Master Of Astral Summoner-Chapter 160: Second Examination

Hearing his name, Shaan stepped into the room with confidence.

’Stay positive, Shaan. Everything will go according to—’

His steps halted for a split second. His heartbeat quickened, and his face turned pale as he took in the atmosphere inside the room. The place looked downright unsettling.

’Damn... I never expected the room to look like this.’

An empty chair stood in the center, surrounded by a monitor connected to a computer. A round hanging lamp swayed back and forth, casting the only light in the room. The sight sent a chill down Shaan’s spine. To make it worse, a staff member dressed entirely in white stood nearby, making the scene feel straight out of a horror film.

"Hey, what are you doing?" the staff member asked, his face filled with confusion. "Hurry up. We don’t have much time."

"O-okay."

Shaan quickened his pace and stopped beside the chair. However, he refused to sit on the ominous seat and instead stood there stiffly like a statue.

"Seriously, what’s wrong with you?" The staff member rubbed his temple, trying to stay calm. "Sit down. What are you waiting for?"

"Uh... a-are you sure this procedure won’t hurt?" Shaan asked with a dry laugh. "You know... procedures like this usually involve surgery or anesthesia, right?"

Hearing that, the staff member simply shook his head. "Hey, kid. You’re imagining too much. This is just a standard examination using a machine. It’s nothing like what you’re picturing in your head."

’Ah... thank goodness.’ Shaan let out a long breath. ’At least everything sounds safe.’

"Now, sit down and stop wasting my time," the staff member instructed. "I’m going to attach this device to your body."

"I understand."

A deep frown formed on Shaan’s face when he saw the staff member pick something up from the table. Shaan couldn’t tell what it was at first, but the object looked round, black, and about the size of a metal coin. That’s strange... what exactly is that thing?

"Now, don’t move." The staff member placed the two devices against both sides of Shaan’s temples and turned on the screen in front of him. "Make sure these stay firmly attached to your temples throughout the examination."

"I get it."

"Alright, listen carefully," the staff member said as he gave Shaan brief instructions. "When I connect this machine to your Insameter, you will feel a vibrating sensation similar to an electric shock throughout your body. That reaction is normal. Don’t panic. Stay calm. Got it?"

Shaan nodded.

"Good. Then we’ll begin the examination now." The staff member powered on the small computer beside him. "Remember—stay calm and take a deep breath. You have nothing to worry about. Everything will be fine."

Shaan responded with a small nod and slowly leaned back against the chair. Moments later, the screen in front of him filled with tables and detailed data displaying his personal information.

’Calm down, Shaan. You’ve got this.’

A sharp sensation—like countless needles—suddenly surged through Shaan’s entire body as the machine linked with his Insameter. At the same moment, the large screen in front of him lit up, instantly displaying the condition of Shaan’s Insameter in the blink of an eye.

"Based on your condition, you still qualify as stable enough to participate in this event," the staff member said while pointing at the screen. "However, your Insameter data shows a record of a drastic power surge that pushed its status straight into the red zone."

"Uh, that’s true." Shaan nodded, confirming the staff member’s statement. "That happened some time ago when I used my power excessively."

"Hm... I see." The staff member nodded slightly. "In that case, you’ll need to use this."

He then pulled out a small box from the floor and slowly opened it. Inside lay a small gray object, noticeably smaller than an Insameter. Upon closer inspection, it resembled a ring.

’That’s strange... what kind of item is this?’

"Put this Ringlock on one of your fingers," the staff member explained. "Once you wear it, the device will activate immediately and suppress excessive power that could cause your Insameter to spike again."

"Okay."

Shaan slipped the item onto his left pinky finger. The moment he did, the ring displayed a perfectly circular symbol—identical to the red moon emblem of Twilight Sanctum.

"As you can see, this symbol represents the Red Moon of Twilight Sanctum," the staff member explained while pointing at the Ringlock. "When the Lunaris Revia event begins, the Ringlock will emit a glow to indicate activation. You cannot destroy or forcibly remove this item until the event ends."

"Okay, then."

"Do you have any questions regarding this item?"

Shaan shook his head. "No, I don’t think so."

"Very well. Please exit through that door," the staff member said, pointing toward another door inside the room. "The next participant will enter shortly."

"Alright."

Shaan walked toward the indicated door and exited the room. Outside, he immediately spotted Chelsie and Nalira, who stood nearby while chatting with each other.

"Shaan!" Chelsie waved her hand when she saw him step out. "I’m glad to see you here!"

"...How did your examination go?" Nalira asked him. "Did everything go smoothly?"

"Well... it doesn’t look very good," Shaan said as he showed them his Ringlock. "I have to wear this for the entire Daemon Hunt Rite."

The moment they saw the item, Chelsie and Nalira exchanged glances. Slowly, the two of them smiled, as if they shared the same thought.

"Uh... what’s with those looks?" Shaan frowned, clearly suspicious of their expressions.

"Uhm... Shaan, it seems you’re not the only one who received it," Chelsie said as she slowly raised her hand, revealing the same item on her finger. "I got one too."

"...Me as well," Nalira added.

"Oh wow, so both of you did too?" Shaan laughed. "I really didn’t expect this."

"That sounds like quite the coincidence," Chelsie laughed along. "Uhm... since the last examination is over, how about we go buy some Vitajuice?" she suggested. "I don’t know why, but I’ve been really into that drink lately."

"I agree," Nalira nodded without any hesitation.

"Alright, I’ll go along with it," Shaan said.

"If everyone agrees, then let’s move," Chelsie said cheerfully.

Chelsie led the way and soon stopped in front of a small shop at the end of the street. Even so, a long line of people queued up to buy the drink.

’Jeez, I really didn’t expect—’

"Shaan!" 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The shout made Shaan turn around instantly. His eyes widened in shock the moment he recognized the person running towards him like someone he knew very well.