Chapter 13 Superior
The young man Nial was supposed to follow didn't say anything.
Instead, he lightly pulled him through the door, by holding his arm. His touch confused Nial a little bit as he could sense the young man's feeble and soft hand.
'Is he a baby, or what?!' He nearly blurted out but held himself back.
Sensing a railing through his mana perception, Nial's hand instinctively reached out for it so as to support himself.
When the young man saw this, he nodded his head before slowly walking through the hallway that was void of people.
It didn't take long before the young man stopped as a feminine-sounding voice echoed through his ears.
"We are there. If you can perceive me with mana, just follow me. If not please tell me beforehand, otherwise, the evaluation will take longer!"
Nial's brows furrowed to hear the feminine voice yet again because based on the outer appearance he clearly sensed that there was a young man in front of him.
But, after a moment he just shook his head.
'It's not my business!' Nial quickly told himself before answering his doubt.
"I can sense you!"
Nodding his head at Nial's answer yet again, the young man with a feminine voice entered a particular room followed by Nial, who tried to perceive everything around him.
Unfortunately, this made him stumble backward because the mana he perceived suddenly repelled him as it was drawn to someplace else.
This astonished him, and he could barely sense the young man, who was already walking ahead, without looking back to see whether Nial was keeping up with him or not.
"What is wrong with the mana in here? It seems to repel me?" Nial mumbled to himself.
When the young man heard this, he slowed down as he answered Nial's doubt.
"It's nothing special, just the Original association's automatic protection mechanism.
In specific rooms, you won't be able to sense mana properly, and absorbing it would actually harm you.
To put it simply, it's transmuted mana that repels Originals, or to be precise, all kinds of animate lifeforms."
Nial thought that he understood what the young man said, but at the same time, it was quite confusing. He had barely started to sense mana so he didn't know that something like repelling mana existed, let alone for what reason.
However, before he could ask another question, the young man had already stopped in his tracks. Nial would have almost bumped into him, if not for the fact that he barely stopped himself a few centimeters away from him.
Turning around, the young man looked straight into Nial's white and lifeless eyes. It made him instinctively take a step back, while Nial caught the unmistakable scent of conditioner lingering in the air.
Nial only smiled at this, before he heard the young man clearing his throat.
"There are a total of three tests you have to take. One of them is optional but recommended by the Originals association. You only have to take it if you have a Unique trait such as an Innate ability, something similar, or completely different.
Most newly awakened Originals take several weeks, months, and some even take years to find out if they have an Innate ability.
As such, I would recommend you to take the optional test as well. It's free of charge too, so you don't have to be bothered about additional expenses.
As for the other two tests, they're compulsory if you want to be registered at the Originals association, and to get the government's support funding and other benefits.
First, we will test your mana core's limit. That will check the number of times your mana core can undergo the enlarging process in a natural manner.
To put it simply, it tells you how much mana you will be able to store once you reach your mana core's limit.
This limit, most people call talent or potential, will determine what kind of rank you will be able to reach in the future.
The average talent is around three enlarging processes which would allow you to reach the 4th rank of the Origin stage. With hard work, you might be able to gather enough mana to create an Origin ring, but it's difficult.
As for the second test, we will evaluate your mana veins by circulating different types of mana through your veins. Afterward, you will be requested to do a variety of things, like trying to manipulate unannexed mana, and so on.
This will give us enough data to assess how fast your mana vein absorbs mana passively, how high your mana perception is, and all kinds of other properties of your mana vein.
With common, or normal mana veins and a normal mana core limit, you will need around six years before you reach your maximum capacities.
After that, you will have to start exceeding your natural limits, if you want to strive for more strength.
But, to be honest, I don't recommend doing this if you have a weak will or a low pain tolerance!"
While saying the last sentence, the young man seemed to become a little emotional, as his feminine-sounding voice seemed to fluctuate in frequency a lot.
At the same time, his mana was fluctuating wildly as well. After sensing both the things, Nial felt that the young man was on a roller coaster of emotions.
So...now back to the question I wanted to ask. Do you want to take the optional test as well? Some people know that they have an innate talent, but they don't want to reveal it to others. That's why I have to ask you beforehand."
The young man's intel was very informative, and his voice sounded very kind and pleasing. It might be a little bit feminine for a boy, but Nial was not someone who bothered about something as trivial as that.
However, he was more astonished that the young man spoke so much at once and shared the information eagerly.
At first glance, he appeared to be more of an introvert.
"Please test me for unique traits too. I would like to know if I have a special trait or Innate ability!"
Before, Nial had pondered about what he should do.
However, the answer had been quite simple.
He didn't know anything about the Odyssey seed, and his memories of the dungeon incident from 15 years ago were bleak and hazy.
Living the life of a blind person for more than a decade had washed them away.
As such, Nial wanted to find out more about the Odyssey seed, even if that meant he had to expose it to the government.
Unfortunately, he felt that it wouldn't be as easy as he hoped.
Having received Nial's consent the young man immediately got to work before instructing him,
"If that's the case, please lie down on the examination table and take off your shirt!"
Not sure if Nial could perceive what he wanted him to do, the young man gently pulled him towards a table that was placed next to a small pillar.
On top of the pillar was a cushion on which an orb was placed.
Right next to it, one could also see a large machine that looked just like a capsule.
Lying down on the table as instructed, the young man attached more than a dozen electrodes to Nial's naked torso.
Barely a moment later, small streams of mana coursed through him.
There was also something different within the mana that seemed to examine him from the inside, making him feel extremely uncomfortable as it touched his mana core.
While he was trying to endure the discomfort, the young man pushed a button.
As a reaction, the mana was retracted before he said,
"Done. The results should be there soon. Let's continue with the other two tests in the meantime!"
Nial just nodded his head and began pulling off the electrodes.
He wanted to put on his shirt too, but the young man suddenly remarked.
"Don't bother. You'll have to enter a capsule which we will fill with water that is infused with different types of mana. So it would be best if you remove your pants too.
I can give you a towel if you don't want to enter the capsule naked, but…we don't sell underwear in the Originals association.
I doubt you have a second pair of underpants with you as well."
Nial thought that the young man was having a nice time making fun of him, which was obvious because he was speaking more and more, only to end up in a giggle.
Not giving it even a second thought, Nial pulled down his pants before he approached the capsule, leaving the young man dumbfounded.
'He is definitely not ashamed of anything…' Thinking so, the young man coughed delicately. Meanwhile, Nial had already entered the capsule.
Nial's perception was much better than the young man had first expected, and that made it only more obvious that his mana veins' potential should be above the average.
Thus, the young man had some expectations from Nial, even if there was literally no reason for him to expect anything from a stranger.
Yet, somehow, Nial seemed to be quite optimistic and strong-willed to be able to live a normal life without being able to see.
But then again, the young man didn't know anything about Nial's past, or the fact that his entire demeanor and mindset had slowly been conditioned to the changes that awakening an origin brought forth.
Nial didn't feel much until the test was done, and once the capsule opened, his mind felt a bit muddled.
"It will take a few minutes before you will feel normal again. You were bombarded with different types of mana. It is perfectly normal to feel weird the first time! Dry yourself and the test result of your mana veins ranking should be completed by then!"
Throwing a towel to Nial, who had just gotten out of the capsule, the young man seemed to have forgotten for a moment that Nial was blind.
However, oddly enough, Nial was able to catch it as if he was able to see it.
'He can still sense his surroundings...despite his muddled mind?'
Throwing him a surprised look, the young man exclaimed while Nial put on his clothes once again.
"Ohh, very good! Superior mana veins that have yet to be fully matured..that's amazing!!"
Nial was not sure what exactly this meant, but he just nodded his head with a smile because the 'superior' prefix definitely sounded good.
Yet, only a moment later, the young man seemed to turn more serious as he further remarked,
"The test result of your optional test arrived too..you have yet to bind your first ability and you don't have an Innate ability…that's unfortunate."
After that, the young man suddenly quieted down, a little disappointed at the result. Nial could only perceive the outline of the young man who was standing in a confused and disappointing way.
His shoulders were drooping a little but then something piqued his interest.
Suddenly, he threw a lot of questions at Nial who was only stunned at the words.
"Your eyes….are an adverse mutation? Or something like that?! To be honest, I've never seen a chart like this...just what happened to your eyes?"
The young man seemed to be baffled, but Nial couldn't help but feel the most disappointed.
Not only did the young man say that he didn't have an Innate ability, but the test had also failed to detect his Odyssey seed.
As such, it was as if his eyes and the seed didn't exist, which they certainly did!
"It's unfortunate that you're blind and that you don't possess an Innate ability. But with your mana vein's potential, you might be able to get some funding from the government as long as your mana core talent is good!"
The young man seemed to be trying to lift Nial's mood which was not necessary in his opinion.
And, based on the way the young man had been acting for the entire time, Nial couldn't help but ask.
"It might sound rude, but why are you being so friendly to me? We don't know each other, and the Originals association does not think that highly of disabled Originals to begin with…or am I wrong?"
Nial's question was straightforward, but he couldn't help but feel weird about the young man's behavior that was out of the ordinary.
Yet, the young man's answer caused Nial to feel that he shouldn't have even opened his mouth in the first place.