BXBX NOVEL Chapter 106: One Hour
"Linfel..." out of curiosity, Alvin asked. "How do they compare to me when we met?"
Milia and Nori were by their side, so they also got curious about what would be Linfel's answer. They hadn't seen Alvin much during the time they were in the Floating Blades Faction, let alone the several months Linfel and Alvin spent together after leaving Clondure.
Linfel looked back at Alvin, and his expression turned weird. It was as if Linfel was struggling to come up with some words that wouldn't hurt Alvin too much. "Errr... Oh, right! Can you see the female Maguses in the third test?"
Alvin got confused but still nodded. "Yes, what about it?"
"Let's just say none of them would wish to reproduce with the past you," Linfel completed.
Alvin almost fell with his face on the floor. "What kind of comparison is that?! Couldn't you come up with a better way of saying this?!"
Milia was completely red, while Nori felt like something was wrong with the familiar's soul. No, wait, they know Linfel isn't a Familiar...
Linfel took the request seriously. "Hum... they are not bad, while 'the past you' would have to improve a lot to be considered bad. How about that?"
Somehow, Alvin felt even more hurt after those words. Did he have any value as a magus at all? Alvin began to have some doubts.
"Don't worry, though," Linfel continued. "You are at least as good as the top ones in the stream now. I would put your actual Magic Energy Control in the top 10%."
Alvin's mood improved again. "Really? That's great!" Alvin wasn't disappointed. It still hasn't been a year since he met Linfel, so his progress could only be said to be insane.
The third test ended, and as one can imagine, the majority of the qualified Maguses and Familiars were those at Level Four. Just like before, only 10% of the groups around the planet passed to the next phase. The Ventis Sect truly liked to cut down the numbers.
Xifrin and Trodeu, the Level Five Magus and Familiar, did not take part in the third exam. They, too, were sent straight to the fourth test, just like Linfel and Alvin. With their Level alone, they already acquired a better Magic Control, so it would be useless to test them.
Above all, even if their Magic Energy Control was bad, the fact they managed to reach level five on this planet makes up for it. They can spend their time in the Ventis Sect to learn the proper way to control their Magic Energy.
A few minutes later, the participants who made it through the third test appeared in Linfel's group room. With the last results, their Space Elevator participants had now fallen to miserly 1653. Around the world, the number was slightly below twenty thousand.
Glien entered the room, looking at the participants of his Space Station. "Not bad, not bad at all. Although 99% of you won't make it to the Ventis Sect, you already achieved results that will make you famous in your country for many years to come. Many resources will be spent on you by your home countries, hoping you can one day reach Level Six or maybe Level Seven."
Glien continued. "However, that's not what any of you want. That is nothing but a secondary plan, a safety net, somewhere to lay down. What you all want is to join the Ventis Sect. That said, let's talk about the fourth test."
Immediately, the screens in the room changed, and the live footage of an asteroid was made visible. The thing was at least fifty kilometers wide, quite a big one. Asteroids are rocky, metallic, or icy bodies with no atmosphere... or so it was supposed to be. However, this one did seem to have some atmosphere in it. When the image approached, everyone understood why.
Thousands of poles had been attached to it, and they created some kind of barrier that separated the empty space from the asteroid. Together with some other equipment, the pseudo atmosphere was made possible there.
"The Ventis Sect is a power that controls one-third of our galaxy. Naturally, there are plenty of times when we have to deal with our enemy with force, and these times aren't always in the comfort of a planet. For the fourth phase, you will be tested in a zero gravity environment."
Seeing the puzzled faces of the participants, Glien understood what they were thinking. "Some of you might be wondering why we didn't just use anti-gravity runes in some area on the planet to test it. Or perhaps that there are manipulated fields on this planet that can be used in the same way. Well... would any of you truly feel the terror of space by staying on the planet?"
Glien faintly smiled. "For the fourth test, there will be no such thing as safety. If you drift into space, goodbye; no one will go after you."
Immediately, all the Maguses and Familiars became nervous. It didn't matter if you were either one. Both Maguses and Familiars would be fucked if they were left alone in space with no way to go back. The only difference was that a Familiar would survive longer since they don't need to breathe, but that's it.
Glien then pressed a few options in his MCOM, which caused the MCOMs of all participants to receive a message. "For this test, you truly are at the risk of dying, even more than when you were sent to deal with Magic Beasts or other Maguses and Familiars outlaws. We won't force anyone. You have one hour to decide if you want to take this test or not.
If you decide to give up, just answer the message we sent to all of you in your MCOMs. You will be released and sent back to the planet's surface without repercussions. Now then, I'll see you again in one hour... or at least those still here by then."