Dawn of the Eleventh Attempt

At dawn, I stepped out of the shop, breathing in the cold air. Everything I needed was packed into the body of the servant doll following behind me. Far in the distance stood a colossal gate that looked over 100 meters tall. Even from the outskirts of the Slum, that massive structure was visible—a gateway to the exam grounds that opened only once a year. On this day alone, the enormous city flung open all its doors to welcome visitors. I set off straight toward that giant gate.

Eleven years. This made the eleventh time I'd walk this path. It felt both awkward and familiar. I walked slowly. Today, there were no mages rolling around on the ground. They were all probably heading toward that gate too. Even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠at dawn, the heart of the Slum buzzed with crowds of people.

"Hey, heading out again today!"

A familiar voice. The gang leader swordsman, Evan. I shot him a sideways glare. He must've come to gawk at the exam-takers, his hands stuffed full of food. Behind him trailed a bunch of his crew, all strapped with swords. What rotten luck first thing in the morning. The metallic tang of their clashing sword mana hit my nose.

I threw up a wind barrier to block him off.

"Scram."

"Aw, come on, don't be like that. Want a bite? Freshly grilled lizard."

I glanced at the skewer he held out. Some unidentified meat was threaded on it. My servant doll swatted it away. The swordsman jerk yanked his hand back.

"That doll of yours has changed a lot, huh?"

He looked a bit surprised. No wonder—it'd been ten months since we'd last crossed paths. Fresh anger flared up. This bastard tried to use me as a sacrifice back then. The curse rose to my throat. But I swallowed it. Looking back now, it had been a kind of help. It gave me the chance to learn from the professor. I'd bury those old grudges. Debts and favors always needed settling meticulously.

And yeah, he had reason to be shocked. My doll wasn't the same as before. In the past year, I'd learned more than in the previous twenty combined. The servant doll behind me was the epitome of that. Among all the puppets I'd made, only the butler and the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Turtle surpassed it.

I sneered at him and kept walking. He left his crew behind and fell in step ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beside me.

"You really not gonna eat any?"

The doll swatted away his persistently outstretched arm again. He withdrew it with a disappointed sigh.

"You used to be such a pure young man. Now look at you, all jaded by the world."

Mostly thanks to you, asshole. I grumbled inwardly. For a moment, I lost my composure. I took a deep breath, steadying myself. All that solemn resolve I'd built up felt pointless now. Fine, better to relax and take the exam calmly.

"You've learned a thing or two from that explorer lady, huh? You're a different person compared to last year."

Explorer? Oh, he meant Professor Irian. He didn't know she was a university professor, apparently. Damn right I had. The time under her tutelage had been the richest, most fulfilling of my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mage life.

The outer city walls came into view. The barrier dividing the Slum from the city, plastered with powerful protective spells that no mage could breach lightly. The gate—the only passage—was wide open, unlike usual. I passed through into the city proper. The swordsman stayed outside the walls, peddling his mystery meat to passersby. I prayed for anyone dumb enough to take it. It was surely laced with something nasty.

Inside the walls bustled a vibrant city, full of culture and civilization you couldn't find in the Slum. But no one dared stray from the path or get distracted. Rows of soldiers lined the streets, each a mage. The city guards' mana pressed down like an invisible weight, cowing everyone heading inward.

I'd once dreamed of living here. But without solid status or a recommendation, entry was impossible. Only university admits, great family scions, or imperial servants earned citizenship.

And at the city's heart loomed another massive gate: the teleportation gate, a portal that leaped across space. Once a year, hordes of exam hopefuls passed through it. I'd thought at first it led straight to the university. Nope. The actual university gate was a tiny, shabby wooden door right beside it. I'd been stunned when I first saw it. That thing leads to the university? It looked so unassuming. But the immense mana it exuded deterred any approach.

They said that door predated the city—and even the empire. When I'd first learned about the university, my teacher Ojo had told me: "The university is another world, crafted by archmages. Inside, brilliant mages hone and refine themselves." That drew me here. It was the sole path to that world, so the vast university city had grown up around it. Creating a whole world—what level was that? Unimaginable.

The throng of people funneled toward the gate under the soldiers' guidance. I followed, approaching the giant teleportation gate. Such portals dotted the continent. Once a year, the empire opened them solely for the university exam, gathering mages from everywhere.

Passing through brought a wave of dizziness. When I came to, I stood in a space painted pure white. Ahead floated a massive face: the exam registrar. It'd terrified me the first time.

"Please submit your entry fee."

The androgynous face spoke. My doll, which had followed me in, pulled a pouch from its chest. 100 mana stones—equivalent to about 100,000 gold coins. This damn fee had kept me broke no matter how much I earned. It was why I couldn't take the exam for ten years after leaving the Island.

The doll tossed it into the thing's mouth. Then it drew out a letter from my chest. The recommendation from the professor. How much I'd toiled for this. No, not toil—grace from the professor. I could only be grateful. The emotion when I received it... words couldn't capture it.

The doll fed that in too. The face swallowed, smacked its lips a few times, then gaped wide. Inside roiled pitch-black darkness. I stepped in, and it washed over me like ink. Eyes closed, I surrendered to it. My body flowed somewhere. Then, light brightened around me. Opening my eyes, I saw a water droplet. I was inside one. Peering out, I saw countless others trapped like me. Below, even more droplets. Mine drifted slowly downward toward them.

Glancing up, a rift tore the sky, holding the darkness I'd passed through. People emerged from it, instantly encased in droplets that floated down. Endless droplets rained. Water droplets, huh. Was this exam water-related? Too early to tell. Exams varied wildly each time.

But this year, I felt confident no matter what. The professor's enlightenment had shattered my old preconceptions. No competition, no attacks. Just perfectly support others. That mindset would be my genuine attitude toward everyone. They'd sense it and not turn hostile.

Droplets kept falling endlessly. Who knew how many. With every aspiring mage gathered, the number had to be huge. Evan's words popped into my head. He'd once tried counting: over 100,000 passed through the city portal alone. With portals everywhere, the total was mind-boggling. And that fee—100 stones per head. No wonder the empire ran the exam with such zeal. Free mana stone duplication? Irresistible.

Maybe I should rest a bit. As if reading my mind, the doll produced a chair. I sat, scanning around. Mages in hovering droplets prepared in their own ways, spaced evenly above the ground. The doll poured me tea. Its aroma was sweetly intoxicating. Unlike the professor, I didn't care for sugary flavors. I focused purely on the flower's texture. Sipping, I savored the petals. They swam on my tongue, leaves peeling off one by one. Their fragrance and texture burst in my mouth. Ah, I sighed in awe. Layers built a harmonious taste. Even as its creator, I was impressed.

Sipping tea, I scattered mana to probe the droplet's structure. Time passed. Checking my watch: about six hours. The portal closed at noon sharp—exam starting soon. Droplets from above dwindled. The rift shrank, sky sealing shut.

Then, a screen appeared before each droplet. The exam began.

Hm, a task-based exam. Lucky break. These had appeared in five of my eleven attempts so far—the most common type. Last year, I'd prepped expecting this, only for a duel exam to screw me. No orders to fight other teams here either—perfect for my strengths.

Task 5 irked me a bit. Teammates? More like prodding us to sabotage each other. But first things first: Task 1. Fail it, and instant disqualification.

Touching Task 1 brought up another screen. Around me, droplets popped—people escaping. Mine would've too, but I snorted. Idiots not even reading the instructions properly.

That's why I'd come early: to scout the tasks. Tiny clue, but starting in droplets tied to the exam. I'd analyzed them fully. Simple mana constructs.

The screen showed a magic circle. My jaw dropped. I'd learned tons under Professor Irian, drawn countless circles, but few matched this beauty. The circuits' delicacy... each mana flow surpassed my level in elegance. Yet simple enough for me to grasp. Crafting something so easy yet masterful? Respect for its creator.

To test, I cast it on a mana stone the doll offered. Stones held mana purely, compatible with any spell. Dull surface ignited brilliantly. Analyzing the effect, I guessed: "Glow" spell? Or Polish? Intense light, even heat.

How to use on the droplet? Some escaped instantly—lasers, teleports. Already figured it out? Geniuses. I couldn't match them, didn't want to. Focus on my way. Their methods impressed, though. Useful references. Laser: warped the spell, surely. That's why such a simple one for the task.

Needed deeper analysis. The doll unrolled parchment. I jotted effects: light, heat, persistence, intense glow, temperature rise, simple structure, fast activation, high efficiency, great compatibility, easy to warp.

Core trait? Light. The circle screamed it from every line. Hm. Compressing it could make a laser. But I realized I couldn't—needed massive mana. Not for a drifter like me.

Still liked the laser idea. Light concentration. If I focused light to a point, even tiny, it'd pack punch. Alter flow: ditch persistence for momentary burst of stronger light/heat. Edit spell, embed in doll. Professor had praised this skill while watching.

I sketched on parchment. Perfect sphere for overlapping lights to one point. Quick design. Paper suited over wood. Doll fetched sheets, inscribed circles per pattern. Already faintly glowing, unactivated. Folded into orb.

Injected mana. Circuits inside heated. Light blazed through paper. Stacked, intensified—orb glowed red-hot. Tossed it midair, ducked behind doll. It layered defenses around me.

Yeah, bomb. Inscribed explosion spell on paper—my sole permitted attack magic. Shock hit inside, center light exploding outward. Pressure shredded orb, flooding surroundings. Blinding light, searing heat demolished droplet.

Hid in time, but shockwave stung. Phew, success. Doll singed despite shields. Stronger than expected. Repaired with mana; it stood pristine behind me.

Time: 26 minutes. Nearly maxed out. Landed, eyed overhead droplets. Still many intact. 27, 28, 29, 30. Time up—they burst, occupants vanishing. Disqualified. Huge cull instantly.

If pre-professor? Might've floundered clueless. Surviving mages eyed each other warily. Then darkness fell—like teleport, but with a light line stretching ahead, meeting others. Follow it? Did so; crossroads appeared. Approaching: five people. My team for the tasks. Each distinct. I smiled, scanning them. Nice. Looked like solid teammates.