The morning sun cast its gentle rays over the foothills of Phantasmal Academy, a cool breeze bringing a refreshing touch to the day. In the vast square, dozens of young boys and girls stood, their voices rising intermittently in excited discussions.

At the center of the square stood a colossal blue-gray stone monument. This testing monolith, unique to Phantasmal Academy, was used to measure a person's innate Arcane talent. Much like Mystomount, it was of immense value, and in some respects, even more rare and precious. Beside the monument stood the same elderly examiner from the previous day.

To the left of the square, a platform held several of the Academy's mentors, who had arrived just the night before. Today's talent test would allow them to select promising students for their respective departments. Reports of two newcomers surpassing the eight-hundred-step mark in the endurance test had particularly piqued their interest, each mentor determined to recruit such exceptional talents.

The young candidates awaiting their tests stood with varying degrees of anxiety. Those confident in their abilities, like Caspian, appeared calm and composed, while others, like Liam, displayed a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

"What do you think about this year's new students, Teacher Third Division?" a gray-robed elder asked, smiling at the middle-aged man next to him.

Teacher Third Division glanced at him and said indifferently, "I hear there are two who reached the eight-hundredth step? Teacher First Division is probably already scheming to recruit them both."

Caught off guard, Teacher First Division's face showed a moment of embarrassment before he quickly regained his composure, smiling. "Even if they join your divisions, you don't have the resources to train them properly. Better they join mine, where we can nurture them into top-tier talents. After all, it's all for the benefit of Phantasmal Academy."

Hearing this, Teacher Third Division frowned. He, too, was thinking about how to secure these talents. Just as he was about to retort, another voice interjected.

"You always talk so grandly, Teacher First Division, but every year you take the best students and use it as an excuse to request more resources from the Academy," Teacher Fifth Division sneered.

"Exactly. No wonder the rest of us can never compete with you," Teacher Third Division added, sarcastically.

They expected Teacher First Division to argue back fiercely, but to their surprise, he remained silent, gazing thoughtfully towards the top of Mystomount.

"Isn't the cultivation of talent for the Academy's greatness?" he said softly.

Teacher Fifth Division snorted. "I hope so. That's all you ever say."

"Enough. It's time. Let's watch," Teacher Second Division interjected, silencing their argument.

In the square, the examiner surveyed the now-quiet crowd and spoke solemnly, "You are about to become students of the Academy. You should know how important today's test is. The rules are simple: innate Arcane Power of Level 5 or above, and a climb of three hundred steps, are the minimum requirements for passing. However, if a candidate excels in one test but falls slightly short in the other, they may still be considered."

"Since everyone understands, let the testing begin!"

With the examiner's command, the young candidates tensed up. Beside the blue-gray stone, the examiner stepped forward, expressionless, and pulled out a list of names.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Andrew Wysh!" he called.

A figure slowly stepped forward, all eyes in the crowd fixed on the stone monument.

Following instructions, Wysh placed his hand on the blue-gray stone, which immediately emitted a brilliant light. Letters began to appear, floating above the stone's surface.

"Andrew Wysh: Innate Level 7 Arcane Power, Talent Grade A! Passed!" The examiner, with a brief nod, announced in a cold voice.

Wysh exhaled in relief, his face breaking into a proud smile.

The examiner's announcement stirred a wave of murmurs and envious glances toward Wysh.

After Wysh's successful start, the next dozen candidates followed. Only one reached Level 6 Arcane Power, while the rest were eliminated.

“Rowan Thorne!”

The examiner's voice echoed across the square, drawing every eye toward the next candidate. Under the collective gaze, Rowan stepped forward, his small hand reaching out to touch the cold, black stone.

As his fingers brushed against the monument, Rowan closed his eyes, feeling his Arcane Power surge in response to the stone's pull. In an instant, the once-dormant stone flared to life, emitting a dazzling light.

Innate Level 9 Arcane Power!

The golden letters that appeared on the stone stunned the entire square into silence, followed by a collective gasp that swept through the crowd like a gale. Every face was frozen in astonishment.

"Rowan Thorne: Innate Level 9 Arcane Power, Talent Grade S!" The examiner couldn't hide his excitement as he loudly declared the result.

"Such talent is exceedingly rare, almost a once-in-a-century occurrence... If he joins my division..." The First Division teacher took a deep breath, his words trailing off into a chuckle of delight.

The other three teachers frowned, equally shocked. Teacher Third Division snorted, "First Division Teacher, this time my division will not step back. We will compete to the end."

"Me too!" echoed Teachers Second and Fifth Division.

With more and more candidates failing, the atmosphere in the training grounds grew increasingly somber. Those who didn't pass wore dejected expressions, though some of them couldn't hide their schadenfreude when others failed as well.

Standing on the green-tiled floor, Liam watched the tests nervously. Among the dozens tested, only one or two matched Wysh's Level 7 Arcane Power, and only Rowan reached Level 9. Finnian had Level 5, while Little Fat Bill and Elena managed only Level 3, resulting in their elimination.

As the number of untested candidates dwindled, it became clear that only a few remained, including Liam.

A boy not far ahead stepped up for his test, and the atmosphere shifted. The crowd buzzed with anticipation, and the mentors leaned forward, eager to see the result.

"Is that the one who reached eight hundred steps, Caspian Darkwood?" Teacher Second Division asked, his tone curious and slightly odd, as if recalling something.

First Division Teacher glanced at him and nodded, "Yes, from the Darkwood family, same as the master in the Ninth Division."

Caspian, standing tall, opened his eyes and scanned the training grounds until his gaze settled on Liam. A smirk tugged at his lips as he placed his hand on the cold stone.

The stone remained still for a moment before bursting into bright light. The golden letters that appeared made everyone's heart stop.

"Arcane Power... Level 9!"

A deathly silence fell over the square.

"Caspian Darkwood: Innate Level 9 Arcane Power, Talent Grade S!" The examiner's announcement sent a ripple of whispers through the crowd.

"The Darkwood family never disappoints," Teacher Fifth Division remarked with a smile.

"This Caspian was originally first in the endurance test, and even though Liam surpassed him, his score here is unprecedented."

"Indeed, his future is limitless..."

Turning slowly, Caspian glanced back at Liam with a challenging smile.

The examiner watched the young boy in black with growing admiration. To have reached eight hundred steps on Mystomount and possess Innate Level 9 Arcane Power, such talent was boundless.

With every eye on him, Caspian descended from the platform and walked toward Liam. Stopping before him, he said coolly, "It's almost your turn. Let's see how we fare in this second test."

Clearly, being overtaken by Liam in the first test had turned this entrance exam into a personal competition for Caspian.

Liam merely smiled. Unlike Caspian, he didn't possess a fierce competitive streak. Without his Body Forging, he never would have reached seven hundred steps in the first test. For Liam, the primary goal was to gain entry to Phantasmal Academy and become an Arcanist. The rankings didn't concern him.

"Next, Liam Serenity!"

As if intentionally timed, the examiner called out Liam's name for the next test.