Within the oval walls of the runic laboratory, seventeen students sat at their individual workbenches, meditating silently in preparation for the examination. These seventeen students were the ones who persevered through the entire course. Some had joined towards the end of the term, some just before the midterm break, and of course, some had left too.
Popular among these seventeen students were Lupin Cavanaugh, Alesh Vilaris, Ankaz Urdania and his brother, who had joined towards the end of the term, Aida Simms, Yurin Lahey, and Aodhán.
A few of these students were nervous about the exam, and rightfully so, considering the time they’d joined the class and what little they’d gained so far; however, more than half the class seemed confident of their knowledge and weren’t nervous at all.
Chief amongst those with utmost confidence was Aodhán, who was seated at his usual workbench, eyes open, yet not really focused on anything. He was reviewing his status screen, reading through his titles and skills to pass the time until the exam began. Beside him was Yurin, who was usually seated behind him but had switched just for the sake of the exam.
Yurin wasn’t just among those who were nervous for this exam; he was chief among them, which was unusual since he had joined the class from the very beginning and had never defaulted. However, Yurin’s mind just wasn’t built for runes, and the only reason he had stayed the course till the end was because he was too stubborn to give up.
He sat with his arms folded, feet tapping against the stone floor rhythmically as he fought the urge to bite his nails. As time slowly passed, though, his nervous actions increased until Aodhán just had to comment. He dismissed his status screen and asked cluelessly. “Are you nervous?”
“Yes.”
Aodhán suppressed a smile. “Do you want to puke?”
“No.”
“You look like you want to puke.”
“I don’t.” Yurin gave him a side eye and scowled. “Stop hounding me.”
This time Aodhán couldn’t suppress his amusement. Chuckling, he leaned forward, and with an expression of forced concern, he asked. “Are you sure you don’t want to puke? Your face is a little green.”
“I am sure.” Yurin replied through gritted teeth, and his scowl deepened. “Now, for fuck's sake, leave me alone. I’m trying to keep all I’ve read from escaping my mind.”
“Fine, fine.” Aodhán chuckled and raised his hand in surrender, but he soon frowned as a curious thought crossed his mind.
“What is it?” Yurin glared at him as he leaned forward once more.
“Sorry, I know you’re trying to cage your thoughts and all, but don’t you have that radiant clarity skill that is supposed to give you mental clarity?”
Yurin snorted. “Radiant clarity doesn’t clear my mind or help me articulate my thoughts. What it does is grant me clarity in terms of perception and point out the flaws around me, like the fact that your buttons are improperly done, or the fact that Ankaz is holding his pen wrongly, or the fact that Lupin’s workbench is tilted slightly to the left rather than the right, or the fact—
“Yeah, I think I get it.” Aodhán quickly cut his friend off before he went into a spiral. Correcting his shirt, he muttered, “Sounds like OCD to me.”
Yurin massaged his temples and sighed. “I’ve gotten better at ignoring them lately, and thankfully, it’s not a passive skill, but the moment I focus on a single flaw, the others start to go off like alarms to my senses.”
“You hate alarms.” Aodhán quipped.
“Damn right, I do.” Yurin sighed. “The point is, radiant clarity isn’t going to help me pass this exam, and unless there’s an error or flaw in the question, radiant clarity will be completely useless.”
Aodhán nodded, understanding Yurin’s skill better. It had the same roots with {Eye of the Storm}, but whereas his own provided mental clarity and enhanced perception,. Yurin simply pointed out flaws both in his perception and his surroundings. The skill was far from useless, as it basically made Yurin immune to illusions and certain cloaking skills, but its usefulness in this examination was severely limited.
He and Yurin continued speaking until Professor Caldwell walked into the lab, followed closely by a tall, lanky man dressed in a fitted blue suit. The man’s silver-streaked hair fell in wisps around his face, catching the light with an ethereal gleam. His silver irises, which were hidden behind a pair of dark shades, were faceted like gems instead of circular, shifting color subtly as the man took in the room. Along his hands and temples, faint fractal patterns, almost like delicate runes, were etched across his skin. The patterns gleamed beautifully, but what caught Aodhán’s attention was the Ministry tag pinned to his suit.
When they reached the stage, the man took off his glasses, revealing his irises to them, and Aodhán barely suppressed a gasp of surprise when core sense identified the man’s affinity as insight.
The man smiled and introduced himself. “Good morning students, I am Cale Everglade, an agent from the Ministry of Awakened Affairs, acting as an external supervisor for this exam. Please note that no sort of malpractice will be tolerated, and with my abilities, be rest assured that nothing will escape my gaze.”
Aodhán was very inclined to believe him. The man had an affinity so elusive, he had only heard of one other person with the affinity. The affinity granted skills focused on perception, awareness, as well as the flow of magic and intentions. Basically, the man was a combination of a diviner, a psychic, and a truth seeker all rolled into one.
“Please, direct your questions to me or Professor Caldwell. No side talk will be tolerated.” He glanced towards Professor Caldwell, and when she nodded, he continued. “The duration of this exam is two hours and will start immediately after your question papers have been completely distributed. I wish you all the best of luck. The more runic engineers we can get in the world, the better we are.”
Agent Cale’s comment elicited wide smiles from the students, and Professor Caldwell finally took the stage, a stack of documents in her hands. She smiled at them and said, “I must say that I am very surprised at the number of students who have stayed this course to the end. I am extremely proud of you all and certainly hope to see you all next term. That said, let me give a brief explanation of what to expect in this exam. The exam has two parts, a multiple-choice section and a theoretical section, both of which are worth a total of hundred points. I wish you all the best of luck.”
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
They chorused their appreciation, and Professor Caldwell began sharing the question. She handed out each question along with an answer sheet, and just like during the entrance exam, she placed the question papers upside down.
When she reached Aodhán’s workbench, she smiled and said, “You do not look nervous, Mr. Brystion.”
Aodhán shrugged. “I’m afraid I’m a little too confident to be nervous.”
Professor Caldwell just chuckled and shook her head before moving on to the next person. For the next few minutes, Aodhán closed his eyes and let the effects of {Eye of the Storm} completely engulf him, pulling him into a state of calm so profound his mind was as still as the surface of a lake. By the time Professor Caldwell asked them to begin, Aodhán’s mind was clear, and his thoughts were crystal.
He opened the question paper, eyes scanning the multiple-choice section, and he smiled when he saw the first question. The question was so simple that Aodhán barely had to think to pick out the correct option. The second question was even simpler, and fifteen minutes later, Aodhán was done with the entire multiple-choice section. He went through the questions again, out of habit, but he found no errors.
To Aodhán, the questions were so simple that he would have been assured of success even if he were half asleep. He found a few questions that might have been a little challenging to someone who hadn’t begun activating runes and runic circuits, but aside from those, he doubted anyone should have any issue with the exam.
With the multiple-choice section completed, Aodhán moved on to the theory section. He settled more comfortably into his workbench and began reading. After going through the questions, Aodhán began tackling each one comprehensively. If he hadn’t known he was far ahead of the curve for this course, the exam proved it to him greatly.
The questions were beyond simple, and half an hour later, Aodhán had completed the entire questionnaire. He scanned his answers for any mistakes, and then scanned it again just because he didn’t want to be the first to submit, but after another ten minutes passed, Aodhán finally got up to submit.
He was barely halfway out of his seat when Ankaz stood up too. Aodhán grinned, happy for his uncompetitive rival, and after submitting their papers, they stepped out of the hall and began discussing the exam. It soon became obvious that they had both chosen the same answers for almost each question, affirming to Aodhán that Ankaz was only a little less knowledgeable than him when it came to runes.
Alesh and Celeste joined them a few minutes later, with Lyra hot on their heels. Another round of discussion ensued, but when Alesh suggested they continue their discussion in the cafeteria, Aodhán declined, choosing to wait for Yurin and Lupin.
For the last few weeks, Aodhán had been concerned about how Lupin was faring, and although Scarlett said she was fine, Aodhán wasn’t so sure. She had attended her classes as usual, but somehow her presence was always lacking. In the last few weeks, she even seemed to be regressing, and although Aodhán knew they didn’t have to be enemies, Lupin was the one keen on avoiding him.
Yurin emerged from the laboratory ten minutes later, scowling. His expression was so comical that even without saying a word, Aodhán was already laughing. When he eventually tried to speak, Yurin cut him off with a glare and said, “Why didn’t you discourage me from taking this ascendant forsaken course? Why didn’t you persuade me?”
Aodhán laughed, his voice thundering out of him as he tried to get himself under control. When he eventually did, he said. “I tried, but you were just too stubborn.”
Yurin cursed and shook his head as if he couldn’t remember the thousand and one times Aodhán had gently tried to persuade him. Chuckling, Aodhán shook his head and asked. “Surely, the exam wasn’t that terrible.”
Yurin looked at him askance and snorted. “Maybe for you, but I just perfected THURISAZ two nights ago, and that’s only the third rune.”
Aodhán suppressed another bout of laughter and said, “Well, you can always drop the course next term.”
Yurin nodded, but Aodhán knew his friend well enough to know that come next term, they would most likely be having this conversation again. It was as if Yurin was averse to giving up on anything once he had begun it. Aodhán wished he had that kind of perseverance.
While they spoke, Lupin eventually stepped out of the laboratory, but aside from a polite hello and a smile at Yurin, she made no move to discuss the exam. Aodhán contemplated asking, but he soon discarded the idea. If Lupin wanted to make him a stranger, then there was no need to force something more.
After Lupin left, Aodhán and Yurin began walking to the cafeteria, and Aodhán asked. “Which examination are you having next?”
Yurin scoffed. “Evolved Skill Crafting and Energy Manipulation.”
“Well, good luck with that. I have to meet up with Andrew for Awakened Plants and Herbology in the next thirty minutes.”
They made their way to the cafeteria, and after a small lunch, Aodhán headed towards Awakened Plants and Herbology Hall for his next exam. Ten minutes later, he arrived at the hall and quickly made his way to his usual seat.
Andrew sat in the seat beside him, humming a quiet tune as he riffled through his textbook, not really reading, just revising. When he noticed Aodhán, he began pointing out certain questions that might be asked, and since he was a plant awakened himself, Aodhán took his words seriously. Who else could be considered an authority on the subject besides the sole plant awakened in the entire year bracket?
Their discussion continued for a few more minutes, and at one point, even Azul Fetherson joined them, creating fragile yellow tulips between her fingers as she spoke. Aodhán had to admit that he was slightly nervous about this exam, and that was because he had missed several classes in the last few weeks and even a test, which had cost him 20 forge points towards the course.
Aodhán wasn’t too worried, though, as he had gained enough contribution points during the classes he had attended as well as the just-concluded exercise that he was confident of at least passing the course with a decent grade.
Their conversation was abruptly interrupted when Gwendolyn Blackwood strode into the hall, followed by a muscular man exuding an aura of divination—another rare affinity, particularly in Ragnarok, where faith in the divine was, at best, superficial. The man introduced himself as Tarion Crownstar and delivered a speech nearly identical to the one Cale had given earlier. Despite Aodhán’s firm resolve to avoid cheating, he found himself far less impressed by Tarion than he had been by Cale.
After Tarion finished speaking, Gwendolyn took to the stage, holding a thin stack of documents in her hands. “Good morning, students. This exam will be taking a very different turn than what you must have expected. The exam has been split in two, a multiple-choice part worth 50 points and a practical part worth another 50 points.”
Murmurs of confusion rippled through the students, but Gwendolyn’s next words ignited an uproar.
“For the practical aspect of the exam, you’ll be transported to a section of Nilhal, the largest forest in the 5th sector, where you’ll each be tasked with gathering a dozen Awakened plants of varying ranks.”
While many of the other students complained about the abrupt change, Aodhán was having trouble keeping his excitement down. The practical favored him greatly, and just like that, whatever worry he’d had concerning the test evaporated.
Raising her hands to placate them, Gwendolyn continued. “Apart from the forge points you’ll gain for each plant, you’ll also be allowed to exchange whatever plants you find for a fair price, and remember, even common awakened plants are not cheap.”
Gwendolyn’s words further sweetened the deal for Aodhán, whose mind was constantly plagued by the fine he owed the Awakened council. He couldn’t have been more excited had someone decided to pay his debt for him, and when the multiple-choice part of the exam began, he and Andrew practically raced through it, eager to begin the second part as soon as possible.
They were going to Nilhal, the largest magical forest in the 5th sector. With core sense, Aodhán could already imagine the amount of plants and money he’ll gain from this expedition.
Andrew, on the other hand, was excited for a much different reason. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. Finally, he would get the chance to use {Mycelium Network}, a skill he had been saving for weeks now.
He bobbed on his seat, waiting for the other students to finish so they could begin the second part of the exam. His entire body shivered with anticipation, and he couldn’t wait to find out how many seals he would gain from connecting his mind to one of the largest forests in the whole of Ragnarok.
He was ready to break through the lower ranks of the forge list. He was ready to become a high ranker!