561 Chapter 561: Entrance Examination

"Sorry about that." Henry Porter scratched his head sheepishly, his wrinkled visage displayed in a holographic screen. "But it's a departmental exam. You're already a student of the university, but in order to major in the specific magic department, you'll have to pass their practical exam first."

"And you couldn't have told me that…earlier?"

"I didn't?" Henry Porter looked confused. "Didn't I tell you to prepare and get ready?"

He only told me to handle the administrative process and apply for the summoning department. He didn't actually inform me of the practical examination that they required. Fortunately, when going through the application process, I caught sight of the fine print that stipulated that I needed to take a practical examination.

Trying to suppress my panic, I had ringed Henry Porter up to ask him about it, and thus we were now holding this conversation.

"…all right. I'll do my best." Taking a deep breath, I got ready to hang up.

"Good luck," Henry Porter told me. "And don't worry, you'll be fine. You'll definitely make it in."

…did he just raise a flag?

In any event, there was little point in worrying over it, so I merely nodded and thanked him for his time before hanging up. If the practical exam was what I thought it would be, then I should get prepared for it as soon as possible.

*

A few days later, I was at the Vermillion University interview venue. They called it an interview venue, but they really were testing my abilities.

There were five invigilators sitting at a long table, accessing my files and reading them, the respective holographic screens up in display in front of them. They scrolled down the blue-tinted screens with their fingers, calling upon the relevant information and studying my personal profile. With hundreds of students to interview, I didn't blame them for not remembering who I was. I didn't really stand out that much from countless other talented students, after all.

"This student, Richard Huang, has already passed all the theoretical examinations. Got a bunch of A's. In that aspect, he's good to go."

"Says here that he is in the humanities department for the theory component. Either literature or history, perhaps both. Or a major in one and a minor in the other."

"For the practical magic component, he is testing for the summoning major, and it seems like he has plenty of experience in it."

"He has strong fundamentals, from what I can see, and he seems talented too."

"I would like to see what kind of soul beasts or spirits he can summon."

One of the younger invigilators received a phone call. He answered it quickly, and after listening, he turned to the chief invigilator, who was the oldest out of them. With an apologetic and frantic expression, he whispered.

"Professor Hu just called. He said he found an earth mage who is extremely versatile and would be perfect for our university. We can provide a holistic development for him."

"What? But that has nothing to do with the summoning department."

"It doesn't matter. He asks if he can set up a duel between the two of them, and then we can decide who to admit into the university."

"Why can't we just admit both?" the chief invigilator asked, getting annoyed. The younger man looked contrite.

"It's just a contrived excuse to set up a fight scene between the main character and some random 'genius' so that the former can show off his skills, and also to move the plot along."

Were the professors and staff in Vermillion University able to break the fourth wall as well? I was definitely in the right university.

"He's coming over right now," the invigilator whispered, and the rest nodded with a sigh. I took a deep breath and waited. I wasn't sure I liked this, but sometimes you had to go with the flow and deal with it instead of bitching about it.

Outside the university, a limousine came to a stop. A butler stepped out and went to the other side to open the door. A chubby dude then stomped out impatiently.

"How troublesome," the guy complained. "They want me to take an exam before admitting me?"

"Xiao Song," the butler said in a placating voice. "This is Vermillion University. There are plenty of talented students here. And the person you're competing with is a summoner. Those are pretty rare."

"Mr. Lee, what do you think is so great about summoning magic?" Xing Er Song asked scornfully. "The only soul beasts worth summoning take too long to cast, and the ones you can summon immediately or quickly are too weak to make a difference in a fight against competent mages. It's pretty impractical unless you fight in a team."

"With the changes in the curriculum, they are moving toward group-based tactics to prepare student mages for practical combat in reality," Lee told him. Xing Er Song scoffed.

"Individual ability is still the most important!"

"Well, in terms of individual ability, your magic skills are certainly far superior to that of most summoners," Lee admitted. "But don't forget. The granddaughter of the director of Vermillion University – I believe her name is Lilith Porter – is also a summoner."

"Oh, I remember her. The one with the Hellfire Bear, right? She's one of the top-ranking mages in the Federation. Her team got fourth place in last year's ranking."

"And your opponent is from a team who got third place in last year's ranking. So you cannot afford to underestimate him."

"The idiot who is supposed to specialize in summoning giant monsters and unleashing spells of mass destruction? Hah!" Xing Er Song laughed. "His magic is too impractical! Those spells, no matter how powerful they are, take too long to cast! I can defeat him in several hundred ways before he ever gets to cast any of them!"

"Be that as it may be, but he is not someone to underestimate. You do not think he earned his reputation by letting his enemies defeat him before he can summon his giant monsters or cast his powerful spells, do you?"

"That…" Xing Er Song sighed grumpily. "Whatever. I'm more worried that Director Porter will play favoritism and choose this Richard Huang just because he's a summoner like his granddaughter."

"I did hear that Mr. Huang has connections with Director Porter. But don't worry. Even if you don't get accepted, then you can always return to Sheng Hai City. Our stronghold is located there, after all."

"No!" Xing Er Song almost yelled. "I won't go back!"

He turned and stomped away furiously, leaving his exasperated butler behind. Veins popping in his temple, he snarled.

"I'm going to show all those people who mocked me that they are wrong! I'll become stronger than them, even without relying on my dad! Let's go!"

"All right," Lee responded with a resigned chuckle.

Xing Er Song showed up in the open-air interview venue without a second to waste, and he bowed his head politely.

"Good morning, professors."

"Xing Er Song, you're here." One of the invigilators stood up and waved at him. "Please take a seat."

The chubby dude obliged, taking a seat nearby. He caught sight of me and his lips twisted into a sneer. Even though he didn't say it out loud, it was clear what he was thinking.

"Heh. He's dressed in such shabby clothing. Thinking you have a chance to win against me, you are a deluded fool!"

Instead, he merely clicked his tongue while grinning arrogantly.

"So this is the student who is competing against me?" he asked snidely. "You realize that you do need money to effectively master summoning magic, right?"

"No, you don't," I retorted. "Who the hell told you that?"

"Huh? Isn't it common knowledge?" Xing Er Song sneered. "How can you call yourself a summoner if you don't even know such a basic thing?"

"Are you a summoner? Have you cast any summoning magic before?" I snapped irritably. "At least I'm not arrogant enough to tell an earth mage how to learn earth magic. If you aren't a summoner, then you should go sing a song instead."

"You…!" Xing Er Song snarled, but the invigilator raised a hand and cleared his throat before he could rise up to confront me.

"Boy, what are you thinking?" he hissed to Xing Er Song. "Why did you come to Vermillion University? And you even insist on competing with a summoning student?"

"Uncle Li, what does that have to do with anything? And who cares about summoners? Everyone knows they are useless." Xing Er Song waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, you already know the details."

"All right, since both candidates are here, we should begin." One of the other invigilators waved me forward. "Richard Huang, you're up first."

"Okay."

I had spent too much time sitting around in the venue, so I could just summon my Celestial Guardians at any time. The moment I went up on stage, I finished casting my spell.

Vermillion Phoenix materialized with a thunderous screech, spreading his wings majestically and conjuring a brilliant halo of flames around him. All the invigilators gaped at me, their jaws falling wide open. Even Xing Er Song looked pale when he caught sight of the soul beasts I could summon.

"This is amazing…"

"Even though we have seen this soul beast in recordings…to actually witness this up close in person…"

"Just how much willpower and determination do you have to possess in order to summon a soul beast of that magnitude?"

"And his records say he can summon four more soul beasts of a similar level."

Smiling, I raised a hand and summoned White Tiger for emphasis. There were even more gasps of shock and awe from the invigilators. As for Xing Er Song, he sank back into his seat, probably regretting his words from earlier.

I told you that you didn't need money to summon. Just willpower.

"Dean Xiao, the summoning department definitely wants this student!"

"!!"

Both Xing Er Song and his butler jolted up at those words from one of the invigilators. Incensed, the chubby earth mage jumped up and pointed at me rudely.

"Want him?! On what basis?!"

The guy was literally throwing a tantrum in front of the professors of Vermillion University. I couldn't help but watch, astonished, as he continued raving and ranting.

"What's so great about summoning a bird and a tiger? Hasn't Vermillion University always placed an emphasis on practical battle experience? I'm sure I can totally destroy a team of such soul beasts on my own!"

"…uh, okay?" I responded, not knowing what to say. I was so amused that I couldn't even rise to his provocations. This guy was…deluded.

Xing Er Song must have realized that I was inwardly laughing at him, for a vein popped in his face. He stomped on the ground and a colossal slab of rock materialized under his feet, ferrying him toward the stage. The guy was trying to show off, but I had fought far more impressive opponents in the past.

He jumped off the rock spike and landed on the stage before jabbing a finger at me.

"Let me take on your soul beasts," he suggested. "And we'll see how well they will fare against me, eh?"

"Don't want, eh." I replied. The chubby fella bristled.

"Are you a coward?!"

"No lah," I responded. "You think I got time to play with you, is it? I look like I very free ah? Lim Pei got better things to do."

Everyone was gaping at me, and I realized that I had accidentally slipped back to my Singaporean accent. Not that I care, so I continued.

"Why you so garang sia? Cannot anyhow come here and fight what. You think this is your grandfather's house, is it? Don't anyhow kajiao people, can or not?"

"Can you speak properly?" one of the invigilators asked. I sighed.

"Sorry. I mean, before challenging me, don't you think it is polite to ask the invigilators for permission?"

"This…" one of the invigilators spoke up, realizing that I was right. She turned to the others for support.

"I don't see the harm in a little contest," the invigilator that Xing Er Song called Uncle Li said, gesturing in a friendly manner.

"We'll go with that then," the chief invigilator declared, making a decision. He nodded at me. "Dismiss your soul beasts. The both of you, reset your casting. We'll begin the duel in five minutes."

"Yes, sir." The chief invigilator was Dean Xiao, now I remembered Henry Porter introducing him before. Dismissing my Celestial Guardians, I hopped off the stage and began resetting everything. Snorting scornfully, Xing Er Song did the same.

The poor guy had no idea what was coming for him, did he?