"That marks the end of your examination. I will hand over your scores later. For those that haven't seen a massive jump in their scores, please don't be disheartened. There will always be a next time."

Hearing the assistant Professor's words, a few cadets showed downcast expressions and nodded.

The harsh reality of the matter was that not everyone was able to improve significantly.

At least, when compared to Leon, Aoife, and the others.

Their progress was rather minimal.

But if that wasn't bad enough, those who saw the least amount in this round would be put on a watchlist.

If the next progression analysis hardly saw any improvements, then they would, unfortunately, be held back a year or expelled from the Academy.

The Academy poured a lot of resources into sustaining the cadets.

The Academy was a harsh place.

Only the top of the top were allowed to stay.

"You've improved a lot."

Aoife said, standing with her arms crossed beside Leon.

She was looking towards the assistant professor in charge of their group.

"You too"

Leon replied curtly.

He more or less was already aware of what his results were going to be.

Hence why he wasn't surprised.

Aoife continued,

"With your scores, you should be first overall."

".I think so."

"I see."

Unlike last time, Aoife didn't seem to be particularly hung up at the fact that she wasn't first.

While it was indeed true that he had ranked higher than her, the gap between the two of them hadn't widened at all. In fact, Aoife appeared to have shrunk the gap.

Especially the mental fortitude part.

In that, she had managed to surpass him which was a bit of a surprise for him.

Leon was just about to mention it when he noticed a change in the atmosphere.

A strange silence suddenly took over the training grounds.

Turning his head, Leon immediately understood the reasoning behind the silence.

"."

'So it's that again.'

Julien was about to take the mental fortitude examination.

Everyone present could still vividly recall the previous time he had taken the examination.

How could they not when he had created such a scene?

It was still vividly imprinted in the minds of all those present.

And looking around, Leon could see that he was right.

As of right now.

This very moment,

All eyes were locked on Julien who had his eyes closed.

Not a single soul said a word as they simply stared at him.

Then,

His eyes opened and his voice quietly echoed within the confines of the training grounds.

"Start it."

***

It was a familiar sensation.

It tickled my body. Almost as if a current of low-voltage electricity was coursing through my body. From the bottom of my feet, all the way up to my head.

The sensation ran through every corner of my body.

"0.1"

Just like before, the assistant professor quietly called out the pain level.

The score was rather simple.

It went from zero to ten. The higher the score, the more painful it was.

Typically, mental scores were in line with, if not below the tier someone was in.

Since I was tier 2, my pain tolerance was expected to be around 2.

The higher-tiered a mage was, the more powerful their pain tolerance was.

"0.2"

The score increased.

It hardly tickled.

"0.3"

Back then, it was at this point that I started feeling something.

But,

'Nothing.'

I felt nothing.

"0.4"

"0.5"

"0.6"

The numbers continued to increase.

Even so, I still felt nothing.

It was odd.

Back then, I was sure that by this point I had felt something.

"0.7"

"0.8"

The numbers continued to climb.

Opening my eyes, I looked around me. Everyone was staring at me intently. It was weird.

Why was everyone so concerned with my score?

"0.9"

"1.0"

The assistant professor continued to call out the score.

"1.1"

Ah, there.

I felt something there.

My chest grew heavy, and my leg twitched.

The discomfort had started.

"1.2"

"1.3"

It had yet to reach the point of becoming a pain, but it wasn't anything pleasurable.

"1.4"

"1.5"

"1.6"

The numbers were continually getting called, and the sense of discomfort became more apparent.

With that said, it was still discomfort.

The pain had yet to come.

"1.7"

"1.8"

"1.9"

"2.0"

By now, I could tell that the gazes at which everyone was staring at me had changed. It was as if they were looking at some sort of maniac.

It couldn't be helped.

"2.1"

"2.2"

I had yet to feel any pain.

The situation was so weird that Professor Kelson started to have some doubts herself. She had been monitoring from the side the entire time to make sure that everything flowed smoothly.

"Do you feel any pain?"

".....I don't."

I calmly replied while the assistant professor's voice echoed in the background.

"2.3"

"You don't?"

She frowned, lowering her head to check the bracelet.

"Could it be malfunctioning?"

I wondered that too.

Though I did feel something, it wasn't anything like the previous time. It also made me question whether the bracelet was malfunctioning or not.

"No, no problem."

After a quick check, Professor Kelson moved away.

The way she looked at me changed.

"You really..."

Her words ended there.

"2.5"

"2.6"

"2.7"

The count continued.

By now, the assistant professor's voice was the only thing that was echoing throughout the training space. Everyone was too busy staring at me with heavy expressions.

"2.8"

"2.9"

"3.0"

"....!"

Finally, I felt something.

My left arm twitched and so did my face. Looks of relief appeared on the faces of many of the cadets.

"3.1"

"3.2"

The pain increase was rapid.

In just a few seconds after the pain started, it intensified. It was so fast that for a moment, I almost let out a groan.

"....."

My entire body hurt at this point.

A certain heat was covering every inch of my body, giving the illusion that I was currently on fire.

"3.3"

"3.4"

With each count, the pain grew progressively worse.

I clenched my teeth and gripped tightly onto the armrest of the chair.

"Kh...!"

Finally, I started making sounds.

"3.5"

The sensation of my flesh tearing apart consumed my thoughts as the fire seared through my skin. The pain was excruciating, stealing my breath and leaving me gasping for relief.

"Huuu.. huu..."

Taking deep breaths, I closed my eyes.

'Remember, remember....'

I sank into my consciousness. It was dark, and it was empty. However, within that emptiness was a certain figure.

A disfigured one.

I walked towards it and placed my hand over its head.

Memories flooded my mind.

A young child. A sister. A burning mansion.

The pain he felt.

All of it, I relieved it.

And...

"3.6"

"3.7"

I was finally able to calm myself down.

Compared to that pain, this was nothing.

Hence,

"3.8"

"3.9"

Even as the numbers increased, my body stopped shaking and I sat still.

Unmoved.

"4.0"

The burning stopped.

I felt a new pain this time.

Suffocation.

I was currently being suffocated.

"Ukh...!"

Though I couldn't see, I could imagine my face turning entirely blue. Submerged beneath the depths of the oceon, I found it hard to breathe.

"4.1"

"4.2"

The air vanished, and I felt a crushing weight over my chest.

"4.3"

Panic clawed at my throat.

I started to grow desperate for air.

"4.4"

My muscles strained, and my lungs burned with every attempt at breathing.

"4.5"

Gripping tightly onto the sides of the chair, my legs started to spasm.

"Kh...!"

My previous record was 5.04.

I was extremely close to reaching such a score.

I was close, but...

'Can I surpass it?'

I thought I could've, but I was starting to doubt it.

Right now, the pain was so intense that I could hardly keep myself from falling unconscious.

Unlike last time when I had secluded myself into the depths of my mind, I was conscious of everything.

I could hardly remember what had happened in the first attempt.

Before I knew it, the score was that and my body started to fail. This time, my body wasn't failing.

There were no excuses for me.

'Should I just do the same thing as last time?'

Turtle myself into my inner consciousness?

That wasn't hard for me to do.

I was sure I'd be able to easily surpass my previous score were I to do that.

But,

'No.'

"Kh....!"

That was the same as running away.

That place...

It was a place of comfort that I had created back when I had cancer and was suffering from pain every single day.

It had been useful back then since I needed to run away from the pain.

The same couldn't be said for my current self.

I didn't need to run away from the pain.

I needed to withstand it.

My enemies weren't going to let me enter that state of comfort.

I could only endure.

"5.0"

"Huaaa...!"

I caught my breath.

For a split second, I could breathe again.

Only for me to be unable to do so in the subsequent second.

"Akh!"

My entire body was hunched down.

The gravity surrounding my space intensified.

I could hardly keep my back straight.

"5.1"

"5.2"

"5.3"

Clank! Clank!

My right hand slipped down from the chair and my body lurched down.

"Akh...!"

In that split second, I saw black and I thought I had fallen unconscious.

"N-no."

But I was quick to stop myself.

I bit my tongue and clenched my teeth.

"N-not yet...!"

"5.4"

"5.5"

"5.6"

The numbers continued to rise and so did the gravity surrounding me.

Although it was only imaginary, my entire body was starting to lean forward as a result. Before I knew it, my face was in my lap.

"H-huu... H-huuu..."

I struggled to breathe.

It felt suffocating.

"5.7"

"5.8"

I knew I could let go as of right now.

I had already surpassed my previous self.

Nobody was going to say anything.

That the previous score was a fluke or the like.

"5.9"

But I wasn't doing this for them.

I was doing this for myself.

"6.0"

I wasn't trying to prove anything to anyone.

I wasn't withstanding the pain for some silly recognition.

No.

.....I just didn't want to run away from it.

"6.1"

Since it was bound it come, I had to get used to it.

"6.2"

Pain grows when one doesn't grow from it.

I was trying to grow from the pain.

And for that simple reason,

"6.3"

"6.4"

"6.5"

I allowed myself to experience it.

I allowed myself to memorize it.

.....And I allowed myself to embrace it.

"Cough...! Cough."

Coughing, I looked up. Towards the assistant professor who was still counting. Towards Professor Kelson who was looking at me with concern, and towards the other cadets.

"..."

I stopped coughing then.

"6.6"

Clenching tightly against the armrest of the chair, I pulled myself back up and straightened my back.

"6.7"

Looking around, I sat there without saying a single word.

"6.8"

Even as the numbers continued to rise, I remained quiet.

"6.9"

My back.

"7.0"

It remained firm.

"7.1"

"7.2"

"7.3"

"7.4"

"7.5"

"7.6"

"7.7"

"7.8"

"7.9"

"8.0"

"8.1"

"8.2"

Till the very end.

I remained unmoved.

And then,

".....That's enough."

I finally ended it all.

"....."

The count stopped and the pain vanished.

When I looked down, my entire body was trembling. In fact, I had lost complete control of my body.

"Haa..."

Closing my eyes, I leaned my head back.

And then,

"8.23"

The assistant professor spoke.

"...That's your final score."