The exams period was approaching.

I had to work hard and grind fast, so I went into social-recluse mode.

My friends came to check up on me various times because they were worried I was overworking myself. Obviously, they had never worked under crippling overtimes, because compared to my old job and Vallachio's training this felt like a vacation.

It helps a lot when you do something you haven't grown to hate with every fiber of your soul.

I made preparations for Alchemy's exam by writing an algorithm to balance the reagents and putting everything I could need into the database.

Hehe. As long as the cube touches my skin I can stealthily operate it since the input is purely mental.

I'll leave the other noobs in the dust. I thought, smirking to myself.

Two days before the Alchemy exam, the teacher taught us the long-awaited recipes for healing and mana potions, with a faint warning that one of them might be the subject of the practice test. That didn't leave much time for us students to get experienced at brewing them.

It was obviously done on purpose to milk more golds from the ones who would fail or wait another month. I wasn't pleased.

In fact, I swore a lot that day and had to run around collecting the reagents for my attempts.

Then the day of the exam arrived. The written test didn't even make me break a sweat thanks to my trusted silver cube. I aced it like the cheating genius I am. No one noticed anything.

Right after that, the teacher announced the subject for the practice test. We had to brew a Healing Potion.

I heard groans and soft-spoken curses from those who had bet it all on the mana potion. I smirked.

I was confident in myself. During the last two days, in my brewing attempts, I had followed the reagent calculations to the letter and applied the magic component as instructed, which was the only part left to experience.

I had asked around about how healing potions were tested during exams and I was told that the usual way was a cut to the palm and drinking the liquid instead of pouring it on the wound.

In my last attempt, I made the cut, drank the potion and observed it healing up with no visible blemish, except the difference in tan. Perhaps it wasn't super fast like the one I used on Ellin that time, but in around half a minute the deed was done.

I hoped that would be enough. I had ended up intoxicated after drinking all those healing and mana potions, so I had to stop and recover.

Besides, with all those self-inflicted cuts I was starting to feel emo.

The teacher placed an hourglass on the desk for us all to see and announced that the test had started. I felt a tingle of anticipation.

We all began brewing our potions with the equipment at hand. I prepared the reagents, brewed and heated the mixture slowly adding mana during the process, just as I had practiced.

I took my time making sure not to screw up and managed to finish the whole process a good two minutes before the time was over.

The teacher clapped his hands, getting everyone's attention and announced the time was over. Then he began asking each student to cut their palm and drink their potion to try out the effectiveness. The healer on the staff would take care of eventual mishaps.

A few students hadn't finished brewing in time and were disqualified. Others had brewed potions that didn't heal quickly enough and were deemed insufficient. A few even puked or lost consciousness.

Whew.

It was my turn. I took a deep breath.

I sliced my palm and drank the potion. I was a little excited. Did it get it right? Did I fuck up the magic portion of the potion?

Lopu, the teacher, stared at my palm with his drooping eyelids. Then nodded.

「Lopu: Acceptable, you pass.」

He moved on to the next in line. I smiled to myself.

Yes! I'm a motherfucking certified alchemist!

In the end, only five people passed the test. Alchemy is hard.

The next test was Illusory magic. It consisted of materializing different kinds of illusions, auditory and visual. The first task was to manifest a light, the second to materialize different geometric patterns, and the third was to materialize a human figure and make it talk and move a little.

I easily cleared the first, did a reasonable work for the second. Now it was the time for the third.

Oh shit what do I do, WHAT DO I DO?! I still had not decided what to materialize.

Strong memories give clearer images, what could I use?

I started sweating cold.

「Jalatine: Allen Smith, I'm waiting...」

Teacher Jalatine was gazing at me with her serene face. No pressure!

Damn it, all I could think vividly was my experience of the last month with Vallachio stomping around goblins and monsters!

Here goes nothing.

With my thoughts still in turmoil, I focused on materializing one of the images I had in mind. A recruit wearing leather armor.

A goblin appeared before me. A deformed goblin.

NO FUCK! WRONG ONE! QUICK ALLEN GET RID OF IT!

I tried. A Vallachio materialized, moving in and quickly smashing the goblin's head with his bare hands.

SHIIIIT! My right brow started twitching uncontrollably. The illusion was completely out of control!

The illusory Vallachio stood up straight and laughed heartily.

NO NONONO! This is not what I was trying to do!

That Vallachio was so damn... Vallachio. Acting just like I expected him to.

It was too late to materialize something else, I had just to roll with it.

I'm so screwed...

To think even an illusory Vallachio would come out of his way to haunt me...

His anatomy was not entirely perfect, but I didn't let him stop, diverting the attention from the flaws. I let him strike one of his bodybuilding poses and finally smash the ground with his foot only to disappear among the illusory rubble.

I managed to keep my corporate poker face on through all of it, but the sweat was dripping down my face. Someone snickered behind me.

I gritted my teeth and pressed my lips in a thin line as I slowly turned to face the teacher.

Jalatine stared at me with her serene expression for some time.

Damn, I bet that's her poker face. I wonder what she's thinking underneath. I guess I failed. Rest in peace, Allen.

「Jalatine: I see...」

She slowly blinked. I couldn't read her at all.

「Jalatine: The anatomy was rather poor... but you kept it moving to make it less obvious. I saw you added details in the parts drawing attention... and the voice impression was... lifelike...」

A month of Vallachio's laughs had been engraved on my traumatized mind after all!

She stared blankly at me for a few seconds more, thinking.

I fucked up, I completely lost control and offended an archmage. I swelled with dread.

「Jalatine: You pass, if barely. But, Allen...」

I could feel a hard stare transpiring from that smiling face. It was to be ex–

WAIT... I ACTUALLY PASSED?

I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding.

「Allen: Y-Yes ma'am?」

I stammered while straightening my back.

She tilted her head ever so slightly and narrowed her eyes.

「Jalatine: Please refrain from using other teachers as illusory images.」

She smiled a dangerous smile. I immediately bowed in apology.

「Allen: I'm very sorry, ma'am... I spent a month receiving military training from sir Vallachio... I mean, he's...」

She interrupted me.

「Jalatine: Quite memorable, yes.」

Yeah, that.

She said nodding in agreement.

「Jalatine: I'll let that slide for this once... next!」

In the end, Vallachio saved me again. I doubt I could have done any better intentionally. My illusory skills are still shit and do whatever they want.

BUT I DID IT!

I wiped the sweat off my brow and got my passing mark registered.

Temperature manipulation was piece of cake thanks to all the practice I got both inside and outside of battles.

I just had to heat a liquid at a certain temperature, freeze it, and cast Burn at a target two meters away.

I breezed through the trials and turned to look at the teacher for confirmation.

I almost jumped. Ahnelm Medritch stared at me, an inch from my face, with his usual unsettling angry expression.

I'm starting to think he enjoys slowly getting closer to distracted unsuspecting students, only to jump scare them with his face.

「Ahnelm: Very good! You pass!」

He said, his words completely departed from his expression, but that's Ahnelm for you.

「Allen: Thank you, sir.」

I said, bowing in gratitude.

And then I went out to celebrate.