Chapter 68: Teleportation Array
The bustling noise around the arena dies down as Runia’s voice is heard by all the students, some of them clenching their fists around their trusted partners, staffs, and staves, more than they ever did in their entire lives, perhaps from nervousness, or maybe just the sheer excitement from experiencing something big like this for the first time.
"Alright, spend the remaining time to completely prepare yourselves, dear students, the teleportation array will start up any minute now~~" Runia then reminded as she walked away from the open space of the arena, moving to the sides where the other facilitators are watching everything happening, her eyes trained on the device controlling the teleportation array.
"How’s everything?"
She asked one professor as she removed her gaze from the device, the professor faintly bowing as he replied with confidence.
"There are none, Vice Headmas—" the professor, noticing the slip of words from his mouth, faked clearing his throat before correcting himself.
"—Professor Runia, there was an issue with the energy core of the teleportation array, but supplies arrived yesterday, so we managed to switch it on time, we also completed testing the new energy core as well; it’s... impressive, to say the least."
The professor answered, earning a nod of approval from Runia as she returns her gaze towards the students again, despite the clear calm she feels inside her mind, her fist still couldn’t help but clench in a bit of worry, a feeling that will never be gone when a teacher is sending their own students out.
"That’s about all the students, Professor."
As the staff talk among each other, making sure that everything is prepared and ready, one of the assistants spoke while holding a checklist, the same straight posture and confident expression on their face as they look at the professor, will make just about anyone wonder how they can act in such a way towards a superior.
"I see, thank you for the hard work, Assistant Arios." Runia, despite the clear show of challenge from this man’s gaze, Runia merely waves it off with a forced, faint smile on her face, her eyelids twitching ever so slightly as she thought about the fact that this person is still showing such an attitude despite being the very reason as to why they are running late right now.
"All clear for the other things as well, Professor Runia, we’re just waiting for your signal." Another professor approaches, bringing good news to her, who receives the news with a simple nod, a simple nod that is all that it takes for the staff facilitating the exam to start moving in their earnest.
"Students, remember, raising scores, improving oneself, and honing one’s mind within adversities are great qualities of a mage, but doing your best to survive is the best quality the academy can ever ask for its students, so come back safe."
A serious tone wraps around Runia’s voice as the heavy air around her pulls all the attention towards herself, that faint, reassuring smile lifting even just a little bit of concern from the student’s shoulders, making them unknowingly nod both in acknowledgement and in respect of her words.
Just a few moments later, the staff began to watch over the process of activating the teleportation array, their faces filled with true focus and seriousness as they performed such tasks, a dedication that one will find impressive, knowing that they had been doing such a routine every year in their lives working for the academy.
"Spark system functional and in optimal condition, ready to link trigger temporary spatial bridge."
"Energy core in optimal condition. Main mana supply route is active, secondary mana supply route is in active-standby."
"Main control all green, Professor Runia, please give the signal."
As those words land on the professor’s ears, she closes her eyes, taking a long, deep breath before her lips parted, one last farewell before the exam, escaping from her lips.
"May your exam fare with good fortune, dear students~~"
Those words were heard by everyone before they heard her signal, the professor turning her head towards the assistants controlling the teleportation array as she nods at them.
The assistants stare at her for a few moments, faces with faint smiles as they nod back at her before they activate the teleportation array.
The lines creating the teleportation array begin to hum into life as it lit up, illuminating the entire arena with a mystical, faint azure glow.
It is clear who are the ones who already experienced this phenomenon and who are those who are here for the first time, the upperclassmen, second to fourth years are just watching with a little bit of fascination in their eyes, after all, despite seeing this sort of thing countless times already, this is still a working example of a discipline of magic so advanced that they cannot even grasp its basic concepts right now.
As for the freshmen, there are mixed, but equally interesting reactions, some of them looking all around, in complete curiosity about the phenomenon happening around them, some taken aback to the point that they couldn’t help but feel all the more nervous from the approaching exams, while some just take it in, trying their best to appear calm before everything truly begins.
"Hm? Nervous as well, Junior Novus?" seeing the listless look on the young man’s face, Medea stepped in front of him as she waved one of her hands, trying to snap him out of his daze, all while wondering about something regarding him.
’Heh~ looks like this lump of stone can feel nervous as well~~’ she thought to herself as she watched him return to himself, that familiar, playful smile on her face greeting him as his gaze landed on her as he thought of something to himself.
’What was that?’ the question appears in his mind as his attention is inexplicably sucked onto the faint light that the teleportation array is giving off, as if somewhere in his mind, his instinct is telling him of something that is all too familiar to him.
As the familiar sensation fades by the moment, however, he chooses to shove those thoughts to the back of his mind as he opens his mouth to reply to Medea’s question, shrugging his shoulders as words escape from him.
"Maybe, I’m not really sure." he answered truthfully, which throws Medea off her momentum as she intends to retort to whatever he is about to say, the unexpected reply causing her to pause for a moment as she stares at him right in the face.
Just a moment later, a confident, even prideful smile appears from her lips as she pats the young man on the back, a little giggle escaping from her being before she speaks in a rare, assuring tone.
"Don’t worry too much, Junior Novus, who do you think I am? Your teammate is the strongest student in the academy, this exam will be more of a walk in the park than anything~~" she pointed out with a proud expression on her face, a claim, a pride not unfounded, as everyone is well aware not only of how powerful this lady is, but also of how unpredictable she moves during combat.
"You’re not wrong about that, Senior Medea." hearing the lady’s assurance, Novus also reveals a smile on his face as he nods to her words, the two of them feeling a little bit more confident in trusting each other’s backs during the entirety of this exam.
Within a few more moments, the teleportation array’s faint blue light grows stronger and stronger, eventually enveloping the entire arena with pure white light as the students were sent to their destination.
