Miracle Card Shop: All My Cards Can Be Actualize

Daniel increased his pace, but the ladies still followed. Every time he turned, they matched his direction. Since this was a mage school, where magic was taught, its guests and visitors were all mages.

With bodies strengthened beyond that of ordinary people, some were even former Enforcers from the days when the Hightower held sole power over the Curtained World. This meant these "thirsty" ladies were more than capable of chasing him, no matter how quickly he tried to escape.

The school's layout didn't offer much help either. With straightforward hallways and few winding paths or corners to hide in, shaking them off seemed nearly impossible. So, Daniel decided to use a spell card with a "Haste" effect to boost his speed.

The magic surged through his legs, immediately lighting them up with red flames that amplified his strength and accelerated his entire body's movements, making it impossible for the women to keep up.

After a few minutes, he had finally managed to lose them.

"Where did he go?" one of the women asked, frustrated. The others, equally clueless, spent about half an hour searching the area before eventually dispersing.

Daniel stayed hidden, deciding to wait another ten minutes just to be safe. His caution paid off when, a few minutes later, some of the women returned to check the area. Only when they left to search somewhere else did he feel safe enough to come out.

He emerged slowly, having used a prototype stealth field generator developed by Nexus Prime. It was entirely technological, with no magic involved, since using a magical concealment spell might have alerted the mage women to his location.

"Phew," Daniel sighed in relief before heading toward the test field. He had already lost enough time; he needed to reach his observer's seat as soon as possible.

— Magic Test Field —

The expansive test field was outfitted with various magical formations to ensure the safety of examinees, examiners, and the observers and guests who had come to evaluate students with potential.

In this venue, representatives from prominent mage families often gathered, scouting for promising children who might lack the means to continue their studies independently, yet could be of service to these influential families.

This long-standing practice had almost become a tradition, and since Daniel didn't see it as a threat to himself, his loved ones, or the stability of the Order of Ember, he allowed it to continue without interference.

Observers from numerous mage families had already taken their seats. Daniel chose a spot among the general audience, preferring to avoid attention and prevent little Sylvana from feeling nervous or startled. This test was crucial for her growth as a mage.

Of course, Daniel had a VIP booth reserved exclusively for him and his family, should he wish to use it. The school always held a VIP booth in reserve for the founder of the Order of Ember, an honor extended specifically to him.

The test began, and after a lengthy half-hour speech from Sean Montgomery, the school's dean and founder, the first examinee stepped onto the stage. The test consisted of three parts. The first was a theory exam, already completed in the study hall; only those who passed were permitted to proceed here.

The second part tested magic power. This allowed the school staff and dean to adjust the strength of the barriers and target dummies accordingly, minimizing the risk of accidents. However, this adjustment didn't make the test harder if the average examinee was stronger, nor easier if they were weaker. It simply ensured that the data input into the dummies wouldn't cause significant harm to the participants.

The third part, the application of magic, assessed how examinees responded to dummies simulating an opponent.

"Respond" was indeed the right term here, as this test for novices wasn't about whether they could defeat the dummy. Instead, the results depended on how they handled the threat using magic, as not all mages specialized in combat. Many excelled in fields like artifact manufacturing, alchemy, or magic research.

Testing novice mages by combat-mage standards wouldn't be fair. However, basic combat was still a fundamental skill all mages had to master. Here, the examinees only needed to survive on stage for three minutes without being forced off.

They could only use spells taught in their classes, not family techniques, as a way to assess each student's diligence. An exception was made if their Origin Element—innate magical affinity—altered the school-taught spells, allowing them to draw power from it to modify the magic used. Although harnessing power from the Origin Element hadn't yet been formally taught, some students might unknowingly tap into it as part of their natural magic expression.

The first examinee went up and tried to fight the test dummy—a wooden golem crafted specifically for these evaluations. The golem had several spares on hand in case one sustained too much damage to maintain test consistency.

The examinee enhanced his fist with magic and punched the golem, only to be grabbed by the collar and tossed off the stage, failing the test. This meant he would have to retake the novice ranking test next year.

"If he'd enhanced his legs and just run around to avoid the golem for three minutes, he would've passed," one mage seated near Daniel commented.

"That's true. It's not easy, as the wooden golem is quite fast, but this is a magic application test, not a combat test," another person agreed.

The test continued, with each examinee taking turns. Some failed, some barely passed, and a few with exceptional skill passed with flying colors, even managing to fight the golem toe-to-toe, though they could only inflict minimal damage.

During this time, Daniel noticed he was being watched—not just by one person, but by many. Following the most intense gazes, he saw a group of women glancing between him and their cell phones. They looked back at him with expressions that seemed like they'd just overdosed on aphrodisiacs.

"What the hell?" Daniel exclaimed under his breath, feeling a mix of confusion and discomfort. Today is so weird; why were they looking at him like that, and what the hell was on their phones? Is it some kind of bounty price on his head? Did the Hightower issue a bounty to cause him some trouble!?

While Daniel's thoughts were distracted by the overly interested women and his growing wariness of them, it was time for little Sylvana's turn.

"Sylvana Emberweave! Five... er... seven years old!" the examiner announced as Sylvana stepped onto the stage.

The moment the audience heard her surname, a wave of whispers and murmurs spread, all abuzz about the young girl. They recognized the significance of the Emberweave name; this child was likely a descendant, or even the daughter, of Daniel Emberweave—the master of the Order of Ember, widely regarded as the world's most powerful mage and greatest artificer. Expectations soared.

The chatter around him grew with people voicing high hopes for Sylvana. Daniel sighed, realizing this added pressure on his daughter was hardly fair.

"Ugh... should've told that baldy to keep her surname quiet—stupid, Daniel…" he muttered to himself before refocusing his attention on Sylvana.

As for the group of women behind him, some visibly lost interest upon hearing that Daniel already had a child. Still, most remained unfazed, undeterred by what they saw as a minor obstacle.

"Ahh... so he already has a kid... well, that's a letdown," one of them muttered with disappointment.

"This is fine! I love kids—I'll have plenty with him!" another declared, still determined.

"What's with these women?" a few other audience members whispered amongst themselves, baffled by the overheard comments.

On Sylvana's side, the test had begun, and the dummy golem rushed toward her. Little Sylvana didn't seem inclined to move, and Daniel's heart leapt to his throat, fearing the wooden golem might injure her.

"Hup!" With a cute, determined shout, Sylvana threw a few seeds onto the stage, and they immediately sank into the ground. In a breathtaking display, the seeds rapidly grew into thick, green vines that erupted through the concrete, blocking the golem's path.

The golem was expertly ensnared by the vines, which constricted and tightened until its limbs began to break off. The strength behind Sylvana's binding spell left many in the audience breathless, as this particular golem had been designed with enhanced durability.

They understood that the force behind her vines must have been several tons to break the golem's limbs like that.

Then, something extraordinary happened: the golem rapidly transformed into a tree, its roots spreading through the stage, until it stood tall and rooted on the platform.

"Sylvana Emberweave passes!" the examiner announced. Sylvana bounced with joy before hopping off the stage, leaving the staff to clear the impressive aftermath of her test.

Seeing this, Daniel stood up, left the audience seating area, and made his way to the waiting area. He wanted to surprise little Sylvana with congratulations and perhaps take her out to celebrate. As he walked through the hallway, several of the admiring ladies trailed after him with eager smiles, some even adjusting their clothes to look more polished.