Chapter 3 – Preliminary Exams
At a quaint Wizard Association's Branch in a coastal city in Galeon, a boisterous party arrived. The one-story guild had been renovated into an examination room, and the written exam was about to begin. Clico entered the examination room with his party.
The first exam was a written exam designed to test mental capabilities. Put under strict magical spells, the room could detect even a hint of magical energy, otherwise known as aura. Cheating and aura use was explicitly prohibited, but if one could bypass the complex runic precautions, they could probably easily pass the exam anyways.
With short blonde hair and blue eyes, the Shade War veteran Clico sat down in an empty desk. He was in his late twenties, but he gave off an aura of seriousness beyond his age. Soon, he was given a stack of papers by an old lady proctor. The first round of the Dungeon Party Selection had begun.
Page 1: Qualifications – Please write your qualifications, experience, aura level, or other talents on this page.
"Hmm," Clico thought. "I guess the first page is just a resume…" He scribbled down his information.
Qualifications and Information: B Rank Sage of the Wizard's Association, Veteran of the Shade War, Runic Aura user, Party Leader.
He flipped on to the next page nonchalantly.
Page 2: Seven Paths – Please write which specializations in the Seven Paths you have experience in and an explanation behind the Seven Paths.
Clico began to write his answer for the second page.
"The Seven Paths are the seven ways to ascension to Godhood. By following one or more of the Seven Paths, one can increase their aura capacity and become stronger in their respective field.
I specialize in runic magic and am at the rank of a B Rank Sage. As a member of the Great Dungeon Party, I can assist in the creation, utilization, and upkeep of mid-tier runes." Clico continued to the next page.
Page 3: Practical Scenarios
The exam posed morale dilemmas in the next section. Would you save a child or two elderly people from a burning building? Could you sacrifice yourself for your party mates? After pages of these moral questions the test became more concrete and focused on aura-based questions.
From Clico's perspective, the written exam was designed to weed out normal people who had little to no experience with magic, party composition, and adventuring in general. According to the news, to pass the written test, a score of 75% or higher was needed for the written or physical exam. The bar was set quite low for the first round of the examination, most likely because it would excite normal people. Anyone with minimal experience or knowledge could pass one of the two exams and move on to the next round.
Clico's analysis would be that the second round of the selection would be used to weed out the normal people, and the third round would decide who is the best of the best. Normal people were caught up in the experience and hype behind the Great Dungeon Party Selection and wouldn't care too much if they got out in the second round if they passed the first round.
"It's a great strategy to keep everyone engaged," thought Clico as he finished up the written examination in record time.
He was one of the first people done with the exam and left the examination room to wait for the rest of his party. Sitting outside by a tree Clico thought about his party. In total, there were eight people in Clico's party.
Originally, Clico's party was much smaller. As a graduate of the Agate Academy for Mages, Clico and his four friends entered the Mage's Association, but only two of them ended up serving with him in the Shade War. During the Shade War, they met four adventurers and a rouge dungeon Shade. Truly a band of crazy and diverse people, the party was seen as an enigma amongst the Shade War veterans, and Clico's party became famous among the Shade War squadrons and parties.
Leaving the examination nearly a minute after Clico was his longtime friend Aventi. Growing up at the Agate Academy with her made the two of them close. She strolled out of the exam room with confidence. Her brown skin and long black hair waved in the wind outside the building.
"I didn't expect it to be so easy." She said flatly.
"Of course it would be this easy. They have to reel in the masses somehow…" Clico mumbled.
"Speak up, I can't hear you." She nagged.
Bursting down the door with sheer force, a dark and malevolent force exited the building minutes later. Cackling with delight, the Shade announced,
"Hahaha! I Omira, have conquered this exam!"
"Hey, you can't just break down the door!" the old proctor called out in disdain.
"We are very sorry ma'am," Clico called out while sighing.
"Ignore her." Aventi pretended not to notice.
"I bet I got 100%! You'll see Aventi. I'm the greatest Shade alive!" Omira teased, unaware of her disturbance to the exam.
As a Shade, Omira was often discriminated against for using dark magic. She is technically a humanoid monster born in the dungeon, but after escaping the Shade Lord's control, she instantly found Clico's party and stayed with them ever since. Her raw power was perplexingly abnormal. Technically, having a monster in your party was frowned upon, but she tried to act like normal adventurer of their party, to no avail. If it weren't for her erratic personality, disturbing appearance, and extreme aura capacity, no one would ever know the difference!
Leaving the exam about a half an hour later was the rest of their party, putting the end to Aventi and Omira's bickering. Three adventurers and a priest left through the half-broken door and made their way out with the bulk of the crowd who finished around the same time.
"Come on now Samcyra, it wasn't that hard!" Gileon consoled his friend.
"Stop being babies you two and accept that you're just stupid." Cheptah told his adventurer friends.
"Don't be so negative, we'll all be in the final party, I'm sure of it!" The adventurer priest David said happy with his answers on the test.
"Friends, let us feast while we wait!" Omira shouted and ran into the distance.
"What a spaz…" Aventi said. Everyone laughed and walked after Omira.
"Wait... wait for me!" Stern, the final member of the group yelled from within the test room. He was the last one still looking over his test. The proctor rolled her eyes. These lunatics should never be allowed in the final party…
Hours later, the written exam results were posted by the proctor outside on a bulletin.
Written Exam Results:
Clico: 100%
Aventi: 100%
Omira: 27%
Samcyra: 60%
Gileon: 79%
Cheptah: 77%
David: 92%
Stern: 85%
"I can't believe I failed." Samcyra angrily shot a blast of aura at a nearby wall, shattering it.
"I know, this is rigged!" Omira agreed. She was about to go on a rampage.
"Umm, Omira, it's okay. You'll score highest on the physical exam!" Clico tried to reassure her. If she went on a rampage, nobody in their party could stop her, and she would cause a gigantic scene.
"I better, or else they will pay! You'll all pay." Omira glared.
"Okay then," Aventi sighed. "Come on we'll be late to the physical examination." Aventi waved off the incompetents and hurried back to the examination building. Outside the building, an aura tester was set up.
"Attention everyone," the old proctor sighed as she saw the unhinged Omira approaching.
"Now, we will start the physical portion of the exam. I have an aura tester here with me. All you have to do is show an aura above 100, which is the threshold for a D Rank Mortal. Get in a single file line, and if you got above a 75 on the previous portion, you do not have to do this part unless you want to."
"I abstain." Aventi spoke first before anyone could move.
"Oh, come on it'll be fun Aven," Cheptah nudged her.
"Don't call me that." She growled.
"I'll go first." Omira sped up to the Aura Tester at an inhuman speed. The Examination Aura Tester was shaped like a carnival high striker. You could launch an attack at it, pour aura in it, or put an artifact on it to show proof of aura capability and ability.
Omira unleased her full aura. Her power was perhaps stronger than most people in the entire city of Sapphire, but all she needed was a fraction of her true power. That didn't stop her from using an all-out attack. The proctor's eyes widened and shock, and she jumped away from the tester.
BOOM! Omira punched the device with all of her might.
The device could handle just a little bit more than what Omira violently a, and the high striker nearly hit the top of the Aura Tester. Around 80% of the meter shot up before showing the results on a screen at the top of the high striker.
Result: 11,017 (Rank F Queen)
"Gasp. Wow she's a queen!"
"Incredible!"
Murmurs of her his aura capacity spread throughout the examinees. Having an aura capacity above 10,000 was considered to put you at the level of a ruler of a country or head of an organization, yet here was a crazed Shade at a no name Galeon city's examination.
Aventi looked away in embarrassment. Clico and David facepalmed. They couldn't take her anywhere.
"Kukukuku, I am the strongest of our party!" Omira boasted. Every examinee was gawking, too stunned to go after Omira.
"I guess it's my turn," Stern said while laughing at Omira's ignorance. The proctor was hiding behind a barrel but gave a thumbs up for Stern. Revving up, Stern used an all-out attack.
Result: 3,455 (Rank C Sage)
"Wow he's strong too!" Someone complimented.
"It's not enough." Stern whispered to himself.
"Let's test mine now." Clico walked up and used the runic tattoos on his body to increase his aura.
Result: 4,721 (Rank B Sage)
"Damnit," Clico cursed. Even though he and Stern were considered elite warriors, their goal was to reach Lavilin, the fourth member of their academy class and ex-party member.
"Wow, you've been improving!" Cheptah laughed heartily. "It's our turns now!"
Cheptah's result: 1,877 (Rank F Sage Mortal)
Samcyra's result: 2,109 (Rank D Sage)
David's result: 380 (Rank C Mortal)
Gileon's result: 1,791 (Rank F Sage)
Compared to the rest of the examiners, Clico's party was leagues above them.
"Are these really the kind of people we'll go up against?" One guy said.
"No wonder the Mage's Association is so strong." A woman said.
The proctor looked at them in shock.
"You all pass. A bunch of Sages, Wizards, and a Queen deserve to go to the next round. Here are your ID badges. You will have to go to the Void Continent." She explained as she came out from behind the barrel.
Gasps could be heard from the crowd. The Void Continent was the home of Purgatory, but even more than that, the Voidlands. Ryko was a unique planet because it is tidally locked around the last known binary stars. Apart from space debris, rouge moons, and asteroids, Ryko solitarily rotated around the red giant, Heart of Xana, and blue dwarf, Heart of Cipher. Named after two of the legendary Authorities, the two binary stars were the last flickering representations of life.
The Void Continent is covered 75% in complete darkness, and the sun only rises and sets on the borderlands of the continent. For the other two continents near the borderlands, nighttime is a like dusk. A full day can only occur on the Void Continent. Due to its inhabitability, void creatures roam the abandoned parts of the continent while the country of Phanec solely rules over the habitable parts of the continent.
There is not a lot of trade, and Phanec is a notorious military country ruled by the dictator and scientist, King Augustus. Therefore, travel to the Void Continent is usually only for adventurers who want to see the gates or walls of Purgatory. Unless a psychotic individual or party wants to train in the Voidlands, there is no other plausible reason to travel to the Void Continent.
Phanec hosting the second round of the Selection was highly strategic in Aventi's mind. By hosting the second round in a harsh place, less normal people would bother to travel to the second round. Civilians who pass the first round will be disheartened and give up or realize the gravity of the Selection and watch it at home. The Void continent symbolized danger, and millions of people would be content with saying they passed the first round and wouldn't uproot their lives to continue to the next round. By giving normal people an excuse and reality check, their journey would come to an end.
For Clico's party however, this was just the beginning.