"Hmm?" Zane muttered as he watched a man about 5 feet away from him collapsing on the floor with foam slipping out of his mouth. He hesitated whether to help or not, so he checked on the flying elf, but the latter remained indifferent. Even stranger was that more and more people were starting to faint.
"Someone else should rush to check on them, so let's just continue observing," Zane thought. As expected, a few people checked on the fainted individuals. And based on how they checked pulses, he guessed they were in the medical field. From the doctors' reactions, Zane deduced that these people had just fainted, with no underlying medical issues — at least, not ones they could detect in their current state.
So, time passed, and after approximately ten minutes, Keldithas finally acted. He cast a second spell, but this time, two magic circles manifested. The fainting candidate flew to the back of the room before a sprinkle of light rained on them. Keldithas waited until everybody regained consciousness before speaking again:
"All of you have failed the soul awakened and have no affinity with mana, meaning you are mortals that cannot gain extraordinary powers. According to the Dimension Tower's rules, you are now free of the training program."
Zane and everybody looked at these people, not knowing what to say. Was it a good thing that they were free of this burden? Maybe. But after learning that magic exists, can anyone be satisfied with a normal life? Zane cannot speak for everybody else, but it was unacceptable to him. He could foresee how the world was about to change with so many supernatural entities introduced into society. Without strength or any form of power, their fate will no longer be theirs.
"You can keep the soul crest on your hand," Keldithas continued. "It is an extraordinary form of magic — a beautiful combination of causality and the soul that is manifested into a controllable and accessible form. With it, your actions, efforts, achievements, and influence on the world will resonate with your soul, condensing gifts and blessings. Use it well, and you may live a fulfilling life. Now, exit the premises."
A door suddenly opened in the back with the word "exit" floating above in bright red. The eliminated individuals took one last glance at the elf before slowly walking out, but a few people remained. "Sir, give me one chance, and I promise to do better. Just one —" Keldithas waved his hand, and these people flew out of the exit. Zane was quiet as the speaker flew out, and he clenched his hands before calming down. The elf said one second might be the difference between a bright future and mediocrity — he has kept these words in mind.
"Let's continue," Keldithas uttered. Less than ten seconds after these words, someone dropped to the floor, but unlike the first group, they did not pass out or foam at the mouth. Their expressions showed dizziness, and when some people tried to stand, their faces contorted, followed by groans and screams. After another ten minutes, the elf separated and healed the second batch.
"All of you have achieved Primary Soul Awakened and have Low Mana Affinity, meaning you can be Rune Warriors. Although this path has the lowest limit, it can also have high achievements if you meet the right Runescribe. In the next two weeks, the Dimension Tower will engrave your Mana Diagram and your first module. However, any subsequent upgrades will require payment. Now leave."
Zane sighed in relief. Although he barely had an idea of what was going on, none of that mattered: he understood that staying standing and conscious for as long as possible was his current objective, and he must do it at all costs. The test continued, and the reaction of the remaining people was less severe. They only dropped to their knees, with only a few people lying on the floor.
"Semi-completed Soul Awakening and Medium Mana Affinity," Keldithas calmly stated. "You can walk the path of a [Knight], an extraordinary path that can reach the threshold of Godhood by pushing the limit of the body. Now, stand on the corner. Be prepared, as starting tomorrow, you will be instructed on weapon training and breathing exercises."
Keldithas turned to Zane's group. "You only need to hold on for another ten seconds, and the sky will be your limit: 10…9…8…."
Zane's heart was on alert. From a basic analysis of this situation, he could feel the importance this handsome, yet arrogant, elf placed on the subsequent test. So, he focused. However, he didn't feel anything, which should be a good thing, but the lack of information drove him crazy.
"No, no, please, I can do it," said a young white man in his early 20s about ten meters from Zane. Sadly, no matter what the man said, the director kept counting. The saddest one was the woman in her late 20s with blue hair who fell at the second counting mark.
"Go to the Knight Department," Keldithas said to the people on the ground. Many people wanted to argue, but when they saw his composed yet indifferent eyes, they lowered their heads and walked to the corner. Meanwhile, the Grand Mage finally glanced at the remaining group. For a brief moment, Zane thought he saw a fleeting smile.
"Congratulations, you are Mages — the ones loved by mana. Theoretically speaking, your future has no bounds. One day, you can stay side-by-side with Gods, Demon Lords, and countless unique beings who rule the endless dimensions."
Zane's heart beat accelerated, and a smile crept on the corner of his mouth. However, he swiftly regained his composure. As an intent listener, he noticed the word "theoretically" and the elf's tone. So, he waited for him to continue.
"However, I would not celebrate just yet," Keldithas sneered. This was the first visible emotion on his handsome and cold face, and it was an unpleasant one. "This test is the lowest tier, designed just to test whether you meet the bare minimum requirement to be a mage. In the world of magic, while knowledge is the key to success, the talent between two mages can be as vast as the ground and the moon."
His words successfully poured a basin of cold water on these young mages' heads. Luckily, many of them were in their late 20s and had enough life experience to manage their emotions. So, after a brief cold glance, Keldithas continued: "All knights can leave. Mages, form twenty lines and wait for your magic field test."
There was a brief moment of chaos as everyone tried to form twenty groups. Luckily, no one dared to act out of line with the cold elf staring at them from above. Twenty white lights descended from the sky, revealing individuals standing behind a stool, each holding a crystal ball the size of a basketball. The person in the front timidly walked over and, after a brief instruction, placed their hands on the crystal.
[Unspecialized]
Zane muttered under his breath as he observed the hologram projection of the screen. The following three individuals received the same results, but the fifth person had the word [Fire] displayed. The subsequent testers were based on the five elements—Fire, water, earth, wind, and thunder —so Zane thought this was the only classification. But, as he looked to another line, he saw someone with a [Light] attribute, and the person after that said [Life].
"Since there is light, there must be darkness, right?" Zane thought before continuing to observe. And as time passed, he became worried. There were many fields of magic, but the majority of people were unspecialized, and he feared that might be the case for him. Luckily, he was near the beginning of the line, so it was soon his turn.
His tester was a human Caucasian woman in a green magic robe, with short brown hair and cute dimples. Unlike Keldithas, her robe had a pin with three stars. "Show me your crest," the woman asked, and Zane raised his left hand. Using a small, thin, glass-like object that resembled a phone, she scanned over the mark. "Place your hand on the crystal."
Zane took a deep breath and waited. A light flashed inside the clear ball, but he did not sense anything. Then the hologram projected the word [Shaman.] "That's new," he thought. He had seen many different fields and attributes, but not this one.
"You need to choose whether you want to be a Shaman or a Mage," the tester said in a soft but firm voice.
"What's the difference?" Zane asked while looking her in the eyes. While his heart raced, he forced himself to calm down.
"You can think of Shamans as a Sub-Mage Class. They usually used two variants of mana: nature energy and spiritual energy. Their specialty is healing, elemental magic, warding, spirit magic, spiritual protection, divination, and causality curses."
Zane took a moment to mull over these words. "If I choose to be a Mage, will I be unspecialized?"
"Yes."
"Is that a bad thing?"
"No. Nonspecializing means you don't have an extreme affinity for any particular attribute. You can study any field, and if you're talented enough, you can be a master of all of them. And while we don't recommend it, an unspecialized individual can specialize in certain fields."
"But what does it mean to specialize in a field?" Zane asked.
"It means you used a variant of mana, just like Shamans," the tester responded with a calm expression.
"So, someone with a Flame Specialization would use fire energy?"
"Yes."
"Then —
"You've been holding the line for too long, so you can only ask one more question."
Zane wanted to complain. He had so many questions. Unfortunately, he had no power to question anyone in this place. Regardless of his feelings, he needed to make it count if he only had one more opportunity. "Which do you recommend?"
The tester scrolled through the pad on her hand. "Based on your profile, your family has a deep history with Shamanism, meaning it runs in your blood. You likely have great talent for this class. However, your personality is more logical and science-oriented, so I recommend you become a mage."
"Can't I have both?"
The tester stared at him.
"Alright, I choose mage."
"Wise choice," the tester nodded as she input the information on the pad. "You won't regret your choice since our tower has more knowledge and resources for mages. And if you're capable enough, you can indeed have both."