As they entered through the massive iron gates, the first thing that ca into view was the towering academic building straight ahead.
Everyone passing through was naturally heading toward the right-front direction, where a large crowd had begun to gather.
Following behind the others, Derek, Arthur, Daisy, and their mother, Martha, also walked toward the sa area.
As they got closer, the scene before them beca clear.
The ground ahead dipped into a wide, bowl-shaped coliseum-like structure, descending gradually from all sides. After a short slope, the terrain leveled out into a broad, flat stage, clearly built for combat and training purposes. Surrounding the slope were tiered stone seats, designed to accommodate a large audience.
Except for Arthur, the other three couldn’t hide their awe. During Arthur’s own admission test, they hadn’t had the chance to see this area in detail. For Daisy and Martha, this was their first ti witnessing it properly.
And as for Derek, despite having lived an entire previous life, he, too, had never laid eyes on this place. In that life, he had never even gotten the chance to be admitted here.
"Mother, everyone, this way," Arthur called, guiding them through the crowd.
They stopped reaching a sitting row where multiple seats were vacant. "Mother, you and Daisy can sit here. From this spot, you’ll be able to watch everything after the initial Orb Test," he explained. "I’ll take Derek to the entry point now."
"Alright," Martha nodded.
"Best of luck, little one! I know you’re going to nail it," Daisy grinned, full of spirit.
"Best of luck, Derek," Martha echoed warmly.
"Thank you, sister. Thank you, mother," Derek replied with a soft smile.
With that, he and Arthur continued weaving through the gathering crowd again.
Eventually, they arrived at a checkpoint area where three large tents had been set up. Long lines of young applicants waited in front of them, buzzing with nerves and excitent.
Arthur turned to him. "From here on, you’ll have to go alone. Stay focused until all your tests are done."
"Alright, brother," Derek nodded.
Arthur placed a reassuring hand on Derek’s shoulder and leaned in slightly. "Derek, I know how talented and hardworking you are. But like I already told you... You’ll notice so bias here. Don’t let it get to your head, okay?"
"Of course," Derek said, his tone calm but firm.
Arthur nodded silently, as if saying good luck through his eyes, then turned and left.
Derek walked toward the nearest line and stood behind a boy.
One by one, students ahead of him completed their orb tests, and the line kept moving forward slowly. Derek waited patiently.... the ti ticking away.
Finally, his turn arrived.
He stepped into the leftmost tent, where a man in his thirties stood with a clipboard in hand. In front of him, a glowing translucent orb was resting atop a table.
The orb being used here was slightly different from the one Florence had used earlier.
Florence’s orb could only assess the strength of mages.
But the ones currently deployed inside these testing tents were far more advanced, capable of determining a person’s level regardless of whether they were a cultivator, an auran, or a mage.
The man didn’t even look up. "Na?" he asked flatly.
"Derek Hale," Derek answered.
"Age?"
"Eleven."
This ti, the man did look up.... clearly startled.
"Eleven? You must be a strong little mage, then. Confident enough to show up now, huh?" The man’s voice had a hint of shock. "Place your hand on the orb. If you’ve developed a dantian, the orb will glow. Otherwise, you’ll be disqualified from all further tests for this year, but you can try again next year."
Derek’s eyes narrowed slightly.
’It’s starting... Until now, my family’s only seen working hard... they have no idea how far I’ve co. After today... I’m sure they’ll have a lot of questions.’
He stepped forward and slowly raised his hand.
"I’m not a mage," Derek said quietly as he placed his hand on the orb. "I’m a cultivator."
"A cultivator? What are you doing here then, kid? Trying to enterta...."
The man was about to mock, but his words died in his throat.
The mont Derek’s palm touched the orb, it pulsed softly, its color shifting from clear to a deep orange. The man was about to express his shock, but within seconds, the colour changed further into a dium orange.
His eyes went wide. The clipboard slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a loud flap.
"E... E-Class!" he stamred and froze in his place.
And it wasn’t just him.
The other kids waiting in line, those who had co to participate in the entrance test, all turned to look at Derek with perplexed eyes.
"Whoa! Who is that kid?" a boy whispered, nudging the girl standing in front of him. "Not only has he developed a dantian... but he’s already E-Class? How on Earth is that even possible?"
The girl didn’t respond. She couldn’t. She just stood there, eyes wide and mouth slightly open, still dazed by what she had just witnessed.
E-Class wasn’t considered an elite rank.
But for soone only eleven years old to reach that stage?
It wasn’t just impressive, it was straightaway impossible.
Even among those who trained at the academy for years... many couldn’t achieve that level by the ti they graduated.
And Derek had already done it.... before even being admitted.
"I guess I’m allowed to take the tests in the next phases, right?" Derek asked calmly, looking at the stunned examiner.
But the man didn’t respond.
He just stood there, staring at Derek as if he had just seen a ghost.
Derek raised an eyebrow, then waved his hand in front of the man’s face. "Uh... hello, sir? You didn’t answer my question."
His voice was louder this ti, snapping the examiner out of his daze.
"Oh! Uh, yes, of course!" the man stamred. "Go ahead. You’ve... passed the first test."
"Thank you," Derek said with a slight nod, then turned and walked ahead, completely unfazed.
Behind him, every pair of eyes in the area remained fixed on his back, watching him silently, their expressions a mix of awe, disbelief, and curiosity.
"Who is he?!"
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