One morning, the new students of Saint Goban Academy woke up early, as today marked the first assessment since their arrival at the academy.
These elite individuals were full of confidence, having prepared for this assessment for quite some time.
As usual, Asura woke up early to fetch breakfast for his three roommates from the cafeteria. The four of them had an excellent relationship.
They had even created a "Top 10 Newcomer Beauties" ranking, complete with semi-factual, semi-fantastical gossip. The information cards they sold, which included these rankings, had brought them over a thousand points.
This caused the four roommates to be extremely excited. Their leader, Jinze, suggested that they split the points evenly. Asura, feeling a bit guilty since he hadn't contributed much, tried to help the group in any way he could to return the favor.
After breakfast, the three roommates encouraged each other and went to their respective classes for the assessment. The fourth, Angelo, didn't need to take the test and slept in.
Asura walked into the Magic Academy's Class 13, where most of the students had already gathered. His presence went largely unnoticed, as he had a reputation for frequently skipping class. It was rumored that he skipped lessons to pursue martial arts to impress girls, which made the self-important magicians look down on him even more. There were also rumors that his magic level was very low.
The only people who were somewhat friendly with Asura were the silver-haired girl, Clara, and the chubby boy, Nawei. Clara probably felt some kinship because they had both entered the academy together. Nawei, on the other hand, had poor academic performance and assumed that Asura was one of his fellow underperformers, which led to a shared sense of camaraderie.
Nawei's greatest hobby was eating, and he spent all his points on the expensive food on the second floor of the cafeteria. Asura had once visited that floor and was taken aback by the prices of the dishes, which made him reluctant to spend his hard-earned points on such luxuries.
The students whispered among themselves, discussing the upcoming assessment, and Clara turned to Asura, quietly asking, "Are you ready for the test?"
Asura, leaning lazily against his chair, responded carelessly, "A man should never say he's not ready."
Clara rolled her eyes, used to Asura's casual attitude. Although he was a bit disorganized, she enjoyed talking with him because he wasn't like other boys who tried to impress her. He never went out of his way to gain her favor or strike up a conversation with ulterior motives.
Especially lately, with the release of a ranking card about the academy's top ten beauties, which included some of her habits and preferences, the boys surrounding her had become unbearable.
They constantly buzzed around her like flies, trying to impress her. If she knew that Ashura had been the one to spread the gossip, she might not find him as likable anymore!
At that moment, Nawei turned around and said to Asura, "Hey, after the test, let's go to the cafeteria's second floor and spend your points. You're probably going to be kicked out of the academy anyway, so don't waste them!"
Asura, annoyed, grabbed his notebook from the table, intending to throw it at Nawei's head. But when Clara shot him a sharp look, he quickly put the notebook back down.
That notebook contained notes Clara had made for him and records of their conversations. If he had thrown it, Clara, a level two mage, would have zapped him with lightning right then and there!
Yes, Clara had reached level two mage quite early. Recently, Kyle, the class monitor, had also reached level two, and he believed himself to be Clara's true soulmate, thinking that only he was worthy of her.
Asura glared at Nawei and said unhappily, "You should worry about yourself first, Raven-mouth."
Nawei, although a level one mage, had never studied magic seriously. His basic magic, like summoning lightning, was unreliable, and he was worried that he wouldn't pass the "puppet" section of the test. He was even considering using his family's magic technique.
Just as Nawei was lost in thought, the beautiful class advisor, Ella, walked into the classroom, looking formal and serious.
With a stern yet encouraging gaze, she addressed the fourteen students in the class: "All of you from Class 13, follow me to the magic test site!"
The students stood up, their expressions serious, and followed Ella to the test site. The magic test site was a large, semicircular arena, with the open roof letting in bright sunlight.
When they arrived, Class 12 had just finished their assessment, and some of their students were leaving the arena, clearly discouraged. A few girls were even crying, which made Class 13 even more nervous.
Seeing their reaction, Ella tried to reassure her students, "Relax, you're lightning mages, your magic has the highest damage potential, so passing the puppet test should be easier for you!"
"I know each of your abilities, and I believe all of you can pass!"
The students were encouraged by her words. After three months of studying under her, they had come to admire Ella not only for her beauty but also for her excellent teaching and strong character. It was no wonder so many male teachers were chasing after her.
Ella's gaze then shifted to Asura, who, thanks to his martial arts training over the past three months, had become more muscular and stood out among the other students. His worn-out magic robe, which was tight around his muscles, seemed like it could barely contain him.
Ella often paid attention to Asura, wanting to help him catch up with the rest of the class. However, Asura, being a stubborn and independent student, only smiled politely at her advice, refusing to change his ways. Even when she offered to use her own points to buy him a new robe, he politely declined.
This had left Ella feeling somewhat helpless. As his class advisor, there wasn't much more she could do. Now, on the day of the test, all she could offer was an encouraging look.
Asura noticed her gaze and simply gave her a small grin in return.
It was now Class 13's turn for the assessment. In the center of the arena stood a human-sized puppet made of pure white material, covered in blue magic runes. Nearby, on a high platform, three magic teachers sat—one to supervise, one to record, and one to judge the results.
The one in the middle, with a hooked nose, looked particularly stern and unapproachable.
At this time, the male instructor in charge stood up and said loudly: "Now we will conduct the first magic test. The test method is very simple. As long as you can cause damage to the test doll, you will be judged as having passed the test successfully!"
"The test doll will change color when it is effectively damaged. As long as the doll changes color, you will be considered to have passed the test successfully!"
"Of course, only those who are above the magician level and have proficient magic skills can cause damage to the test doll. I believe everyone has been prepared for the three months of admission!"
"Without further ado, I declare that the magic test for Magic Class 13 will begin now!"