Mystery Tales Under the Moonlight

Chapter 30: Category Determination Exams at the Academy (7).

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Time passed mercilessly, alternating between Sunrise and sunset , and a long-awaited morning arrived.

Many young people stood nervously in front of a massive building.

The Crescent Light Academy.

A prestigious place that nurtures young talents regardless of their lineage.

Whether they are commoners or nobles, whether they are human or not.

They have proven over the years that they will accept everyone, regardless of who they are.

The value of status had little significance here.

The only thing that held value was a person's strength and abilities.

What good is social status or lineage if a person lacks power?

It was like grasping at air.

Praise and a good reputation among others due to your lineage were merely illusory emotions.

No matter how hard you tried to avoid the truth, deep down, everyone knew.

Nothing in the world could compensate for strength.

This academy operated under the law of the jungle; survival of the fittest.

Combat skills, communication, trade, politics, and more.

Many fields to cover.

It was as if they were saying: "All opportunities are here; if you miss them, you are just a defective commodity."

As the previous two days passed like a mirage, Leon stood slightly away from the crowds.

Due to the time constraints caused by the unexpected storm, the academy had to provide explanations and reports regarding the students and the passengers on the ship.

It took some time, but the damages were avoided.

Although he was one of the surviving passengers, Leon did not provide his testimony regarding the incident and pushed it to the back of his mind.

He was now standing with a group of people.

Specifically, he was with five males and one female.

"It seems many did not choose to reveal their talents secretly, huh?"

"Most likely, they chose that to avoid embarrassment and show their courage? Like: Look at me! I'm not afraid to show my potential! Or something like that?"

"That could be it, but from some faces, it might just be confidence."

"I look forward to seeing the gems and the trash among them from now on."

Loki, Firon, and Fernando consulted each other.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Dio was trying to avoid Lloyd's deadly glares.

This was because...

"Chai Nayun... could you step back a little? I'm feeling hot..."

"Winter isn't over yet."

"No, I mean something else is burning," he thought as cold sweat dripped from his forehead.

Lloyd, who was behind the two, seemed to radiate a burning heat from his body.

What a pain in the ass...

Dio looked up at the sky with slight displeasure.

Yes, very slight.

What overshadowed the displeasure was a feeling of satisfaction.

How could it not be?

Would a man feel displeasure when a woman of indescribable beauty sits beside him, not to mention that she doesn't even bother him?

Huh? Displeasure? That only means he is abnormal!

Although he was surprised by the situation for the first time, after experiencing it for two days, he had already gotten used to it.

For some reason, Chai Nayun had been by Dio's side everywhere for the past two days.

Fortunately, she did not follow him to the bathroom... that would have been strange.

Anyway, when he asked her about it, she said it was the best way to understand Dio better.

She had to understand this young swordsman, so she stayed as close to him as possible.

No, not close, but glued.

And so, Dio spent time while she was glued to him, wandering around while Fernando was beside them.

Naturally, many whispered about Fernando's wandering with the two.

A noble wandering with commoners?

Does he not care about his family's reputation? That's unacceptable.

Fernando's response was decisive.

What nonsense!

Humans are humans; only the weak would impose such pathetic classifications!

After harshly dismissing them, he continued his path with the two after apologizing; neither of them minded; Fernando's words were entirely correct.

Dio and Chai Nayun were the type who did not care about others' opinions, especially when they were of weak minds.

No one among the three was surprised by their situation.

Dio had been training with the two over these two days, guiding them through every mistake they made.

They quickly got used to the routine.

And this brings us to today.

As he looked slightly towards the horizon, Leon regained his gaze towards his companions.

"Guys, it will start soon; let's go."

After a moment of silence, Leon walked forward; among the crowds were some who bore mocking looks.

Life was a joke from afar and a tragedy up close.

Naturally, rumors spread like wildfire.

His coming from the sky, the chase, the tyranny he inflicted on the students, and the punishment imposed on him.

The punishment was welcomed by them; who would dare face a monster? Naturally, his awkward position made them even happier.

Some regained a bit of their self-respect with this, while others, who did not believe the rumors, took the opportunity to boost their own egos.

It was logical for many to mock his situation.

Leon did not mind their stance even a little.

Words are just words; what do others' opinions have to do with him?

Who cares about such trivialities? Their remaining weak and failing is a fitting result for them.

Only a fool cares about others' opinions, whether negative or positive!

Despite exchanging whispers among themselves, why did none of them dare to step forward and mock him openly?

It was because they feared Leon's wrath!

No smoke without fire.

Even if many denied the rumors about him, deep down, they knew it was impossible for the rumors to be a lie.

Because the princess and the school officials intervened, the matter was bigger than they thought, but it was resolved quickly.

As he moved forward with a calm and steady expression, the crowd parted before him.

Fernando's admiration for Leon increased.

His attitude towards others was unwavering!

He only realized late that others' opinions, as encouraging as they were, were also a cause for destruction.

It was simply dependent on others' whims.

His complex regarding caring about praise was deeply rooted in his mind.

Revealing talents would be an excellent way to get used to criticism and not care about it.

Dio had already suggested this method to him instead of just useless explanations.

He wouldn't be able to do it easily, but he wanted to adopt an attitude like Leon's and his teacher's.

"Is he still performing? It seems there's a fish he wants to catch in this place?"

Seeing that he had not approached them yet and maintained a cool demeanor, Loki and the others guessed what his intentions were.

Of course, they could just ask him, but it was fun to play the guessing game.

"Who do you think? The fish?"

"Could it be the son of the Mao Li family? That boy, Mao Li Chiu?"

"Nah, that's impossible; his personality is too straightforward; he wouldn't fit with Leon, and it's unreasonable for Leon to take him as a target."

"Then it could be that girl from the famous alchemist family, Lina Claudius! She has a strange personality and is talented, not to mention she is free-spirited."

"Fernando, you learn quickly! You even thought about Leon's temperament! But it can't be; she doesn't emanate the scent of money, as Leon always says!"

"You embarrass me, Firon Sahyung! I don't compare to your knowledge!"

"Hahaha! No need to be embarrassed; you truly deserve praise!"

The five conferred among themselves shamelessly, while Chai Nayun remained silent as usual.

They paid no attention to the tense surrounding environment.

They already knew where they were going.

"All potential students of our academy! The first ceremony of the category determination exams begins!"

A voice clearly entered your ears.

A person stood in front of the massive building before everyone.

His short black hair fluttered in the wind, and he stood proudly with his muscular build.

A scar on the left side of his face, his eyes were devoid of emotion.

The person who imposed the punishment on Leon, the supervising professor of the exams, and the head of the educational body.

The person who held the title of Vice Principal of the academy and a barbarian killing machine.

That person was, of course, Deus Arovius.

The first exam was more like a test to determine who would enter or not, rather than to determine the category.

Talent revelation, this was the first exam the students would take here.

Before becoming a practitioner, it was necessary to know whether a person had the talent to become one or not first.

And thus, the first path in practice would begin for some, while for others, it was a meaningless procedure.

Not everyone embarked on the training path from a young age; many people waited until they turned seventeen to reveal their talents before embarking on that.

"Of course... there are other methods to reveal talents much earlier than this age, but they are mostly dangerous or extremely expensive."

As he stared indifferently at the nervous examinees, thoughts flashed through Leon's mind as the supervising professor Deus explained the rules of the test.

Everyone would enter the building behind him.

They would try with all their might to stay conscious until a specified time.

From one to nineteen minutes, unqualified.

From ten to twenty-three minutes, talent of grade (D).

From twenty-three to thirty-five minutes, talent of grade (C).

From thirty-five to fifty minutes, talent of grade (B).

The last rank, talent of grade (A), had stricter conditions.

One must reach higher to be considered a talent of grade (A).

At least sixty-five minutes.

This is what must be achieved to reach the maximum talent.

An unyielding barrier separates them.

This was the first exam.

The mechanism of the exam or what it was was not explained, just staying conscious until the required deadline.

Those who held the ceremony secretly had the freedom to stay and attempt again if they were unsatisfied or leave.

Only a few people left, with satisfied faces.

It was clear that they had achieved good results.

That group was being led to a separate place, waiting for everyone here to finish, to begin the next exam.

Some looked at those who left with bright eyes, trying to remember their faces.

They would attempt to recruit them later.

This exam was a great opportunity for some.

And so, they entered the hall with such thoughts.

Fernando was a bit nervous.

Even Chai Nayun's shoulders were slightly stiff.

"You two don't need to worry; this thing called talent isn't of high value, so just do your best."

Dio reassured the two calmly; it was really simple.

The benefit of one's talent is for advancing in ranks; however, it is not everything.

In battle, there are many other factors one must consider to win.

The quantity and quality of one's magical energy are just one of the main pillars.

There was still a bit of slight discomfort, but Dio's words helped the two calm down.

That's right; they couldn't just do their best now.

Worrying about unimportant details would only affect their performance.

Not to mention, when a strong person said these words, they carried more credibility.

"Anyway... Loki, my injury still hurts... damn it! Do we really have to do this?"

"Although it's annoying, it is what it is; we have to endure until we finish the first exam at least; changing methods will only lessen it, right?"

"You're right, but... it's a bit excessive to injure our internal organs to lessen it."

"Have we ever done anything that wasn't excessive?"

"You're right, forget what I said."

Lloyd, Loki, and Firon spoke as the massive door of the building opened before them.

It was easy to see the distinctive flow of magical energy in the building.

They had revealed their talents long ago, and thus, this exam was meaningless.

But there would be consequences if their talents appeared high, so they devised some means to reduce their talents.

It was better to throw bait here.

"Focus your senses on those who have the scent of money; they are good targets for hunting."

Leon's voice entered the group's ears before they entered.

It was a massive hall with nothing but darkness.

No furniture or anything interesting, just an empty space.

"Everyone please take a place slightly away from each other, so there won't be any obstruction; the test will start in a minute."

A mechanical voice similar to a machine was heard.

Expressions of surprise were vivid on the students' faces.

They did not yet understand the purpose of the test, but they heard the orders and each moved away from the other.

"All means are allowed except cheating or killing; that's all."

These were the last words they heard before the door closed, and the place became dark.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

There was an orange light leaning towards red illuminating the environment; by seeing the source, one could clearly identify it.

Fireflies of dusk.

Creatures resembling plants in their feeding style, as they feed on the light of dusk and the excess magical energy.

These fireflies are used in tracking and revealing talents in some cases.

Many emitted sounds of astonishment as they watched the fireflies illuminate with a bright light.

Some of the clever ones, after carefully analyzing the situation, understood a bit of what was happening.

Leon stood alone, while Dio stood with his students, while the other three spread out in the place.

Such a place had no effect on them, as they had already decided what talent they would prove.

Tak!

A sound resembling a clock was heard.

"Ugh!!!!"

"What is this!!"

The sound of cursing was audible in the surroundings.

An unfamiliar pressure fell upon the world.

One felt the urge to surrender and lose consciousness!

They immediately understood what the exam meant; this was a battle for endurance!

It was as if one was about to collapse under this pressure!

Reactions varied, between those who were better at handling pressure and those who were not.