John pushes through the crowd, which is packed with all sorts of creatures. He sees a tall, pointy-eared Elf arguing with a grumpy-looking dwarf over who makes better wine. Further on, a small, winged fairy is gossiping with a tall, elegant-looking dark elf. There are also a few merfolk hanging around, some with gills and some without. It's total chaos, but John's determined to get to the front.
As he pushes through, he hears a couple of creatures talking about the different body levels. "They say anything from 11 to 30% is considered good, but I heard there was some kid last year who got a crazy 50%!" one of them says excitedly. "Just one more percent, and he would've been considered gifted!" replies the other.
John finally gets a good look at the line for the talent tests. It's a long one, winding through the square. There are two people at the front, checking for 15-year-olds with a magical barrier. Suddenly, there's a commotion as a kid who looks way too old tries to sneak through. He runs right into the barrier, and everyone starts laughing. John just rolls his eyes and waits his turn. When he finally gets to the front, he walks right through the barrier, ready to be tested. The testing area is a raised platform at the center of the square. There's a line of people waiting their turn, and the air is thick with anticipation. John gets in line, watching as others go up to a glowing orb and have their results displayed for all to see.
As John waits his turn, he feels a knot of nervousness in his stomach. He's been training hard, but what if it's not enough? What if he makes a fool of himself in front of everyone? He tries to push those thoughts away, focusing on the task at hand. He knows he has potential, but he also knows that anything can happen in these tests. The first person to go up is a half-orc with impressive muscles. The crowd seems hopeful for a high score. The orb lights up, and the number 51% appears. There's a mix of cheers and disappointment from the crowd. Not bad, but not amazing either. Next up is a Drow with striking features. The crowd is curious to see what this mysterious-looking person will score. The orb lights up, revealing a score of 60%. A murmur of surprise runs through the crowd. That's a very respectable score. After the Drow, a young human steps up. There's nothing particularly remarkable about their appearance, so expectations are low. The orb lights up, showing a score of 53%. Not bad considering the average scores so far. The last person before John is an elf with striking silver hair. Their elegant appearance leads the crowd to believe they might have a high score. The orb lights up, and the number 80% appears. A wave of excitement washes over the crowd. That's an incredibly high score.
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Finally, it's John's turn. He steps up to the glowing orb and places his hand on it. His heart is pounding in his chest as he waits for the results. The orb erupts in a blinding light, and the number 100% appears. A gasp ripples through the crowd, quickly turning into excited chatter. People are buzzing with questions. "Who is he?", "Does anyone know his name?", and "Which guild is going to try and recruit him?" Someone shouted. "What guild wouldn't take him." could be heard as a reply could be heard throughout the square. You can also hear whispers of, "He's definitely going to the academy" and "The academy would be crazy not to take him." What would be even more crazy would be if he turned them down." "Who would do that?" Someone in the crowd shouts out, "I don't think anyone's ever gotten a perfect score before! The highest I've heard of is 90%, and that was the founding dean of the academy!"
John's mind races. This is exactly what he wanted to avoid. The last thing he needs is everyone's attention on him. He just wanted to check his talent. Just then, the crow perched on his shoulder takes flight.
A voice cuts through the commotion. "Excuse me, son. If you don't mind, could you please remove your hat so we can see who we're dealing with?" John hesitates for a moment, then slowly reaches up and removes his hat. The crowd falls silent as they take in John's appearance. He has long, black hair and piercing green eyes that seem to shimmer with an otherworldly light. But it's not just the color that's striking. There's a pattern in his irises, like intricate circuitry pulsing with a faint blue light. A murmur of awe runs through the crowd.
"No wonder he has a perfect body cultivation score," someone whispers. "Look at that face. He's perfect." Suddenly, a voice booms over the crowd. "This young man is far too valuable for any ordinary guild! The Royal Academy offers a position regardless of his spirt cultivation score." There's no doubt in anyone's mind. John is going to the Royal Academy. Now, the 5 passing contestants with highs body cultivation scores are about to be tested for their spirit cultivation. Grog the half-orc, Elara the Drow, Kael the human, and Anya the elf is very eager to see what their results will be, especially after John's perfect score.