As Caren explained to them the rules of the knowledge exam, Khidon couldn’t help but feel that her gaze would always come back in their direction. The stare felt awfully unpleasant, like a bad omen.

The knowledge exam was very straightforward, all students will write a test in a given amount of time and it will be marked by one of the judges when they finish.

The students didn’t waste any time after receiving their test papers and all started writing in silence.

Khidon had his ups and downs writing the test.

The variety of knowledge on the test was fairly standard. There were sections regarding the Five Great Races, the histories of Elementerra, and some of the fundamentals of the elements. Khidon was able to handle these parts pretty well. Most of them were all taught in his primary school. The section of the test that really stumped Khidon was the Arcane.

Arcane was something invented recently by humans, technologies that can manipulate elements to create weapons and tools. Only by incorporating its power, did the human race finally reach the same power level as the other four Great Races.

Though Arcane was powerful, its production and usage are still somewhat limited. It is no easy job to master the art of Arcane, only a minority of people have the talent and determination to pursue the path of an Arcanist.

Due to its limited numbers, Arcane technologies are usually confined within the larger and more developed cities of the three Human Territories. Khidon, who came from the “countryside”, has not had much, if any contact with it. And although Arcane was mentioned, its knowledge was never taught in school because there was just simply no Arcanist in such a remote area.

The tests were marked by all three of the judges. They sped through the papers at an incredible speed, as though they had already done these thousands of times. Which, of course, they very well may have.

About an hour later, the judges finished marking their batch of tests. Caren then gathered the students so that the judges can announce their scores.

Xaphon was the first to announce the results of his marked tests. The tests are, once again, scored on a scale of one to ten.

The scores in the first group varied from a low of three to a girl with an impressive score of eight. The majority of the people were greeted with a score between five to seven.

From the standpoint of the scores, the knowledge exam seemed to be much more forgiving in comparison to the plethora of fours and fives handed out during the physical exam.

Yasen was the next to announce the scores of the tests he marked. The results were very much similar to the previous group, with two more boys achieving a score of eight as well. Until Yasen made his final announcement...

“Aeri, Ten!”

Khidon and Carmen’s jaws simultaneously dropped as they turned to look at Aeri, who now carried a confident smile on her face as if she knew without a doubt that this was going to be the result she would get.

Her achievement was a surprise to the others as well, to both the students and the judges. However, it didn’t cause as much of an uproar as when Khidon blew the crowd away with his display of inhumane strength.

A perfect score on the knowledge exam was designed to be extremely difficult for twelve-year-olds, albeit still possible. But because it can be achieved through some talents and tons of hard work, it seemed much more realistic than the monstrous feat accomplished by Khidon during the physical exam.

At last, the last batch of scores will be announced by Caren. Both Khidon and Carmen have not yet received their results, which means that it was Caren who has marked their tests.

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“Caren, one!”

The students exploded with laughter. Even the dumbest of the dumb people got three or above. It is honestly incredible to be able to score so low on the test.

Carmen’s expression darkened, and his fist was clenched so tight that Khidon thought if he did the strength test again right now, he would definitely get a higher score.

Aeri couldn’t resist the urge to jab at him, “So you’re a muscle head? I am sooo sorry for bullying you before! I never realized that you were intellectually challenged.”

Khidon looked puzzledly at Carmen, who is still completely silent. His expression did not seem disappointed nor shocked that he got such a low score. Rather, he looked angry, angry at something...or someone.

Aeri quickly caught on, too. Together with Khidon, they both followed the direction of Carmen’s furious gaze, which is now fixed on Caren.

Caren looked back at them, carrying a sinister grin on her sly face.

“What's her relationship with you and Choris?” Khidon questioned Carmen.

No answer.

“Carmen! You are obviously being sabotaged! Let me ask again, what is her relationship with you and Choris?” Khidon was infuriated. How can he just take it without a protest?

Carmen is from House Willan, there is no way that the education of a potential heir to such a prestigious family would be neglected. And if Carmen was dumb enough to score a one despite coming from such background, then Khidon very much doubts that Choris would see him as a threat to his position. There is only one possibility as to how Carmen got such a low score.

“She’s Choris’s aunt, his mother’s sister. ” Carmen gritted his teeth, “I knew something was up when I saw Choris out here, he must have put her up to this.”

Aeri chimed in, “Woh, that bastard’s playing dirty, huh?

Before Khidon can object any further, Caren announced the next score.

“Khidon, one!”

Most of the students, after having their confidence crushed by Khidon during the physical exam, couldn’t be happier to see Khidon’s failure in the knowledge exam.

“Hahaha, I guess he’s all brawn, no brain.”

“And I thought he was going to be a strong competitor, looks like he's just an idiot who happens to be a bit stronger.”

Some students, however, were more skeptical.

“A bit? He left a fucking hole in the Dummy! A hole! He’s on a whole other level. Plus, he doesn’t look like someone stupid, maybe there was a mistake in the marking?”

Khidon was furious, he knew that although he did less than satisfactory on the Arcane section, for the rest of the test he was pretty confident about it. This bitch! Caren didn’t stop at screwing up Carmen, she is targeting those around him as well!

Khidon stood up in an attempt to accuse Caren of sabotaging their score but was quickly stopped by Carmen when he grabbed Khidon’s arm and pulled him back.

Khidon looked back angrily at Carmen, “What are you doing?!”

Carmen spoke in a defeated tone, “I know that it’s unfair, but do you think that Wilborne will give up its reputation to defend you, a nobody; and me, the competitor of the likely future head of their biggest sponsor? Accusing her of sabotage won’t do us any good, no matter what the truth is. Doing so will only take away any remaining chance of you and I getting into the school.”

“Wow, looks like you do have a brain after all.” Aeri was impressed by Carmen’s analysis.

“Sorry, Khidon, for getting you dragged into this shit with me...” Carmen bowed his head in guilt.

Then Khidon remembered. Of course! All his life he has seen the same thing and has been subjected to the same scenario, over and over again. When he was constantly harassed at school by the students who made fun of his silver hair and his golden eyes, most of the teachers didn’t give a shit. The same goes for any other students without a background.

Yet if any of the bullied students fought back, if any of them dared leave a mark on the students of prestigious background, all it took was one tale to the teachers to have them severely punished or even expelled from the school, cutting off any possibility of them having a future.

Suddenly, Khidon came to another realization. His mother didn’t want him to harm others not only because she was a pure and kind soul. After all, there isn’t a single mother in the world that would tell their child to never defend themselves against attacks. She had done so because she knew of the coincidences it could bring. She didn’t want him to lose his chance to attain more strength in the future over momentary satisfactions.

Stronger, I need to become stronger...the thought burned through Khidon’s mind. That’s the only way to be treated fairly, the only way to survive in this harsh world, where the weak are fated to be devoured by the strong. But before then...

Khidon returned a menacing smile to Caren. It was a promise, a promise that one day, he will make sure that she regret her decision.

Caren felt a chill up her spine and shifted her gaze away. It must have been her imagination, after all, she couldn’t possibly have been intimidated by a student. But that boy, Khidon, how dare he look at her like that? Before she only sabotaged him because of Choris’s bidding, but now...now it's personal.