CHAPTER 21 - Three Phases.

"Oye, get up already now. We are gonna be late if you don't get ready in another ten minutes." Zewoulf grabbed his shoulder and jerked him lightly. He did not try using cold water this time but patiently tried to wake Azyl.

It did not take a lot of efforts to wake him up and after a few minutes, he was ready to go.

"So are you prepared to do you best?" Zewoulf asked him as they strode to the training ground. From afar they could already make out that everyone was already present there. The students had huddled together as they waited for the teachers to come and inform of the details and instructions. The tension amongst them could be felt even as they reached them.

"Well yeah. I am prepared to get done with this for sometime now I think. Who knows I might actually turn out to be a genius in yoga and decide to stay there like Nigel." He lightly laughed. His demeanor did not look nervous at all, unlike the others. Just like he said, Azyl felt like being done and then lay down in his bed to sleep for a twenty four hours straight. His recent days had been more tiring than his days in the field alongside his father in the past.

Zewoulf on the other hand thought to himself that it was probably for good if he really decided to stay in the yoga class. He was a genius which was definitely true. Now he only needed to think about how he could slowly make him let go of the adoring attitude he held towards Elementalists.

Unknown to Woulf, Azyl was already beginning to change with his thoughts no more being overly inclined towards elementalism. More than wanting to learn elements, Azyl wanted to explore the world outside his village. The stories that he heard from the grandma in his village were originally his inspiration. And it made him yearn to go out for adventure and seek out the boundless lands. And his recent interactions made him understand that elements was not the only path that could allow him to do so.

Weren't there more than just a single path to pursue in the academy. He just had to focus on learning right now and allow what new doors would open to him to be unveiled.

As they both got closer to the grounds, they could see that the senior students were also present, standing a bit farther away from the new students. There were also some strange objects placed in the center of the ground that were visible to them as they gathered along with their class.

The students around Azyl gave him unfriendly looks as he stood among the group. It was clear that they looked down upon him due to his behavior. But that was not a problem for him. He curiously looked at the Boulder like objects that were placed at the center. There were around five such objects, and surrounded a pillar. A strange formation was built as such.

"Do you think that is the equipment that will be used to identify our talents?" He turned to Zewoulf. He could not grasp how such an object could identify their prana level or their elemental affinity.

"It probably is, but it could also have something to do with the third task that we are supposed to perform. We will find out soon enough what those things do." Zewoulf answered him in a low tone while maintaining his serious expression.

He was careful to not let others eavesdrop on their conversation. Not that it really mattered, but he had his habits.

Azyl nodded as he understood what Zewoulf meant. Soon he got bored of just standing and slowly moved back to the crowd to avoid anyone bothering him and quietly sat down on the ground. As there were no seat or platform to sit on, he directly sat on the ground. Woulf looked at him sitting like that, resting his head in his hand as if ready to doze off again, shaking his head with a slight grin. He then turned away, as he understood that his friend was just bored and chose to ignore him. He then strode towards the seniors to look for Nigel and talk to him a little about how they would help each other.

Another thirty minutes passed as such, with everyone waiting.

At around nine in the morning, finally their teachers came to the grounds. Other than their Yoga, Combat and Theory teacher, there were more professors who taught the seniors. Finally, among the group that had arrived, there was an individual with long hair and a longer beard, who Azyl recognised as the principal.

The principal had a stern look, the same as when he had given a welcome speech to the students at the start of their session.

Azyl got up from the ground when he saw Teacher Ren scowling at him. With an embarrassed smile, he got off the ground after dusting off a little and joined the students to stand in formation for further instructions.

The principal scanned the students and then started speaking in his monotonous voice.

"As you all are already aware, this initiation is an important event that almost decides your path that you get to follow in the future. It has been told before, but I will emphasize once more, give your best and leave no regrets. Those who are hardworking and talented will naturally be selected. Now Professor Akira is going to explain to you the content of the exams." He finished with a rare smile on his face.

Azyl inwardly scoffed when he heard this, thinking how the results were predetermined. But he did not actually feel that it was unfair, as someone who was genuinely talented still had a chance to excel and get a chance to be selected. This was a method which prevented students from cheating towards the end of the race and try to soar above others.

Another middle-aged man wo had a steady build then came forward. He was also the person who was a close friend of the Vice-principal.

"The initiation exam will be divided into three phases, with each phase being marked separately. The final score that will affect your ranks will be calculated from the individual score that you obtain in each phase. But remember that each phase does not get the same weightage." He said to them all in a loud voice that was clearly heard by everyone.

"First as you might already be aware, we are going to test you on the progress you have all made uptil now in prana cultivation. Your prana level will be determined by using these artifacts. You just need to place your hands on these boulders and then complete one full circulation. The boulder has a network of thin paths that can emulate the likeness of an origin path and it can accurately analyse your level after you do one circulation. As we have five such artifacts, five of you can be tested simultaneously."

"Next, we will determine if you have awakened any elemental affinity in advance. Depending on the result, it could be a determining factor as well, But remember that this aspect is much more of a determination of raw talent and is only a small factor of your total result in the end. Innate affinity is an aspect that grants a person a better understanding towards an element initially, but its not something that can't be made up with enough hard work. So no need to be disheartened if you get a negative result. Not many actually happen to have innately affinity towards an element after all."

"Finally about your final task. The details won't be disclosed until we are done with the first two phases. The only clue given to you for now is that the task will take place in the outer region of the beast forest beside the academy, so prepare yourself for it accordingly. Those who wish can give up in the advance for this task. Now I will call out your names in groups of five and come over to get your prana levels tested."

He finished with his explanation. Not once was there any flicker in his emotions as he spoke, as if he were reciting a script he had learned for so long. But then again, maybe it was indeed a script that he had been repeating for years now. But finally now their initiation had come to a start as Azyl regained a look of focus. He had decided to give in his best so he was going to do exactly that. Although the mention of the beast forest was unnerving and surprising at first, he immediately calmed down and set his mind at performing the best for today.