Chapter 254

“Next group: Nicholas Crowley, Timothy Poules, Aria Darth, and Vana Darth.”Nick stood, smoothed the front of his tunic, and felt every eye on him. He resisted the urge to glare back, knowing it was the nerves talking. Instead, he glanced at Tim, saw his nervous grin, and nodded in understanding.

“Let’s go,” he said, and the group of four followed the head proctor out of the test room.

The two sisters who joined him were older than he was, but not by much. Neither seemed noble, judging by their practical and well-worn clothes, but they clearly weren’t peasants either, as they carried themselves with quiet confidence.

Though certainly didn’t grant Nick access to their status window, he could roughly infer that they were some flavor of specialized mage. Much like he, as an Occultist, had an easier time developing rituals and sacrificial magic that should have been beyond him—as shown by his latest Feat—they felt attuned to specific energies.

Not single elements, as he was pretty sure he would have recognized them by now.

The other was almost evanescent, so he decided she must have a specialization in illusion magic, possibly even in stealth magic, but its very nature made it difficult to pin down.

Before he could bother asking if his deductions were correct, they arrived at their destination, so he would have to settle for what he could learn by watching them go through the practical.

“Here we are,” the proctor said, gesturing toward an open iron door. “Get in, the next test will be held entirely in the training chamber.”

The moment Nick entered, he blinked in surprise. Low grass swayed as if touched by a gentle breeze, and birds called to each other from distant trees surrounding a forest clearing.

Yet, none of that really existed. There was no life in the green blades, nor did living birds truly make the sound. And worst of all, the wind that seemed to brush the grass felt like nothing at all to his senses.

It took him a moment to process the strange sensory feedback, but eventually he understood what was happening.

Every element that surrounded him was not real, yet it was at the same time, because he could feel it with all his mortal senses. This was not a simple illusion, no. It was something much, much more complicated.

His second, deeper scan revealed the truth. The entire room was a fixed point in space, anchored to the tower to prevent it from being ejected as the planet moved without it, yet it remained present across multiple dimensions.

One such dimension wasn’t just a level of freedom, but an actual place where the grass, wind, and birds truly existed. Echoes of them were reflected here, making for a perfectly pleasant glade built with some of the most intricate magic Nick had ever seen.

But then again, maybe it wasn’t solely for that purpose. Looking deeper, Nick spotted several other layers where multiple people were resting, observing the proceedings without fear of being noticed.

All of them were significantly stronger than most mages he’d encountered within the Tower, though they were too far away for him to inspect properly.

If this was what he could expect to experience every day inside the Tower, he definitely needed to get in.

“Come, come,” an aged voice called, and the four of them moved further in until they stood in the middle of the clearing, where three people waited for them.

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One of them was a stunning, though slightly proud-looking woman, dressed in a refined white and gold robe, with her willow-blonde hair styled in a complex braid. Across from her was a young man who couldn’t have been more than five years older than Nick, sporting a bored expression, though he perked up when they walked in.

Both of them felt strong, significantly more than even the bald proctor, meaning they had to be around level seventy. As pure mages, their mana reserves were even greater, and Nick had to resist the urge to probe further.

He doubted it would be well received, and he still didn’t know how much these mages could sense.

Between the two of them stood a Prestige class Mage.

There was no doubt in his mind about that. The old man, though seemingly unassuming with his stooped back and gnarled staff he used as a cane to lean on, was incredibly powerful, enough to rival Arthur.

The shock of seeing such immense reserves quickly faded when the old man looked at him and winked before shifting his focus to the other proctors. “Well, this batch here seems more promising.”

“Master Battera, I believe it is still too early to tell. Having enough mana to get through the test shouldn’t be more than the bare minimum,” the woman replied, respectful if exasperated.

“Eh, I kinda get what the old man is talking about. These guys seem like they are tougher than the spoiled brats we had before,” the young man interjected, then swung his arms behind him and smiled at them. “But where are my manners? I am Eulogius Sparks, first apprentice to Master Ismael of the War Magic department. These are my fellow proctors, Torrentia Quill, Mistress of the Healing Arts, and Master Koran Battera, the Mighty Oak. Welcome to your practical exam.”

The smile he gave them grew a bit more challenging, and Nick could sense the others react to the list of titles, their tension increasing.

Master Battera nodded gravely, “Indeed, welcome. You have just completed your theory exam, and that will be taken into account when assessing your overall worth. Even if you impress us here, it will mark your early days at the Tower, but you shouldn’t focus on the past. Although never gone, it is often a failing of mortals to forget to live in the present. And that is what I ask of you now. Show us what you've got, give it your all, and leave no regret when you exit this exam.”

The speech seemed to put some steel back in the others’ spines, and Nick noticed Eulogius nearly pouting at his fun being interrupted.

“Now,” Battera began, “this test will consist of three different parts. First, we will ask you to demonstrate basic proficiency with at least three spells from different schools. Then, we will ask for a display of your best magic, whatever that might be. And finally... well, we have to leave some surprises for later, don’t we?” He chuckled, and while the four applicants laughed with him, it was stilted and artificial.

Nick was constantly aware of the hidden observers' presence, knowing each spell he cast would be scrutinized and analyzed by individuals vastly more experienced than he, his first life included.

It was one thing to trick a few rural soldiers into thinking a ritual was perfectly normal. It would be a completely different matter to do the same with these people.

It wasn’t like he lacked options there either. His control over the elements had improved significantly, and his kinetic and spiritual magic had become truly formidable tools. They would be more than enough for this.

“Now, then. Is there anyone who would like to go first?”

“Me!” Tim nearly shouted, stepping forward. From the quick glance he shot in Nick’s direction, his thoughts were easy to read.

The sisters also seemed to notice and suddenly looked at Nick with much greater wariness, which was later observed by the proctors and the observers, turning what had been an innocent glance on Tim’s part into higher expectations being placed on Nick.

“Well, lad. A good way to handle any problem is to just start, I say!” Battera chuckled, motioning for everyone to step back. “Now, remember. Three spells from different schools. Show us what you got!”

Tim nodded respectfully, having missed most of what happened while lost in concentration, and squared his shoulders. Whipping his wand forward, he called, “!”

Thin grains of dust started to collect a few feet away from him, quickly forming into a polished spherical stone.

Nick nodded to himself. The speed of the casting wasn’t mind-blowing, but the quality of the stone was pretty good, and he could see why Tim chose that one first.

Without glancing at the proctors to retain his nerves, Tim once again waved his wand, “!”

The stone, which was about to fall to the ground, immediately shot back up and started circling around Tim, slow at first but quickly speeding up until it blurred.

It wouldn’t do much against an enemy mage, but against a melee fighter, it would be a significant obstacle, and it complemented the initial spell he chose, demonstrating an ability to integrate magic into a cohesive strategy.

Nick grinned as he sensed the last spell taking shape.

“!” Tim shouted, enveloping himself and his stone with the magic.

If the rock had been a blur before, it became impossible to track with mortal senses now, moving so quickly that Nick suspected even a Knight would have trouble following it. That, along with the speed Tim himself now possessed, let him zip around the clearing, turning what should have been a mage’s greatest weakness into a strength.

He kept the show going for a full minute before gradually slowing down and dismissing his spell. It was noticeable to everyone that his breath remained steady and even, showing he hadn’t exerted himself.

The appreciative looks he received from everyone made Tim blush, but he stood with his shoulders squared. When their eyes met, Nick winked. He’d suspected the other boy hadn’t revealed everything during their sparring, but it was good to know he was right.

“Well, I must say, that was an impressive display of creativity!" Battera exclaimed with a bemused smile. "It's definitely not what we usually see."

Having done his part, Tim stepped back, leaving the area clear.

Without waiting, the taller sister stepped forward, her competitive spirit blazing so brightly that Nick didn’t even need to use his senses to feel the heat she was about to unleash.