Chapter 50 - The First Test

-- Aaris - POV --

'Miss Tara?' Why is she here? 

"Who else do you think I am?" She was sitting on the window with her leg crossed.

'What are you doing here? Do you come to arrest them? But why do you?'

"Just shut your trap for a second!" She roared.

"Now listen carefully, I have two things to say to you first of all, Congratulations!" She threw both of her hands in the air.

'Congratulations?' 

What is she talking about? Is it for catching the intruders?

'What are you talking about?'

"You dense numbskull! Congrats on passing the first round of Grand Selection!" 

'Seriously? This all was a part of Selection? But those dead candidates-'

"Calm down boy, they are not real they are the Rakt-Beej clones with overwritten memory, except crown prince that is a dummy-clone made from a doll,  but these clones were made from the blood from 15th-grade criminals, & shared the same personality but different memories to make the test more realistic-" 

'Wait! Wait! Rakt-Beej clones? All of them? They were going to kill me! Also isn't Rakt-Beej spell forbidden spells from Necronomicon Succession!  Who in their right mind uses forbidden spells for tests?'

Is this bitch insane? A Rakt-Beej spell that could manifest a complete clone from just a blood drop of any being and can use the same spells as the original did, though the clones don't possess the original body mana and can collapse soon after being made, they don't accept mana orb, so the user has to share his own mana with the clone but the amount of mana should be equal to the amount of original body possessed when the blood was taken if it's not enough the user will die.

'Who was the monster who used 6 Rakt-Beej? At the same time?' I swear I will kick his ass!

"Who are you calling a monster brat!" Tara punched me on my head, "I was the one who used it! Though only Ed & Ahren know about your test for other students we are using the Test - Doll Clones, which have a mana core and a fixed program to perform the test unlike yours which had consciousness of their own."

Her smile made my blood boil, though looking at current circumstances I'll postpone the ass-kicking plan.

'Now get to the point! What was the test! & why a special one for me!' Even if she is a Trident I don't have the right to do such a thing!

"Ok boy listen carefully now, This whole stage was made to test & assess a few points of candidates, 

First:- Their awareness of surroundings, which you failed! I can't believe it if it weren't for a blanket and the situation would be real you would've been dead!"

Her words stabbed through my dignity.

"Second:- their ability to handle the situation, which you also failed! What kind of an idiot are you who straight up jumped to fight when a hostage was in the same room!

Ack! a second stab! Looks like I'll be kicked out before I start.

"Third:- how they pull themselves out of the crisis, in which-

You passed in the weirdest way possible! How were you able to mana? In your case, you would've failed if you offered to help them or sacrificed yourself while fighting or even after killing them, but you could pass if you had trapped them. The odds were made totally one-sided so how did you win by fighting? Did you know what could've happened if you killed them?" Tara went to my bed and sat on it.

'If the situation was real? I did have a feeling that if I killed them the rotten nobles and mercenaries would've used the topic to start a war with Beastkins, but if I could capture them alive even in the worst case we could've used or fabricated the culprit's statements for public and Beastkin's for our and both countries favors.'

This is how this world works: the dead are more valued than alive for the people who have a thirst for power.

"Correct! I never thought you could explore this conclusion. I designed this test to examine all of this. A strong mage always had to look up to the best possibility, even the 0.1% failure chance could lead to chaos. I wanted to know that you really had what it takes to change the world or you were just all barks! You honestly looked so stupid when you said that! Fufufu..." 

Hiding her mouth with palms she was trying to mock me & it was working! If I could get a wish as a reward then I want to throw this childlike hag off in the abyss of thorns.

'I see so every candidate is facing the same test?'

"No! Since you are a special candidate, mister Aaris I need to make sure you don't mess up during the test so I offered to handle yours myself and so you could pass without any hindrance!" 

Lie!! She tried to look cute and sincere but I know this woman now!

"Also other candidates are going through different scenarios based on their abilities and intellect, for example, the Crown Prince is your original roommate and the test began when all you were asleep under a temporary sleeping spell, we split the space in the room making a lookalikes room for each candidate, in the Crown Prince test which is designed and invigorated under Edward  he is currently saving your pathetic ass-, ahem so I was saying they are facing different scenarios."

Averting her eyes 

'Oye, what were you saying before the pause!' Well, I don't mind, I also saved his ass during the test.' 

I shouldn't brag about this but I do deserve a medal of valor though I can't accept it as I avoid standing out! 

"Why are grinning like an idiot, if it was the real Crown Prince in this situation he would've ended everything in a blink, did you forget that it was a dummy clone, the Crown Prince is the most formidable opponent you can face, you should pray that you don't have to face him until you save a spot in top 10 because for him, the 1st place is already reserved not because he is a royalty but his strength, let's just end this and move to qualifiers chamber." 

Her concerned feeling was She snapped her finger and we both were teleported in front of a huge gate with a " Qualifier Hall " gate tag.

"Before you go in tell me one thing, how were you able to use mana under the barrier and you didn't use any spells besides physical strengthening, how & why?" She stood in front of me and asked, Now things will get messy.

She is not going to let me through until I answer, looking at her it was clear her fun has now turned into concern after seeing me.

'Well as you know I don't even  possess enough mana to cast a simple spell but since the Kurg incident a strange mana-like presence started surging inside me.'  

"I see, quite impressive you can go now."

She gave an emotionless smile and moved aside.

It looks like I really passed the first round, damn! Tara doesn't know this, even it looked easy when I defeated the fake intruders, I was struggling from inside it wasn't like the anti-barrier isn't toiling at me, under the barrier it felt like my insides were getting crushed probably it is one of the nature of my "mana", it took a bit time to collect myself from pain and use it to defeat them, now from inside out my body is suffering, I need rest!

***

While Aaris was heading to the chamber, something else was going on Tara's mind, 

-- Tara - POV --

"If it's not mana then what is it? There are only 3 types of mana in this world,

1.  Mortal Mana

2. Ethereal Mana

3. Extinguished Mana, 

Normally mages use the mortal mana, don't possess or belong to a celestial clan or grace, so he can't use Ethereal, it's neither a curse nor a dark spell he used so Extinguished mana is also out of the option, so what is it inside his body? I need to look over him, it seems like this will be more entertaining than I thought! But before going let's take a peek at this boy's soul pattern.

[ EAYN MIKAEL ]

The Heptagram appeared again in her eyes.

"The eye of the angel" let me take a look at this boy soul pattern-

How? What the fuck? Where is this boy's soul?

How is it possible?

'Boy wait!'

***

Before she can figure it out, Aaris has already entered the hall.

"Man, I want to sleep! but before that some good food! All that action made me hungry!" Aaris was at his limit and fell on the floor.

He took a good look at the hall and found Every eye piercing at him

"Oh look who showed up! Get up boy, we need to talk."