Chapter 111: End-of-Term Report Card (2)
6CfNBF“Of course, it’s strange. But that’s just in the realm of sensation. Mathematically, there’s absolutely no problem with the sentence.”CorI
hUMYiruki’s pride in mathematics was enormous. It’s no wonder the humanities teachers gave him zero on the tests, so repulsed by his attitude.LcBLt
BcvShirone decided to play his final card.C96Xq
TlBnQ“Don’t you want to advance?”UJR
3fkSr3V“Ugh! Damn it!”oJ74cTI
xb0QoTYiruki had no choice but to concede to that argument. He would rather die than become a junior to Canis.auo
57Gk47aAs Yiruki returned to solving problems, Shirone went back to his seat and sighed.dc3ml8x
mj9‘If he really messes up like this in the actual exam, it’ll be a disaster.’Yjoe
yqJQpNade, seemingly struck by a thought, looked up from his book and asked.0YjDb
KEG“Ah, speaking of which, isn’t there a practical exam next week? Have you guys practiced a lot?”h9RX
izPShirone and Yiruki asked in unison.Yzs6
EuPAtWs“What exam?”9ocggZ4
b9vb“Damn it. You don’t even know? It’s the Psychic Pulse Test, the Spirit Zone endurance assessment.”9q5ke4
ydwzCq“No need to practice, right? Both Shirone and I can easily score above 80. Why, are you worried?”fovhXdp
oR3“No, but practicals have many variables. It’s different from other subjects; it’s relative grading. If others do better, our scores drop. I thought we should discuss it at least.”Z9Ff
3qEz“It’s fine, it’s fine. We don’t have time for that.”zWCEt6
PAzYiruki, completely focused on solving problems, ignored the suggestion. For students of Class Five, how much better could they handle the Spirit Zone? Yiruki was confident he’d pass the practical exam without a hitch.PNU
f44UOAs Shirone worked on a math problem, he said,oiSsXj
zArBvU“I’ll skip it too. I can’t afford to worry about that now.”vsZBw
ei2JZw3Nade had confidence, but he knew scoring higher than the other two was difficult.BHRVao
WAM‘What should I do?’55SHgH
yYtIf it really seemed too hard, he could ask for help. But to take his friends’ time just because of his own anxiety seemed like exploiting a loophole.fq1q
wAjM1‘Forget it. I just need to be in the top ten.’q7Sg
Gb3XQNade decided to let go of his worries and started studying again. If each study group member couldn’t achieve their share of 33.3 percent, the group’s efficiency would fall apart.ltcMrq
reKjNThe benefit of the whole required them to cooperate fully, but the end result wasn’t something others could give.lrR
p5cdxThe Image Zone training area.tUuzy
XxUQUsually, it would be bustling with advanced class students, but now it was occupied only by Class Five.08U7
PdsSIt was the notorious evaluation period that had pushed Shirone into corners several times. With the end of the term approaching, the students’ tension was higher than ever.n9cvSs5
rkvEntering the Image Zone, Ethella, as always, expanded her 20-meter diameter Spirit Zone and started explaining.yNwgw
oguA“Today, we’ll be conducting the Psychic Pulse Test. It measures how long you can sustain changes in your Spirit Zone.”c9Qy0FM
EYuZmG6Ethella gestured with her hands far apart, pointing at a towering black pole with unidentifiable characters etched on it.ZttaH
4D02“The evaluation criterion is the 20-meter diameter between the ends of the pole. A Spirit Zone smaller than that is ineligible for the test. Of course, I assume none of you will fail to reach 20 meters.”SQJOCK
pNA3Vz7Ethella then contracted her Spirit Zone. As the volume of the zone dropped below 2 cubic meters, a buzzer sounded from the sound system.LFCqEki
UCLp“That sound marks one cycle. The test is 30 seconds, and your score depends on the number of pulses in your Spirit Zone. I’ll demonstrate first since it’s rare to practice with the recorder on.”dWH8
J76KdDAt Ethella’s signal, the Image Zone’s Psychic Pulse mode activated. Her Spirit Zone began to pulse like a beating heart, expanding and contracting.Mw1o
NURC8Uz“Wow…”zSXO
dFI9WoThe sight of a 20-meter Spirit Zone shrinking below 2 meters and then rapidly expanding was impressive. The cycle wasnt particularly fast, but the explosive-like expansion and contraction were powerful.Oc2o
c49Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!uyz
kGHN7cFThe sound machine in the Image Zone, calculating the speed of expansion, emitted explosion sounds.G58D
Qc6The sound wasn’t just for entertainment; it helped perceive the intangible Image Zone through all senses, providing optimal efficiency for magical training.UBaFg9x
kQFAfter 30 seconds, the scoreboard showed 30 points, indicating one pulse per second.Oim
flAL9VnSenior students had said that to make the cut for advancement, you needed at least 90 points. That meant three pulses per second. The students used Ethella’s demonstration to fine-tune their strategies.DOobCe
JOYAfter the demonstration, Ethella, with hands behind her back, said,MWX
GHMY2jN“In real situations, you often need to rapidly switch between various forms of zones. Psychic Pulse is a fundamental training for that. Even after the practicals, it’s crucial to continue training. Now, let’s begin the evaluation.”Gyzf
TzqoStudents were called up in reverse order of their Speed Gun test scores. As usual, it was hard to improve significantly in just a month or two, so most rankings were similar to the last.yfHyS
krzSNAs students each recorded their scores, with the lowest being 48 points, it was Nade’s turn. Since he was in the upper-middle rank in the Speed Gun test, he had to take the exam much earlier than Shirone and Yiruki.ZXsmBW
yxWFBaO“Do well, Nade.”avQ
RsUS“Phew, I’m nervous.”4Etr
ZyPWith Shirone and Yiruki’s encouragement, Nade entered the Image Zone, closed his eyes to concentrate, and then opened them as the starting signal sounded. He expanded his Spirit Zone, pulsing rapidly like a heart in full sprint.ozmC
HKn“Wow! What’s this? Nade?”GuR
gGkhwThe students’ eyes widened in astonishment. Only 10 seconds had passed, and Nade had already surpassed 50 points. A pulse rate of five per second was impressive even to the onlookers.pMFFCj2
NL5F“Wasn’t he just mid-ranking? At this rate, he’s definitely entering the top ranks.”IdR
Dz4RZO“Hanging out with Shirone really improved his skills, huh? We should’ve joined their study group too.”SYaq4
zG3“Yeah, lately those guys have been studying ferociously. Even Yiruki, who used to slack off, hasn’t missed a single class.”yFRdc0
3q2When the 30 seconds were up, Nade’s score was revealed: 173 pulses. The acceleration in the last 10 seconds had boosted his score.3rFd
7LwwZ“Good job, Nade,” praised Ethella with a pleased smile, recording his score. Her disciple had made remarkable progress, which delighted her.fwWPcP
ROlXyWell, I expected as much from the beginning.T5Zkgz
dzsHdoRReturning with a sheepish grin and exchanging high-fives with his friends, Nade settled down and said, “Phew, I thought I was going to die from the tension.”8MH2
E4lBo“Well done. One of us has passed. Just the two of us left.”2j9I
9qgVqPInspired by Nade, the following participants gave their all. However, no one surpassed Nade’s score of 173.SdYtQR
AU6oNear the end, Yiruki entered the Image Zone. Without any sign of nervousness, he activated his Savant abilities at the start.QITEbqs
xaRYdUHis method of pre-designing the expansion and contraction mechanism, though not very useful in real situations, was highly efficient for the test.sQRP
fl47His final score: 210 points.puB
wTZThe students looked at the score in disbelief. Achieving seven pulses per second without varying speed was an impossible feat without Yiruki’s mechanical precision.Ixz7Kh
Iaq“Wow, incredible. Even his mind operates like an equation. That guy probably didnt even do his best.”mp1
hhJ“Can’t help it, he’s a Savant. Even Shirone might have trouble beating him this time.”P6mZvO
ECaquESuddenly, a disdainful voice from the back dampened the enthusiastic atmosphere.ymu
HvV“Pfft, making a fuss over such a trivial score. Class Five really is a collection of pathetic fools.”DM2XwL
bivThe students turned around, their expressions changing to shock as they recognized Canis and Arin, who were observing the practical evaluation.axfe
WmHSo2OEthella, recording the students’ scores, asked, “Huh? You two there, what brings you here?”QWmZOoT
HGWi“We got permission from the headmaster to observe. We just wanted to see how the test is conducted.”DZHm5M
lql“Oh, I see. Come this way, then. You’ll have a better view from here.”18wWIwj
Pf6WsCanis frowned. Was that woman really a match for their master? She seemed foolishly gentle and naive.OfrxB
XBOuCTK‘Is she pretending, or is she really that clueless?’z6AthNn
ElFRRRegardless, Canis was genuinely interested in the exam.JT6JS3
mDGJfFPHe and Arin moved to the back of the participants.VG0
2kt5o“What do you think, Arin?”bowA
YmhKRX“Having practiced Psychic Pulse so much, I could easily score over 250 points. Master always insisted on pushing our limits. I can handle it.”Ap7
ab1HPArin, a psychic mage specializing in the highest difficulty level of Spirit Zone forms like the Tentacle Form, was confident in her endurance.5b7yEV
qE3k‘Indeed, disciples of an Archmage. We’re on a different level.’8KMNRB
tibThe students felt overshadowed upon hearing Arin’s comment. Even though they were nobility, being a direct disciple of an Archmage was a dream for anyone aspiring to be a mage, regardless of their background.qTmC3ZB
TMC4h‘But we have our secret weapon too.’zGE
HjjrwAs the last participant, Shirone entered the Image Zone, and the students collectively cheered him on. They knew about Shirone overpowering Canis and were eager to see him triumph again.1Ss6gQP
YpeXmpShirone took a deep breath in the center of the Image Zone. Scoring around Yiruki’s 210 would be enough for advancement.Lph
shFH7oBut Shirone’s gaze had changed. Now with a clear goal, he wasn’t planning to take the exam half-heartedly, not even if his opponent wasn’t Canis.e3tgK
M6Rmp7With Ethella’s signal, lights on the device lit up, and Shirone immediately pulsed his Spirit Zone to its maximum.lRlF0
11bWithout a precise design like Yiruki’s, evenly dividing a second was difficult. However, humans have a very accurate internal clock called rhythm.6xA63SG
Gc0kUbCShirone accelerated the pulses of his zone to the rhythm. The sound machine emitted rapid drum-like rolls.Zcq
AmSxRatatatatatatatatat!Jkxb
MFG98The students couldn’t close their mouths, astonished. They watched intently but could only discern the Spirit Zone’s movements about once per second.3Lp
xBJVLae“How is that possible… How many pulses per second is that?”UrJM
b3IF1goWith multiple layers of Spirit Zone moving simultaneously, it was impossible to count. Everyone waited for the 10-second mark. Soon after, the scoreboard flashed an incredible number: 120 points.9q3
YbPC“Twelve pulses per second…”f6U
dJYbXCould anyone imagine a 20-meter sphere contracting 12 times per second? They could only see it, but no one knew what was happening inside. Only the explosive sounds and the rapidly counting numbers proved Shirone’s pulsing spirit.Hi9
8mpqQEven Canis and Arin watched in awe, especially Arin, who looked incredulous. With such rapid pulsing, the speed didnt matter; the mind would collapse first.ojkiy
ttVCAThe key to pulsing was how quickly one could expand the sphere from the smallest to the largest point and endure the impact upon contraction.6K3
KqIph9iIn that sense, the demonstration Shirone presented maximized both speed and endurance, reaching the pinnacle of mastery.QRL
i1o‘Indestructible.’nQj3
zUw5Ethella recognized Shirone’s level at a glance.ul4F
HPI95n‘Truly remarkable. The potential of this child is beyond measure.’AhT
O6bBNTEven Ethella could no longer be sure where exactly Shirone stood. Just when she thought she had an idea, he had already moved far beyond that point.7LK
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