11 Mage academy

"Sara!" Clay shouted.

"Been a while Clay." She responded laughing.

"How could you tell it was me?" Clay asked confused.

"You didn't changed you aura unlike everything else" she said motioning up and down. "I could recognize it as the same one from the village"

"But it's been 15 years!" He said. "That's a long time!"

"I came to the gate everyday for the past 15 years to see if you came so you owe me a damn good explanation" she said with fake anger. "Your the last person I know from rose cliff..."

Walking off to the nearest shop they exchanged what happened in the past 15 years they were away. Clay left out quite a few details of his journey but overall explained how he was imprisoned for so long.

"Whatcha gonna do now that your in the capital?" Sara asked.

"I hope to attend a school or academy to learn more about this world." Clay responded. Sara having joined the adventures guild decided to keep going at that.

"Well once your out we should go adventuring together. My group is great." She said.

"Ya, I'd like that"

"before you go, what level are you now?" Sara asked.

"Guess."

"50?"

"Higher."

"70?"

Lowering his voice to a whisper. "183."

Sara's eyes immediately went wide in shock. "Wow... Your around the average level of the army. impressive!"

Clay just nodded, opening his mouth to say something bells on the wall rang.

"Sorry but duty calls." Sara said running off.

"Good luck." Clay called out after her. 'Time to join a school or something I guess.' He thought. Walking around the city Clay stopped to asked for directions a few time till he finally reached it. A huge sign hung in front of it.

Welcome to Brightburn Academy.

Noticing a huge line outside Clay asked a old man standing there what was happening.

"It's the tryouts to get in this year kid, many come to see the talents of the future even though it's mostly the pompous nobles that get in maybe a commoner like you can show them up!" He stated with a wide grin.

"Maybe." Clay said walking off with a smile. Knowing the old man was watching he dropped the illusion hiding his level. A loud gasp behind told him that the old man saw it, quickly putting it back up he got in line.

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After a few hours had passed Clay finally reached the front.

"Name?" A bored man at the desk asked.

"Clay." He responded.

"Ok continue on to arena three, there you will be judged."

Walking down the hall Clay reached a door labeled arena 3. Going in he found himself in a room the size of football stadium, most the stands were filled with people cheering. A area off to the sides was where he wandered to, coming up to an instructor came up to him, or at least he thought they were one.

"Ok you must be the new tryout, come over here to get you registered." They said motioning to a desk a few meters down.

Walking up to it Clay was met with a snarky voice greeting him.

"Looks like another common street dog wants to get in!" Short kid of about 15 said to a group of his lackeys, they all snickered with him.

"Real funny guys." Clay responded.

"So the mutt can speak huh. Well we might need to teach you your place." The brat said.

Taking a look at their levels Clay almost started laughing as none of them but the leader were over level 20 with the short one being 25.

"I'm going now." Clay stated. Walking off he got himself registered.

"Name, place of birth, level, and affinity." The man behind the counter asked.

"Clay, Rosecliff, 10, and dark." He replied.

The man looked up a tad confused but gave him the pin regardless. "You fight in an hour and your test is in three."

"Thanks."

Walking away clay realized he had no idea what the test part was about. 'Guess I just got to impress them with my abilities' he thought with a shrug.

The hour came and went with Clay watching some of the fights gaining a general understanding of what to do and how to fight. Finally his name was called.

Showing up to the arena Clay got into the ring and to his surprise across from him was the short kid from early.

"Well Well Well, the mutt is actually fighting. Sure you don't want to back out?" He asked with a smug grin. Clay didn't respond just cracking his neck before he got ready.

"You may begin." One of the judges announced.

Clay summoned a chair of shadows and sat back opening a portal to watch as a wraith step through and the colour drained from the boys face.

"You like it?" Clay asked. Standing before him was a wraith, a creature of pure darkness clad in armour of a knight wielding a greatsword of shadows, at over 9 feet tall it was scary to say the least. A collective gasp could be heard from the crowd and honestly Clay was a tad surprised too not having summoned it before it was a nice surprise.

"Go forth and eliminate my enemies." He commanded 'that was a little too shakespearean i think.' Obliging to his command it took off in a sprint towards the boy still standing there in shock. "Don't kill him though" Clay shouted from behind. With a winding up of its massive blade it smacked the boy across the ring into a wall with the flat of his blade.

"the Winner is Clay." A judge announced in shock. The crowd was silent not understanding how someone of such low level beat the son of a lord.