"Fwish!"
The door of the white lock room closed as the last batch entered.
Kai was tugged to the wall of a small corner, his gaze fixed on the giant crystal ball that shone meters in front of him.
'Just had to be a mana test?'
The last words of the guide suddenly resurfaced in Kai's mind.
"Just note, kids, this test will be taken by three professors, each with high mana sensitivity, so no matter how hard you try, you can't increase your rank beyond what it is."
'Like I want to increase it.'
[We should already be grateful that we aren't the center of attention.]
Kai sighed as he looked at the students who were all bubbly at the thought of revealing their traits and checking their mana capacity.
'Kids will always be kids.'
[They really haven't learnt about the harshness of life yet.]
'Yeah, life will teach you one thing: never do too much.'
Kai looked up as a loud voice echoed through the room.
"We will now begin the mana and trait test; note this won't be broadcasted yet, to prevent your private information from falling into the wrong hands," a man with pale skin, dead eyes, and a modest physique who sat at the center of two female professors said.
'You say that, but how is it any different from what you're doing?' Kai thought, looking at the first batch of people form a line to the mana stone.
"Badge 1, can you come forward?"
The first group of students to be registered by the automated system of Xianan stepped forward.
[Aren't you curious about others' ranks?]
'Huh? I am, but I don't need to go over there, do I?'
[You plan on making me do all the work again, aren't you?]
Kai smiled widely. 'Yep'.
******
"Cadet 114, mana pool: 180/1000, trait rank: D-rank," the woman on the left, who wore a wide smile with brown hair, said.
"Dammit," the fat, almost round student said as he slowly moved away.
[... Why are all these students overreacting? They already know their trait rank, so why go like 'dammit' or 'I thought I would be higher'? Wishful thinking.]
'Yeah.'
[You sound out of it today; is it because you have to show your rank?]
'No, it isn't as if I have any problem with revealing my rank since I would have to rank first to complete the mission; it's just that...'
[You don't want to attract attention.]
'Yes.'
[I told you, I can find a way to reduce your stats, but the lowest you can go is S-rank, nothing beyond that.]
'I know, but I can't help but feel... well, strange.'
[Just take it in; remember what you learned when you first possessed Kaiser Vanguard?]
'Even the greatest things can still be shitty.'
[Yes, and no one will take your trait seriously; even I wouldn't say it aloud if I could talk.]
Kai's attention instantly shifted to the handsome young man who walked over to the mana stone.
"Cadet 236, Matthew Von Sliver, please step forward."
'Time for the man of the show.'
[Is he going to hide his trait or not?]
'Knowing Matt, there is no way in hell.'
The cold lady who called Matthew gestured to the other examiner before flipping to the next page.
So far, there haven't been any X-rank traits in the world for over twenty years, and Noctis was about to see the rise of a new X-rank; though there were actually two, but the other preferred staying out of the spotlight.
Since the start of the screening, most traits haven't caused much of a shock; there were D-ranks, C-ranks and so on.
But only six people made the hall a little rowdy even though three out of the six had already been publicly ranked.
The heir of the Edo clan, Edo Ikenna, with an SS-rank trait and a mana pool of 543/1000.
The third princess of Meltonia, Ariel Meltonia, with an S-rank trait and a mana pool of 425/1000.
The daughter of the business tycoon, Elizabeth County, with an S-rank trait and a mana pool of 470/1000.
Lilith Marionette, the daughter of the Marionette Viscounty, with an S-rank trait and a mana pool of 463/1000
Anica Abraham, a commoner with an SS-rank trait and a mana pool of 604/1000.
Kai couldn't believe there was even someone as strong as Ikenna and Matthew in the academy.
And finally, Cordelia Blackwood with an S-rank trait and a mana pool of 517/1000, surpassing her rank's capacity of mana, which is 500 for an apprentice rank.
Except for these six individuals, the rest of the students were rather plain, with B-rank and lower outnumbering the rest.
[I was shocked that the Junpei guy was an A-rank.]
'Tell me about it.'
Soon Matthew stepped in front of the mana stone; the hall grew still. That alone was enough to tell how much influence Matthew had.
The intense almost crippling stare from the people in the upper room could be felt from where Kai stood.
Kai didn't care much because he already knew how things were going to play out, but he couldn't help but curse under his breath.
'Change of plans, Alpha. Let's just go in with a bang and make all eyes fixed on us.' Kai thought jokingly.
[Don't be childish; you can show off later.]
'But why? I also have an X-rank trait, but I have to settle for being an S-rank; it isn't fair.'
[You're meant to be happy you even are an X-rank; what if you got transmigrated as an F-rank?]
Kai lingered for a moment, Alpha's words running deep. 'Who cares? I got transmigrated as an X-rank, so leave the what-ifs.'
[Hah..... I don't know what to do with you.]
Kai smiled, as a presence soon crept into his awareness.
"Why are you smiling to yourself? It is creepy."
Kai turned to the left and met Elia's gaze. "What do you want, Miss S-rank?"
"Don't be such a sore loser," she said, resting her back on the wall next to him.
[Like we would be sore losers for a measly S-rank.]
'Cough cough.'
[Why are you coughing in your mind?]
'Oh, nothing, nothing at all.'
"So what trait rank do you have?" Elia asked, her tone probing.
"You would find out soon anyway, so why ask?" Kai said, pushing his back downwards.
"I don't mean what you are about to show them; I mean your real trait rank."
[Oh, ho, so she is a little Miss Otaku; she might rival you, Kai.]
"I don't know what you are talking about; why would I hide anything?" Kai asked, looking Elia in the eye.
Letting out a gentle smile, she said, "Suit yourself then; you can let Matt take the stage today."
Soon the sound of loud beeping echoed through the hall as Matthew's long red hair flew with the sudden surge of mana.
Before the examiners could react, the crystal shattered, sending fragments exploding in all directions.
The eyes of all the cadets widened except Kai's and Elia's.
Almost simultaneously, a loud voice rang from the upper chambers, a voice that even Kai knew instantly.
"AN X-RANK, WE HAVE AN X-RANK!"
Matthew looked up to the upper chamber, his crimson hair casting a shadow on his golden eyes, making them barely visible.
"My dude just had to aura farm," Elia said, looking at the handsome man who was surrounded by the scattered fragments from the mana crystal.
Loud murmurs and chants filled the hall; everyone who had sworn their allegiance to Matthew, people who worshipped him and even made a cult for him, and normal students all joined in.
The male examiner opened a door that lay behind him and escorted Matthew in.
[Estimating Aura 99/100.]
'Why don't you just give him a perfect score?'
******
After things finally calmed down, the testing continued, and before long, the 277th name was called.
"Cadet 277, Kaiser Vanguard, step forward."
Kai smiled and waved at Elia as he walked past. 'Now which route should I go with?'