Andar had chosen Introductory Formation as his first test because it was relatively easy to run through it without wasting much time, but that was only relative to someone like Andar.
The Lava blade danced across the sheets of Soft Steel making precise cuts with no wasted movements, and because Andar had sharpened both ends of the blade, he could make them rotate and bend them in any shape he desired for the desired results he wanted.
All these while his eyes were closed, that was because he had already simulated everything he needed to do, and his eyes did not need to be open to see his workings, for it would serve as a source of distraction to him.
Deron was one of the Acolytes that had been carving slowly on his Soft Steel using the blade given for this test and did not distract himself like others were doing when the Wonder Boy arrived.
He had been here for thirteen years and was still just a level 3 Acolyte, this was not a strange thing for many Acolytes to be stuck on this stage for decades, so many used the opportunity to begin studying another field of knowledge, that could perhaps help them to find the inspiration to become a Mage.
With this test, he was confident that he should be able to carve out twenty percent of the Barrier Formation, which was enough to earn a passing grade, and he could answer four hundred questions with reasonable accuracy.
He would not be earning the top score in this test, but Deron was sure he would be average, such tests were created not to be totally solved but to push the Acolytes to their limits.
He knew of Andar, and although he envied his talents, he understood that life was a race you could only run alone, and it was useless to be envious of the gifts of others, with this mindset in mind, he focused on carving his Formation, after studying for three years in this field, he was confident in his approach.
In a decade or two if he failed to become an official Mage, he would have learned all the basis of Formation and Inscription, and his expertise would be sought, all over the Federation, even by Mages, that meant he should focus on what he was doing now as nothing else mattered.
Yet he could still feel a growing tension in the air that was getting more difficult to resist, it was in the silence, as if the world was holding its breath. No longer able to stand the tension he looked ahead to the lights he had been seeing at the corner of his vision and he swallowed, his carving knife falling from nerveless fingers.
You could hear about something a thousand times but it would never hit you as hard as seeing it once.
He barely broke out of his reverie to bring out a Recording Talisman to ensure he captured every single moment of this amazing display before him, distractingly noticing that nearly every student here was recording. He also brought out his personal communication device and connected to the forum where he started streaming live.
Andar had his two hands stretched before him and his eyes were closed, he was surrounded by a soft silver wind that moved around his body like dragons, making his jacket flap like wings.
Deron noticed that in front of his right hand was something that resembled a black octopus, which turned out to be the ink from his pen. Several black 'tentacles' were dancing across the pages and making notes and diagrams.
Above his left hand, the three Soft Steel were arranged in a triangular manner horizontally, so that the blade made from what resembled lava could be carving on all their surfaces at once, this act was amazing to Deron, it was like watching someone juggle a thousand blades using only one hand.
The movements of the Lava blade was entrancing for it was not just making dozens of intricate carving every second on three surfaces, it was also flexible like a serpent, twisting in various positions to make sure that no single movement of the blade was wasted.
Deron began to sweat, was this something that an Acolyte should be capable of doing? Could an official Mage perform better than this? Is this what supreme talent means? Why do I have this crushing sensation in my soul that all the efforts I have been placing towards myself have been in vain? Why is the difference between us so vast?
Through the bright flashes of light that resulted from the Lava blade spinning very quickly, Andar's face was highlighted and Deron no longer watched the magic but he watched the man.
What sort of thoughts would someone have in his mind? Does he even regard the rest of the Acolyte as his peers?
This thinking would resonate among the Acolytes throughout the various testing zones, but Andar did not care, he was in a state of mind where the world was reduced only to the problems before him.
It took Andar six minutes to finish answering the one thousand questions, the answers he gave were not only detailed but very thorough. Andar foundations were incredibly deep and he drew insights from every field he studied.
There were areas where it was required to draw diagrams of Formation, and he did not just draw a diagram, using his knowledge of Inscription, he created an interactive diagram that could be accessed using Aether to give a much more detailed view of the Formation.
Now that he was done with the questions, he created two more Lava blades and focused solely on finishing the Barrier Formation.
To pass this test effectively and take the first position without question, the Barrier Formation he created would be a reactive Formation that would detect the amount of force being exerted on it and adjust its energy output to match.
This would solve the biggest problems concerning low-level Formations, as energy wastage was their biggest flaw.
Andar was done in two hours, but he needed to let the Soft Steel rest for another eight hours before he could test if his work was in order. Not wasting his time he leaped onto his Cloud Whale, heading to the next testing zone.
With a deep cry, his Cloud Whale vanished in a flash of bright silver light and a clap of thunder. Only then did the spell Andar cast over them all by his presence dissipate, and they began checking the work he left behind, their gaze no longer holding envy, but something else… reverence.