Chapter 202: Power Examination (I)

Tap, tap!

Ellen picked up a piece of chalk and tapped it lightly against the blackboard, the sharp sound causing the murmurs in the classroom to stop.

“Before we begin today’s lesson,” she said, turning to face the class, “this first class will be a power examination.”

That single sentence caused the room to stir.

“A power exam?”

“Already?!”

“So sudden…”

Soft whispers spread among the girls, excitement and nervousness mixing together.

“Calm down. This examination is not meant to rank you or punish anyone.” Ellen raised a hand, signaling for silence.

She wrote a few words on the board as she spoke.

[First Semester Comparison Test]

“This test is designed to compare how much you’ve improved since the first semester,” Ellen explained. “It allows the academy to measure growth, control, and stability in your power.”

One girl near the front raised her hand quickly. “Professor Ellen, will this affect our grades?”

Ellen smiled calmly. “Yes and no. It will not lower your grades if you perform poorly, but great improvement will be noted.”

That answer caused several students to relax.

Another girl raised her hand, eyes shining. “Will we be fighting each other?”

“No,” Ellen replied. “This is not a combat match. You’ll be tested one by one using magic instruments. Power output, control, and endurance.”

A third girl leaned forward in her seat. “What about injuries?”

“There will be none,” Ellen answered firmly. “I’ll be supervising personally.”

That reassurance eased the tension in the room.

Then Ellen turned her gaze toward Gray, Cassandra, and Maelis.

“As for our three exchange students, your situation is slightly different.”

The room immediately quieted, all eyes shifting toward them.

“You are not students of this academy,” Ellen said in a strangely professional tone. “So this test will not be used to evaluate improvement over the semester.”

“Then what’s the point for us?” Maelis tilted her head.

“For you, we will simply measure your current power level, control, and compatibility with our standards,” Ellen replied.

“So no ranking?” Cassandra spoke calmly.

“No ranking,” she confirmed, nodding her head.

“Just pure data collection.”

Several girls whispered among themselves.

“So unfair…”

“They don’t have to stress…”

“But still…”

One girl suddenly raised her hand, pointing slightly toward Gray.

“Professor, is it true that Gray Vireux was once expelled from the Elementary Sword & Magic Education because his power had bypassed all the charts?”

The room went dead silent.

Gray sighed inwardly.

Ellen glanced at Gray, then back to the class. “That is not something we’ll discuss today. What matters is who he is now, not who he was.”

Her firm tone shut down further questions, though the curiosity in the girls’ eyes only grew stronger.

Another student raised her hand, voice trembling slightly.

“Professor… will we get to see their test?”

“Yes. Their test will be conducted first.” Ellen smiled.

That caused an instant reaction.

“Really?!”

“That’s amazing!”

“I want to see a gravity mage!”

“And an Aura User!”

“And… him…”

At the last murmur, Cassandra’s fingers tightened slightly around Gray’s hand again, causing him to smile slighly.

He didn’t expect her to show this much jealousy; maybe the pent-up emotions were simply overflowing now.

As for Maelis… she just grinned proudly, her chest puffing out just a little.

“Alright. Enough chatter.” Ellen clapped her hands once.

She pointed toward the back of the classroom.

“We’ll move to the examination hall shortly. The devices are already prepared.”

She paused, then added with a small smile, “Think of this as a way to understand yourselves better. Power is meaningless without control.”

“Now,” Ellen said, turning toward the door, “line up and follow me. We’ll begin with the exchange students.”

The classroom buzzed with excitement as chairs scraped against the floor and the girls stood up, their eyes constantly drifting back to Gray, Cassandra, and Maelis.

The moment Ellen stepped out of the classroom, the girls quickly followed, their voices filling the hallway almost instantly.

“I wonder how powerful Gray is now?”

“He must be at least in the Master realm, right?”

“Yeah… It’s a pity that he had his talent stolen, because if he didn’t, he probably would be in the King Realm, or even further!”

The corridor echoed with excited chatter as the group moved together.

Ellen walked at the front, heels tapping steadily against the floor, while Seraph stayed close to the exchange students.

Gray walked beside Cassandra, their hands no longer interlaced but still brushing occasionally with each step.

Maelis stayed just behind him, close enough that her presence was impossible to ignore.

“Mhm, I wonder how strong you actually are!” she spoke to Cassandra, looking at her with a faint smile.

Cassandra remained quiet, her gaze focused forward.

“Probably stronger than you.”

“Oh my! How prideful!” Maelis laughed softly.

As they exited the main building, the scenery opened up.

Before them stretched the battle grounds space, an enormous open area surrounded by tall stone walls reinforced with glowing runes.

The ground itself was layered with reinforced plates, etched with complex magic circles meant to absorb excess power.

Several floating crystals hovered in the air, slowly rotating, humming with countless layers of pure mana.

“So this is a proper testing ground,” Maelis muttered brightly.

Gray nodded lightly.

Compared to Gloria’s Academy, he had to admit that this one was a bit better. And even more grand than the one from Gloria Academy.

Ellen stopped near the entrance and turned to face them.

“This is the academy’s primary testing and combat zone. The barriers here can withstand high-level magic, so don’t hold back during the test.”

A few girls swallowed nervously.

“Professor… what happens if someone loses control?”

“That won’t happen,” Ellen replied confidently.

“The suppression field will activate instantly.”

She gestured forward. “Now, form a semicircle around the outer edge. Do not step onto the central platform unless instructed.”

The students quickly obeyed, excitement mixing with tension as they took their places.

At the center of the grounds stood a raised circular platform. Runes glowed faintly beneath its surface, and several crystal pillars surrounded it, each connected by thin lines of light.

Ellen stepped onto the platform and tapped one of the pillars. It responded with a soft chime.

“These pillars will record your power output, stability, and control,” she explained. “For academy students, the test will be adjusted based on your previous records.”

She then turned toward Gray, Cassandra, and Maelis.

“For you three, the system will simply record raw data.”

Maelis stepped forward eagerly.

“So who goes first?”

“We’ll start with you.” Ellen smiled at her enthusiasm.

“Um!” Maelis nodded, grinning widely as she walked onto the platform.

Swoosh…

As she took her place, the runes beneath her feet flared to life.

Several girls leaned forward, barely containing their excitement.

“A gravity mage test…”

“I’ve never seen one before.”

Cassandra crossed her arms, watching carefully, while Gray kept his eyes fixed on Maelis with a calm expression.

Ellen raised her hand.

“Maelis Vireux D’Aurélion. When I give the signal, release your power slowly. Focus on control first.”

“Got it.” Maelis cracked her neck slightly.

The air around the platform began to feel heavier.

Thruum!

The girls noticed it immediately.

“…Why does it feel like my legs are heavier?”

“My breathing…”

Feeling the pressure increase, Maelis closed her eyes, her playful expression transforming into a focused one.

The runes beneath her feet brightened, their light pulsing in slow, steady waves.

At the same time, the floating crystal pillars around the platform began to hum louder, thin lines of light connecting them to her body.

“Good! Maintain that level. Don’t rush.”

Maelis lifted one hand slightly.

The air above the platform warped.

Several of the smaller stones embedded in the ground trembled, then slowly rose into the air, as if an unseen hand was lifting them.

The pressure around the testing ground increased, pressing down on everyone watching.

Some of the girls gasped.

“I can barely move…”

“My knees feel heavy…”

“That’s just control output,” Ellen explained calmly.

“She’s not even increasing density yet.”

As if hearing Ellen’s words, Maelis smirked faintly.

“Then I’ll add a little more.”

She curled her fingers inward.

FWOOOM!

The floating stones were instantly crushed, turning into fine dust that fell straight down, hitting the ground with dull thuds.

At the same time, the gravity around the platform intensified, causing faint cracks to form along the reinforced surface.

The crystal pillars flared brightly.

RIIIIINNNGG!

Warning tones started to ring out.

“Careful,” Ellen warned.

“Increase slowly.”

Maelis opened her eyes, a purple light flickering briefly within them. She adjusted her breathing, relaxing her shoulders.

The pressure stabilized.

The cracks on the ground stopped spreading, and the oppressive weight eased just enough for the watching students to breathe properly again.

“That’s control,” Ellen muttered, clearly impressed.

“She broke the ground… and fixed it?”

“That’s insane…”

“Final phase. Compression test.” Ellen raised her hand.

At her signal, one of the crystal pillars projected a glowing sphere into the air.

“Compress the gravity inside that sphere only,” Ellen instructed.

“No leakage.”

Maelis nodded and then extended her palm toward the sphere.

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

Then the glowing sphere suddenly shrank, collapsing inward as if space itself was folding.

The light inside twisted violently before stabilizing into a dense, pulsing core no bigger than a fist.

The surrounding air remained untouched.

There wasn’t a single hint of pressure or backlash at all!

A perfect isolation!

Ding!

The crystal pillars let out a clear, melodic chime.

[Test Complete.]

The runes beneath Maelis dimmed, and the heavy pressure vanished completely.

Maelis exhaled and stepped back, rolling her shoulders casually.

“Done.”

For a few seconds, no one spoke.

“That was incredible!”

“She controlled all of that by herself!”

Ellen stared at the readings floating in the air, her glasses reflecting the glowing numbers.

“…Outstanding,” she finally spoke.

“Power output far exceeds the academy’s first-year standards. Control rating: extremely high. Stability: flawless.”

She looked up at Maelis, smiling openly now. “You passed with results that most instructors would only dream of seeing.”

Maelis grinned proudly and hopped off the platform, walking straight toward Gray.

“Well?” she asked, pressing close again.

“Did I do well, Big Brother~?”

Gray smiled faintly and patted her head softly.

“You did great.”

Maelis beamed at his words, not resisting the urge to hug him!

Grip!

Her hands instantly wrapped around his waist, squishing her breasts on his chest as her face snuggled onto the nape of his neck.

“Hehehe~”

She giggled mischievously as Gray gently held her head and caressed her back in slow and comforting motions.

Everyone looked at this scene with a hint of jealousy in their eyes…

Clap!

Ellen clapped her hands once, drawing everyone’s attention back.

“Alright. Next test.”

Her gaze shifted.

“Cassandra. You’re up.”

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