Chapter 33: Water is wet

Brutal words. But none of it was an exaggeration. Success rate for the License Exams was abysmally low compared to other exams.

At best, only one percent of applicants pass through to the end stages of the exam. Meaning, from the one thousand examinees in this gymnasium, perhaps only ten of them would ever earn that coveted red ID card. And this was a generous estimate.

"Some of you are talented. Some of you have been born with a silver spoon. But none of those will ever guarantee you success in the exams."

Kaiser stood with his hands in his pockets. His grey left eye focused with a gritty edge. A historic past could be deciphered from that gaze.

And for a second, that look lingered at the top. Towards Eren’s position. But it faded quickly.

"The First Test for the second License Exam of 2026 will assess your mastery on a fundamental aspect of Psionic Power. The Foundational Moveset.

Each and every single one of you will have a chance to perform the Primal Strike. Shatter a concrete wall twelve inches thick, and you advance to the next step of the License Exam. Fail, and you will be thrown out of the venue. Good luck next year."

No introductions. Straight to the point. Kaiser was a man who didn’t take any nonsense that came his way. Good to know, Eren thought.

Excited buzzing erupted in the gymnasium.

The haze of anxiety crowding the examinees was dispelled just like that.

Now, confidence exuded out of the young men and women around Eren. It’s as if the scabs of insecurity and unease cocooning them had crumbled away, giving way to relief.

They thought the Primal Strike to be simple. Easy, even.

As Geister told him before, everyone had been preparing for this since the start of the Cataclysm.

Scions and heirs from the Prominent Families were trained since they were young with powerful Ascension Arts and Martial Manuals. Their mastery of techniques had advanced far beyond that of the Foundational Movesets.

As for the rest, their very first lessons in Martial Schools were based on those few forms that became the very foundation of all Martial Manuals. According to Geister, everyone learns the Primal Strike, no matter the curriculum.

In short, many considered this to be an easy pass.

"Oh thank god. At least I can pass this first test."

"They’re taking it easy on us. During the last License Exam, they had examinees fight against the proctors!"

"Don’t complain. Just be thankful our test’s simple."

Eren didn’t disagree that it was easy. He only challenged the notion that the Foundational Movesets were simple. The depths in these forms were almost as steep as the heavens themselves. The heights that the Venerable Ursine King reached was not even the true pinnacle of the Primal Strike.

"Shut up. All of you," Kaiser demanded. "Underestimate the tests, and you shall find yourself in the talons of a Phantom."

Standing there on the dais, hands in his pocket, Kaiser’s entire body emitted an aura of red particular matter.

Ræzoň.

This show of power demanded attention. And silence.

"You have all reached the Genesis Phase of your Awakening," Kaiser stated. "If you haven’t, you better learn it before the first test."

A few people scoffed down below, at the front of the auditorium near the dais. Their postures were more lax than the rest. More confident. They must be the scions and heirs that Geister talked about.

"You’ve been taught to gather Psions in your dantian. You’ve been taught to use that metaphysical liquid to modify your eyes. Why?"

His question garnered blunt answers from the examinees in the gym. "So we can see the Psions in our surroundings."

"Correct," Kaiser noted. "But there’s another important reason why your vision changes first and foremost."

The proctor raised his hand, that red, misty aura of Ræzoň gathering at his fist. He stared at it intently. And soon, a substantial change occurred.

More of those sandlike red particles ascended from his skin. Straight from his dantian. They ascended from his pores and combined with that hazy aura around his fist.

The mist coalesced. Turning more solid, or liquid, in this case.

It’s as if a thin layer of red, granular water formed around Kaiser’s fist. Flowing chaotically like turbulent smoke.

The air around this condensed gathering of Ræzoň shimmered. Like a mirage of water in the infernal heat of the desert.

Then he punched forwards.

The power produced by this Primal Strike mimicked that of a jet engine’s propulsion, sending everyone in the gymnasium reeling back from the shockwave.

Everything was in disarray. A few people who were caught off-guard scrambled back towards their chairs, having been unseated from the powerful force.

No one dared to utter derisions at the Primal Strike’s ’simplicity’. Not even the scions and heirs.

"This is the first thing you have to learn to be an Awakener.

It’s called Reinforcement. It’s the technique in which you empower a part of your body with Psions to produce thunderous force, just as I’ve demonstrated.

The Primal Strike will be nothing more than a simple punch if you can’t Reinforce it with Psions. It’s the only requirement for you to destroy a concrete wall with only your fists.

Can anyone tell me how we use Reinforcement?"

Someone in the crowd raised their hands. A girl. "We use our eyes," she answered. "By looking at our hands, we can direct the Psions in our dantian to focus on our fists."

Kaiser nodded. "Exactly."

Reinforcement came from the eyes, Kaiser emphasized. It was the only way to imbue Psions in the body and fortify it beyond natural means.

Line of sight was crucial. Without it, one would not be able to imbue their own bodies with Psions.

The rest of the gymnasium listened to his words only in half-attention. They’d heard these teachings hundreds of times before.

It was the very basics of basics. ’Water is wet,’ he basically told them.