After Kaelen and Allan reached the tower, they saw that only around ninety students remained from the hundreds who entered the Forest of Trials.
All the surviving students gathered inside the large hall of the tower.
At the front stood several powerful ninjas, including the A-rank examiner who had started the exam earlier.
The examiner looked at the students and spoke in a serious voice.
"You have successfully completed the physical survival test."
Many students sighed with relief.
But the examiner continued.
"However, strength alone does not make a true ninja."
The room became silent.
"The next stage is the Mental Examination."
Some students looked confused.
The examiner raised his hand and several assistants brought strange glowing stones into the hall.
"These are Elemental Control Orbs."
He continued explaining:
"Every ninja has an elemental power. But controlling it requires focus and mental discipline. In this test, you must show how well you control your power."
Each student was given one orb.
The orb reacted to elemental energy. If a student lost control, the orb would break.
The examiner explained the rule.
"You must sit still and control your elemental energy for ten minutes."
"If your energy becomes unstable, the orb will shatter."
"Three mistakes… and you fail."
The students looked nervous.
Many of them were good at attacking, but controlling power quietly was much harder.
The test began.
Students sat down across the hall and placed the orbs in front of them.
Allan closed his eyes and slowly focused on his Water energy. A faint blue glow appeared around his orb.
Nearby, Ryuzen released strong energy, but the flames around his orb became unstable.
The examiner warned him.
"Control, not power."
Ryuzen clenched his teeth and calmed himself.
On the other side of the hall, Kaito sat calmly. A soft wind moved around his orb, perfectly balanced.
One by one, some students began failing.
CRACK!
One orb shattered.
The student had lost control of his fire power.
Another student tried to force his energy and his orb exploded.
Soon several students were eliminated.
Meanwhile, Kaelen sat quietly with his orb in front of him.
Inside his mind, he could feel many different energies moving within him.
The same strange feeling he had sensed when he touched the Power-Finding Globe months ago.
But instead of forcing it, Kaelen remembered Razen's training.
"Control your mind first. Power will follow."
Kaelen slowly calmed his breathing.
The energy inside him began to stabilize.
The orb in front of him started glowing softly.
The examiners watching from the front noticed something unusual.
The orb was reacting strongly, but it remained perfectly stable.
Minutes passed.
Finally, the examiner raised his hand.
"Time is over."
The remaining students opened their eyes.
Only sixty students were left in the hall.
The examiner looked at them.
"You have passed the Mental Examination."
Many students felt relieved.
But the examiner continued.
"Only one stage remains."
Everyone looked at him carefully.
"The Final Battle Test."
"You will fight in teams of two."
Kaelen looked at Allan.
The final stage of the ninja exam was about to begin.
And soon, the strongest students would finally face each other in battle.
The large stone hall slowly became quiet after the Mental and Elemental Control Test ended. Many students had already failed and left the room. Only a limited number of candidates remained standing inside the hall.
Kaelen looked around carefully. The pressure in the air felt heavier now. Everyone knew the exam was reaching its most important stage.
Allan stood beside him, still catching his breath.
"That test was harder than I expected," Allan said quietly.
Kaelen nodded.
"It wasn't about strength. It was about control."
Before Allan could reply, the massive doors of the hall suddenly opened. Several powerful ninjas entered the room. Their presence alone forced the remaining students to stand straighter.
The A-Rank examiner stepped forward again.
His sharp eyes scanned the entire hall.
"Congratulations," he said calmly. "You have passed the Mental and Elemental Control Test."
A few students relaxed slightly.
"But," the examiner continued, raising his voice, "the examination is not over."
The room instantly became silent again.
"The final stage of the Ancient Masters Village Ninja Examination will now begin."
Every student listened carefully.
"This stage will test your ability to fight and cooperate as a a team."
Murmurs spread across the hall.
"You must form teams of two."
Students immediately started looking around for partners.
"Only ten teams will pass this examination and officially become ninjas of the Ancient Masters Village."
The announcement shocked many students.
Out of all the remaining candidates, only twenty people would succeed.
Allan looked at Kaelen.
"Well," he said with a small smile, "this part is easy."
Kaelen smiled back.
"Of course."
"We've been partners since the academy."
They shook hands firmly.
Nearby, another strong looking student confidently approached the large earth-style fighter Kaelen had noticed earlier.
"My name is Ryuzen," he said proudly.
The tall and muscular boy beside him crossed his arms.
"Darek."
Ryuzen smirked slightly.
"Then let's show everyone what real power looks like."
Darek nodded.
Not far from them, another pair calmly formed their team.
The quiet strategist Sora stood beside the sharp-eyed fighter Kaito.
"With your speed and my strategy," Sora said softly, "we should reach the final stage easily."
Kaito nodded confidently.
"We will."
Near one of the stone pillars, Mira approached a silent boy who stood quietly in the shadows.
"You're Ren, right?" she asked calmly.
Ren did not speak for a moment.
Then he slowly nodded.
"That's enough for me," Mira said. "Let's work together."
Suddenly a loud voice echoed across the hall.
"HEY! Who wants to team up with the strongest fire user here?!"
Several students turned toward the noise.
It was Taro.
A calm boy walked toward him.
"I'll join you."
Taro blinked in surprise.
"That was quick! What's your name?"
"Akira," the boy replied calmly.
Taro laughed loudly.
"Great! Then let's win this exam!"
Akira sighed quietly.
"Let's just focus on surviving the battles first."
Around them, the remaining students quickly formed their own teams as well, though Kaelen did not pay much attention to them.
His focus remained on the strongest competitors in the hall.
After some time passed, the A-Rank examiner stepped forward again.
"Time is up."
All the students immediately turned toward him.
"These teams will now enter the final stage."
He pointed toward a massive stone gate behind him.
"Beyond this gate lies the battle arena."
The students stared at the enormous gate.
"You will face other teams. Your strength, teamwork, intelligence, and control will all be tested."
He paused before finishing.
"Only ten teams will pass."
The room became completely silent.
"Use tonight to rest and prepare with your teammate."
"The final battles will begin tomorrow morning."
The large doors slowly opened again.
The remaining students began leaving the hall with their partners.
Outside, the sun was slowly setting behind the mountains surrounding the Ancient Masters Village.
Kaelen and Allan walked side by side.
"So tomorrow decides everything," Allan said.
Kaelen looked toward the distant arena.
For a moment he remembered the harsh training with Razen, the heavy sword practice, and the lessons he had learned.
He quietly clenched his fist.
"I won't waste that training."
Allan smiled confidently.
"Then let's become ninjas tomorrow."
The evening wind moved gently through the village.
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