The large testing hall of the Royal Academy was filled with nervous energy.
Hundreds of candidates slowly entered through the massive stone doors.
The interior of the hall was enormous.
Tall pillars supported the high ceiling, and magical lamps illuminated the entire chamber with a soft blue glow.
At the center of the hall—
rows of glowing crystals stood on stone pedestals.
Each crystal was nearly the size of a human torso.
Faint magical energy flowed inside them like moving light.
Saksham observed them carefully.
"So those are the measurement crystals."
Beside each crystal stood an academy instructor holding a small recording tablet.
At the far end of the hall—
Archmage Valerian raised his hand again.
"Listen carefully."
His voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"These crystals measure your total mana capacity."
"You will place your hand on the crystal and release your mana."
"The crystal will respond by displaying your magical output."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The academy ranks results into five categories."
He pointed toward a large stone board on the wall.
F Rank — Extremely Low Mana
D Rank — Below Average
C Rank — Average Mage Potential
B Rank — High Talent
A Rank — Exceptional Talent
The students murmured among themselves.
But then Valerian added one more line.
"On very rare occasions…"
"A candidate may reach S Rank."
The entire hall became quiet.
Even the noble students looked surprised.
"That level has only appeared a few times in academy history."
Saksham folded his arms.
"Interesting."
The system inside his mind activated quietly.
SYSTEM NOTICE
Trial Detected: Mana Measurement
Warning: Full power may reveal hidden element
Recommended Action: Limit output
Saksham smiled slightly.
"Yeah… probably a good idea."
He had no intention of revealing fusion mana here.
That would only create chaos.
Valerian raised his hand again.
"The examination begins now."
"Instructors, begin the first group."
One by one—
students stepped forward toward the crystals.
The first few results appeared quickly.
A nervous boy placed his hand on the crystal.
The crystal glowed weakly.
Instructor: "D Rank."
Another student stepped forward.
The crystal glowed brighter.
Instructor: "C Rank."
Some students sighed in relief.
Others looked disappointed.
Suddenly—
Victor Ravenhart stepped forward confidently.
The noble students nearby watched with interest.
Victor placed his hand on the crystal without hesitation.
Lightning energy crackled around his arm.
The crystal exploded with bright light.
Energy surged through the pedestal.
The instructor looked at the crystal carefully.
Instructor: "A Rank."
Gasps filled the hall.
"A Rank already?"
"As expected from the Ravenhart family."
Victor smirked proudly.
"Obviously."
He stepped away as his companions congratulated him.
A few minutes later—
another student approached calmly.
The silver-haired girl Saksham had noticed earlier.
Elena Frostveil.
She quietly placed her hand on the crystal.
Cold air spread across the pedestal.
Frost slowly covered the surface of the crystal.
Then—
the crystal flashed with powerful blue light.
The instructor looked impressed.
Instructor: "A Rank."
More whispers spread through the hall.
"Another A Rank."
"This year really has strong candidates."
Saksham watched both results carefully.
"Not bad."
But he still remained relaxed.
Eventually—
his turn arrived.
One of the instructors gestured toward an empty crystal.
"Next candidate."
Saksham walked forward calmly.
He placed his hand on the crystal.
Inside his mind—
the system activated again.
SYSTEM CONTROL
Mana Output Limiter: Active
Element Masking: Light Only
Saksham released a controlled amount of mana.
Golden light flowed gently into the crystal.
The crystal began glowing brighter.
And brighter.
The instructors watched carefully.
The glow continued increasing.
Finally—
the instructor raised his hand.
"That's enough."
He examined the crystal reading.
Instructor: "A Rank."
Several nearby students turned their heads.
"Another A Rank?"
"Who is that guy?"
Saksham simply stepped away quietly.
Victor glanced toward him briefly.
"Hm."
Elena also looked in his direction with curiosity.
Archmage Valerian watched everything from the front of the hall.
His sharp eyes narrowed slightly.
"That boy…"
"There's something unusual about his mana."
But he said nothing.
After the final candidates finished—
Valerian raised his hand again.
"The first trial is complete."
A large board on the wall updated automatically.
Only students with C Rank or higher remained on the list.
Nearly half the candidates had already been eliminated.
The hall suddenly felt much less crowded.
Valerian continued calmly.
"Those who remain will proceed to the second trial."
"Element Control."
The large doors on the opposite side of the hall slowly opened.
Beyond them—
an enormous training arena waited.
Saksham smiled slightly.
"Now it gets interesting."
To be continued…