The Ascension Age

Aire made his way to the so-called Smith Faction. Then again, it wasn't as if it was located in a single place due to the school's size. He simply went to the closest one to his dormitory. 'I wonder if there is a way to avoid this...' he thought along the way. Well, he knew it was just his wishful thinking.

Since occupations were also considered part of one's team total score, there were quite a few queues on each occupation faction... except for the Stellar Smiths. As soon as Aire arrived there, he noticed that the counter was completely empty. If not because of the big sign saying that the tests should be taken there, Aire would think he had arrived at the wrong place. 'Sure enough, Risers hate this job.'

"Hello, how can I help you?" Out of nowhere, an attendant of the workshop greeted Aire.

Aire looked at the guy and asked, "I came to take the test for Stellar Smiths. What should I do?"

The attendant smiled back in response as he replied, "Oh, you can come with me. A few Risers are doing the test, but there's more than enough space for you to join." Soon after, he guided Aire towards a different hall.

As soon as the door opened, Aire felt a wave of hot, dry air blowing on his face. He looked at the place and could see multiple machines. Unfortunately, Aire couldn't recognize any of them. Near a few of those machines, some students were going through the test. Last but not least, there was only one examinator who walked around the room as he looked at each candidate's work.

There was only one thing that was similar for all participants even though they were doing different jobs. All of them were sweating buckets as the machines absorbed their Stellar Energy nonstop. The school couldn't possibly spare its reserves to power up the Stellar Smith Equipment, so the students had to do it themselves. It wasn't because the school didn't want to, but because the profession just used way too much of it.

The supervisor then stopped by one table after another during the test.

"Very good. Increase the amount of Stellar Energy infusion by 17%. It should be just enough to concentrate the metal's properties."

"You, move away from there. I told you, don't get too close to the Pinpoint Furnace when you use your Stellar Energy. The heat might follow the cables, invading your body in the process."

"Hey, you can stop the test. Unfortunately, your Stellar Energy reserves and manipulation skills aren't enough for the job. Head back to your dormitory and select another occupation to practice."

"Oh, you there. Your skills in manipulating Stellar Energy aren't that good, but it isn't at the level of being hopeless yet. I can see that your Clearcut Skills are very polished. If you can hold on until you finish this piece of Maren Plate, I'll let you pass the exam and give you a score for your team."

After some time, the supervisor looked in Aire's direction and smiled at him, saying, "Oh, a new player? Come, come. The Smith Faction is open for everyone willing to at least try it out. Just keep in mind that we can't keep anyone without enough Stellar Energy reserves or manipulation skills."

Before Aire could answer, the supervisor pulled him with great gusto inside as the attendant left the room before asking, "Tell me, how good are your Stellar Smith skills?"

Aire scratched the back of his head in response, saying, "The truth is that I only decided on this occupation recently, so I don't know anything. Well, my team members said that this job should fit my aptitudes well."

The supervisor nodded with satisfaction as he responded, "That's more than enough. If you don't know the job, then we can just teach you. However, there's nothing we can do if you don't have the necessary Stellar Energy reserves or manipulation skills. By the way, I'm the supervisor of the 17th branch of our Stellar Smith Faction, Due Xomeu." Due was really amicable, which made Aire feel that their conversation slightly awkward.

Nevertheless, Due ignored the feeling as he continued, "Anyways, I need to know your Riser Level and Stage. Also, it would be good to know your name."

"I'm Aire Ruehnar. As for my level and stage, I'm at the Stellar Body Transformation Level, Stellar Bones Stage. This is my first year in the Ascension Age School," Aire answered straight away.

"Alright. Aire, there's a quick way to see if you have the aptitude to become a smith or not." Due then brought Aire to one of the Pinpoint Furnaces before explaining, "This is a Pinpoint Furnace. From the name itself, it's obviously used to heat up metals. However, only fire propelled by Stellar Energy can be used on Stellar Materials. This furnace isn't as good as the newer models nowadays, but it can still do its job. Besides, it's one of the easiest to operate. You can control the temperature, strength, the position of the melted metal, its form, the layers when creating alloy, and so on."

"Don't look down on this furnace. Even though it's an easier model to use, that doesn't mean the job is easy in any way. It will drain the Stellar Energy in your body nonstop, so it's very taxing on the body. That's why only students with high Stellar Energy Aptitude and control can be accepted."

Aire nodded as he touched the controls, asking, "Alright, how should I operate it?"

Due then looked at one of the Stellar Smiths that was helping him with the test. "Cala, come here. We have a new guy. Teach him how to use the furnace. I'll check on him once I'm finished checking the other candidates." After that, Due left to continue his observation.

Aire was quite surprised, though. He could see that most of the students taking the test and the workshop assistants were men. Cala was one of the only three women he could see in the place. "Is it harder for women to become Stellar Smiths?" Aire asked with a hint of curiosity.

Cala laughed as she calibrated the furnace for Aire's level and experience. "Of course not. However, look at the other Stellar Smiths and me. We're all sweaty and dirty. Do you think most of the women with high aptitude would select such a job?"

Aire bitterly smiled as he apologized, "Guess not. Sorry."

Cala didn't mind it, responding, "Don't worry, that at least means that only women who really like the job would join it." Cala finished the calibration just after she was finished saying that. "Alright, go ahead. I'll tell you how to operate it. We'll start with an easy job so supervisor Due can obtain a good assessment from you."