Chapter 5:Magic Knight Exam 1.

Ben, who was standing in the crowd of participants, felt an intense glare on him. He looked around to find the source of it.

'Why do I feel someone is looking at me intensely? Where?' Ben scanned the crowd, searching for the culprit, but he couldn't pinpoint it amidst the many female participants who were also casting their eyes in his direction.

Suddenly, Ben's gaze met Charlotte's. She was looking at him, and when she noticed him looking back, she quickly averted her gaze.

"Is it Charlotte? She looks as beautiful as ever. Will she still remember me?" Ben glanced at Charlotte and signaled gracefully with one of his hands.

"____"

'He's smiling at me! What... Did he just signal to me that I'm beautiful? In public, before everyone! Is this considered a marriage proposal?' Charlotte's face turned red, and steam seemed to emanate from her head due to her overthinking.

William Vengeance, the captain of Golden Dawn, stepped forward, took the microphone in his hand, and began to announce.

"ATTENTION, EXAMINEES!"

"THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE."

"I WILL BE ADMINISTERING THIS YEAR'S EXAM."

"MAGIC TREE DESCENT!" Williams suddenly opened his grimoire and cast a spell before everyone.

After Williams chanted the spell, mana began to glow in green, and the sunny sky gradually turned overcast with dark clouds.

Everyone watched the scene in awe as suddenly, from the midst of the clouds, tree roots spread downward, causing the wind to pick up speed. Even the magic knights present looked on in amazement.

When the roots reached the participants, they transformed into broomsticks, landing in their hands.

"He is the strongest magic knight captain for nothing," some participants whispered in admiration.

"Aren't you a show-off?" Jack looked at Williams with a smirk.

Williams didn't pay any attention to Jack and continued his speech.

"AND WITH THAT, LET THE MAGIC KNIGHT ENTRANCE EXAM BEGIN!"

"IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS, WE WILL HAVE YOU UNDERGO SEVERAL TESTS."

"WE NINE MAGIC KNIGHT CAPTAINS WILL SERVE AS JUDGES,"

"AND LATER, WE WILL CHOOSE THE INDIVIDUALS WE WANT ON OUR SQUADS. IF CHOSEN, YOU ARE IN. IF CHOSEN BY MORE THAN ONE SQUAD, YOU MAY CHOOSE WHICH ONE TO JOIN."

"HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE NOT SELECTED BY ANY SQUAD, THEN YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO JOIN THE MAGIC KNIGHTS."

"FOR YOUR FIRST TEST, YOU NEED TO USE THE BROOM TO FLY."

Many examinees began to panic because they had never flown on broomsticks before.

"A MAGE IN CONTROL OF HIS OR HER MAGIC POWER CAN DO IT BY FEEL."

"IT IS THE MOST BASIC MODE OF MOVEMENT FOR A MAGE. IF YOU CAN'T FLY USING THE BROOM, YOU ARE NOT WORTH OUR TIME. ENOUGH TALK. SHALL WE BEGIN?"

Just after Captain Williams announced the beginning of the test, every examiner tried to fly using the broom.

Ben looked at the candidates who were desperately trying to control their broomsticks in flight. Some were hovering cautiously, others were swaying wildly, and a few were moving up and down as they struggled to gain control.

"Shall we start?" Ben took a deep breath and mounted his broomstick.

He channeled his mana through the broom, attempting to make it lift off.

The broom began to rise, and he managed to maintain his balance.

Gradually, he started moving forward, gaining confidence.

After a minute, Ben increased the pace, performing different maneuvers and enjoying the flight. His control over the broom was evident as he executed various aerial stunts.

"Look at that one; he has excellent control over his mana," Williams commented while observing Ben's performance.

"Yes, his mana control is remarkable, and he seems completely relaxed, indicating that he's not straining himself to impress us," Nozel noted, studying Ben with interest.

"He will be a perfect fit for my squad," Fuegoleon said with enthusiasm.

"Who said he would choose your squad?" Nozel countered, showing his own interest in Ben.

"Wait, he will be mine... Ah, I mean, he will join the Blue Rose," Charlotte declared, unintentionally making her announcement loud enough for others to hear.

"____"

"____"

There was silence as everyone in the room, including Sol, looked at Charlotte with shocked expressions.

"Sis... sister..." Sol was at a loss for words.

"Finally, something that can melt the ice princess's heart," Yami commented while taking a puff from his cigarette.

"Huhuh... I am also interested in him," Jack chimed in, smirking at Charlotte.

"I didn't mean it that way. I was interested in his talent, that's it," Charlotte explained, finding the reason behind her declaration and clarifying it to the others.

After completing the first test, the second test, the magic power test, began.

In this test, candidates had to demonstrate their magical abilities by hitting targets with spells to showcase their power to the captains and impress them.

Ben looked at the wall before him, which was several times thicker than a regular wall should be.

Many candidates managed to create cracks in it, but none could fully demolish it. Even though Ben hadn't cast a single spell yet, the captains were eagerly waiting for his move.

Ben pressed the green button on the Omnitrix.

Click...

The screen rose, displaying the outline of an alien. As he rotated the display, the image changed.

'What should I choose? Should I use Four Arms to demolish the wall with my bare hands, or should I use Heatblast to blast it away?' Ben contemplated for a moment before pressing the display, causing a radiant green light to emanate from it.

This light attracted the attention of everyone at the exam, including the captains, who watched with great anticipation.

"HEATBLAST!!!"

As the light faded away, everyone who had been observing Ben was left in shock.

They saw a humanoid figure engulfed in flames, its skin resembling heated minerals in a volcano, radiating intense heat.

"What is that thing? Is he still alive? Is he even human?" one of the examinees shouted, pointing at Ben.

"UH... YEAH, I AM ALIVE, BUDDY," Ben replied from within the flames of his Heatblast form.

He pointed his right hand at the wall, and suddenly, a high-temperature fireball shot forth, striking the wall and causing it to crumble into small pieces.

At the captain's stand...

"Did he just cast a spell of that level without uttering an incantation? What a monster!" Nozel exclaimed in shock.

"He will be a perfect addition to my squad. Look at the heat he generates and his mastery over fire magic," Fuegoleon commented with a wide grin.

"He reached this level shortly after obtaining his grimoire. His talent is incredible," Yami observed, his face still bearing a bewildered expression.

'He's so handsome. What should I do? Other women from different squads might try to get his attention. Absolutely not! I won't allow that,' Charlotte resolved to prevent other women from approaching Ben.

"Hey, Fuegoleon, maybe he would be a good match for your sister. She likes to visit volcanoes, right? Look at this guy; he's practically a walking volcano," Yami suggested, pointing at Ben.

"_____"

"I can't even imagine it. If she finds out we're discussing her marriage, she'll personally come to train us," Fuegoleon muttered, shuddering at the thought of his sister's wrath.

Yami also shuddered, recalling the time when Fuegoleon's sister had thoroughly trounced him.

"____"

Charlotte, witnessing their conversation, became more determined in her decision. She wouldn't allow other women to steal Ben's attention.

"He is really powerful, sister," Sol remarked, looking at Ben in awe.

"____"

"Call me Captain Sol," Charlotte reminded her brother to address her properly.

"Okay, sis," Sol obediently followed her order.

'Ben, he's not one of us, but his incredible talent sets him apart. I'm not interested in him,' Williams thought as he gazed at Ben, but his eyes briefly glazed over for a moment before returning to normal.

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(Author's POV)

Thanks for reading the chapter! please give a review and power stone!!!