The grand examination hall of the Academy looked more like a battlefield than a place of learning.
Rows upon rows of desks stretched endlessly. Floating crystals hovered above, ready to record answers, mana fluctuations, and—according to rumors—cheating attempts.
The doors slammed shut.
A bell rang.
And just like that—
The written exam began.
Lucien's POV
Lucien stared at the first question.
Q1: Explain the difference between Mana Compression and Mana Condensation, including failure risks at Rank F.
He smiled.
"Oh, that's easy."
Five seconds later—
"…Wait."
Lucien leaned back, tapping his pencil.
In the novel, they skipped written exams entirely.
He glanced around.
Students were already panicking.
Someone in the back was sweating like they were facing a dungeon boss.
Lucien shrugged and began writing.
"Mana Compression: forcing mana into smaller volume, risk of backlash."
"Mana Condensation: stabilizing density, risk of stagnation."
He paused.
"…That sounds right."
He added a smiley face at the end.
Chaos Ensues
Halfway through the exam—
A dwarf student raised his hand.
"PROFESSOR! MY PAPER IS ON FIRE!"
The invigilator didn't even blink.
"That means your mana control is poor. Continue."
The paper stopped burning.
The dwarf stared at it.
"…This academy is insane."
Across the hall—
An elf student finished already, calmly sipping water.
A vampire girl hissed at the sunlight crystal overhead.
"TURN IT DOWN!"
"NO."
Kael's POV — Stress Rising
Kael's pencil snapped.
He froze.
Focus.
The questions weren't hard.
But his thoughts were loud.
Lucien's movements.
Alden's calm.
Everyone else progressing.
The Crimson Warheart Bloodline stirred uncomfortably.
His heartbeat sped up.
Why do they make this feel like a judgment?
Kael forced himself to write faster.
The letters dug deep into the paper.
Lucien Notices Something Off
Lucien glanced sideways.
Kael's mana signature flickered—subtle, but unstable.
Lucien frowned.
Written exams shouldn't trigger bloodlines.
He scratched his chin.
Unless the pressure's getting to him.
Lucien casually leaned back, stretching.
"Hey," he whispered softly, not looking.
"Breathe. It's just theory."
Kael stiffened.
Then—
Slowly—
His mana settled.
Kael didn't reply.
But the shaking stopped.
The Worst Question
The final question appeared.
Q20: List three situations where emotion-based mana amplification is beneficial—and three where it is fatal.
The room went silent.
Kael froze.
Lucien blinked.
"…Oh."
He looked at Kael again.
Then at his paper.
Lucien wrote carefully this time.
"Beneficial: last-stand defense, protecting allies, breakthrough moments."
"Fatal: obsession, comparison, loss of self-control."
He paused.
Then added—
"Especially when driven by envy."
Exam End — Disaster Averted (Mostly)
The bell rang.
Students collapsed.
Someone cried.
Someone cheered.
A student attempted to escape through a window and was gently teleported back.
Lucien stretched.
"Man, I forgot how exhausting sitting can be."
Lyra glared at him.
"You wrote smiley faces."
"Morale is important."
Results Preview
As students filed out, glowing numbers briefly appeared above their heads—temporary scores, not ranks.
Lucien's: Above Average
Kael's: Passing (Unstable)
Alden's: Excellent
Lucien noticed the word next to Kael.
Unstable.
Yeah… this exam's already doing damage.
He sighed.
"Academy life," he muttered.
"Always finds a way to make things complicated."
And the practical exam hadn't even begun.