Choosing to stay longer in his dream world than usual, Gus was only awoken when he was startled by a woman screaming at the top of her lungs.
Igor was dead. It seems the old man chose to go out his own way rather than bend to the Merchant’s test. The older man who once radiated wisdom now only looked pale and dead, lying his back against a bookshelf while surrounded by a group of concerned humans.
Stubborn bastard, why couldn’t you have just taken the test before doing this?
Gus did not know why the old man chose to swallow the pill now instead of after taking the test, but he had a feeling it was a hard decision for the old man who came from years of experience. Ultimately, he decided death now was the best option.
Igor’s passing shook the humans, a firm reminder of the fate that would lie for them if they were to fail. Many of them were both internally and outwardly panicking, such as Primis who looked to be on the verge of a panic attack. Marco, however, remained calm and stoic as he waited for the group to grieve. The crowd then shortly departed, allowing one man to walk to the corpse.
It was Bruno, the son of Igor, who approached the old man’s corpse with a face reading acceptance and grief. It seemed Igor had the decency to at least warn his son of his future passing, as the aging man seemed to have almost expected this outcome. Still, that knowledge was not enough to stop the man from crying.
But what surprised Gus the most was the face of Cricket. While most humans would be either shocked, sorrowful or just a stoic calm like Marco, the frail woman was instead showing the expression of someone angry.
It was like she resented Igor for choosing the easy way out. As her eyes twitched in disdain, Cricket began to whisper something quietly to herself that Gus couldn’t hear. But as he tried to get closer to hear the words, the frail girl suddenly turned towards him and saw the Golem’s gaze on her.
Shit!
Surprised, Cricket quickly changed her expression to that of something aloof and quickly scanned the group. Seeing that no one else was watching, she proceeded to put up a finger to her mouth as if to silence the Golem and then returned her vision to Igor’s corpse.
That woman…there’s more going on with her than what meets the eye.
Meanwhile, the humans who were mourning the death of Igor, began to soon lose all thought on the corpse as their own fears grew. Realizing that the situation was now doing more harm than good, Marco tried to inspire the humans with words of both reassurance and inspiration to snap them out of their trance, yet it proved fruitless. The humans on this mission were not experienced with the concept of death apart from a few, with many seeing their first-ever corpse today. Such shocks combined with the fear of the coming test led many to lose control to panic. Even Marco, leader as he was, was struggling with controlling the young humans who were now either acting rashly or crying. That was until…
Clash!
A loud sound reverberated across the library that shocked the panicking humans enough for them to freeze in their spots. That loud clash of course came from Gus who had clapped both of his stone hands together with enough force to create such a sound.
“The test…will begin shortly,” Gus said as all eyes were on him.
Opening the Merchant’s system that contained the mind map, Gus proceeded to select the button on the top of the menu that was simply called “Begin Test”. Moments after pressing it, bright particles of light filled one half of the library starting from where Igor’s corpse was lying all the way to the center mosaic. The light particles then came together and formed rows of wooden desks that were attached to plastic seats. On top of each desk laid a grey stick that resembled that of a pencil. The scene looked as if a classroom had just been teleported inside the library.
Luckily the shocking magic in front of their eyes was enough to noticeably calm down the humans. Their faces which had originally been of panic and despair changed to one of grim determination. It was as if seeing such wondrous magic had flipped a switch inside of their heads to calm them down.
Or maybe…maybe there’s something more to this button than just creating desks. Could it perhaps calm people down so that they can take the test properly?
Though without proof as he himself wasn’t affected by the spell, the strange shift in emotions within the humans was enough for him to think that this theory could have been true. Now only Primis looked still distraught, yet from what she had looked like before, it was clearly a step up.
What else can that Merchant do?
The thought alone was enough to scare him. The thought of escaping seemed even harder to attain than it once was.
Let's…put those thoughts away for now.
Seeing that the humans were ready to begin, Gus shook his head before approaching the mosaic of the golem and tablet that had once infuriated him so much.
Still don’t like the look of it…but at least it has its uses.
Gus then placed his stone hand on the tablet once more, albeit in a much softer manner, and proceeded to wait a few seconds before a golden glow emerged from the tablet art. Miraculously, a stack of papers then rose from the tablet, slowly pushing Gus’s hand upwards as it magically emerged from the mosaic tablet.
Not scientifically possible…everything those divine beings do is not scientific. What was the point in reading those physics books if the rules keep being broken like this?
Picking up the stack of tests, Gus noticed how they were eerily similar to the ones he had taken all those years ago. Both tests were writing assessments, containing both short answer questions and long essay questions that require the reader to write pages about the prompts given that correlate to each person’s assignments.
Back in the good old days…
Nostalgic for the times when he was more naive, Gus scanned each human's name that was written on the top of every test. After he finished counting the tests to make sure everyone had a proper assignment, Gus then proceeded to turn around and face the group.
Well, that should be about everyone. I wonder how they will do—
Cut off mid-thought, Gus witnessed a surprising scene behind the humans who were already seated at their assigned desks. It was a familiar yet unwelcomed face.
The Merchant…
Standing behind the crowd of twenty-nine humans, the albino humanoid monster waved at the Golem with one of its hideously long hands while the other lifted Igor’s dead body into the air.
“Why is it already time for the first test? It’s amazing how fast, yes, humans grow up.”
Turning around, the humans gasped at the sight of the Merchant who had magically appeared behind them. Bruno meanwhile only stared daggers at the merciless fiend as it carried its father.
“Oh! It appears this one has already passed away, yes, before the test even began. Shame, but oh well! It's of little matter to the grand scheme of things. This old fart was merely too weak to survive for the coming future. Contestants! Look upon that empty seat while you take this test and remind yourselves to try your hardest. You don’t want to end up like poor Igor here.”
The Merchant proceeded to jostle the corpse of Igor as if it were a doll to show off in front of the group. The younger members looked like they would be sick from the sight, while the older ones were merely disturbed. Bruno, though, had to clench his fists in anger to calm himself down, yet such efforts caused only his hand to bleed. The aged man looked like he would have exploded at one more word from the Merchant. Even Cricket had an expression full of hate and anger towards the Merchant, yet Gus had a feeling there was more to that than Igor’s death and disgrace.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
The rest of the humans, however, shivered in fear at the Merchant’s words, each quickly looking at the empty desk before returning their gaze to the golem. Their stares were full of dread, looking upon the tests in his hands as if they were their guillotines. Gus could only curse mentally before approaching their desks, keeping his vision still somewhat focused on the Merchant who was watching the scene with glee.
“Now don’t pay attention to little old me anymore. You have bigger priorities, yes, to face now.”
The Merchant proceeded to motion with its free hand to the golem to continue with the tests. With a mental sigh, Gus walked towards the humans and slowly handed out the paper tests upside down to each person. While doing so, he noticed each of the humans was now shaking in both anticipation and fear while clenching their pencils in their hands.
Do your best! I hope for success.
Finally, when the tests were all handed out, Gus returned to the mosaic that stood in front of the thirty desks and clapped his stone hands together again.
“You may now flip your tests and begin…good luck.”
The humans all took a deep breath in sync and flipped their papers with anxious movements. Gus noticed the eyes of each human first brimming with joy as they recognized the familiar formatted test before quickly turning to dread as they read their prompts. The Merchant’s grin widened in the back as it watched the humans with its maddening golden irises before switching its gaze to Gus. Without even moving its mouth, its serpent-like voice suddenly entered Gus’s mind telepathically.
‘And good luck to you, Gus.’
It then moved its head back in silent laughter, no noise coming from its hysterics. The Merchant then tipped its bowler hat with its free hand and then disappeared into the shadows like it was never there, taking Igor’s body with it.
Bastard…
Gus quietly stood as he returned his gaze to the testers, with some like Bruno now finally beginning their respective tests with complicated expressions. But soon, only the sound of their writing filled the silent library.
Now…all I can do is sit and wait.
The first test had begun, yet oddly, Gus found himself with nothing to do.
***
Time was up. With only three hours for test taking, the library was flooded with the noise of an alarm that made all the humans stop and put down their pencils.
“Time’s up. Everyone flip your papers and put down your pencils,” Gus said solemnly as he watched the reactions from the crowd.
Some were confident such as Marco, Cricket, Bruno, and Ms. Jasmine who seemed to sit still with calm faces. Others were anxious yet relieved such as Jack who let out a deep sigh of relief despite being drenched in sweat.
It seems everyone did fine on the test…
But right before Gus could finally relax, he noticed a disturbing sight. Two humans out of the twenty-nine were acting differently, their reactions worrying Gus.
They couldn’t have…
Those two were Larry and Primis, the talkative yet brilliant two young students who should have done better than the rest of the group. But instead, Gus saw only fear and incoming panic in their eyes.
“Oh shit…oh fucking shit, I might…I might die! I’m going to end up like that old man!” Larry slowly said as he realized his errors on the test.
“Gus! Gus, please! I wasn’t able to finish this last question! Can I have more time?! It was just so long, and I wrote too much in the first problem and I was still freaking out from Igor’s death, and it got, it got too much! I couldn’t breathe— wait, do you know that I have asthma, as it's hard to breathe with it, that's why it took me so long, so please, please give me more time!” Primis yelled with desperation.
Gus felt a panic emerge in his own heart. There was no way he could cheat and give more time to the girl on the verge of tears. As he collected each test, the girl only screamed louder in pleas as he got closer while Larry only continued to mumble loudly about his doom.
“Gus! I’m going to flip the paper, so like, can you tell the Merchant that I need to do it?! Please! I need to finish this last problem, it wasn’t fair, there wasn’t enough time!”
Primis, through her desperation, reached for her paper to flip it back to her answers, not knowing of the fate that awaited her if she did. Gus felt fear rise in his core watching the sight, and with no way to reach her in time, decided to do the only thing he could do.
“DO NOT DARE!”
Gus yelled with all his might, his flames combusting to create a voice so powerful that a minor shockwave emerged from the golem. The blast of air shook the humans but more importantly, knocked each test paper and pencil off the desks and onto the floors. Before Primis could react, Gus proceeded to her area and quickly snatched the test off the floor.
“No…” Primis whispered in despair with tears in her eyes.
Not wanting to stare at the crying young girl out of shame, Gus quickly moved on to Larry, who was still mumbling aimlessly about how he would die. As Gus picked up the test, Larry turned to face the Golem, his eyes bleak.
“Hey…do you grade with a curve?” He quietly asked.
Gus paused from the question and chose to pull up the instructional manual he had in his system to double-check despite already knowing the answer. Once he confirmed the bitter truth, Gus only shook his head to the quiet Larry.
“Ah…I see.”
And that was all Larry said. With nothing to comfort the sorry man, Gus chose to collect the rest of the tests from the worried humans and then made his way back to the mosaic.
With that, the first test was over, and now, it was time to grade it. The process was simple for Gus who only had to view each test to get a score back from the Merchant’s system installed in him. He didn’t know how the great being decided how to grade the papers, but luckily for the humans it didn’t seem to be that strict. Almost all of them got the required 90% and above. But that was to be suspected. The real concerns for failing were Primis and Larry. While both were smart and talented, their reactions said all there was to be told. They were not confident in passing.
Who knows? Maybe there’s a chance…
Gus continued to flip the pages until he landed on the tests of the pair. Reading it, his mood quickly turned grim.
Damn it…
***
The humans were huddled together, now standing up and talking fervently about their tests. Primis and Larry were still seated, depressive auras surrounding their seats. While some humans avoided the pair, there were also those who tried to comfort the two.
“...you shouldn’t count yourself done yet. Remember, I chose the two of you because of your impeccable skills, I know you have what it takes to pass this,” Marco reassured.
Larry stared at the leader with distant eyes, giving only a small smile.
“Sure…sure yeah, maybe there’s a chance,” the young man said with little enthusiasm or hope.
Primis, however, was just crying. Ms. Jasmine, her professor, hugged the weeping girl yet it wasn’t enough. Primis knew she might die any second.
As the humans continued to speculate or reassure themselves about their survival, a familiar clap was heard from the stone golem. Turning to face the golem, the humans were ready to face their fates. But their faces quickly turned grim.
The golem was noticeably shaken, its body hunched and its face tilted down to the floor.
“The tests…are done being graded. Most of you passed…congratulations,” Gus said with a defeated voice.
Despite the reassurance that most of them passed, the humans still paled at the news. They all knew what the Golem meant by “most”.
Larry and Primis, though, were shaken the most. Larry’s eyes turned teary while he shook his head with a quiet, sad chuckle. Primis, meanwhile, just bawled louder at the news, clutching her professor’s clothes with a death grip.
The golem proceeded to walk to each human, ignoring the scene in the back as it handed out each contestant’s corresponding test. Picking up their tests with tense faces, the humans would pause to read their scores before letting out a sigh of relief. That pattern then repeated, with those in the back becoming more anxious as they saw others pass. But the streak never ended, with each contestant so far passing. Even Marco and Cricket let out a sigh of relief upon seeing their scores of 97% and 99% respectively.
Eventually, only two people were left. Gus hesitated to approach the pair, not knowing if he was ready for what was to come. His thoughts were then interrupted by Larry who had called out for him.
“C’mon man, I’m going to die just waiting here. Hand me mine, already.”
Gus paused, then stared at the crying Primis who was still refusing to look at the Golem. Seeing that she wasn’t looking, Gus walked up to Larry and handed him his test.
Larry then proceeded to pick it up with those same bleak eyes, but then something happened. Those eyes which were once so desolate suddenly sparked with life. Larry placed down his test, and let out a long sigh of relief as his shoulders dropped from the loss of tension. The young man had barely passed his test with a 90%, but a pass was all that was needed to survive. Larry would be able to go living.
You survived, Larry…
“Oh, thank god…oh, thank god. I thought I was a goner. I thought me and…me and…oh god what about Primis!?” Larry yelled as he came to a horrifying realization.
But the Golem was no longer facing him. In its hands was the last test which it proceeded to softly place on its backside before the still sorrowful Primis. Nobody made a move. Only crying could be heard from the young woman as her professor still stroked her head.
“Primis…how about we go see your score? We still don’t know what you got,” Ms. Jasmine finally said after some time went by.
Primis nodded at her professor’s words and then slowly removed herself from her embrace. Wiping her tears, Primis then proceeded to pick up the test and turn it to her.
I’m sorry…
The young woman’s face turned pale white with fear. On her test, bold red letters were miraculously imprinted on the top of a page.
It read 81%.
I’m so sorry…
Primis had failed the first test.