161 Final Exam

Wallace wasn't sure who the young kid was but he still greeted him politely and asked a question.

"Sister?"

"Ah yes. Her name is Vanessa..." Tristan answered. His eyes clearly showed light of admiration after he said his sister's name.

Wallace then noticed his semblance with Vanessa White. She was a third year student at Skywalker Academy that was also sent to Montego for the international competition.

Wallace clearly remembered her amazing  combat skill against the puppet made by Julian where she used a combat skill called Motion Break.

Anyway, Skywalker Academy was situated here in the capital, he was just not aware where the academy was located in this large city.

'Come to think of it, before we all separated, they made some invitations to visit them at their place.'

Wallace thought referring to all his teammates inviting everyone as they became close to each other. Although he hadn't completed the competition as he was substituted by Van in the end, they all appreciated the expertise that he had shown during his competition. Since he is in the capital right now, he might as well visit some of the people he knew here. Ross Schien, Tracy Guilford, Aria Scott, and Vanessa White, they should be all in the capital at the moment.

"I didn't know that she had a younger brother." Wallace smiled back at the young magician and suddenly recalled something to ask.

"I saw you before at the New Era's Magic Shop near the southern gate. Are you a member of the shop?"

"Eh? You were there? Uhmm... You can say so. My father is a shareholder of the company."

Tristan said humbly but Avalon quickly validated the information and found out that his father Rowan White owns 70% of the shares. Their family was also the one who founded the large company.

Avalon had also finished gathering some information for the other four that can be found online. It seems that it was only him who had a humbler background.

"Your sister Vanessa is one of the most outstanding magicians I've met. I heard more about her peerless beauty especially after she had finished bathing at the Revitalization Mana Spring." These words were said by Jared Faust III. He was an 18 year old alumni at the Skywalker Academy. His face suggested that he deeply admired Vanessa White.

"Oh? You also know my sister? She's really amazing, right?" Tristan eyes shone even more brightly. The light in his eyes shows not only his deep respect towards his sister but also how he liked those people who also revered her.

"Of course. I also studied at the Skywalker Academy. I've seen her there personally but most of it was when she was still in her first year..." Jared chatted with Tristan as he mentioned that he only saw her again during the live broadcast of the competition at Montego. Tristan then told him how great his sister was during her combat competition.

Wallace on the other hand felt that this younger brother was even more amazing. For a 13 years old young magician and be capable of bearing the pressure of Slaine's Arcana, it was simply amazing. Even Vanessa might found it too difficult.

He was curious what kind of ability did he possess to survive that hurdle for so long.

"Right, you've mentioned that you heard a lot about me from your sister. What did she tell you?"

Wallace asked seeing that Jared's non-stop praises to Tristan's sister was getting out of hand. Jared was also curious about Wallace as he doesn't seem familiar to him.

"Ahh... She told me how you disappeared during the ambush in the hotel that you were all staying at. She mentioned that several Adepts went to hunt you for some reason but you instead disappeared for several days and returned mysteriously without a word. She said that during your absence, they've made a lot of theories about your disappearance as a game to pass their boredom." Tristan answered Wallace.

'I didn't know that. Well, anyone would've been curious at that time so it's probably normal.'

Wallace thought as he was curious about their theories.

Only now did the others remember who Wallace was.

"So that's why I found you so familiar."

"You were briefly there in the competition. But they said that you're not in good condition so you were unable to finish the competition, is that right?"

Rhine and Jared realizes Wallace's identity as they nodded. Their thoughts were unknown.

Everyone then chatted for a while as they familiarize with each other. Only Merlin was a bit too cold as he didn't bother to even say a word to them.

***

On the next day, the six young magicians were called out to begin the final examinations.

They were again brought in the underground base of the Cloud Hawk Manor. But this time, instead of the wide room that has a small stage, they were brought deeper underground where they saw 20 rooms aligned.

"We have seen all your history, records of accomplishments or Mana Artifacts and Magic Structures you've created. You were all in satisfactory level in terms of forging artifact and developing structures. But you were all still missing something...

Master's Secret Art, the Awakening of Thunder and Lightning, had a lot of requirements before it can be practiced. In short, only a magician that was suitable to practice the arts will be accepted. If ever six of you were all suited for the Secret Arts, then we will base the selection in your completion time. So make sure to do your best in the examination. This will be the last examination so I suggest that whatever secrets you have, use them if you have the opportunity. Now go to your assigned rooms. Good luck!" Clyne Troyard said to everyone before leaving them to get inside their rooms.

The group then looked at the six rooms that has their names from the 20 rooms in the floor.

It seems that there were still floors below with the same arrangement to accomodate people in case there were more than six magicians who survived from the Slaine's Arcana activation.

They weren't sure yet what kind of examination they would have to pass but no one thought of backing out as they entered their rooms. The door automatically closes as the room's light turned on.

The room was simple with several magic arrays to keep the air conditioned. There's a bed, desk, and a simple chair.

Placed on top of the desk was a purple crystal in a glass bottle emitting a dim purple light. It was a memory crystal but it doesn't seem normal. It should be blue in color, but it's structure was surely one of memory crystals they knew.

Everyone here had already consumed three memory crystal so they were all worried to consume another one except Wallace.

Although the other five had their body enhanced, they hadn't tried consuming more than three memory crystal to try their brain's endurance.

As they thought for a while, they could only try to consume it in the end. There's nothing else in the room and they also wanted to pass the examination. There's no turning back this time.

Wallace opened the bottle and consumed the purple memory crystal. It melted on his mouth as some memories or information appeared in his mind.

They learned that this is a special memory crystal and was a private product of Magic Engineers working in this Cloud Hawk Manor. Surprisingly, the crystal wouldn't affect the limitation that the brain could handle when consuming the standard memory crystals.

All the information that will be provided next would disappear from the magician's mind after three days.

After reaching this point, a breathing technique to get into the first stage of Awakening of Lightning and Thunder came into their minds.

It was this Secret Arts that allowed them not to be limited in fire, water, earth, wind, and ice elements. This was a special method to control the lightning and thunder.

It doesn't require an Arcane Link or Mana Body but only requires an astute mind and Mana Affinity level that reaches Inducement Control.

But then, they realizes something as another surge of information came into their minds.

'Is this the method of the 6th generation Mana Artifacts?!'

Everyone had this on their minds because the content of the crystal wasn't as simple as breathing technique for the first stage of AOTL, the other half of the information they have was a different method of forging an artifact through the help of mastering the breathing technique.

'This...'

'Was the 6th gen already existing without our knowledge?'

Thinking up to this point. It somehow made sense. Each country must have surely studied further advancements of Mana Artifacts during the past century. But because of Aeolia's disappearance, further discoveries where now being held tightly.

'Does it mean that the official "6th generation" wasn't named yet because they were all probably thinking to use it as a trump card? Sigh~ Who knows, maybe other countries even have their own version of 6th gen.'

As they all calmed their wandering thoughts, they all started to absorb the information about this new forging method.