The evaluation test had to be completed in a single day. There was no time left, and it usually unfolded this way, making it feel as though the Seventh King and the higher authorities of Delwias Island couldn't wait to get rid of all the lowlife participants.
Ethyl felt a slight sense of gratitude toward that mysterious, creepy old man, though she couldn't bring herself to express it to him directly.
She simply acknowledged his strength and placed him in the category of high-tier competitors. He certainly possessed magnificent power, but his true intentions remained completely unclear to her.
Jivan clearly had the strength required by the ascension system, yet here he was, aging on Delwias Island all these years. Ethyl wasn't sure if she should confront him with her thoughts, which was why she kept her distance, even while his eyes remained glued to her the entire time.
When the participants finished the first stage of the practical exam, only one hundred remained, and essentially all of them had passed the second stage. It was a tiny fraction compared to the six hundred candidates who had gathered that morning.
Once the second test concluded, another high-ranking mage made his appearance. He looked younger than the instructors responsible for the previous stages, but his expression was bone-chillingly cold. He bore a prominent scar right below his eye and had a missing front tooth when he smirked. Though barely thirty years old, he carried a terrifying air around him.
Most of the candidates were visibly unnerved by his presence.
The moment he stepped in front of them, the rain reached its peak, casting a dark, melancholic haze over the grounds.
Ethyl smirked when she saw how terrified the other contestants were, thinking to herself that most of them didn't even deserve to be here in the first place.
The mage leading the test was named Eagle, once one of the most legendary hunters in Delwias Island before his ascension. The scar on his face was from a tiger he had slain when he was only ten years old, and ever since, people had marveled at his raw talent until he eventually rose to become a high mage.
"Hmph! Your numbers are much higher than I anticipated," Eagle remarked, scanning the group. "I suppose they went far too easy on you. Are you happy about that?"
He glared at one of the candidates standing near the front. "Are you happy with this result?"
The candidate simply nodded his head without daring to utter a word.
Eagle smirked. "Well... that will only raise the number of dead bodies around here."
A wave of shock washed over the candidates. They stared at him in complete silence, fear and confusion spreading rapidly through the ranks. But the heavy, suffocating silence was the worst part.
Eagle savored the impact of his words before continuing: "I am not asking you to kill each other in this final exam, so don't worry! However... death is an inevitable outcome of this test."
One of the contestants asked in a trembling voice, "Are you going to kill us, sir?!"
"Your results will," Eagle replied coldly. "You all know that the final stage is a combat tournament between candidates. Well, you will fight each other in five-minute rounds. Just five minutes! If you win, congratulations on your ascension. If you lose... well, we are going to dispose of you. Those who fail to finish their fight within five minutes will be eliminated as well. Candidates who make it this far in the evaluation always show a tendency to be rebellious, which is precisely why this rule was created."
Another candidate, his face pale with instant regret over coming this far, blurted out, "Can I just withdraw right now, sir?!"
"Once the rules are announced, no withdrawal is accepted. You will fight as if your life depends on it... because it does."
He was not joking, nor was he exaggerating for effect. No one truly understood the full nature of the evaluation test because those who failed in the earlier stages never got to see this part, and those who passed never returned to talk about it.
A female candidate whispered into her friend's ear, though Ethyl overheard every word: "They can't actually do this, trust me. I've never heard of such a rule. My brother leveled up last year and never mentioned this. He's probably just trying to scare us."
Ethyl smirked upon hearing her naive rationale, pretending she hadn't heard a thing.
As confusion rattled the remaining candidates, Eagle raised his hand. "Well then, let us begin the final stage of the annual evaluation. I won't wish you luck, and that's a fact."
The contestants were divided into two groups alphabetically. The rankings from the measurement room were not made public yet, as the organizers wanted to give everyone an equal-looking chance at victory.
Most candidates didn't know each other's measurements because they hadn't realized how critical that information would be, a oversight many were now deeply regretting.
Ethyl and Jivan, however, were not worried in the slightest. They were the highest-ranked mages in the entire crowd.
"Number 6 and Number 583... step into the arena!" Eagle commanded.
Everyone looked around in confusion, as there was no arena in sight.
Eagle slapped his palm against his forehead. "Ah... right. I completely forgot."
He snapped his fingers, and out of nowhere, a medium-sized arena materialized before them. A shimmering barrier composed of deep blue light surged upward, surrounding the ring. It looked incredibly durable, capable of absorbing massive impacts of divine energy. The shade of blue closely resembled the energy Jivan had summoned when he healed Isiah and unlocked his power.
Yet Eagle had cast it effortlessly. Jivan felt a brief prick of envy watching the official display such effortless control, but he quickly maintained his pride. After all, Jivan could do what no one else in this region could: draw upon magic from outside realms and channel its divine energy, an impossibility for ordinary mages.
"I don't have all day," Eagle said, a sarcastic glint in his eye. "Now... first combat... START!"