As the crowd funneled towards the Axis Block, Julian pushed his way through.
He was an anomaly in this world, but he had a plan—to stay out of sight and let others play their destined roles.
The characters he'd seen so far only confird how easily things could spin out of control if he wasn't careful.
The figure he most wanted to see ca into focus at last, standing alongside another boy who looked equally important.
Kaelen Nazarra.
Even amidst all these significant young talents, Julian knew instantly it was him.
His Jett black hair caught the light, and he wore an unmistakable aura of quiet confidence.
Beside him was Ruben Skye, his best friend. Despite their contrasting personalities, they complented each other well as close friends.
Julian skillfully maneuvered closer, his heart racing at the sight that felt both surreal and inevitable.
But in doing so, he found himself right at the front again—exactly where he'd tried to avoid—and bumped into soone with unintended force.
THUD!
"…?"
The contact sent a chill through him.
And the girl in front of him not only made him freeze at first sight, but made him shiver in fear.
"Uh...um... sorry... I didn't an it, I swear."
He muttered hastily, trying to disengage before she could connect the dots.
But she was faster than he expected; she grasped his wrist firmly, her gaze penetrating and curious.
"Excuse , but have we t before?"
The girl who had taken hold of his hand was none other than Audrey Glacia, the princess he had assisted back in Nefta Village.
Like the other heroines in the story, she had grown even more beautiful and graceful over ti, enough to make even Julian blush in her presence.
"I think you've got the wrong person…again I'm sorry."
It took more willpower than he'd imagined to pull away from her grip.
"H-hey wait!"
As soon as he did, he threaded back into the moving crowd, knowing full well Audrey wasn't one to forget or give up easily.
***
"Haah… finally I'm here."
Julian slumped into the seat at his desk, the austere surroundings of the exam room doing nothing to alleviate his nerves.
As he scanned the surrounding faces, his heart sank. Of all possible outcos, how did it end up like this?
In a room with only two hundred candidates, Francine Aureus sat a few seats down, but it was Franz Evera's presence that made a Julian break into a cold sweat.
Of all people, why did it have to be him?
The only person he truly feared being associated with.
It wasn't just Franz's overwhelming power that made him a threat; it was his volatile nature and absolute disregard for anything or anyone he deed beneath him, which was practically everyone.
Even now, seated elegantly and exuding an aura of dismissive boredom, Franz projected superiority.
Everything about him was unsettling—from his dark hair framing angular features to those eyes that seed almost black with dissatisfaction.
He wore impeccably tailored attire befitting a duke, but unlike the other noble children, there wasn't even a hint of excitent or anxiety on his face. Just… indifference.
Franz wasn't rely gifted; he excelled in every conceivable way: power, intellect, looks. His own family expected nothing less than dominance from their son, and Franz delivered effortlessly.
Theory and combat were so beneath his level that Julian often wondered if Franz found the world itself too dull to bother with.
And here Julian was, trying desperately not to draw attention despite every fiber of fate seemingly conspiring against him.
Just as Julian began ntally spiraling over the implications of sharing airspace with Franz, the sound of footsteps drew everyone's attention to the front of the room.
Riggs Bourne walked in—a living legend among mages and Aethel Academy's revered forr principal. Even the overconfident candidates were struck silent by his presence.
The old mage surveyed them with a penetrating gaze before speaking.
"Welco to your first theoretical exam. This will be the first of many or it will be the last. Regardless, I expect nothing but excellence."
His words hung in the air as every student listened intently.
"There will be 50 multiple-choice questions worth one mark each, Twenty short-answer questions worth between two and five marks. Five theorem questions valued at ten marks each. And finally, the last question is worth a pass on its own and can be found at the back of your papers. Attempt it if you dare—it holds the equivalent value to completing the entire test."
With a snap of his fingers, exam papers materialized neatly on each desk.
"You may begin when the clock strikes 9:30."
Julian observed his surroundings while waiting, his eyes drifting toward Francine and Franz. As expected, Francine was unruffled, already familiar with the test through countless cycles of reincarnation. Franz, however, appeared as lifeless and bored as ever—no hint of interest or challenge in his expression.
-That damned bastard… Of course he doesn't care about anything at all.
For Julian, even in the novel, he still hated Franz's character.
No matter how many tis he had tried to understand him as a person, he could never think of a good reason for him to be likeable.
After all, being smart and strong was sothing a person could only dream of. And adding such looks? Unfair didn't even begin to cover it.
While Julian brooded over Franz's effortless existence, Riggs's voice cut through the silence.
"You may begin."
The rustle of papers filled the room as everyone flipped through the exam booklet. Julian went straight to the back page, eager to tackle the most challenging question first.
"Now let's see-"
"…!"
The mont he opened his eyes to the back paper, he almost went blind from the amount of black ink involved.
____
Question 76: Dinsional Convergence Incantation (DCI):
A) Analyze the provided DCI glyph array, which models a portal summoning.
Your Task:
B) Derive equations for mana flow and dinsional coordinates from the glyph array.
C) Calculate the required mana consistency (C) using the formula: C = (M_out / M_in) * T_s.
D) Calculate the mana output (M_out) for a stable portal, given M_in = 150 units, D_x = 5, D_y = -2, D_z = 3, and T_s = 0.8.
Based on the calculated dinsional shift vectors and the summoning directive glyph (nurical value: 27), determine the summoned entity/object from the 'Codex of Summoned Entities'.
Explain the magical properties and potential uses of the summoned entity/object.
____
-Oh, my God…
Julian's heart dropped at the sight of the paper.
The sheer complexity of the question left him staring blankly, mouth agape, as if his very soul had fled his body in horror.
He had ntally prepared for difficult exams, but not for this—nothing like this.
The novels he'd read always glossed over theory exams like it was a walk in the park.
Authors seed to make their characters approach questions as if they were child's play, rely trivial stepping stones on their path to greatness.
Julian believed he could pass this exam with hard work and diligent study.
No…
Unfortunately, it would require either soone who has lived 82 lives or an unrivaled once in a lifeti genius to solve this equation.
Of course, they're in the room as we speak.
And Julian is none of them.
***
Authors Note:
- I forgot to ntion but Ruben Skye has brown hair and green eyes.
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