Chapter 244: The Practical Assessment [1]

The third arena was equipped with a rather unusual obstacle course.

Several stone platforms moved along fixed routes above the ground, while suspended barriers and narrow passages divided the arena into different sections. At the far end stood a pedestal marked with the academy’s crest, indicating the finish line.

Ilya examined the arrangement while holding the glass sphere he had been instructed to protect.

According to the rules, students were required to transport the sphere through the obstacle course without allowing it to break. They could use only First Circle spells, and the object had to remain within arm’s reach throughout the exercise.

Naturally, there was also a time limit.

"Five minutes," the supervising instructor announced. "You may begin."

Ilya stepped onto the first moving platform.

The exercise appeared straightforward, although he doubted the instructors had constructed such an elaborate formation simply to test whether students could walk while holding something fragile.

His suspicions were confirmed almost immediately.

Three magical projectiles emerged from the walls ahead, approaching from different directions. Their speed was moderate, giving students enough time to react, but the narrow passage offered little room for evasion.

Ilya raised his free hand and constructed a thin barrier of ice.

The first projectile shattered against it. The second struck the platform beside him, while the third curved toward his exposed side.

He adjusted the barrier and intercepted it before continuing.

The next section involved two platforms moving in opposite directions.

Ilya waited for their paths to align before crossing, conserving his mana rather than attempting to accelerate through the gap.

It was a simple decision, but he suspected that was exactly what the instructors wanted.

A student who wasted half their mana during the opening obstacles would struggle once the exercise became more difficult.

Beyond the platforms, several rotating barriers blocked the passage.

Ilya examined their movements and discovered that each completed its rotation at a different interval. The openings occasionally aligned, creating a narrow route through the entire section.

He could wait for the next alignment.

Unfortunately, doing so would consume nearly a minute.

Instead, he created a small current of freezing air beneath his feet and moved through the first opening as it appeared. He slowed before the second barrier, allowing it to pass, then accelerated through the remaining gap.

The sphere remained secure in his hand.

So far, so good.

The difficulty increased in the fourth section.

As Ilya approached, the platforms beneath him began shifting unpredictably while projectiles emerged from the surrounding walls. Unlike the earlier obstacles, their trajectories changed whenever he attempted to move toward the next platform.

The formation was responding to him.

Interesting.

Ilya retreated toward the edge of his current platform and observed the projectiles for several seconds.

Their movements followed his position, but their speed remained constant. Whenever he moved, the projectiles adjusted their trajectories after a brief delay.

That provided an opportunity.

Rather than attempting to defend against every attack, he waited until several projectiles had gathered along the same trajectory before moving sideways.

They followed.

Ilya changed direction again, allowing the projectiles to pass through the space he had just occupied before continuing toward the next platform.

Several struck one another and dispersed.

The remaining attacks were easily intercepted with a small ice barrier.

By the time he reached the final section, less than two minutes remained.

A broad stone platform separated him from the finish line, but several magical constructs stood between the entrance and the pedestal.

Unlike the earlier obstacles, these constructs were capable of moving independently.

The moment Ilya stepped onto the platform, all three activated.

One rushed toward him while the others spread apart, attempting to surround him.

Ilya considered using the blizzard to launch himself over them, but the sphere’s restrictions made that approach unnecessarily risky. If the acceleration damaged the object or carried it beyond the permitted distance, the entire exercise would be invalidated.

He needed a simpler solution.

The first construct attacked.

Ilya shifted aside and formed a short blade of ice in his free hand, striking the construct’s exposed joint as it passed.

The blow disrupted its movement, causing it to stumble.

He followed with a burst of cold mana against its leg, freezing the joint long enough to prevent it from recovering.

The second construct approached from his right.

Ilya retreated toward the disabled construct, forcing the approaching machine to move around its companion.

That delayed it long enough for him to slip past.

The third construct attempted to intercept him near the pedestal, but Ilya had already identified the limited range of its movements.

He moved toward the edge of the platform, drawing it away from the center before changing direction and passing through the opening it left behind.

The construct turned too slowly to follow.

Ilya reached the pedestal and placed the sphere upon it.

A bell rang.

"Assessment complete!"

The supervising instructor examined the formation’s records before announcing his results.

"Completion time: Three minutes and forty-two seconds. Object integrity: one hundred percent. Mana expenditure: within the recommended range."

Ilya was satisfied.

He hadn’t completed the course particularly quickly, but there had been no reason to rush when the scoring system rewarded efficiency and successful execution.

The instructor recorded his performance before directing him toward the waiting area.

Several students had already completed their assessments, although others were still attempting the remaining obstacles.

Garen was standing near the entrance when Ilya returned.

"How’d you do?"

"Passed."

"That’s all?"

"What else were you expecting?"

"At least tell me whether it was difficult."

Ilya considered the question.

"The last section is troublesome. You’ll want to conserve your mana before reaching it."

Garen immediately became interested.

Unfortunately, the instructors prohibited students from revealing the details of their assigned exercises to those who hadn’t completed them.

Ilya therefore limited his advice to the general importance of mana management.

A few minutes later, Elise emerged from another arena.

Her assessment had involved maintaining several magical formations while responding to disturbances introduced by the instructors. According to her, the challenge became more difficult whenever students attempted to compensate through greater magical output.

She had completed it successfully.

Ilya wasn’t surprised.

Elise had always possessed excellent control over her spells, and her recent training had only improved that advantage.

They compared their results while waiting for the remaining students.

Tristan arrived shortly afterward.

The southern nobleman had apparently completed an exercise involving simultaneous spellcasting under restricted mana conditions.

His performance had attracted attention from several instructors, particularly after he demonstrated an alternative solution that reduced the number of active formations required.

Ilya congratulated him.

Tristan accepted the praise with his usual confidence, although he seemed more interested in learning how Ilya had performed.

It was hardly surprising. Tristan had spent years receiving excellent evaluations, and another successful practical exercise was unlikely to satisfy him for long.

He was far more interested in measuring his progress against someone who could genuinely challenge him.

Ilya understood the feeling. Their recent engagements had exposed weaknesses in both their fighting styles, and neither intended to leave those weaknesses unaddressed.

Still, he had to admire Tristan’s determination. The fellow possessed every advantage a young wizard could reasonably ask for, yet he continued training as though someone might steal his position the moment he relaxed.

Then again, Ilya supposed that someone might.

"Three minutes and forty-two seconds," Ilya answered.

"Not bad."

"Thank you."

"Still slower than I expected."

"Then I’ll endeavor to disappoint you less next time."

Tristan smiled.

Their conversation was interrupted when Professor Eklund arrived to announce the preliminary rankings.

The instructors had completed their evaluations, and the results would be posted outside the department office before the afternoon lectures ended.

Naturally, that announcement caused an immediate commotion.

Several students hurried toward the notice board, while others remained behind to discuss their performances.

Ilya decided to wait until the crowd thinned.

He had no particular desire to spend half an hour squeezing between students simply to discover whether he’d earned a few extra marks.

Besides, he had already completed the exercise successfully.

That was enough for now.

When he eventually reached the department office, the preliminary rankings had been posted.

Several familiar names occupied the upper positions.

Tristan was among them, as expected.

Elise had also performed well, earning one of the highest evaluations in her assigned group.

Ilya searched for his own name.

He found it near the top.

His completion time hadn’t been exceptional, but the instructors had awarded him high marks for efficiency, adaptability, and maintaining the sphere’s integrity throughout the course.

The result placed him comfortably among the strongest performers.

Ilya smiled.

For someone who had spent most of his first semester struggling to keep up with the academy’s expectations, the improvement was satisfying.

Several months ago, he would have considered passing a Magic Department assessment without difficulty an achievement worth celebrating.

Now, he was beginning to expect more from himself.

The afternoon lectures continued as usual, although most students were already discussing the next stage of the examination.

According to the schedule, the instructors would begin evaluating controlled engagements the following morning.

Students would be assigned opponents based on their preliminary results, with the strongest performers facing increasingly difficult restrictions.

Ilya reviewed the announcement with interest.

The first stage had tested his ability to apply magic under unfamiliar conditions.

The next would test whether he could do the same against another person.

And judging from the names appearing near the top of the rankings, there would be no shortage of capable opponents.