Chapter 355: Please, do it quickly

The test continued for another hour before Kael finally decided that he had gathered enough information from the people in front of him. By then, the number of people remaining had dropped significantly, but there were still more than enough candidates to make his job difficult.

Kael looked through the results one last time before letting out a sigh.

“Alright, that should be enough. Everyone who passed the first test will receive further instructions from the government. Those who did not pass should not be discouraged. There will be other opportunities in the future.”

Kael announced through the stadium’s speakers, and the remaining people immediately started talking among themselves.

Some looked relieved, while others looked disappointed that they had failed. A few even tried to argue with the officials nearby, but Kael had already expected something like this.

There was always someone who believed that they deserved special treatment.

“Seraphina, can you help me sort through these results? I want to make sure we do not accidentally accept someone who is going to cause trouble later.”

Kael asked, and Seraphina nodded before moving closer to him.

“I can do that. But how are you going to determine who will cause trouble?”

“I cannot determine that with certainty. But I can at least look for obvious warning signs.”

Kael replied as he started going through the information gathered by the system.

The test had not only measured their ability to handle mana. It had also gathered information about their magical compatibility, physical condition, and ability to understand the basics of magic.

Kael wanted people who could learn and adapt rather than people who simply had overwhelming strength.

That was the biggest difference between his guild and the organisations that would inevitably appear in the future.

He wanted people who could be trusted.

“Hmm…”

Kael stopped when he noticed something unusual in one of the results.

“This person has an incredibly high mana capacity.”

Seraphina looked over his shoulder before blinking in surprise.

“Does that mean they are strong?”

“Not necessarily. Having a large amount of mana does not mean you know how to use it. In that regard, it is different from divine energy.”

Kael explained before marking the name for later.

He did not want to judge people based entirely on numbers. There were plenty of people who could surprise him once they received proper training.

But that was precisely why he wanted to create the guild in the first place.

The world had changed, and there was no going back to how things had been. If humanity wanted to survive what was coming next, they needed people who could stand at the front lines.

Although, the look Seraphina was giving him did make him feel like he should get out of here. Her look clearly asked him what she was supposed to even do and how she was supposed to sort this mess out.

But it was for her to figure out.

Kael had his own things to take care of…and if everything else failed, he could always allow the system created by his magic to make the decision. He had a feeling that it would work out.

But he was also a little worried about his decisions….

‘Am I getting too dependent on my magic and this system? I don’t think using magic has ever become second nature like this…’

It felt like something was off for a second, but the feeling was quickly overshadowed by Officer Tyson’s loud voice.

“Kael, if you are done, then come and help with the other experiments. These kids are having a hard time keeping up with too much information.”

The stressed officer was back, and it was time for Kael to get back to work. The weird feeling he had would have to wait for later. For now, he had a world to save and take care of.

…

“Welcome to the research department. What can I help you with? Sorry, but we are closed for today… no, we are open, but there is too much to do, so we are as good as closed… fuck…”

The assistant on desk duty looked tired, and he even found it hard to keep his eyes open for much longer.

Kael felt sorry for him, especially since he knew that he was the reason this was happening in the first place.

To make up for it, he had come here to work in the labs.

“I am here to check up on the growth and research of the new mana flowers. Things were on track last time, so if we are lucky, we should see some results and be able to go home on time.”

The assistant suddenly looked full of life at the thought of being able to go home early, and Kael did feel sorry for him and the research staff.

Unlike regular workers, the research staff had no time off and were constantly working. It was so bad that most of them had collapsed as well.

And yet, there had been no time to send them home with everything going on.

They did get compensated with huge salaries and benefits, but with no time to spend outside the labs, even that was useless for the most part.

Not that Kael had the heart to tell that to the assistant in front of him. He just felt too sorry.

“Don’t worry. I will work fast so that you can get home on time today.”

He promised the assistant, who looked far too happy and grateful for his help. His drained eyes looked at Kael, but the second he opened his mouth, his head fell on the table.

Kael tried to reach out towards him in order to see if he was fine or not, but the assistant quickly shook his head.

“I am fine… for the most part. You don’t have to worry about me. Just make sure the experiment is a success so that we can all go home.”

The spirit was clear, and Kael suddenly felt pressured to do well and quickly.