Aethernea : Soulbound [Book 1]

Episode 137 - Clay Mines

Previously:

It's Friday, the last day of Muni entrance exams. It is time for the last exam of the day – Special exam. Kiel and Elaru make their way towards Sapphire Quarters where there special exams will take place. Elaru is confronted by three old geezers who are acting high and mighty while Kiel shot himself in the foot – as it turns out, the Spell Replicating exam was not designed to test Kiel's spell replicating ability, but rather, to test for a special talent that can only be revealed through the process of spell replicating. He is tasked to spell replicate several cogwheels and then given an intricate enchantment to place on star-shaped artifacts.

Episode 137 – Clay Mines

As Kiel was wholeheartedly absorbed in enchanting his third metal star, the professors had finished testing the last cog.

In his peripheral vision, Kiel saw them giving each other strange looks, their faces riddled with frowns. In the end, one of them set up a sound isolation barrier around their table so that they could talk freely without disturbing Kiel's replicating.

Kiel tried to ignore their rapidly moving lips expressing clear doubts, tried to overlook the way they passed the papers between themselves, tried to disregard how their frowns kept deepening with each passing second.

Alas, it was too conspicuous. Each time Kiel finished an enchantment, he would take a breath, giving the professors a quick glance, and then his concentration would waver, worry invading his mind once again. He'd wonder if they had figured out that he was a fraud, that he didn't have the talent they spoke of. That he was here by mistake.

He wondered whether they were upset that he was wasting their time and debating whether they should cut his exam short. As he looked at their faces, he could almost hear their debate.

The granny looked like she wanted to go by the book, seeing the exam until the end. The younger members looked like they were arguing that she was too traditional, that there was no point torturing themselves and the examinee further. And of course, there would always be that one person who'd try to pacify both sides and wonder whether the measuring apparatus was malfunctioning, and the examinee actually did have the required talent.

And then they would test the cogs again. Even going as far as enchanting another previously unenchanted cog for comparison.

Kiel shook his head and once again concentrated wholeheartedly on enchanting the hollow metal star in his hand, extricating himself from the outside world. Replicating this complicated enchantment required his undivided attention, for the professors had asked him to concentrate on accuracy instead of speed. Each woven line had to be the right width, the right length, even the density of mana had to be precise. With all his mental faculties occupied he had no room for his mind to wonder.

After the 6th replicated artifact, sweat drops were rolling down the sides of Kiel's face as if he were a leaking faucet.

Sometime later and his breathing was labored.

Finally, after the last artifact was done, Kiel took the time to calm his breath.

The professors were no longer arguing. The old granny must have given them a tongue lashing so no one dared complain further. Instead, they gave Kiel a few silent minutes of rest before removing their sound isolation barrier to speak to him.

"How is your condition?" The old grandma expressed her worry. Perhaps she was worrying that he wasn't in a good enough condition to display this special skill.

"Do you have enough mana for another round of tests?" The middle-aged man added tentatively. In Kiel's opinion, "Please say no" was written all over his face.