Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy

934 Curiosity

"Maybe we need to move even slower," Celeste said. "Or maybe we're not using the charm correctly."

Armin's group continued discussing the matter quietly as the other groups also began figuring out the test. Needless to say, everyone who had tried so far had failed. Those who failed decided to discuss their approach for a while, while others simply tried again, hoping for different results.

However, even after about 10 minutes, no one had managed to pass.

Mira, who had been quiet up until now, suddenly whispered, "What if the charm has a limit? Like, maybe it can only cover a certain number of people at a time?"

Armin's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "That's it! The Spirit Veil Charm might only be able to cover two people at a time… I think I read about it somewhere. That would explain why we were detected."

However, the Professor explained that they all had to pass the sensor at the same time, so they couldn't just split the group and let some walk through first before passing the Spirit Veil Charm to the others.

Nonetheless, the group quickly revised their strategy.

Mira and Aiden would go first, using the Spirit Veil Charm to mask their presence. Armin and Celeste would follow, using the stealth techniques they had learned in their other classes to avoid detection. Armin and Celeste were the most confident in their stealth skills, as Mira and Aiden preferred using Curse Techniques and hadn't practiced stealth as much.

"Alright, let's try this again," Armin said as they finalized their preparations.

As they made their way to the testing area, not many students were watching them, as most assumed they would simply fail. Everyone else was busy devising their own plans.

Mira and Aiden moved slowly and cautiously, the Spirit Veil Charm draped over them. Armin and Celeste followed, using their stealth skills to avoid detection. The sensor remained silent, but they had to walk about four meters to completely pass the test.

Thankfully, they succeeded!

The sensor stayed silent, and the group completed the test without a hitch.

"Whoa! Someone finally did it!"

The class erupted into applause as Armin's group returned to their seats, their faces beaming with pride. The professor smiled, clearly pleased with their success.

The Professor then allowed the other groups 15 more minutes to figure it out. As expected, four more teams managed to solve the puzzle. It seemed natural for Class 1 students to learn quickly.

Since time was running out, the Professor decided to end the test.

"Well done… I know the others would figure it out eventually, but we don't have much time left for the other tests if we wait too long," she said.

She then looked at the groups who had passed and smiled. "You've all demonstrated the importance of understanding the limitations of your tools. The Spirit Veil Charm can only cover two, sometimes even just one person at a time, and it's up to you to adapt your strategy accordingly."

The lesson was clear: even reliable tools have their limits, and it's up to the user to understand and work within those limits. With the trick revealed, she allowed the others to try again. Thankfully, they had also learned the most basic stealth techniques for Dark Arts Practitioners.

Soon, Professor Calveris clapped her hands again. "Excellent work, everyone! Now, let's move on to the next test."

Calveris then explained the next test, though she felt a bit nervous as she realized her class was being observed by a few Professors, including the half-dragon. In fact, she hadn't known about this until her friend, Lenora Veylin, warned her.

'Ugh… You just made me self-conscious,' Professor Mira Calveris thought.

Anyway, the second test required the use of the Emberstone Ring. The group had to light a series of candles arranged in a specific pattern using only the ring, without relying on other techniques or spells they'd learned.

In this test, however, only one member of the group needed to pass to make it quick.

Armin handed the ring to Celeste, who had a natural talent for precision.

"If you can, focus on the center candle first. Then work your way outwards," Armin suggested.

Apparently, the center candle required the most focus, while the outer ones were less demanding. This way, she would be less likely to fail.

Celeste nodded and put on the ring. With a flick of her wrist, she released a small burst of flame, lighting the candles one by one. The pattern glowed brightly, and the group passed on their first try.

After 15 minutes, the test moved on.

The third test involved the Hexbane Bracelet. The group was faced with a series of glowing talismans that seemed to shift and change whenever they approached. Armin and Mira, who had a keen eye for detail, noticed that the talismans were actually curses designed to confuse and disorient them.

However, many of them were fake curses and would explode with glitter-like dust if the bracelet's power was used on them.

"We need to neutralize the real curses," Mira said as she slipped the Hexbane Bracelet onto her wrist. "Let's see if this works."

As she approached the talismans, the bracelet reacted, and with her concentration, she was able to identify which talismans contained true curses.

Armin and the others also helped, using their keen senses to locate the cursed talismans. It wasn't difficult but it required patience and attention to detail.

Meanwhile, the tests continued while the other Professors watched from a different room.

However, unlike what Calveris had expected, they were actually observing Armin, Shane's disciple, the entire time. Apparently, the news about his existence had already spread throughout a huge group behind the Academy. This includes Magnus himself.

However, Magnus couldn't come and had to send other people to take a look.

"Hey… He doesn't look special… What do you think?" Chad muttered as he glanced at Denise, who was staring intently at the young student.