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Chapter 15: The exam, part 1

*The special talent\'s name is Sense Lies. It was created when you were deceived, but rectified your error by finding the deceiver and defeating him. This talent would allow you to detect dishonesty in people\'s words. But it would cost you three upgrades to buy.*

Cael bit his lip, writing it all down. This was really an amazing talent… The feeling of being deceived was terrible, and he never wanted to experience it again. Even worse was that Cael suspected something from the start, but dismissed it until he confirmed his suspicions with the alchemist…

*You can also purchase a talent Quick Coagulation, since you have learned Lesser Exsanguination. This talent would make your blood coagulate almost instantly when you are wounded, greatly reducing blood loss.*

This was something to think of later. Cael sighed. There was just so much to buy, and so few Blood Points…

*Besides that, you can learn next spells: Blood Blade, which uses blood in your possession to form a sharp and swift blade, and Curse of Ill Health, which uses blood of the target to make them highly vulnerable to illnesses for a while.*

*Wait.* Cael lifted his eyes from the paper in front of him. *These also became available after I learned Lesser Exsanguination, right? Are there more beyond them in this… spell chain? Spell tree?*

*Correct, Cael. Blood Blade opens a tree of spells related to direct manipulation of blood. Curse of Ill Health opens a tree of spells related to using blood to curse, track and strengthen other people.*

The feeling of needing more blood intensified. Cael sighed. He felt that in the future, he would need to bind his notes into a journal. His personal book of spells, except instead of the spells themselves, it would be full of descriptions of spells.

Which wasn\'t unusual. Most of the spellbooks he had seen in his father\'s library on seventy percent comprised the author\'s autobiography, on twenty-five percent of descriptions of spells the author had witnessed but didn\'t know, and only five percent were actually about spells.

*Alright. I am purchasing \'Sense Lies\'. You are going to tell me more about the spell trees, and talent trees… When I gather more blood.*

*As you wish, Cael. Upgrade in process—you have 13 BP remaining. 127 BP until the next upgrade.*

For several seconds, Cael felt like somebody was pouring water inside his skull until it was ready to burst. When the pressure left as suddenly as it came, he let out a breath of relief.

He didn\'t feel different, though, but he guessed he could test this talent whenever he wanted just by going to the market.

For now, Cael had an exam to prepare for, and only a few hours until night to do it. After today, now that his elation had finally begun to die down, he was feeling tired.

If only he knew what his father planned out for him…

***

"A written test? Father, is that right?" Cael dumbly stared at the stack of clean paper sheets in front of him. A couple of quills and an inkwell stood on the table near him.

He should\'ve expected that, when Father told Cael to come to the tower\'s study room. This was a place where Vittorio took lessons in magic theory, and Cael sat and listened, wishing he could put them to practice, too.

"Are you unhappy with something, Cael?" Gianni threw him a sharp look. "Do you think you know better than me how a test of your abilities should be conducted?"

Cael chewed his lip. "But what about practice?"

His father waved his hand dismissively. "I already know what you can do in practice, boy. But anyone can memorize a few spells and dumbly repeat them, not knowing even the meaning of the words. A true wizard should have a solid foundation in them. An education."

He turned away from Cael and walked towards a blackboard. There, Gianni picked a piece of chalk and began to write down words in Arcani. More and more, until the entire blackboard was full of them.

"First, translate this," Father instructed. "Some words here are missing—add them back, and include their Arcani translation. The text itself contains your second task. You have time until lunch."

With those words he went to sit at another table, where a pile of documents was already waiting for Gianni\'s review.

"Yes, Father," Cael nodded, biting his cheek to not grin. This was going to be so easy!

After all, he understood everything that was written here. Even if in the past his knowledge of Arcani, although decent, was never so good.

This all, though, was as long as the Arcani text was written on in the true Arcani glyphs, but in a simple transliteration. Arcani glyphs were much harder to learn, because they held some power whenever written. This made it extremely hard to put them into books, or even just to show them to pupils.

An Arcani alphabet could just blow you up. Or at least singe your quill and burn your paper as you write them.

If Father actually tried to test Cael about the glyphs, Cael would\'ve failed miserably. He wondered if System had a talent to understand those, too…

For now, he just focused on the text on the blackboard.

*Magic is the most … and noble art. Mages use the original language of … to shape mana, the … energy of the world. By calling upon aspects of …, they make their mana take its … and its ….

Below are two spells. One of them creates an ice wall, and the other throws freezing wind at enemies. Explain why each of them calls out to different aspects of cold.

"Eternal frost of the far North, come to my aid. Let your power be my chilling shield and my indomitable fortress."

"Winter\'s wrath, lend me your fierce frost. Let the icy gale consume all who oppose me and bury them under everlasting snow."*

Cael read this again and clenched his fists.

*Father!* he shouted inwardly, sending his father\'s turned back a glare. *Are you serious? This is something to learn at the second rank! You are just setting me to fail… But I refuse.*