The further section of the tent looked nearly identical to the first—dimly lit and sparse. But this time, a different woman sat behind the small wooden table.
She had long silver hair that fell like strands of moonlight over her shoulders. Her cold, blue eyes sharp and ruthless resembled the heart of an Arctic Sea, and her face bore no trace of warmth or amusement. Unlike the friendly woman from before, this one radiated formality and indifference. She, too, wore a long black dress, and the items on the table a quill, ink, and crystal ball mirrored the setup from earlier.
"Hello," Mortis greeted politely.
The woman barely glanced at him. "Bring the form here and place it on the table," she said sternly.
Clearly, she wasn't here to make conversation, but simply to complete a task she had.
She picked up the parchment and skimmed through its contents. When her eyes paused on the grade, her demeanor shifted slightly. "Grade A? Hmph. Good. You have potential."
For the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed her face, it was acknowledgment, perhaps even a sliver of interest. But it vanished quickly, replaced by her usual icy tone.
"Alright, let's not delay this."
She pointed toward the crystal ball. "Place both of your hands on it. I'll test your elemental affinity."
Mortis didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and placed his hands on the orb, bracing himself for another round of agony. But to his surprise, there was no pain this time. Instead, a gentle heat wrapped around him—comforting, almost inviting.
Intrigued, Mortis leaned forward slightly, watching as the crystal ball began to glow.
Colors bloomed within the orb—vivid and swirling. Some hues pulsed with intensity, while others were faint and barely visible.
The woman leaned forward, studying the light carefully. Her voice was cold but focused. "Hmm… The dark red is the most prominent. It's overpowering the rest. Only two other shades are holding their ground—black, and a red tinged with orange. The rest are fading into obscurity."
She seemed to consider this for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. You can remove your hands."
Mortis did so and stepped back as the woman picked up his form again, jotting something down quickly.
He hesitated before speaking. "So… what does it mean?"
She didn't even look up and replied. "Your elemental affinities have been determined," she said flatly. "Your highest affinity is with the Blood element, it's dominant, which is extremely rare. Second to that is Fire, followed closely by a balance of Dark and Shadow elements. The rest are Lightning, Water, Wind, Earth and Ice but all of them are so low that they are completely negligible. You might as well consider them nonexistent."
As she spoke, her quill scratched swiftly across the parchment. She finished filling out his form, then handed it back to him.
"Let me give you some advice," she added, her tone now slightly warmer. "All Magi can manipulate every elemental energy of the world, but if you want to reach your full potential, you must walk the path that matches your highest affinity."
She finally looked up, her eyes like frozen glass. "Choose poorly, and you'll cripple your growth. Spells will be weaker, progress slower. Choose wisely… and your path could take you far."
Her gaze lingered a moment longer before she waved her hand dismissively. "That's all. Your examination is over. Head to the left and exit through the back of the tent. From there, start choosing your organization."
She paused. "Ahh… and if none of the others suit you well… consider my Malphas Academy. We specialize in Dark and Fire elements."
Mortis nodded politely and bowed slightly. "Thank you for your recommendation. I'll keep it in mind."
He turned and exited as instructed. The moment he stepped outside, the world greeted him with a crimson glow.
The red moon had risen fully, casting a ghostly light over the camp. Shadows stretched and danced across the ground, flickering with the glow of dozens of fires burning atop obsidian lanterns.
He had only a few hours left to choose.
By dawn, the ceremony would be over, and anyone who hadn't managed to join an organization would have to wait another five years to try again.
With that thought gnawing at him, Mortis began to wander through the camp checking out every tent around him. Each one was more surreal and bizarre than the last.
One looked like it was woven from flowing shadows, its entrance swirling like a mouth to another world. Another pulsed like it was alive, made of flesh and draped in sinew. There was one shaped like a gargantuan serpent's coiled body, its open jaws forming the entryway.
Some were grand, like gothic towers shrunk down to tent-size. Others were monstrous, decorated with skulls of beasts and demons. A few exuded so much pressure that even walking nearby made Mortis's blood stir.
Each tent bore a sign with its organization's name, carved or scorched into dark wood, bone, or metal. Beneath the names were details like specializations, famous Magi, and brief notes designed to lure in the right candidates.
Mortis stopped and scanned some of the banners:
'Abyss Tower, The Nocturnal Cave, Judgment Tower, Celestial Garden, Horizon Tower…'
…And the two he had already heard of: Myriad Demon Academy and Malphas Academy.
Mortis thought. "All these details, are here help us choose based on our elemental affinities."
He nodded to himself as he sifted through the information.
'My strongest affinity is with Blood, followed closely behind by Fire, Dark and Shadow affinities. The rest are Lightning, Water, Wind, Earth and Ice, but those are just worthless to me. I'd be a fool to base my future on those.'
His eyes narrowed as he recalled what he'd read.
'Judgment Tower, Celestial Garden, Horizon Tower… All Light Magi organizations. Their specializations, and their ideals, make them completely incompatible with someone like me.'
He moved on to the others in his mind.
'Abyss Tower… entirely focuses on the Dark element and creation of artificial monsters. The Nocturnal Cave leans into Dark and Plant elements. Not bad, but not ideal.'
His thoughts turned to the two most viable options.
'Malphas Academy… it's known for Dark and Fire magic, but not so much for Blood. Their ideology is also more restrained and more secretive.'
'Then there's the Myriad Demons Academy… Famous for Blood, Dark, and Shadow magic. Known for their monstrous experiments and obsession with power. Even Valthor praised them. Their mindset is ruthless, pragmatic. If I want to walk the true path of a Dark Magus, this may be the best place for me.'
Mortis's mind sharpened as his decision formed. The more he thought about it, the clearer it became.
'Yes, let's do that… I'll join the Myriad Demons Academy.'
He recalled its location from earlier.
'The recruitment tent was near the center of the camp where the candidate tests were held in the starry sky tent there.'
Mortis turned around and began walking, this time with place in mind. Minutes passed as he navigated through the campgrounds.
Finally, he found it.
The tent was built of mundane materials, but its enchantment was unmistakable. The fabric rippled like a sea of blood, yet behind it stretched a shifting veil of dark sky filled with crimson stars. The entrance pulsed faintly, as though breathing.
'So, this is the Myriad Demons Academy's tent...' he thought.