Ethan and Cassius stood in the middle of the town square, the buzz of everyday life swirling around them. Vendors called out customers to sample their wares, people haggled over supplies at market stalls, children ran through the streets merrily, and a feline-kin swept the front steps of her house. Despite the calm exterior of the town, a mounting pressure weighed heavily on Cassius.


    [ First Stage : Gain 80% Town Favorability ]


    Deadline : Five days


    The first part of the practical exam had begun, and they needed the favor of the townsfolk to move forward. Specifically, they needed an 80% approval rating to trigger the second phase of the trial.


    "Do you think we''ll make it?" Cassius asked, his voice laced with uncertainty as he scanned the crowd. "80%... seems like a lot."


    "Getting pessimistic now, aren''t you? What''s the source of this unfounded doubt?" Ethan inquired.


    Cassius spoke in a hurried tone, as if he is being chased by someone, "I had a foreshadowing last night. This is... A special ability diviners have, every now and then we would be able to take a peak of pages from the future, like reading a picture book of sorts, except the picture book does not have any words in it... And last night, I dreamt of a picture of a burning town that looks just like this one. It was located at the third page of the book. Only three pages had pictures in it while the rest were empty. I fear–"


    "Not to burst your bubble but I heard earlier that the diviners'' ability isn''t always accurate."


    "Well, it had failed many times, but I''m pretty sure this one is legit–"


    Ethan raises an eyebrow, the boy''s statement has piqued his interest. "What makes you so sure about this one?"


    "Well, it''s a bit embarassing..."


    "Come now, we''re practically brothers at this point! You can tell me anything!" Ethan guaranteed, holding the same expression he had when making his students spill the beans.


    "You promise not to tell anyone?"


    Ethan looked to the side and smirked, he recalled a skit back on Earth which portrayed a similar scenario. He says, "I hear you."


    "Well, I–, wait a minute. That''s NOT very reassuring. Say your promise!"


    "Your message has been received."


    "What? No– Come on!"


    "Your request has been filed."


    "Ugh. You''re despicable!"


    "Come on kid. Atleast you know I wouldn''t lie to you. I don''t intend to make a promise I can''t keep. We can pointlessly argue all day and waste time; but if you tell me, I guarantee you that I''ll only tell it to one trusted soul," Ethan reasoned.


    "Fine. I want to pass anyway, this exam means a lot to me. I–"


    "Oh this is gonna be great!"


    "I wet the bed. When I wet the bed during a foreshadowing, there''s a high likelihood that it will come to pass. It only failed a few times."


    "Dang, I''m so- pftt!, I''m sorry to hear that," Ethan was unable to hold back his laughter. He pats the kid on the head and says, "I believe in you."


    Standing next to the boy, Ethan adjusted his cloak and gave him a sly smile. "We are dealt with a seven-deuce."


    "Dealt what?"


    "It''s a poker jargon. I guess you''re too young to be gambling anyway."


    "poker? As in poker-face?"


    Ethan sighs but smiles at the boys'' innocence. "To put it simply, it''s a bad hand. We gotta rack up favorability within two days instead of five. It’s not impossible. We just need to gather information and organize the tasks into bite sized segments. Start fulfilling some requests. I’m sure the people here need help with something."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Ethan''s words were calm, but his eyes sparkled with a different kind of energy. All his procrastination required him to work under pressure while in a tight deadline. He wasn''t a stranger to this kind of scenario, in fact, he revels in it. A small fragment of thrill in his otherwise miserable old life. Now, it has become one of the cards he wields when the odds are stacked against him.


    Cassius could feel it—the diviner’s intuition that always guided him to the hidden truths, could be seen in action with Ethans'' refined foresight. Does this mean his tendency inclines to diviner as well?


    Cassius had been quiet about it, but there was something else that bugged him. A feeling, a hunch... something beyond mere coincidence.


    "Speak now or forever hold your peace," Ethan demanded.


    "I have a feeling that the favor of the townsfolk will get us more than just a high rating. There are hidden perks or... something valuable."


    Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Hidden perks? What do you mean?"


    Cassius shrugged, a shy smile on his lips. "I don’t know the specifics, but the diviner’s intuition hints me something. I can''t say for sure how I knew but there’s something waiting for us if we push past the basic approval. Maybe some unique advantages for the second phase of the exam. I suggest we go above and beyond. But I''m usually wrong..."


    Ethan considered that. The idea of gaining more than just a passing score had its appeal. "We have nothing to lose if we try it. Let’s give it a test drive."


    The duo split up, both of them tackling different requests from the townsfolk. Ethan helped a young chef prepare a lamb sauce, his hands working quickly, his vast experience of cooking for his ex girlfriend had given him an edge. He could already smell the aroma of the newly cooked dish with the lamb sauce as dressing, a tangible symbol of the success with his work.


    Meanwhile, Cassius found himself tending to an elderly man’s lawn. No one wanted to help this man since he would scare the children who accidentally tramples on his lawn. Cassius'' steady hands trimming a gentleness that surprised even the old man himself. Despite his usual anxious demeanor, Cassius’ care for the lawn seemed genuine, and the old man was visibly delighted with the results.


    They spent hours moving through the town, fulfilling more requests—helping fix a broken wagon, carrying heavy barrels for wine for an Sommelier, and offering advice on local matters. Every interaction nudged their favorability upwards, little by little.


    They decided to call it a day and had a quaint dinner in the local tavern.


    "How are you so good at this? The order tasks being accomplished feels like there''s a rhythm to it, the frequent breaks between tasks, the transition from easy to difficult and vice versa is shockingly efficient!"


    "Kid, if you handle 5-6 classes a day with around 60-70 students per section, you''d be mad efficient too. Plus I do it everyday, for more than five years."


    "That''s insane! how could there be classes that big? My mom is a teacher too, but the most she taught was only 30 students per class."


    "Outrageous isn''t? Most learning theory are designed for an ideal class size of 30 students, but the reality is far from what we learn in books. But hey, I got mad skills now, and depression," Ethan laughs as he reminisces those days that he was unable to make a lesson plan, much less open a textbook. He had to look deep in his mental library and pull out a lesson to teach that day, without prior preparation. I really enjoyed teaching, but the paper works? No thank you.


    "You don''t look like a teacher, more like a student."


    "What makes you say that?"


    "Most teachers have long beards and wore a cap and a magical robe. They would usually have an elderwood staff. Frankly you''re too young to be a teacher."


    "Yeah I get that a lot," Ethan smiles. He realized that the education system in this world may be drastically different from Earth, he needs to stir the conversation away so his other-worlder identity won''t be exposed.


    Before Ethan can switch the topic, the tavern doors flung open, a host of scantily dressed minstrels entered to hall and begun singing praises for Professor Louie Dumas. The song had a catchy beat, recounting the Professors'' many feats, people started to dance along, the tavern erupted to a frenzy of revelry.


    Cassius was about to join in when Ethan held him back. "You will do no such foolish thing, child. We''re leaving."


    "You know this guy?"


    "Yes and very well so. From where I came from he''s the infamous Professor Ex."


    "Hold on, why are we avoiding this guy?"


    "I''ll tell you on the way, for now, we''ll have to go."


    Cassius took a quick glance over Professor Ex''s direction. He squinted at him, his senses tingling with unease. The man’s presence was off, something about him unsettling. He wasn’t sure what it was, but instinctively, he didn’t trust the man. Cassius'' stomach twisted. Something about this man felt wrong. He couldn’t place it exactly, but he had an instinctual warning—this was not someone they wanted to engage with for long.


    He looked back, trying to find solace on Ethan''s reassurance, but Ethan was not the same confident person earlier today who had everything under control. His skin looked pale while his face was sweating bullets.


    "You''re right, that is a despicable person," Cassius whispered as he hurried his steps to match Ethan''s stride.


    As they are walking away from the lively tavern, Ethan''s mind raced back to the memory of that one fateful night. He found a young boy struggling to crawl out of the dumpster pile. Called out to him as he passed by.


    "Professor Ers... Help me."