"Impossible..." One of the observers looked in shock at Ryan’s test.
"I... I can’t believe it." Another one stammered.
"Did you really finish?" The instructor couldn’t believe his own eyes, the exam had been handed to him and was right there in front of him.
And even so, he was incredulous.
"You have to press the timer." Ryan reminded him, who then hit the timer without taking his eyes off the test.
His entire focus was on that sheet of paper, but then he suddenly turned the timer toward himself.
"An hour and a half?" He got a chill. "You finished in an hour and a half?!"
"Apparently, yes." Ryan said. "Unless the device is defective, in which case I have no idea."
The man nodded.
He soon began looking at the questions, by reflex he knew: Ryan had gotten most of them right.
But he couldn’t say if they were all correct.
Even so, without thinking twice, he began checking the answers one by one. And what he found made him break out in a cold sweat.
He soon put his hand to his ear and asked:
"Tell me it’s a lie, that there was some irregularity." The man whispered, almost shouting.
"No. Everything checks out..." The many observers swallowed hard with extreme reactions. "He even worked through the reasoning for each of the questions."
The Instructor stared at Ryan not knowing what to say, he was only there because he was obligated to be, at no point did he imagine that anyone would actually pass that infernal test.
And even so, that boy was there, standing in front of him, waiting for an answer.
The instructor then took a deep breath before saying:
"Inform Director Cyntia of this." He then looked at Ryan again. "You passed the first test, congratulations."
Ryan nodded. "And now?" He asked, to which he was soon answered.
"Wait outside, they’ll take you to the location of the second test shortly." Ryan did as he was told.
Before long the previous entourage returned, their expressions taken over by disbelief. While Aron in front nodded with a smile on his face.
Cyntia, however, seemed by far the most shocked of them all.
"An hour and a half?" She asked, terrified. "Only an hour and a half? And got everything right too?"
Ryan shrugged as Aron said:
"That’s exactly why I told you to accept him into our university, as you can see, he’s a unique talent we can’t afford to lose!"
Cyntia beside him just looked on in horror without saying anything for a long while.
"It’s still... too soon to say anything." She said quietly. "Let’s move on to the second test."
The entourage soon walked toward a library inside the university. Where people came and went with their books. The entourage approached a large circular table, with several professors seated waiting.
"Your next test is a foreign language test."
Cyntia pointed to the table in front of them.
"Each of these men is a polyglot, deep connoisseurs of numerous languages from around the world, even those that have already died out.
And you must prove yourself as knowledgeable as they are, in at least one foreign language."
Thick sweat ran down Aron’s forehead, he didn’t know which language Ryan had decided to study.
He didn’t even know if Ryan knew any foreign language at all.
All he could do was give him time to prepare beforehand for this test.
Even though it was impossible to learn a new language in weeks, let alone at the required level.
Even so, when Aron laid eyes on Ryan, he could see an unshakable confidence. Aron’s heart grew lighter seeing this.
Similarly, Cyntia’s heart shuddered seeing Ryan step forward and sit down at the table.
’He knows some language!’ Cyntia started to tremble, but soon clenched her fist trying to regain focus. ’No, it’s impossible. At his age no one can reach that level of mastery in another language!’
Ryan soon looked at the many experts in front of him and said in a grave tone, surprising everyone:
"Unfortunately, none of you are capable of evaluating me." The entourage frowned, as did the evaluators.
"And why would that be the case?" An archaeologist said, adjusting his glasses.
Apparently he was someone respected, since the other evaluators let him be the voice of them all.
"Because the language I know and can speak like a native is unknown to you." Ryan said, making the evaluators’ expressions turn dark, feeling challenged by a boy.
"And what language would that be?" The archaeologist said with sarcasm. "A dead language? I know several of those."
"It’s not a dead language." Ryan denied.
"Then it’s a little-spoken language." He countered.
"That’s not the case either." Ryan shrugged. "Actually, it has many speakers. But in a place unknown to you. One could say it’s an exotic language, of an origin distant from those you know."
"This is ridiculous, boy. You underestimate us." The archaeologist grew half-furious. "If it has many speakers, let’s hear it. Just say something in this language and one of us will say whether we know it."
Ryan sighed. "Then let’s do this. I’ll say hi and a few other things in this language. If anyone understands, let them volunteer to evaluate me."
The room around them fell silent, as everyone watched attentively.
Suddenly Ryan made a few strange, indistinguishable grunts with unshakable confidence and then returned to silence.
As if nothing had happened.
"..."
From beginning to end he seemed like a retard.
"..."
"What in the world?" The archaeologist laughed, mocking him. "Ah, now I get it, you’re trying to invent a fake language to pass the test, even though you don’t know anything."
He started to burst out laughing.
"Pft!"
"Is this guy serious?!"
"What else could we expect!"
Even Cyntia laughed quietly while Aron beside her lowered his face with a dark expression.
Even so, Ryan remained composed and soon said:
"This is what fools do in the face of the unknown, they laugh and mock so they don’t have to admit their own ignorance."
"What that fuck did you say?"The archaeologist’s veins bulged intensely. "Is that your answer?"
"I can prove it’s a real language." Ryan said. "Bring me paper and a pen and I’ll teach you all a new language today."
"Oh, is that so?" The archaeologist let out a sinister laugh. "Are you still insisting on this lie? Aren’t you afraid that we’ll all get angry and kick you out of here with punches and kicks?"
"That’s enough!"
Suddenly Cyntia clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention.
"Even though it is indeed outrageous, we will not resort to violence. Not here, not in this institution."
She then turned to Ryan.
"Ryan, congratulations on coming this far. But I think that won’t be necessary."
Cyntia said, sighing in relief.
"This was enough for everyone. Ryan has failed the second test, and with that we declare the special exam concluded. Congratulations to everyone."
’What hell is Ryan thinking?!’ Aron grabbed his own hair.
The mission had failed.
Aron’s eyes widened before he glared at Ryan with fury, to which Ryan still maintained his composure, only sighing. Aron held himself back from strangling him right then and there.
"Fine, I gave all of you a chance to stop being ignorant. But if you’d rather stay that way, I suppose there’s nothing I can do."
He simply turned his back before saying.
"I’m going ahead, Aron."
Aron stared at Ryan with bloodshot eyes, why the hell did he keep talking nonsense? At that moment all he wanted was to tear out Ryan’s throat.
However, the archaeologist beside him slammed his hand against the table.
"Now hold on just a moment." He said, defiant."Do you still insist on this? Are you still going to tell me it’s a real language?"
"That’s the truth." Ryan shrugged. "You’re a researcher. If you listened to what I have to say, you could certainly tell if I’m lying or not."
The archaeologist leaned back in his chair. His expression was torn between disbelief and curiosity.
He then said, surprising everyone:
"I guess you are right..." Everyone stares at him in shock.
He then sighed.
"Ah fuck! Now I’m going to have to explain myself. This sucks!"
He continued:
"Never before has anyone proposed presenting a new language instead of being tested on a known one. But I believe that as a scholar, we all have to be open to new possibilities."
The archaeologist looked at Cyntia.
"I know very well that our university loves to test people, but, more than that, we are all here to create and discover new knowledge!"
"If this boy says he knows something we don’t know and it turns out to be true, it would be an immeasurable loss to fail him. A regret for a lifetime. I couldn’t forgive myself for that loss."
"That’s why I say, even if it turns out to be nonsense, let him show what he knows. If it’s all just nonsense, I’ll make amends to the others in this room myself."
"But if it’s a made-up language..." Cyntia was soon cut off by the archaeologist.
"If it’s made up, it’ll be easy to tell, real languages have foundations." The archaeologist looked at Ryan and said. "Bring paper and pen and let’s see what he’s capable of. If he manages to prove it’s a real language, consider him passed."