Chapter 118 Mental evaluation [ 3 ]

-Lucas Well's point of view.

It was common to see many cadets worried, others nervous, some even trembling because of what they knew about today's evaluation.

However, Lucas knew that was normal.

"After all, it will be the hardest and most difficult they've ever experienced."

It was obvious.

Anyone, so to speak, would be in this situation.

Even Professor Lucas himself felt a great panic when he was a cadet and 13 years old, when he started at the academy.

He knew it and he knew what the last evaluation was like, how hard and difficult it was.

Everything related to mentality is really hard to endure; Lucas had times when he fought monsters from the special category of mentality.

Monsters that attack your mind at any moment if you find yourself off guard. However, if you are mentally strong, you won't have much trouble with these monsters.

Their rating is around grade 5 or 4; their specialty, of course, is mental attacks, which gives them a fairly high "power rating", despite being physically and magically weak.

Despite this, Lucas now defeated them easily.

However, if a cadet were to fight one of these monsters....

"They would die, without a doubt."

No matter how or with what, cadets would die to such a monster.

Although the final assessment has nothing to do with monsters, of course it is important to clarify this part.

Watching the cadets as he looked around, Lucas fixed his attention on one cadet in particular.

"Asher."

His name echoed in his mind as he stared into his eyes.

To tell the truth...

"I find it hard to believe that this evaluation will be impossible for even the best first year cadet."

It was, and not just for him.

It was for Aria and Oriana as well, especially Oriana.

However, as teachers, they were to do nothing to help or interfere with the cadets, evaluations, exams, classes, etc.

There were a wide variety of things that teachers could not interfere with, because of the rules that Principal Wilbek created.

His rules had meaning and were important at the academy. His words, like his rules, were like absolute commands that the teachers had to obey without complaint or dispute.

Lucas then sighed, and his lips parted as he said:

"Cadets, this is the last part of the evaluation..."

The cadets looked at him silently, attentive to his words.

"Earlier, Professor Oriana explained it to you, but I will remind you so you won't forget."

He looked at the cadets, especially Asher, and continued.

"The first part of this evaluation is 'Memories.' Each cadet will place their hand on the pillar behind me. The pillar will emit a light, at which point their vision will darken, appearing inside a memory that is not actually theirs. However, it will show you an unpleasant life, a world in ruins where you will have to endure it all."

"If you manage to overcome what you see in those false memories, you will pass the first part. At worst, if you can't go on, you will be immediately taken to the medical section."

There was silence.

No one uttered words or asked questions.

Lucas noticed.

But.

"Don't worry, there will be no danger of going insane, psychopathic or anything like that, as you may be thinking. Remember, Laosa Academy has the safety of the cadets as a priority."

Some sighed, while others continued to stare at the professor.

Most were calm, though some were still a bit nervous.

Well, actually, no one was completely calm. The evaluation was the hardest and most difficult of all. They would see things they never thought they would one day witness with their own eyes.

However, they knew that the security at Laosa Academy was comparable to that of the royal family's castle.

After all, here was the strongest mage on the entire Agrona continent.

There was nothing to fear in case of danger or unrest inside the academy. As long as they were safe, everything would be fine.

Even the demon race would not dare to enter the academy or come close.

"Now for the second and final part of the evaluation. This one is 'Mental Pain.' They will be subjected to different levels of mental pain, starting from level 1 to level 10. If they manage to reach level 10, or at least level 5, they will be able to pass the last part of the evaluation."

"As before, they will have to endure only one hardship, and that is pain, which at some point in their lives they will have to face. It is better to do it now. In fact, this assessment is very important for you and for the future ahead..."

Lucas stopped immediately after almost revealing information he shouldn't have.

He looked at Oriana, and she stared at him. Her face was somber, and her eyes and expression were serious as she watched Lucas.

How could she not be.

He had been about to say something related to the dimensional rift.

However, he managed to stop himself and then sighed slightly as he returned his attention to the cadets.

His words came out again.

"Excuse my words. Well, as I was saying, this assessment is important. It's not that the academy tortures its cadets, but the evaluation, which is done every three months, is really important for all of you."

His words were right.

Most knew it.

Although some began to see this academy differently, they knew that somehow it all made sense and had really important meaning in everything the teachers teach and evaluate.

For example, there are the credit points.

They were added for the purpose of cadets getting credit points to enter the dungeons that the academy has in its possession.

It is a way to make the cadets experience what real combat against monsters is all about.

Everything has meaning, significance and purpose in what is done at the academy.

Therefore, every cadet understood it. They had read the academy rules and knew what things they were not supposed to do, as well as what things they could do.

The academy manual.

A manual where all the rules of the academy and other important things are written.

Everything in that manual the cadets were supposed to know.

Then Lucas continued.

"Now then, you know all about the evaluation. With nothing more to say, we will organize everything and start in a few minutes."

With that, Professor Lucas concluded his explanations. The cadets looked at each other, some began to talk, some began to speculate, and some were muttering about the evaluation.

***

-Change of scene.

-Asher Frostblade's point of view.

Asher, like all the other cadets, had listened intently to Professor Lucas' words.

However, his thoughts were more focused on the two parts of the evaluation.

"Memories" and "Mental Pain"; both categories were different.

No matter what it was, Asher knew their meaning.

Everyone did.

The first was really confusing at first, but now it was a little clearer.

The same goes for the second; simply put, the second was simply mental pain.

There was nothing more to say about the second part. However, it was not the kind of pain Asher knew; it was mental pain and it was different from physical pain, whereas the first part was false memories.

"Maybe I won't be too affected by the first part."

Of course, it depends a lot on each cadet's past.

For example, if your family was very kind to you, you might have a different past, maybe a twisted one, instead of seeing a happy one.

It was something like that with the "false memories" that cadets would be experiencing.

They are simply upside-down memories; instead of happiness, it's the opposite.

However, Asher's whole life was always unhappiness.

If so, what would it be like?

Would it be different or something unexpected?

However, as Professor Lucas said, "false memories" does not mean that they are one hundred percent related to the cadets' past; in fact, they could also be totally different memories.

"Haa..."

Asher sighed at his lingering thoughts.

It was really hard to process everything at a time when there was so much tension in the atmosphere.

Clank.

"Sorry, sorry..."

At that moment, Gloriana had walked in.

"It took quite a while..."

At that moment, Oriana stood in front of Gloriana and then....

"Cadet Gloriana, why are you late for the evaluation? You're lucky it hasn't started yet or you would have been disqualified in the last evaluation."

"Sorry, Sis... Professor Oriana."

"..."

Asher, though he found it a bit funny, refrained from laughing.

Although it was surprising, Asher rarely laughed at situations like this.

However, this time he had to be more serious than ever.

"I hope you don't make this mistake again, cadet."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Gloriana then walked towards the rest of the cadets.

Oriana looked at her for a few seconds with a disapproving look at her own sister. However, it was to be expected; she had been late, and this disappointed Oriana.

Asher, though he noticed, felt some guilt.

"I guess I should have taken her somewhere else instead of my room."

Though he wasn't much to blame, in a way he was, for making Gloriana late. And, of course, that was, in a way, Asher's fault.

However, he stopped thinking about that.

Currently, the teachers, especially Professor Lucas, seemed to be discussing something with other teachers, while Oriana was supervising the cadets. Other teachers were preparing the pillar that stretched from the floor to the ceiling of the room.

It was a not-so-tall black pillar, with inscriptions carved on the front. They were letters that said something, although some were quite deteriorated.

It looked like something old, both in its design and the condition of the pillar. Nevertheless, Asher could feel it.

"An incredible mana."

It was a mixture of several different types of mana.

In particular, mana was divided into several sections. First, the different types of mana can be distinguished by their distinctive colors and different feel.

The colored mana is related to each element of the affinities. For example, in the water affinity, the color of mana is navy blue.

Each mana has its own color, and, of course, this is also the case with the "Unique" affinities.

As Asher looked carefully at the pillar rising from the ground to touch the ceiling, he felt a hand press on his right shoulder. In that instant, he turned to see who it was.

"Hello."

It was Emilia.

In fact, it had been a while since they had spoken to each other, although they had spoken and exchanged a few sentences three days ago. Other than that, since the day they met, they hardly spoke to each other.

Asher then looked at Emilia.

Her purple hair and eyes of the same color gave her a very attractive and beautiful appearance; however, Asher didn't think about that and simply watched her with a face devoid of emotion.

Emilia didn't mind. In fact, that was one of the peculiarities of Asher's personality, and then she spoke.

"You seem a little worried and nervous? Is it because of the evaluation?"

"Yes."

Asher admitted.

Anyway, all the cadets would see his scores on this evaluation and know that he was weak in the area of mentality.

In fact, it didn't matter if the others knew or not.

"Seriously, I was surprised, since coming from you it's rare to hear that."

"You can't always be good at everything, nor will I always be able to meet others' expectations."

"You're right... I think so too."

"I understand."

Asher was of few words when he didn't know what to say.

Strangely, it happened to him more with girls than with other cadets.

However, maybe it was normal. Though he didn't feel like anything changed in his attitude or anything similar when he talked to a girl.

No matter what it was, being with a girl was really different.

"I hope you get lucky, Asher."

"I don't think I'll get lucky this time."

"Well, we'll see you later, won't we?"

Then Emilia said goodbye, and Asher looked at her back. However, a thought came to his mind.

"It's not luck or anything else.... I'm just mentally weak and that's all. Emilia, I'm sorry to disappoint you and the others as well."

However, he felt calm in the face of this and really didn't care much. Whatever the final score was, it only remained to see the result....