First Day of Class (2)

The schedule will be five chapters every week for now. This is the first chapter of this week.

***

"Does any of you have heard about Central Academy's teaching method?" Instructor Melissa asked.

A student raised his hand.

"I heard that every student is assigned a personal instructor."

"That is correct." Instructor Melissa nodded. "But that is just a part. Central Academy's classes are divided into two types, general classes, and individual classes."

"General classes are taken in the morning as a group. They include general knowledge such as mana, types of enemies, geography, artifacts, and other things. Although they are general classes, you must not take them lightly. General classes make up a great part of your score." She explained.

"Individual classes, on the other hand, are personalized classes given to you by a designated instructor." She continued. "Every one of you will be assigned an instructor who will guide you for the next three years. This instructor will be someone with a similar style of combat to yours, so he can guide you in the best way possible."

"How is this instructor assigned?" Another student asked. 

"Good question." Instructor Melissa smiled. "During the next week, all of you will undergo several evaluations of different kinds. The instructors will observe and study these evaluations and if they find a student they are interested in, they will send him an invitation."

"Once a student receives an invitation, he can decide whether to accept or to decline it. Students can receive invitations from any number of instructors, so your performance during the next week is very important. You must try to impress as many instructors as possible so you have more options to choose from."

"What if a student doesn't receive any invitation?" Prince Eloe asked.

"You don't need to worry. In that situation, the academy will assign a suitable instructor. Likewise, if a student rejects all the invitations, they will receive the same treatment." 

In other words, no student will be left without an instructor.

Even so, a good performance will offer more opportunities to the students.

As expected of the greatest academy in the continent. The sense of competition is great from the start.

"Any other question?" Instructor Melissa asked.

No student raised their hand.

"It looks like all of you understood the gist of the situation. That is good. Then, why don't we start with the first evaluation? Follow me." 

"Where are we going?" Asked a student.

"To the arena." Instructor Melissa grinned, making some students nervous. "What better way to evaluate your current abilities than making you fight?" 

…

Central Academy's facilities were the best in the continent, combining magic and technology that you could hardly find anywhere else.

The arena was an example of this.

The entire place was surrounded by a giant barrier that prevented any damage from affecting the surroundings. Moreover, it was filled with dozens of magic circles and artifacts designed to guarantee the safety of the students.

An example of this was the bracelet we received when we entered the arena.

"This bracelet will activate a barrier around your body during battle. This barrier is powerful enough to endure one attack from a rook-grade powerhouse, so you don't need to worry about your safety." The instructor explained. "This barrier will change colors as you receive damage. Once it turns red, the battle will be considered finished and you will be eliminated."

Many students looked at the bracelet in awe and excitement.

An artifact able to endure an attack from a rook-grade powerhouse was priceless.

Just selling it could allow a normal family to live lavishly for hundreds of years.

Instructor Melissa smirked after noticing their expressions.

"Not even think about it. This bracelet is almost worthless. The valuable stuff is the magic circles inscribed throughout the arena. The bracelet is just a means to activate them."

The excitement immediately turned into disappointment, making the instructor chuckle.

"Okay, let's start. The format for today's battles will be one-against-one duels. You will be assigned a random opponent, and after defeating him, you'll advance to the next round. The last student remaining will be the winner. Easy enough, right?" Instructor Melissa grinned, ignoring the nervous look on some students.

Several professors and senior students were seated in the stands, ready to witness the first duel of the freshmen. This was their first opportunity to observe the new students showcasing their abilities.

"Let's see, who should we start with?" Instructor Melissa smirked and clapped twice.

A screen-like artifact immediately activated, showing a roulette that stopped in the names of two students.

Number 35: Theo Stone.

Vs.

Number 50: Linsley Steerl.

"It looks like we have our first duelists." Instructor Melissa grinned. "Number thirty-five, number fifty, what are you waiting for?"

I was completely dumbfounded when I saw my name.

How bad is my luck?

To think that I was chosen for the first battle.

"Good luck, brother! Destroy him!" Lina cheered me excitedly. 

I suppressed the bitter smile that wanted to escape my lips.

I just hope he is not too difficult of an opponent.