At that moment Instructor Ella spotted the tall Ashura in the back; three months of martial training had made him even more muscular and upright, and he stood out among the magicians like a crane among chickens.

His ragged magic robe stretched tightly over his well-defined muscles.

She often paid attention to this problematic student, always wanting to help him catch up with the class.

Yet Ashura was headstrong, merely smiling at her instructoring suggestions and then doing as he pleased.

He even politely refused when she offered to buy him a new magic robe with her own credits.

She felt somewhat frustrated, unsure what more she could do as homeroom instructor, and on this assessment day all she could offer was an encouraging look.

Ashura noticed and responded with a faint grin.

It was now Class 13’s turn; in the center of the arena stood a man-sized pure-white test mannequin, made of some unknown material neither metal nor jade, its surface etched with blue runes.

On a nearby dais three magic instructors sat: one hosted, one recorded, and one judged the results.

The hook-nosed magician in the middle, responsible for judgments, looked particularly stern and uncompromising.

The male host-instructor rose and announced, “We now begin the first magic assessment; the rules are simple… if you can damage the test mannequin, you pass.”

“When the mannequin takes effective damage it will change color, and any color change counts as a successful clearance.”

“Naturally, only sufficient magician rank paired with proficient spellcasting can harm it, and I trust you have all prepared during these three months.”

“No more chatter; I hereby declare the Magic Class 13 assessment officially underway!”

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