Then came the mana test.
This time, they had to inject mana into the stone.
The first to step forward was Lucas Maril, a karateka with an overly wide smile and overflowing confidence.
"Even a martial artist must possess a large amount of mana! Watch… and envy me! Ahahah!"
His pretentious laughter echoed in the arena, but no one seemed truly impressed.
He walked toward the stone with a calm… yet deeply arrogant air.
He placed his hand on the black, smooth surface.
A faint crackling sound rose immediately.
SSSSSSSHHHHH
The stone glowed weakly… then almost immediately faded.
90%.
An awkward silence fell over the room.
Not a word.
But the looks were enough to express what everyone was thinking.
Pathetic.
Even the examiner, normally used to maintaining his composure, allowed himself a slight mocking smile, barely hidden beneath his graying mustache.
Lucas, destabilized, stepped back without a word, his arrogance gone.
And then… she arrived.
The red-haired girl.
Still just as cold. Still just as silent.
Completely ignoring the whispers and the surrounding tension, she stepped toward the stone as if nothing was happening.
Not a word.
Not a glance at the others.
She stopped just in front of the stone, raised her hand…
And slowly placed it on the surface.
Her gaze became sharp. Imperial.
As if she was commanding the stone to light up.
And then—
FWOOOOOOSH!!
A flash of light exploded.
Blinding. Brutal.
The entire room was plunged into a sparkling white glow, forcing spectators to recoil, eyes squinting, arms raised to shield themselves.
When the light finally faded… only one thing still shone.
The score.
500%.
An unreal number.
Unimaginable.
A murmur ran through the spectators, quickly replaced by a wave of exclamations.
"That's not possible!"
"I-Is that… a mistake?!"
"She just blew past last year's record…"
But she said nothing.
She turned around calmly, the same coldness in her eyes, and returned to her place without saying a word to anyone.
Several other candidates followed, with nothing special to note.
Then came the elegant man.
Still just as composed, he stepped forward with a smooth, almost choreographed walk.
His face remained expressionless, but each of his steps demanded silence.
All eyes turned to him again—fascinated, curious.
Without a word, he placed his hand on the stone.
The mana flowed gently, as if dancing to the rhythm of his breathing.
ZZZHHHHMMMM…
A stable, controlled light rose around the stone.
Then the number appeared:
230%.
It was an excellent score, greeted by a wave of applause, especially enthusiastic from the female candidates, dazzled by his grace and poise.
No blinding light, no explosion…
Just controlled power, matching his image: subtle, elegant, but devastatingly effective.
He removed his hand, bowed his head slightly in polite acknowledgement, then returned to his place, once again triggering admiring sighs.
Then it was Damons' turn.
Determined not to fall behind again, he activated his skill Mana Injection.
[System] You are using the skill Mana Injection.
He poured all his mana into the stone,
SHAAAAAAAAAA!!!
reaching a score of 300%!
That was abnormal for an F-rank at level 5: his mana was ten times higher than normal.
But since no one knew his exact rank, everyone assumed it was normal for a mage.
However, exhausted, Damons fainted.