The orb had no reaction for a few moments, just seemingly like an ordinary piece of glass. But then Braydon let out a groan of pain, his free hand shooting up to his head. Then slowly, a swirling mist appeared within the glass, filling it up gradually. Sparks of purple lightning bounced within the verdant green mist, almost as if they were storm clouds, ready to rain destruction on those who got too close. But it was not over yet. A crackle of thunder appeared, followed by the appearance of three orange rings glowing brilliantly, orbiting outside of the sphere. "Enough." The tall man stated, waving his hand. Braydon was thrown back from the pedestal, stumbling. He looked towards the desk with confusion, as if waiting for an explanation, or his next instructions. "Onto the next orb," he said, making a hurry-along gesture. Meanwhile, Michael was watching on silently with no idea what was happening. Since the headmaster had said very little about the test, he wasn’t what the results meant at all. "Melody, what is happening?" he whispered, hoping that she’d be able to shed some light on it. "I’m not entirely sure..." she admitted, narrowing her eyes. "But if my theory is correct, the first orb should measure your soul density and birthright rings." Birthright ring!? Michael suddenly froze, a surge of panic filling him. If that thing’s accurate, won’t it show that I was born with a single white ring? Michael bit his lip, hard. He wasn’t sure of the minimum grade required to pass the entrance exam was, but he was certain that if he were to receive such a result, there’s no way he would pass. "So that Braydon was born with three orange rings?" he asked, trying to stifle his rising panic. "Then what about the green mist inside the orb?" "That should be his soul density, I’m guessing. It must mean his soul has the potential to be a Verdant mage." She replied off-handedly, trying to peak at the second orb. Shit! I might really be exposed here... he cursed inwardly. Michael had expected that the entrance exam would test one’s knowledge and most importantly, one’s ability to manipulate mana and cast spells. As such, part of him had hoped he could pass if he studied enough. However, it seemed that this was not the case after all. As someone who was born with a single white ring, Michael had somehow ascended three major realms, now possessing a red ring. Since the established limit for souls was generally three realms, he had likely reached his final potential. Google seaʀᴄh noᴠelfire.net Judging by the Arcadia’s status as the number one academy in the nation, he highly doubted they would accept an early stage Crimson mage who had already reached their potential at the age of thirteen. His crisis was suddenly interrupted by the tall man giving the next set of instructions. "Place your hand upon the orb and manipulate the mana within." He waved his hand and seven lanterns appeared above the glass orb, each stacked upon each other. "The more mana you can place under your control, the more lanterns will light up," he explained, "Please begin." Michael’s eyes widened, his heart pumping. Mana manipulation was something that he was the most confident in. Will they accept me if I show exceptional results in this test instead? He thought, inwardly praying. His attention was focused on Braydon who had just placed his hand upon the second orb. The lanterns above the orb stirred at once, the first three lighting up almost instantly. Michael was surprised to see that these lanterns were all different colors. White, yellow and orange, likely depicting the different levels of the Arcana. If this were the case, the remaining lanterns would be red, blue, green and violet. When the fourth lantern began to flicker a dull red, it essentially proved his theory. Braydon looked to be struggling to light the fourth lantern, his young face now pouring with sweat. But no matter how much he tried, it wouldn’t fully light up. "That’s enough Mr. Marbury," the examiner stated. At the man’s words, Braydon let out a sigh of relief and stepped back from the pedestal, wiping the sweat from his forehead. All those in attendance waited to see the tall man’s judgment. Would he pass, or would he fail with such a score? This would be a good baseline to find out the passing mark. "You may leave now," the tall man said, waving his arm. At his gesture, the left door opened, the very same one the headmaster had walked through last time. Braydon saw this and practically leaped for joy before quickly containing himself. So that’s the minimum standard we need to reach? Michael thought. Braydon walked over to the door, not once turning back. It was as if he was worried that the tall examiner would change his mind if he lingered for too long. The moment he walked through the door, it closed on its own. "Next, Lloyd Myers." He announced. Another teen walked forward, though his steps were not nearly as confident as Braydon had been before him. Unsurprising, since it was likely that he fell short in comparison to the son of lord Marbury. "Fourteen and two months," the tall examiner said, "go to the first orb." When Lloyd reached the glass orb and placed his hand upon it, red mist slowly circulated within. It took some time to fully fill the orb, but when the moment it did, two dull yellow rings appeared, orbiting the sphere. Lloyd let out a sigh of relief and stepped back from the pedestal, automatically walking towards the second orb, ready to perform the next test. However, before he could reach it, the examiners high voice spoke. "That will be all," he said, waving his hand. At his command, the right door opened, bringing a hush over the group of young teens. The youth froze, sending a pitiful gaze toward the tall man. However, the examiner had already ignored him, reading out the next name on his list. "Sophie Miller, please come up." Michael sucked in a cold breath of air, feeling sympathy for the poor boy who had obviously not met the standard. If Melody’s assertions were true, the youth had two yellow rings, but his soul was not dense enough to surpass being a Crimson mage.