Thief Mage

15

Regardless of my mood, the test had already begun. A candidate, about seventeen or eighteen years old, slowly walked up to the stage. At the teacher's call to action, he clasped his hands together, chanted an incantation, and then shouted, "Fire Blast!" Then, with his hands thrust forward, a fireball the size of a washbasin roared out. With a resounding boom, the fireball struck the magic stone over ten meters away and exploded.

I also felt a wave of heat rushing towards me. "Great!" The crowd cheered. After a flurry of activity, the scores were tallied. A teacher announced the results: "Magic: 18 points for Mental Power, 16 points for Skill. This goes to Class 4, Grade 2. Next, prepare!"

Next was a slender candidate. His face showed the vicissitudes of life, and he seemed to have experienced a lot. Although he was a little thinner, his eyes were sharp. At the teacher's call for action, he raised one hand and quickly chanted a spell. His eyes shone, and he clenched his teeth. He opened his mouth and whispered, "Flame Wave!" With a wave of his hands, a wave of extremely hot fire burned towards the magic stone, drawing even louder cheers from the crowd. Although the power was not impressive, Like the previous candidate, they knew this was a typical mass attack magic test. The teacher announced the test results: "Magic 5 points, Mental Strength 5 points, Skill 5 points, Place 1, Prepare!"

A fifteen or sixteen-year-old candidate came up and said to the test teacher, "Teacher, I don't know magic, I'm here to learn it!"

"Oh, then you'll be assigned to First Grade, Class 165! Next!" The test teacher's tone was calm. Many students who apply here don't know magic. Some are graduates from local academies who come here to continue their studies in grades four, five, and six, which are not available in local schools. There are also some mages who return from the workforce to further their studies. For all these reasons, this placement test was created.

The next candidate to come up was a very experienced-looking candidate, about 23 or 24 years old. He had a cool, arrogant look, and from the world-famous brand he wore, I could tell he came from a wealthy family. I knew he was the type to be arrogant. Sure enough, he took the stage with a swagger, bowing his head and extending his right hand forward. He chanted a lengthy incantation, then called out, "Fire Dragon Spell!" His fingers spread open, and a fire dragon burst forth, roaring and charging towards the magic-testing stone. The dragon struck the stone with a resounding boom! The entire ground shook.

"Magic 9 points, Mental 8 points, Skill 1 point, Grade 6, Class 6"

The crowd was utterly silent. Someone suddenly realized something and shouted, "Great, great!" Everyone else joined in the roar and applause! He tossed his head proudly, and the teachers applauded. After a moment of excitement, the teacher announced the next candidate—me!

I was bowing my head, my uncut hair covering my eyes. I stood up silently, a suffocating aura emanating from me. Everyone held their breath, anticipating what was about to happen. I clasped my hands tightly and walked slowly forward. Suddenly, I raised my head and turned it back. Everyone saw my eyes, which were incredibly sharp. The look of a mage with spiritual cultivation... No! This look seemed far more terrifying than that one. It was terrifying. The teachers seemed to sense my gaze, their expressions of shock etched across their faces. The people around me, along with the teachers, stared at me motionlessly, completely overwhelmed by this aura. I closed my eyes, frowned, and bent my hands slightly before opening them. Suddenly, my fists clenched with immense force, my muscles swelled. I tilted my head back, gritting my teeth. My facial muscles tightened, my face resolute. I chanted a spell. Though my voice wasn't loud, every word echoed clearly and heart-wrenchingly throughout the room. As I watched, I had already stretched my mental strength to its limit. The people and teachers around me were also straining their spirits, their eyes tense, waiting unblinking for what was about to happen. As the spell ceased, I roared, increasing my mental strength to a new level beyond its limit. I thrust my hands forward and roared, "Fireball!"

A peanut-sized ball of fire shot out from my palm and struck the magic stone. With a bang, a puff of smoke erupted from the stone... and it vanished.

Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap! The sounds of people fainting were heard everywhere. I felt a mental breakdown and then a tremendous pain in my head. My vision went black and I fell to the ground. Then I heard the stuttering announcement of the test teacher: "1 point for magic power, 1 point for mental power, 1 point for skill. Go to the school doctor of Class 15, Grade 1! Where is the school doctor? Send him to the hospital quickly!" After that, I lost consciousness.