The Runic Alchemist

Five hundred students had advanced, with 250 in the third year, 150 in the fourth year, and 100 top candidates in the fifth year. The students were divided by the subjects they chose, so only 70 to 80 people were in a class at a time. Additionally, there were multiple optional classes, as they had been informed.

After a brief motivational farewell to those who had failed, the students were given half an hour of free time. During that period, preparations for the final test of the year were completed. All professors and staff members gathered to witness the event, where only the best of the best would perform.

The testing area was constructed like a stage, crafted by one of the third-rankers Damian noticed using wood-style and simple earth-based spells. She must have been a highly skilled mage. Even people from Eldoris had chosen the path of the Highsword. It seemed not everyone held unshakable loyalty to their divine rulers. However, when it came to third-rankers, it was hard to determine their origins. Perhaps she had been around even before the current queen.

The thing that made Damian raise an eyebrow about the Highswords, was their non-parental borderline celibacy-policy. The members of the Highsword were not allowed to have kids, or get married for that reason. The royalty members that were chosen as members in the past from the five kingdoms became ex-members the moment they got married.

All the SSS-ranked students were summoned, while the rest were instructed to stand or sit outside the circular wooden perimeter. On one side stood a small wooden stage where the "big shots" were seated, opposite a wooden structure inside which the SSS-ranked candidates had been gathered. Before entering, students were required to leave behind all enchanted or runic items, storing them in spatial storage and handing them over to a staff member or a friend for safekeeping.

Damian's companions handed him their enchanted and runic items for safekeeping, as spatial items couldn't be stored within each other without risking disastrous effects—either an explosion or the loss of all stored contents forever. Some ancient relics, high-ranking dungeon items with space-time properties, or legendary runesmith creations were exceptions, as they were indestructible under any normal circumstances.

Students gathered around the large wooden fence-like circle. Damian found a less crowded spot equal-distant from the staff stage and the SSS candidates' preparation area. He conjured a comfortable bench for himself and Toph, complete with an elevated design to maintain a good view even if the crowd grew. For added theatrics, he chanted Japanese anime lyrics, knowing full well the third-rankers could see and hear him from afar. He felt their gazes on him almost immediately but showed no reaction, casually taking his seat beside Toph.

"What would the test be this time?" he asked Toph, he just tilted his head in reply as if to say 'How the hell would I know..?'. A simple duel, perhaps? Someone had mentioned earlier that they wouldn't make the students fight. Was that still true for the final test? It was meant to challenge their overall abilities afterall.

Once everyone settled, the same third-ranker from the second test stepped into the center of the circular field, accompanied by about ten second-rankers. They explained the test's rules, the number of participants, and other details.

The test required the students to fight monsters as teams. However, individual rankings would still be assigned. If the group managed to defeat the monster as a cohesive unit, their overall ranking would improve. Damian's eyes narrowed. Monsters? How was that safe? His question was answered as the first team of ten stepped into the field to face a roaring chimera-like beast.

The monsters weren't real—they were illusions. One of the four third-rankers present was an Esper. Though Damian couldn't tell which one, Other than mana Damian could not tell anything apart in high ranking individuals. Especially when third rankers had such a big disparity in their own ranks, the classes were almost impossible to tell apart, except the pugilists with no mana in their body.
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The first team of students Damian had not paid much attention to came out and got ready to face the roaring chimera like beast. The proof of the monster not being real was that it used magical abilities and yet there was no runic spell. Injured students weren't actually harmed; their wristbands(on both students and the monsters) displayed damage levels through color changes—from green to blue, yellow, red, and finally out of the fight.

The first team fought reasonably well but lacked coordination. It was obvious they were assembled on the spot, with little effort to work together. Though some students landed decent hits, the chimera countered effectively. By the end of the five-minute time limit, the monster remained undefeated with half green-damaged wristband on one of its legs. Only three students were left standing, all in the red zone.

Figures... A real chimera was a lord rank monster. And even a powered down version like this-to give the students a chance to show their skills, would have shredded them in under thirty seconds in the wild. Clearly, this team had no chance of reaching the VIP section, which only accommodated about 56 top students.

Damian was amused looking at the second team of 10. Among them were Lucian, eight others, and the Prince of Dawnstar. This group screamed pro-Dawnstar, consisting mainly of noble-born students. Their monster was different: a massive turtle with a glowing, crystalline blue shell and dragon-like scaled skin. Its fiery eyes gave it a menacing aura. Kinda looked even more dangerous than the Chimera.

Under the prince's leadership, the team performed better, focusing on evasion rather than offense. The turtle's sharp crystal projectiles and fire breath forced them on the defensive. When Lucian attempted to approach the beast, she was about to be caught in a stream of fire. Damian noticed her lips move as she gestured quickly with her hands, forming a dark blue runic circle near her hand—darker than typical water spells.

Damian did not waste a second and tried his best to ingrain the new spell in his mind, A second later, a massive ice wall materialized, shielding her, the prince, and others from devastating fire damage.