Chapter 37: Exam Change

*TREVOR*

(A few months ago).

My core reached the brown stage about a year and a half ago. During that time, I've been training like crazy, meditating, and seeking help from my teachers to figure out what I needed to break through the brown core barrier and move on to the next stage. Many advised me to be patient and continue meditating.

They suggested that I try to figure out on my own how to manipulate mana and my magic within my body to help my core grow.

Meanwhile, I was sitting in a room borrowed from one of my professors, meditating with my eyes closed and focused. As I meditated, I could feel my core starting to break.

This worked because I was forcing my magic to grow with so much training, causing me to often nosebleed and faint to the point of being bedridden for days.

Until a few days ago, while training my magic to come out of me forcefully, like a volcano erupting with my flames reaching the ceiling, and due to the mana load in my body, it exploded, and everything around me darkened.

I woke up, and every corner of my body hurt. I groaned a few times, blinked, and the school doctor was beside me, checking me.

"Good morning, young man. It's good to see you awake," the doctor greeted me. "What happened? How did I end up here?" I asked.

Answering my question, she explained what happened. "Professor Irina found you on the floor with a severely damaged body, and you've been unconscious for four days." When she said the days, I tried to get up, but she stopped me.

"Hold on there, kid. Your body is still not in good condition, and it will take you some time to heal," I heard a voice from the door. I turned, and the headmistress was coming towards me.

"Headmistress," I was surprised, and she just raised her hand to calm me down. "Let me explain why I'm here," she cleared her throat and sat beside my bed. "When Professor Irina felt a strong mana explosion in the room she lent you, she went to that place and found you lying there," she explained calmly.

She continued speaking, "Due to the level of your injuries, you were urgently brought to the medical room." She finished, "We left you here, and I came personally because the teacher told me about you and what she felt that day." She smiled and looked at me.

"Look at your core, boy, that's something you can do." I did as she said and looked inside me. My core no longer had the brown color; now it was a different color, stable yellow. I opened my eyes, "Wait, my core is stable yellow, shouldn't it be dark yellow?" I asked.

The headmistress nodded, "That's what it was supposed to be, but a surprise greeted us. According to your information, your element was fire," I nodded, "Well, when we looked at your core and the mana around you, we saw something interesting. Some of the directors came to do check-ups, and we realized that your mana evolved." She laughed and rubbed my head.

Confused, I asked her, "What do you mean, it evolved?" I looked at her confusedly, "Exactly that, boy. When you were forcing your magic, core, and mana, it could no longer sustain itself, and as you know, in certain circumstances, mana moves on its own, so, unable to maintain the pressure, it evolves." She finished.

I was stunned, "What did it evolve into?" I asked. She turned to look at me and with a mischievous smile, she replied, "That, we'll have to see from now on." She got up from the bed and headed towards the exit, turned to look at me, and spoke, "for now, focus on recovering; I'll come back for you later." She finished and left the medical room.

[Back to the present]

"When I recovered, the headmistress and the sister directors came with her and evaluated me for a month and a half. When we finally succeeded, we found out that my magic remained the same but in a different form, and it was called incineration magic," I finished explaining that part.

[Incineration magic: Ability to increase the temperature of fire to extreme levels, allowing almost anything to be burned instantly.

Superior form of fire, making the element more powerful.]

And I continued, "After two months of testing my new magic, someone unexpected came with the headmistress, Descendant Cassian had come to see me, as my case reached his ears and interested him," I told my parents, who listened carefully.

Before they could speak, I continued the story, "When the headmistress introduced us, Mr. Cassian took me with him to the Descendants' headquarters and subjected me to several tests. The remaining months were hell; one of the older Descendants was deciding to retire, the others gathered and evaluated me, and in the end, it was decided that I would take his place when my core reached the penultimate stage and become an official and public wood Descendant." As I finished the story, I looked at everyone carefully, and they were stunned.

Therius spoke, "Nice story, brother. If you caught their attention, how do you think I'll do?" He asked with a smug smile.

We all looked at him, "That's true, Therius has enough skill to attract the Descendants' attention," my mother spoke.

Confused, I asked why, "What do you mean, Mom?" Dad and she exchanged glances, but Otto spoke, "Well, your brother's growth is very advanced; it took him until he was 13 to reach the brown stage, no offense, but it took you until you were 16 to do it," Otto explained.

I looked at him, and he looked at me. I can't be envious; after all, I knew Therius's skills were good enough to do something like that.

"So hurry up; maybe there's another position for you," I said, and everyone smiled. "Well, let's leave that for now, eat and drink, and then we have to leave here; the stares are suffocating me," I said, and we all started to move.

Otto and Valentina, although they seemed elegant when eating, actually indulged in half of the food. Mom and Dad were with Layra and Elowen, while Therius and I were talking about the entrance exam.

"I won't lie to you, brother; from what I heard, they changed the exam format. Before, it was an evaluation of basic magic and writing, but this time, it changed to real combat practices," when he mentioned real combat, Atheria and my parents turned their attention back to me. "What do you mean by that?" Atheria asked.

"Well, since they created cameras that can record in the air, they decided to have battles in open fields with real beasts. But," I said a but before they spoke, "there will be people watching in case something goes wrong. My teacher, who has connections within the council of directors, gave me this information." I explained.

Everyone looked doubtful, but not worried. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it; your brother already passed that exam," Fredic said as he continued eating.

Remembering the letter we received some time ago where they told us how Aetherius fought a Wave of beasts in the mountains.

Smiling, I said, "That's right, I forgot about the Wave," I chuckled a bit, "this exam will be a piece of cake for you, little one," I hugged him and playfully squeezed him.

After letting him go, my friends started to surround Therius, asking him what he liked, why his eyes and hair looked like that, what his element was, and those things to which Therius had no problem responding.

"Lightning magic, huh? It would be exciting to see your exam this year," I looked at Rachel becoming saddened, "it would be very kind of you if I could see it along with my family," Therius replied to them.

"It wouldn't be a problem for a few more," Mom spoke, "of course, they are welcome," Dad also spoke.

I looked at them, but they just winked, it will be fun to watch, I thought, but first, I would have to talk to Mr. Cassian to be able to stay with my family a few more days after the exam.

The night fell while we all had fun, and the ceremony ended, and it was time for them to announce what I had heard, the changes in the exam.

A loud applause was heard from the stairs, "your attention, please. Now that the ceremony is over, I want to give you a notice for you, fathers, and your children that next week you will take your admission exam to the academy, and of course, this will also be announced to the public outside this room," it was Mr. Cassian who was making the announcement.

He looked at me, and I nodded in greeting. He cleared his throat and continued speaking, "Today I want to inform you that this year the way to take the admission exam to the southern academy will no longer be evaluative by the teachers, nor by paper exam as it usually is done." He stopped to look at the people present who were watching him.

Dad took me by the shoulder, "Son, is this what you told us? About the real combat exam?" he asked me, "I'm sure," I replied, turning my attention back to Mr. Cassian.

"Now the exam will take place in the southern forests where you will have to fight with real beasts and demonstrate your abilities," he raised his hand to calm any questions that might arise.

He passed the word to the headmistress, "let me clarify that 2 more Descendants apart from Descendant Cassian will be present at the exam along with academy staff to save any student who is about to receive collateral damage, and we will also use flying cameras to be able to see each one of our students, and this will be transmitted to you so that you can see the performance of your children, and to be prepared, we will give you two full weeks to continue training your skills and be able to take the exam," he stopped to take a breath. And he continued speaking, "so anyone who does not want to take the exam will not be judged since it is not bad or cowardly to be afraid to go through this admission process, after all, there are other schools in which they can aim apart from this academy," he stopped again and looked at the people who were starting to whisper.

My companions were no exception, "Is this really good? I mean, it's good that they try to prepare the children for the world's problems, but this is... Well, you understand," Nora whispered to the group.

I wasn't entirely against her comment since I also thought about it, "If you're worried about me, you shouldn't be, you know what I'm capable of," Therius spoke, his eyes were pure determination, which made me shiver But I couldn't deny being proud of this kid.

"And now, finishing this announcement, I ask you to leave, it's late, and many of you traveled far for this day, and it's time for you to rest," the headmistress raised her hand pointing towards the main door.

"Good night, and thank you for coming today, I hope you are proud of your children for this achievement, especially the family of young Emwind who must be prouder for the achievement of their son and brother." She raised a cup and toasted, "cheers for the future of Igrita," and everyone raised their cups still in hand, "cheers and for the future of Igrita" they shouted in unison.

And so the ceremony ended, "Mom, Dad, I have to talk to Mr. Cassian; I'll catch up with you later. Are you staying at the guild, right?" I asked, "Yes, son, we're there, just come back safely," Mom replied, and I said goodbye.

"See you later, brother," Elowen said goodbye, and I returned the greeting.