The Beginning After The End

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However, what caught my eyes was the polished white, wooden staff that was by the boy ’s side.
Embedded at the very top of the staff was a large ruby-colored gem that sparkled in the stadium lights.

He was a fine example of someone that rubbed me the wrong way, so I chose to turn my attention back to the stage.

The scarred examiner that had examined the bald augmenter was sitting down, replaced by a woman.
The person, who I assumed was the conjurer ’s examiner, wore a conjurer ’s hat in the shape of a large cone that set a shadow covering most of her face.

Tilting her hat back, I was able to see the instructor ’s pale face.
Her thin eyes darted around at the audience before she let out a loud cough to have everyone settle down.

”Ahem! Diane Whitehall, age eighteen, a conjurer at the solid orange stage with a single specialization in water.
Let us begin. ” The female examiner threw the notepad towards the scarred examiner and held up her grey staff.

Once a conjurer had reached the orange stage, it was apparent where his or her specialty lied.
Instead of wasting time trying to be adept at all four elements, it was much more efficient to focus solely on the element of their highest affinity.
Single specialization, in her case, meant that she relied primarily on water spells.
Dual specialization and up, there would be a strict test to see if you really were adept at two elements.

Instantly, the freckled examinee murmured a spell, conjuring a bubble of water to surround her.

The basics of battling as a conjurer was setting up defensive measures.
They did this since most weren ’t proficient in reinforcing their bodies with mana.

Diane ’s examiner, however, didn ’t cast a defensive spell but instead chose to go on the offensive.

”Sandstorm! ” the pale examiner shouted as a gale of sand whirled around the freckled girl and her defensive water bubble.

The gust of sand merged with the water, turning Diane ’s defensive spell into a large orb of mud.
”Release! ” The mud bubble burst at the examinee ’s command.
Jumping back, she muttered another spell while a pressured ball of water began forming at the tip of her wand.

[Aqua Cannon]

The sphere of water burst out in a blazing speed towards the pale examiner.

Rather than defending against the spell, the examiner nimbly dodged the water sphere.
Thinking back, I had realized that this was the first time watching a duel between two conjurers.
This mock fight would be a good way to study the differences in fighting styles between long range conjurers and melee augmenters.

”BURST! ” the freckled teen screamed while she swung her wand down.
The condensed ball of water exploded just as it zipped past the examiner, filling the stadium in a cloud of dust.

The noble brat that was mocking the girl earlier was shaking his head in disdain.

”She ’s not bad, ” Jasmine mumbled beside me.

The small dust cloud that covered the instructor from view began clearing up to reveal that she wasn ’t there.

Suddenly, the examiner emerged up from the ground behind Diane, and her staff lightly thumped the top of the examinee ’s head.

”Eek! ” Diane jumped forward in surprise.

”I must say, your control is quite decent, Miss Whitehall.
You were a little overconfident in your last spell chain, not preparing any defensive measures, but overall, the efficiency in mana control and cast speed was good.
C-class! ”

Diane let out a sigh of relief.
Being a C-class adventurer at her age was a feat she could be proud of.

”Next! Elijah Knight! ” The Conjurer examiner announced.

”Here… ” A couple rows away to my right, a boy that looked even younger than the blonde noble, stood up.
He looked somewhat unapproachable, with short-trim jet-black hair that came down to cover half of his forehead.
He had a very serious expression underneath his framed glasses that made him look more mature than his actual age.
The boy wore a simple beige long-sleeve and black pants and didn ’t have any sort of weapons on him.
I half-expected him to be an augmenter but the fact that the examiner didn ’t switch out meant otherwise.

Suddenly, a clerk that was keeping notes at the side ran up to the examiner and whispered something into her ear.

The pale-faced examiner ’s thin eyes widened before quickly regaining her composure.

”Elijah Knight, age ten.
I have been just notified of your special status.
As of now, you are a B-class adventurer. ”

B-class at his age and he didn ’t even need to get tested?

I could see looks of disbelief on everyone ’s faces.
Even the augmenter examiner ’s face was in surprise as he craned his neck to get a better view of the boy in question.

The solemn boy merely made a small bow and sat back down without a word.

”Next! Lucas Wykes! ” the examiner continued.

”Hmph! Guess it ’s finally my turn! ” The blond-haired noble boy jumped up from his seated position and leisurely made his way down to the stage, staff in hand.

The examiner looked down at her notes but this time, her voice sounded evidently surprised.
”Lucas Wykes, 11 years old.
Conjurer at the….
light orange stage! Single specialization in fire. ”

What? He ’s already at the light orange stage? How is that even possible?

Without even bowing, Lucas leaned lazily against his staff.

”Let us begin, ” the examiner declared, obviously a bit vexed by the boy ’s lack of respect.

At her signal, Lucas immediately jumped back as he chanted a spell.
”Arise, my protector! ”

[Flame Guardian]

A pillar of fire erupted in front of him, fading to reveal a two-meter tall humanoid made of flames.

”Looks like we have a special little talent today.
As expected of someone from the Wykes Family, ” the augmenter examiner whistled in awe.

The flame guardian sprinted towards the examiner, leaving smoldering footprints in its path as Lucas started to cast another spell.

So he does have some skill to back up his ego.

The female examiner was obviously a bit impressed but she responded skillfully with a wave of her grey staff and a few words to ignite her spell.

[Earth Tomb]

Three triangular planes of solid earth shot up from the ground, trapping the fire guardian inside a pyramid of rock.

It was a good response.
The flame guardian would naturally disappear once it used up the limited amount of oxygen inside the tomb.

Lucas chortled in response, however, as he finished his chant.
”Too late, Miss Examiner. ”

[Ember Wisps]

The ruby stone embedded on his staff shined a dazzling orange as a spark burst up in the air.
The seemingly harmless spark exploded like a firework, separating into dozens of small, floating tendrils of fire.
The tendrils remained afloat all around the stage, surrounding the both of them.

”The boy is good, ” Jasmine complimented, giving a rare sign of approval.

The examiner ’s face turned serious now.

I was a little confused on the purpose of those floating embers, but my question was soon answered.

”Expulsion! ” Lucas raised his staff above his head as he continued dashing backwards.

Suddenly, the dozens of fire tendrils radiated a bright red before shooting out beams of fire at the examiner.

The examiner aimed her staff down at the ground below her as she calmly continued chanting.
The surface around her glimmered a bright yellow as multiple pieces of earth began emerging from the ground.

[Stone Shard Field]

The glowing rocks darted into formation to block the lasers of flame.
Only, it didn ’t just block the lasers, but redirected them towards Lucas.

”Release! ” Lucas paled as he desperately yelled.
The wisps in the air disappeared but the flames that were already shot out were still heading towards him.

Pointing his huge staff at the multiple trails of flames rapidly approaching him, he let out another spell.

[Fire Twister]

A cyclone of fire just large enough to surround him generated from the ground.
The trails of flame got caught up in the vortex of the fire tornado, merging into it.

”Pierce, ” the examiner commanded with a fluid motion.
The rock shards that had redirected the flames wobbled before they shot forward at the flame tornado Lucas was hiding within.
The large shards of rock bulleted through the fire tornado, shredding it out of existence.
The shards stopped just short of the angry but trembling Lucas, who was shielding himself with his staff held in front of him.

”How dare you! This preposterous lack of decency for a mere rank exam should be recorded and dealt with accordingly! ” Lucas cried out with baleful eyes.
His once creamy complexion were a few shades lighter as a layer of sweat covered his body.

”Calm yourself, Mr.
Wykes.
I have enough control to keep myself from skewering arrogant little children, ” the examiner calmly reassured, leaving Lucas to silently utter curses at the woman.

”Your control and creativity in the combinations of your spells are excellent.
As long as you stay cautious and know your limits, you will have a great future ahead of you, Mr.
Wykes.
I think it is safe to say that you can be placed into B-class.
Do you agree, George? ” She turned to the augmenters ’ examiner.

He gave a simple shrug in response, indicating he had no problems with it.

Whatever wrongful actions Lucas had accused the examiner of seemed to have disappeared into thin air as Lucas, once again, wore a smug grin at the final outcome.

”Woah! ”

”Another little monster! ”

”Damn, I want to just go home! ”

”What is with today ’s crowd? ”

The few members of the audience all cried out and complained in envy, as some of the other audience members that have already taken the exam murmured excitedly amongst their peers.

”What did you blundering apes expect? Did you guys think I was on your level? ” Lucas taunted aloud as he dusted off his robe.

He made his way back to his seat before the examiner, who wasn ’t even tired, switched places with the augmenter examiner named George.

The scarred man got up, stretching his body like a lazy cat.
Casually high-fiving the other examiner as he walked past her, he stared at his notes.

”Next examinee, Note! Please come down! ” he bellowed without looking up.

Jasmine placed a hand on my shoulder.
”Good luck. ”

Giving a firm nod in response, I walked down the steps, leaving the worried Sylvie in Jasmine ’s care.

”It seems you ’re here to be tested under special conditions, seeing as there isn ’t any information here written about you.
Okay! Let ’s see what you ’re made of. ” George regarded me with a curious stare, trying to look through my mask ’s eye slit to see who I was.

The examiner smoothly unsheathed his sword, as did I.

”Begin! ” he announced while lunging at me.
The thrust was aimed directly at my head, most likely intended to scare me.

Instead of dodging back or ducking, I faced the incoming tip of the sword and took a step forward, willing mana into my legs.
Tilting my head just enough for the flat of the blade to graze harmlessly past my mask, I brought my sword up in one, swift motion.

George ’s sharp eyes widened by my counter as he desperately retracted in hopes to make it in time to block my swing, but the tip of my sword was already pressed against the man ’s throat.
The examiner immediately stopped, afraid that any sudden movement and my blade might actually embed itself into his neck, regardless of mana reinforcement.

”Enough, ” a voice interrupted.
”Stand down, George.
I ’ll be the one to test this particular examinee. ”

Turning my head, I saw the thin, bespectacled man named Kaspian walking toward us from the corridor Jasmine and I had come in from.

”S-Sir? You will be personally examining this participant? ” George backed away from my blade as casually as possible, but a bead of blood rolled down his neck.

”I apologize if this sounds presumptuous, but is there really a need for an AA-class to lower himself to test an examinee? I will be more than enough to assess this applicant! ” he continued, quickly wiping the blood off with his hand.

Kaspian ’s gaze lowered to George ’s neck, silencing the examiner.
The man, regardless of what he assumed was a simple blunder on his part, was visibly baffled by the fact that the head of this branch would be the one to test me.

It would be a lie to say I wasn ’t surprised as well.
Someone classified as an AA-class adventurer was at a much higher level of strength compared to an A-class.
As the class ranks increased, each jump was exponential, meaning that compared to D-class to C-class, the jump from A-class to AA-class was uncomparable.
Being an AA-class adventurer signified that you had the strength of ten A-class adventurers, and that was just a rough estimate.

He should be on a whole other tier of strength compared to other humans.
I was curious as to what stage his mana core was, but there was no way for me to see without him finding out.

”His sponsor has deep ties with me so I feel obligated to test him personally, ” he chuckled as his right hand reached towards a thin rapier on his waist.

Waving away George, the two of us stood at the center of the dirt arena.

”Let us begin. ”