The much-anticipated ascension ceremony had finally begun, and the stage for the trials had been set. The first candidate to be called upon was none other than Mathew Hal, the candidate who could grow a total of eight arms. With his heart racing, he walked through the narrow passage between the stands of the grandmasters.

The nearby seated retainers looked at him with condescending eyes, judging him by his appearance and the way he walked.

Unlike a typical arena, where the audience is thrilled and cheerful, the nobility retainers were serious and muttering in whispers. All the retainers and the grandmaster were a bunch of uptight nobles who maintained their proud appearance. It felt more like a courthouse than an arena, to be honest, thanks to those serious vibes.

However, there was one stand that stood out from the rest- the stand where Grandmaster Ajax of the Ivory Tower was located.

The atmosphere in their stand was completely different from the rest of the other eight stands. The Ivory Tower guys were having a blast like they were some party beasts who were here to watch a show. The retainers were engaging in boisterous conversations, sharing drinks, and indulging in food, creating a mess at their stand. Even Grandmaster Ajax, the leader of the Ivory Tower, joined in with his fellow retainers, being the loudest of them all.

For some reason, the other stands didn’t bother to stop them. All they could do was just look at them with scorn and disdain.

The presence of the Ivory Tower was a breath of fresh air in the gathering of all the uptight pious nobles in other stands.

Finally, Mathew walked upon the stage and stood before the masked phantom mage. The phantom mage handed him a card, and though we couldn't hear what she said, the way Mathew held the card tightly indicated its importance.

Meanwhile, the other phantom mages distributed stone tabloids, which were then passed down to the nine grandmasters.

The grandmasters read the tabloids thoroughly, and their expressions shifted slightly. Some had disappointed looks, while others nodded their heads in acceptance. However, Grandmaster Ajax, with his giant body, had trouble reading the tabloid, as it was the size of a pebble. He had to hold it close to his eyeball, between his index finger and thumb, to read it.

The stone tabloids seemed to be the same ones used by the red cape mages during the blessing ritual, and they likely contained personal information about each candidate. Right now Mathew Hal’s thorough report written by the red cape mages is being read by the grandmasters.

I am glad my assessment was right to show off as I did to score some points in the blessing ritual. Otherwise, I might not be standing here with everyone else.

An eerie silence filled the arena as the grandmasters read through the contents of the tabloids. Even the Ivory Tower retainers toned down when Grandmaster Ajax was reading the tabloid.

All we could do was wait for the grandmaster to begin their judgment.

Suddenly, a voice shattered the silence: "Greetings, grandmasters," said Mathew, bowing respectfully. "I am Mathew Hal from the southern Nimmer district. It's a pleasure to meet-"

“Keep quiet,” muttered an agitated Grandmaster Hamanthra, “I don’t remember giving you permission to talk, did I?”

Her stern eyes filled with dread, causing Mathew to freeze in his tracks. His face turned white as soon as he opened his mouth.

I don’t get why Mathew suddenly decided to open his big mouth. Anyone in the right mind can tell that the grandmasters were busy but Mathew being an idiot really made quite a bad impression from the get-go.

At least from his mistake, we candidates learned that we shouldn’t open our mouths until we are instructed to do so.

“Lady Hamanthra, please cut the poor lad some slack," Grandmaster Biswaq interjected. "Mathew is the first candidate, and of course he’s nervous. As adults, we must mend the ways of the young ones. Let me first explain the rules so that we can begin the ascension ceremony."

“Tch, Well I’ll overlook this one time.” Hamanthra finally turned her head away.

Mathew could finally take a breath of relief.

Grandmaster Biswaq then proceeded to explain the ground rules for the ascension trial. He revealed that there were three trials set up by the head mage Sigurd on the stage, each designed to showcase the candidates' potential and compatibility with mana. Depending on the results of the trials, each grandmaster would extend an invitation to the candidates.

Mathew took a closer look at the card-like object that had been handed to him earlier. It was a dial card, with the insignia of the nine academies imprinted on it. If a candidate received an invitation, the insignia of the corresponding academy would light up on the card.

After the trials, the candidates would be given the opportunity to choose their academy from the invitations they had received. If a candidate wanted to join a specific academy, they just had to turn the dial pointer towards that academy.

However, it was important to note that they could not turn the dial to an academy whose insignia had not lit up, as that would mean forsaking the opportunity. Once all the candidates had made their decision, they would need to submit their cards back to the phantom mages, and the ascension ceremony would be completed.

After that, they could return home and wait for the official invitation, where they would complete the necessary paperwork and prepare to move into the academy.

Grandmaster Biswaq also reminded the candidates that once they joined the royal academy, they would be required to move into the academy dormitory. It was best to bid farewell to their families until they graduated, as they would be fully immersed in their studies and training.

The candidates' excitement was palpable as Grandmaster Biswaq concluded his explanation of the ascension trial rules. The hall buzzed with anticipation, and Mathew could feel the energy in the air. He looked down at the dial card in his hand, his heart racing with excitement. This was finally happening - his chance to join an esteemed mage academy and embark on his magical journey.

As Grandmaster Biswaq's words sank in, the candidates couldn't contain their enthusiasm. They began chattering among themselves, their eyes shining with eagerness. It seemed like everyone had their eyes set on a particular academy.

"I can't wait to join the Radiant Sanctum Academy," exclaimed one candidate, his voice filled with excitement.

"The Starlight Nexus is my top choice," chimed in another, a determined expression on her face.

"Bloodfire is the best academy! We have to join that," declared a third candidate, his enthusiasm contagious.

The candidates forgot for a moment that they were still in the presence of the grandmasters, who were observing the commotion with bemused smiles. Lady Hamanthra raised an eyebrow, but Grandmaster Biswaq simply chuckled and raised his hand, signaling for the candidates to quiet down.

"Let us not get ahead of ourselves, young ones," he said in a booming voice that commanded attention. "The trials are yet to begin, and you must focus on preparing for the trials. The choice of academy comes after you have earned your invitations. Now, let us proceed with the first trial."

The phantom mage pointed in a direction, “Stand right there.”

“Alright,” responded Mathew as he paced away to the location.

In the first trial, Mathew was given a specific location to stand, a red circle marked on the floor. He had only one task - to not move a muscle, no matter what happened around him.

Mathew stood in the circle while sweat poured down his face. The intense gazes of the grandmasters and the other candidates seemed to pierce through him, but he remained as still as a statue, determined to follow the instructions to the letter.

The grandmasters, seated on their high marble thrones, watched Mathew with a sense of leisure as if they were enjoying the spectacle before them.

Soon, there was a faint rumbling noise that made the entire stage shake slightly. It sounded like something was burrowing through the ground, causing a mini-earthquake. The candidates watched in anticipation, their eyes fixed on Mathew.

Mathew, hearing the noise growing louder, started to look around nervously. His legs trembled slightly, but then he caught the reassuring nod from Grandmaster Biswaq, which seemed to instill some courage in him. He steeled his resolve and fixed his gaze straight ahead.

Just as the noise reached its peak, two massive slabs of walls emerged from the ground on the opposite side of Mathew. These were the same walls that had been created by the first orb the head mage had placed earlier.

The walls were adorned with numerous runes and mysterious gemstones, giving them an otherworldly appearance. Mathew found himself sandwiched between the two walls, just as they had appeared from the floor from the ground within. There were no visible cracks or dents on the floor; the wall slabs just appeared as if the floor was made of sand.

Despite his fear, Mathew held his ground, but his body started trembling again. However, he remained steadfast within the circle, determined to pass the trial.

The walls surrounding Mathew suddenly began to emit a glowing blue light, and a ray of that light struck him directly. Overcome with fear, Mathew instinctively covered his face with his hands, anticipating some sort of harm.

After a few tense seconds of standing in the blue ray of light, Mathew slowly lowered his hands and realized that he was unharmed. He cautiously looked around, relieved to find that nothing had happened to him.

As Mathew scanned his surroundings, he noticed the stern gazes of the grandmasters fixed upon him, seemingly disappointed. He felt a pang of embarrassment for not having fully trusted Grandmaster Biswaq's earlier assurances. In a quick motion, Mathew straightened his posture, standing as still as a soldier at attention, attempting to salvage the situation.

Despite the anxious silence that followed, the grandmasters did not say anything. They simply observed Mathew, their expressions unreadable.

The walls surrounding Mathew began to move again, rotating around him with a constant beam of light shining upon him. Mathew finally realized that the first trial was indeed simple, and he didn't have to do anything except stand still.

As the walls continued to revolve around him, Mathew's confidence grew. He realized that he had initially overreacted with fear and doubt, and the trial was not as daunting as he had initially thought. He maintained his composure, standing resolute in the circle as the walls completed several rotations.

Finally, with a sudden halt, the two slabs of walls sunk back into the ground, and the blue light dissipated.

Grandmaster Biswaq's voice echoed through the chamber as he announced, "That concludes the first trial. It was easy, wasn’t it?"

However, this time, Mathew noticed a hint of disappointment in the grandmaster's expression. It seemed that Biswaq was disappointed because Mathew had flinched, despite the reassurance to not move and trust that it was safe.

Feeling a sense of embarrassment, Mathew found it difficult to meet Grandmaster Biswaq's gaze. He looked down, biting his teeth, regretting his momentary lapse of composure during the trial. He had let fear get the better of him, despite the grandmaster's guidance.

That’s the first trial?

Every candidate was a bit puzzled. Although we just kept watching.

The grandmasters settled back in their high marble seats, their eyes intently fixed on the floating cylindrical water fountain that had been placed by the head mage. The water in the fountain lit up, casting a gentle light that revealed a human silhouette. It became clear that the fountain was actually a large screen used by the grandmasters to view the results of the trial.

As we watched, the silhouette took on the distinct form of Mathew. But what was even more fascinating were the glowing lines that criss crossed his body, resembling veins. These lines seemed to be concentrated in his central chest area and extended toward his upper limbs and torso, forming a complex pattern of interconnected lines.

As someone who had read extensively about mana, I immediately recognized these glowing lines.

“Those are mana meridians,” I mumbled.

“What? So that's what our meridians look like,” said Jason.

“You are indeed quite knowledgeable. Is that from the awakening?” asked Trisha.

“Um- oh yeah, you could say that,” I replied.

“Are you sure?” Trisha said with doubting eyes.

Suddenly,

“Hey, check that bottom meridian, it looks like Mathew’s penis!” mumbled one of the boys.

“Hahaha, it’s a little Mathew.”

“Boys are so disgusting.” muttered one of the uncomfortable girls.

“For once I do agree.” I joined in siding with the girls.

Although it wasn’t actually the penis but the existing meridians around Mathew’s genitals. Yes, there are healthy portions of meridians around the genitals as well.

Thankfully the boy's crude comment let me escape Trisha’s interrogation.

The mana meridians are intricate channels that are formed by the mana core, serving as conduits to distribute mana throughout a mage's body. Considered to be of paramount importance, the mana meridians come second only to the mana core itself in terms of significance within a mage's anatomy.

Within the mana arts, it is widely recognized that mana, the fundamental essence of mana, flows through these meridians, much like how blood courses through veins in the human body. The mana core, which is located at the center of a mage's body, generates and stores mana and then channels it through the mana meridians to nourish and empower various parts of the mage's anatomy.

At present, we are aware that Mathew is a transmutation mage possessing a unique ability to grow additional arms. This is evident from the display on the big screen, which shows the concentration of inner meridians in his torso, arms, and abdomen - the very areas from which the extra arms sprout. Furthermore, a prominent feature on the display is a dense glowing orb-like structure near his heart, which is known as the mana heart.

The grandmasters were now strenuously observing the mana meridians of Mathew on the display screen.

Grandmaster Biswaq's eyes lit up,

“My my, look at those meridians spread across Mathew's torso! Those are some healthy mana meridians right there.”

Grandmaster Gunther stroked his beard,

“With the ability to grow extra muscular arms, no wonder he has such healthy meridians. He could be trained to be a formidable close combatant mage, or he could choose to excel in writing runes. Anyway, those extra arms will undoubtedly come in handy either way.”

Grandmaster Pierre glanced at Grandmaster Harnold,

“Well, those extra arms could also be quite useful in your forging workshop, wouldn't you agree, Grandmaster Harnold?”

Harnold simply nodded in agreement, not uttering a word.

“Are you still grumpy about the deal?” asked Grandmaster Pierre.

But Harnold just stayed silent.

Grandmaster Ajax laughed out loud,

“Eight arms that would certainly come in handy in the Ivory Tower. This brat has quite the talent. Haha.”

Hamnthra scoffed as she voiced her concerns,

“Equally distributed meridians are crucial. Currently, Mathew's upper body has healthy meridians, but the same cannot be said for his lower body. This might impede his growth in the future.”

Grandmaster Travis of the Bloodfire Academy nodded his head like a sheep,

“That's true. He might have to find ways to work around this issue.”

Harnold also nodded in agreement with Lady Hamanthra, acknowledging the validity of her observations.

On the other hand, Grandmaster Celestia and Messindra remained neutral and seemed uninterested in Mathew from the beginning.

Upon hearing Hamanthra's critique, Mathew suddenly became dejected. His shoulders slumped, and disappointment was evident on his face.

However, Grandmaster Biswaq suddenly chuckled, breaking the tension, and said, "That is indeed true. But considering that young lad Mathew comes from a commoner's background and has already achieved such a feat, I believe he deserves praise. Besides, he is still young and has immense potential to overcome his weaknesses."

Finally, Mathew's face brightened, and a smile spread across his face. Once again he recovered his courage.

The phantom mage host returns back on the stage,

“The first trial ends here. Let's move to the 2nd trial.”

The first trial ended quite easily.