Nyxir tried to calm his heart and looked up subtly towards the girl's direction avoiding staring at her face and indeed she was headed towards them but he could not tell where she was looking as he did not want to look at those horrifying eyes again.
' what is she coming here to do? I thought she's a weirdo who doesn't care about people staring or talking about her, why is she now coming towards me? '
Nyxir was still struggling with how to deal with the girl if she approached them when everywhere gradually quietened, he turned around towards the slightly creaking double door and saw the masked man walking inside with Maric who had addressed outside earlier. He then turned towards the direction Caelia was coming from only to see her standing right back at her previous position as if nothing had happened.
' what a relief ' Nyxir heaved a sigh of relief and turned towards the door again.
Maric had a slight curl on his lips which is blanketed in the shadows of his hat.
"You have all gone through the awakening and as I had said before, I will test your attributes and talents so if you all could follow me please" he gave a slight bow and pointed outside before turning around and exiting the room.
The silent crowds soon started mummuring which eventually burst into another bout of excited chatter as they move hurriedly after Maric and the masked man.
"I wonder what my talent grade will be"
" What is your aspect first before you talk about grades"
Murmurs filled the hall as they slowly approached another tightly shut door. It was a single door this time but the walls are engraved with pagodas of differing sizes and colors, some shone a blinding red, some a dull silvery glow, some are ink black as obsidian and so forth.
Maric pushed the door open and entered followed by the masked man and the several newly awakened diviners chatting incessantly.
The interior of the room was vast and almost empty with a single jade pagoda standing at waist length with a width of 0.5 meters which is roughly the size of a grown man's thigh.
There were people already present in the hall but they stayed at a distance like an observer, and most of them are wealthy or from an affluent family as it can be seen by their extravagant dress while the rest are likely their attendants or workers in the district's house.
Maric walked towards the pagoda which stood on an elevated platform placed at the very center of the room and stood before it.
' the array here is only a reinforcement array unlike the celestial lake that produces energy, they might be using this place as a training ground '
Nyxir looked around his expression stoic not bothered by the various reactions around him.
" Yes! It is happening!" Olivia suppressed her scream but it still caught Nyxir's attention.
"You had better not faint from excitement " Nyxir cast a glance at her and replied sarcastically.
" Don't worry we just need to test our talent grade, nothing is going to happen from over excitement " Ivarin smiled faintly as he walked towards them.
" You are very lucky you know" he turned towards Olivia with an envious look. "You unlocked the aspect you desperately wanted."
'what is with the sullen look Dammit'?, ' Nyxir was really pissed but he could not do anything about it.
"You will come forward and place your hand on this pagoda, channel the energy that you have gathered in your body after awakening into the pagoda and it will test your aspect which you already know as well as your talent grade. "
Maric addressed the crowd as he took a step back while
gesturing towards the pagoda." Who wants to go first? "
The whole room suddenly falls into a deafening silence as the people look at each other. They were happily discussing their haste to be tested a moment ago but when it gets to the time to test their talent they started hesitating. Nobody wants to be the first to test the waters as they were anxious about possible screw up.
Maric just stood there observing the crowd as if he wasn't really part, his face is serene and you could not tell what was going through his mind but he was silently cursing at his possible bad luck.
After some time, a young boy of about sixteen years old stepped onto the stage and walked towards the jade pagoda. The young boy had a refined appearance and exuded scholarly vibes, he wore a black tightly fitting training outfit with red trimmings adorning the edges.
As soon as he stepped on the slightly elevated platform hushed discussion rippled among the people spectating from below.
"He is going first!"
"Let's see if he can amaze us"
"Who is he?"
" I don't know I've not seen him before "
Nyxir also looked up at the boy on the stage and turned to Ivarin. "Did you know who he is?"
"Do you assume I know everything now?" Ivarin frowned slightly before shaking his head. "I don't think we are in the same ascendra and I've not seen him before. "
" Nobody seems to recognize him " Olivia chipped in while looking at everyone's reaction.
' He is probably from a legacy clan who had come to do his assessment here, that will explain those people's presence '
Nyxir stared at the distant people who stood there staring at the unfolding events like spectators.
Some people might have guessed what was going on as well as people started whispering to themselves while occasionally glancing at the people spectating the events from afar.
The boy walked to the jade pagoda and without wasting any time fitted his palm in a groove atop the pagoda. There was a slight tremor as he released his divine energy and the pagoda started radiating a faint red light which gradually brightened and coalesced at the front of the pagoda forming a radiant illusory red curved sword with jagged silver blade.
The sword floated quietly at the front of the pagoda, its jagged blade emitting red mist like vaporized blood. The whole hall was plunged into silence again as everyone stared in amazement at the quietly floating illusory sword and then at the young man who exudes scholarly vibes.
' a weapon saint. Impressive ' Nyxir also nodded subtly as he reassessed the young man in the platform who still had his hand placed on the jade pagoda.
"Hmmm?"
A piercing aura suddenly burst from the floating illusory sword and cut through the entire hall causing people to tremble involuntarily, it felt like a sharp blade was placed right at the back of their neck threatening to drop down at any moment causing beads of perspiration to form on their forehead.
' what strong killing intent? ' Nyxir trembled slightly.
Nyxir felt a cold sensation at the back of his neck like the blade of a sharp sword was pressed against it and his senses were screaming danger incessantly as though he would be diced if he moved the slightest bit.
' having a high perception is really not good sometimes, this kind of sensation could paralyze a weak minded person even before a battle. '
Nyxir tried not to behave too excessively in order to keep his abnormality in check.
"What strong pressure?"
"What grade is that?"
"It looks like I'm facing a terrifying enemy. "
Surprised gasps escaped from the newly awakened diviners, some even had a reverent look in their eyes while some envy.
After the aura subsided, an energy bar bearing five empty slots appeared beside the floating illusory sword and two of the slots were quickly filled up with a bright red vapor which still continues rising, until the third bar was fully filled before it stopped rising.
"Saint?"
"It's a saint grade talent!"