018. Realze's Overture (Leoz's Overture)
"This guy..."
Luthor saw Li Aozi's figure from a distance, and his eye twitched immediately.
He almost missed the pre-exam physical check, yet here was Li Aozi, laughing and chatting with his friends. Thinking back to the nightmare that haunted him all night, Luthor felt even more out of balance.
"So what if you arrived a bit early? The exam lasts for five days, I have plenty of time to adjust. You, a newbie taking the test for the first time, are only relaxed now."
Luthor muttered to himself.
Each day's exam could last up to 12 hours, a true marathon of the exam world. With a massive amount of objective questions and strict test conditions, an ordinary person with weak willpower and mental endurance would collapse and cry before long.
Besides, this isn't a simple test. If "Leo" thought he could cram at the last minute and rely on luck and basic knowledge to pass, then he's way too naive.
Li Aozi noticed someone watching him, glanced over, and Luthor, standing among the crowd, instinctively lowered his head, not daring to meet his gaze.
[I only beat him up a few times, no need to be this scared, right?]
"What are you talking about? How could I not have the qualifications!? I've been using magic for over ten years, and you're telling me I don't have the aptitude?"
A commotion suddenly erupted from the adjacent test queue. Li Aozi and the others looked over — a student had just been thrown out of the testing room.
"What's all the noise about? Stop disturbing the other testers."
A mage maintaining order mumbled as he slowly walked out of the testing room.
"Damn it! This is rigged! I'm going to report you!" The student, furious and trembling with anger, loudly accused, "Who uses magic for years without having magic aptitude?"
"Feel free, but the results won't change. This test has a 100% accuracy rate, even if you appeal to the highest council, it won't matter." The mage sighed and added, "It's just saying you're not qualified for university, not that you can't use magic. With your intelligence and comprehension, it's better if you don't take the test."
"Just wait! My uncle is in the police force—"
With a wave of the mage's hand, the student was immediately teleported away.
"Always some loudmouths..." the mage grumbled. "How many times do I have to say it? The result can't be wrong. Do you think anyone wants to sit there with a magnifying glass repeatedly scanning your brain?"
"Every year, there are a few idiots like that, right, Mage Cardish?" someone teased nearby.
"Can't help it, some people just refuse to accept reality. Mages are elite among elites. If you're not qualified, just go grind crystals in a workshop." The mage shook his head.
The commotion quickly settled, but many people who had been calm now felt nervous again.
[Mages really do maintain their usual arrogance... The gap between magical laborers and official mages is just too vast in terms of power, treatment, and status.]
"ZX120094, please step forward."
While Li Aozi was deep in thought, the mage conducting the physical checks called out his candidate number. Li Aozi immediately turned and entered the testing room.
"Wait a moment." The assistant mage stopped Li Aozi. "They're processing the previous result. You're next."
The testing room didn't have any complex equipment. A mage in a blue-purple uniform sat behind a table with a crystal ball linked to a projection screen in front of him. The current candidate had their hands on the crystal ball, eyes closed, with faint pulses of light glowing under their skin.
The mage frowned as he carefully operated the projection, cross-referencing the information on the screen, and wrote down the test results on a sheet beside him:
——————————
Second-Class Magic Sensitivity—Qualified
Mental Fluctuations—Stable
Imagination—Average
Spatial Awareness—Average
Logical Thinking—Average
Elemental Affinity—Excellent
Recommended Major: Elemental Magic Academy—Rock Stream Faction—Civil Engineering Department
——————————
"You're all set. Congratulations, you're a good candidate for construction work. Prepare well for the exam."
The mage signed the form, and the student breathed a sigh of relief, thanked him, and hurried off to the test site. The mage rubbed his temples and said:
"Next."
Li Aozi stepped forward and sat across from the mage, who looked at him curiously:
"Oh, handsome young man, huh? You better not end up in the School of Philosophy. The women there would probably go crazy over you."
"You're too kind." Li Aozi smiled and, following the mage's instructions, placed his hands on the crystal ball.
"The physical check will scan your mental strength to determine your casting aptitude more accurately. The precision is 100%, so don't worry. If you have any concerns about the results, you can request a re-test after enrollment."
The mage adjusted Li Aozi's head to make sure he was looking straight ahead, then gently pressed on both sides of Li Aozi's occipital nerves, attaching electrode-like devices to the Fengchi acupoints.
"Are you ready? The test is about to begin."
"I'm ready," Li Aozi calmly replied.
In the next moment, the mage activated the crystal ball. A cold sensation seeped into Li Aozi's palms and quickly spread through his nerves, reaching his brain.
A series of lights immediately appeared in front of Li Aozi's eyes. His consciousness collided with some sort of material, and he received some information. His body instinctively reacted, and the substance quickly dissipated. Li Aozi's neck stiffened slightly, and he felt his pineal gland tremble, sending out new sensory lines.
Beep, beep, beep—
The screen lit up with a string of data.
"Huh, you've never awakened your mental strength?"
The mage conducting the test seemed surprised.
"No."
Li Aozi felt something strange, as if his perception had abruptly shifted. In his mind, it was as though he suddenly gained a new level of awareness.
Even with his eyes closed, he felt he could see dozens of meters away, hear the candidates' conversations through walls, and observe pigeons on a distant rooftop.
"How peculiar. Casting magic without mental strength all these years—didn't you find it troublesome?" The mage clicked his tongue in amazement. "Well, I just awakened it for you. Hold on a moment while I write up your test results."
As Li Aozi removed his hands, he suddenly felt dizzy and slumped into the chair, gripping the armrests and taking several deep breaths as the room blurred in and out of focus.
"Ugh... I feel a bit dizzy."
Li Aozi held his forehead, his voice sounding as though it echoed and overlapped, his tone unnaturally low.
"Dizziness is normal. After all, the magic passed through your brain. Don't worry, it'll pass in a few minutes."
The mage casually reassured him while jotting down his information.
"Hmm, not bad at all..."
Li Aozi swayed his head, though the mage was sitting right across from him, it felt as though his voice came from a distant place.
"I... uh... something feels off." Li Aozi bent forward, his golden hair falling down, and his emerald green eyes flickered, the iris showing faint cracks.
Overflowing... overflowing... overflowing...
His brain felt like boiling water, bubbling and shaking.
—What is this feeling?
He raised his hand and noticed that his skin had turned porcelain-like, with no wrinkles or softness. Upon a closer look, he realized he was no longer in the testing room.
He seemed to be kneeling on the ground, his gaze lowered, with a sea of golden light shimmering before his eyes.
A girl stood there, her figure indescribable, impossible to clearly perceive.
She casually faced him, standing at a distance, conversing with three mysterious figures who had their backs turned to him.
.............
"—This guy isn't a good person, but in my opinion, He is someone worthy of respect."
"He's neither powerful nor outstanding. The God of This World is actually just an ordinary deity maintaining a field. He learned the Starfall Technique while fighting me."
"But why was He chosen by the Pantheon?"
.............
What is that?
The air that had just brushed past his ears solidified, transmitting three entirely different voices.
"He's about to die too, so weak..."
A tall, majestic male voice like that of a king sneered.
"So, how should we deal with him?"
A man in white, wearing a fox mask, spoke in a pitiful tone.
"... If you invade another's land, you should be prepared for them to march into your capital."
The girl suddenly rushed to him, raised her hand, and placed it on his chest.
"Resist—stir up—oppress, and obliterate both the body and soul."
Bang!
Li Aozi suddenly stood upright, mouth wide open, and his body continuously retreated. It was as if he was traversing countless overlapping timelines, with an immense pressure stretching him into countless silhouettes.
Huh... haha... ugh...
This feeling was awful, like someone had fired a cannon straight at his head.
"Damn it, Mage, something's wrong with my head—"
Li Aozi clutched his head, his breathing becoming rapid, cold sweat soaking his back, and an inexplicable metallic taste spreading in his mouth.
.............
"Relax, young man, this is just your mental strength awakening and dredging up some of your long-forgotten memories all at once—it's like your brain rebooting and running a self-check. Alright, Assistant, take him to rest for a bit."
The mage noticed Li Aozi's intense reaction and spoke to the assistant.
"Come with me." The assistant walked over to Li Aozi, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go, I'll take you to rest—"
Before he could finish, a voice devoid of any emotion echoed in his mind.
"Don't touch me, mortal."
The assistant froze.
"—Hmm?"
Then, Li Aozi slowly stood up from his seat, brushing aside his disheveled golden hair, revealing his deep, bluish-green eyes.
He kept his lips tightly sealed, his facial features almost like useless decorations. Casually turning his head, the mage conducting the test immediately locked eyes with those eerie blue-green eyes—in what might have been an illusion, the green in his eyes seemed to be fading.
In its place, a deep blue, like the night sky, began to spread.
"The result."
Li Aozi didn't speak, yet the command immediately resonated in the mage's mind:
As if driven by instinct, the senior mage subconsciously stood up, picked up the test results, and handed them to Li Aozi. The information was all clear:
——————————
First-Class Magic Sensitivity—Excellent
Mental Fluctuations—Intense
Imagination—Excellent
Spatial Awareness—Outstanding
Logical Thinking—Outstanding
Elemental Affinity—Outstanding
Recommended Majors:
Elemental Magic Academy—Any Faction—Any Major;
General Magic Academy—Any Faction—Any Major;
Primal Magic Academy—Any Faction—Any Major;
(Due to intense mental fluctuations, mental health should be monitored.)
——————————
"Here are your results, please review them." The mage unconsciously used a formal tone. "Also, may I have your name?"
"Leoz (Realze)."
Leoz responded without emotion.
Realze: Derived from the word "Realize" (to recognize, achieve, become aware).
Compared to the original word, it is missing "I," and missing "love."