Academy

"Are you sure?"

Aaron inquired.

"Yes, I am certain. This is the best way to make money."

"OK, whatever you say."

As he followed me into the building, he spoke.

"We're here to save money and invest it in something."

After we finished at the bank, we began walking back to our flat. We were spent.

"Wait a second, we made 2 million glimmerings in 5 hours."

I spoke as I gazed up at the dark sky.

"Yes, we will have financial security. I'm hoping we can get this money back to Earth."

"Do you want something to eat?"

Aaron inquired, his gaze fixed on me.

"Sure, but how do people get hungry here?"

"I'm not sure, man. Let's go to a restaurant and get something to eat as soon as possible."

"Yeah."

***

I responded. After finishing our meal, we returned to our flat.

"Alright, good night."

Aaron spoke as he headed to his room.

"Yeah, good night."

***

We spent the next few days just hanging out with Elle. Horton taught us basic breathing techniques and swordsmanship. We still had to train with Viktor. We are ready to attend school now.

"It's time, guys."

Elle spoke to us as we stood in front of a massive structure. It appeared to be larger than a typical school. It was most likely more than 700 acres. It had a substantial infrastructure.

"Wow, it's... big."

As we stood before the school, Aaron spoke while staring at me.

"Pause on that, but yes."

I replied while looking around. Thousands of students surrounded us. 

"Let's go, fellas."

Sir Even walked ahead of us, pointing the way. 

"Sir."

We followed him.

"This school has more than 50,000 students enrolled.". Sir spoke.

"Lets go guys; we have to get to your class to get assessed." Elle spoke. 

"Yeah, let's go." 

We said bye to Sir Even and left.

***

We followed after her. We parted ways with Sir Evan.

We entered a big hall. It was a huge football field. The room was filled with a sea of students.

A person walked up on stage and adjusted the mic to his height.

"Greetings, students. We feel privileged to have you as one of our students. We are excited to see what future holds for you. I would now like to ask the principal to come on stage and say a few words."

The person got off the podium and another man got on. He was huge and had a huge scar across his face.

"Damn, he looks scary."

I said as I looked towards the stage.

"Hello, young folks. I am the school's director, Pretzon Kalfk. Welcome to our hallowed halls, where legends are born and destinies are forged. Here, within these storied walls, your journey begins. May your courage never falter and your spirit shine bright as you embark on the adventure of a lifetime. May your courage guide you and your aspirations soar. Embrace the adventure that awaits with unwavering spirit."

The principal's voice carried through the room as he spoke.

"Classes will inspire your mind, while collaborative projects and hands-on experiences will prepare you for real-world challenges. Our campus thrives on a spirit of camaraderie and respect, fostering a community where every student's voice is valued.

Remember, our goal is to help you discover your potential and support you every step of the way on your journey to greatness. Welcome to a year of growth, learning, and unforgettable adventures. Thank you all."

He said that and got down to the podium. The person who spoke first came up again and adjusted the mic to his height again. He was rather short.

"Thank you, sir. Now, I'd like all the new students to head to their assigned rooms. Your seniors are going to give you guys your badges. All the students may head out through all five exits."

He spoke and left the stage. People started taking us around again.

"That was not too long, was it?"

I looked at Aaron and asked him.

"Yeah, completely different from home."

He spoke.

"Come on, guys, let's go. We will get assigned to your rooms now."

Elle spoke and started walking towards one of the exits. We both followed her.

We reached the exit, Elle and Aaron got their cards, and we moved on.

"Here you go."

A young, beautiful girl handed me a card.

"Thank you. What do I do with this again?"

I asked her.

"You see the number in the middle of the card. You go to the building with that number; in your case, its building 573. Good luck."

She informed me, so I left. I went to Aaron and Elle after spotting them.

"Hey guys, what number did y'all get?"

I asked them.

"I got 54, and Elle got 243."

Aaron answered, looking at his card.

"Hmm, so its all random then. Ok, I'll go ahead."

Elle spoke and left us.

"Yeah, bye."

We waved her off.

"Let's pass our tests and get the same class."

Aaron said as he looked at me. 

"Yeah, sure. But how do you know we are going to the same class?"

I asked him.

"They are doing this because they don't want people to discriminate against each other like the nobles vs. the normal. So, they put everyone to random rooms so they can get people from both sides. And from each room, the top 3 are going to be in one class, and it goes on like that."

He said.

"So, like, the best of the best will be in a class. I see, so all I have to do is come in the top three. Ok, see you, bro."

I answered back.

"Yeah, good luck, and make sure to win."

After telling me, he walked out to his room.

"Goodbye! Good luck."

Following the crowd, I strolled aimlessly.

'Damn, I don't know where to go.'

I thought to myself.

"Hello, do you know where this room is?"

I stopped a random dude and asked him; he just made an ugly face and just left.

"What the hell? I swear to God, I'm not that damn ugly."

I spoke out loud.

"Hahahaha."

I heard a laugh behind me.

"You got a problem, pal?"

I turned around and asked him.

"Woah, calm your jets down, buddy; what you said was funny. I mean no harm."

He answered.

"So, what's your name?"

He asked me.

"Nova. What about you?"

I replied.

"Issac Reynolds, It's good to meet you. Let me help you."

He answered back. He reached out and motioned for me to give him my card. I handed him my card.

"573 huh, alright, head straight and you'll be there."

He pointed towards a building in the distance.

"Thanks dude, Nice meeting you. And good luck. I'll see you around, I guess."

I thanked him and left. He also greeted me and left.

***

After walking for a while, I reached the room.

'This hall is damn big. Why the hell is it called a room?'

I thought to myself and entered the room. There were at least 75 people in there. I looked around and saw an empty seat. I sat on it.

"Hey, how are you doing?" 

A girl sitting next to me spoke.

"Oh, Yeah, Hi. I'm doing good. I'm Nova, by the way."

"Hi, I'm Jaz. Nice to meet you."

She was stunning. 

'I'm so damn lucky to be friends with such good-looking girls.'

I thought to myself, totally forgetting that I was staring at her.

"You here?"

She asked me.

"Yes, I was thinking about something. Sorry."

I spoke, being all shy and embarrassed.

"Hahaha." She giggled. "It's fine; I just talked to you because I thought you looked cute."

She said it was making me more shy.

"Wha... What are you saying?" I replied, all shy. 

"Is it wrong for someone to tell another person that they look cute?"

"No, It's not. I'm just... surprised." I answered.

*boom* *boom*

The speakers randomly started to make noises.

"Good morning, everyone. I'm Asta greystone from class 3-A. Me and my fellow classmates are going to start the tests in a few minutes. I kindly ask everyone to get ready."

The voice spread throughout the room.

"I guess its time to go." She got up. "Let's meet up later. Good luck, handsome."

She took her bag.

"Yeah, bye. See you later."

I responded. I waited until she left before getting up and standing in line. 

*Boom**Boom*

"I am speaking again to inform you that we will begin testing immediately. The test will contain a strength, speed, and duarability test. It will also consist of a memory and strategic planning test. I wish you all good luck."

'Let's go.'

I thought to myself, looking at the big TV screen displaying the first few people that started. The person from my line seemed pretty strong, as he displayed good strength and duarability. He was a bit slow, but deep down, I knew I was better.

***

After waiting for a while, my turn came up.

"Hello, I'm Inoue, and I will be testing you."

"Hi, I'm ready. Let's go."

I responded. After seeing all of those people who had completed their tests, I was pretty thrilled. I walked through a door and followed Mr. Inoue.

The room had many pieces of equipment; the most notable one was a random crystal on a table. I already knew what kind of tests I had to do. 

"Sir, I'd like to test your strength first." He spoke. "We want you to punch this machine, which will tell us your strength level."

"Ok," I responded, and I got into position.

"huup."

I took a deep breath and punched the machine. It went flying across the room. Mr. Inoue looked surprised.

"Woah, is that supposed to happen?" I asked him.

"Uhh, I mean, it is possible if a person above a high knight did it. Can we try that again?"

He asked me kindly.

"Yeah, sure." I responded and walked over to another one.

'Do I hold back this time? I think a little.'

I punched the machine again but held back a little.

*2431*

The machine displayed a value.

"Ah, there we go. It must have been some technical difficulty."

Mr. Inoue spoke.

"No, it isn't." I said it with a smirk on my face. "I just held back."

I said.

"There is no need to hold back; just go for it. It's not like the school's poor or anything."

"Ok, I will."

I punched the machine again. It went flying across the room again.

"Damn kid, your pretty strong. Keep it up, and you'll definitely join the best class."

He spoke, looking surprised.

"Wait, does this mean I'm like High Knight level?"

"Yeah, but we won't know until you finish your test." He replied.

"Ok, follow me." He walked through another door, so I just followed him.

"Now, it'll be a speed test." He spoke. 

We walked into a whole room with a huge track with sensors around it. The track was around 500 m.

"What I need you to do here is run through the track, hit the button, and come back here. If you use any short cuts, you will have to do it again." 

I just nodded and got ready.

"3...2...1....GO!" He exclaimed.

I just ran so fast that my vision blurred, and I was in front of the button. I hit it and returned.

*Click*

Inoue hit the band on his wrist.

"You really didn't hold back, huh?"

I had hit the button within a second.

"Yeah, I didn't. I want to come in first place after all."

I answered.

"Well, technically speaking, you didn't run but rather used flash."

He told me.

"What's flash?" I asked him. All I did was copy Rowan.

"Flash is a speed technique used by low knights and higher. Where did you learn that?"

He spoke again. 

"I just copied my brother doing it." I replied,

"Hmmm, I see. You've definitely shocked me. Ok, let's head back to the first room."

I followed him back to the first room.

"Now we are doing the duarability test. Do you think you can resist a punch from me?"

"Definitely, I can. Let's do it."

He got into a hand-to-hand fighting stand and punched me in the gut.

"Uuugmmmm," I said, making a small noise while standing. But, in truth, it didn't hurt me a bit.

"That was good." I smiled and looked at him.

"I was holiding back." He answered.

"I thought you weren't supposed to." I taunted him.

"Hahaaha, Ok. Get ready."

He really wanted to hurt me. He took all his power and hit me. But to cushion the hit, I used soul emanation around the gut.

"Ooffffffff." I made a sound because it did hurt.

"Any normal person would have gone flying across the floor. You're a pretty good kid."

"Damn, that hurt bad." I lied.

"Okay, now that I know that your physical health is amazing, what about your mental powers?"

He asked me as he went and sat down on a chair.

"We only have one thing to test here. How are your thinking skills while in a real battle?"

"Shoot," I answered.

"You are on a mission in Senxeus trying to retrieve an important document, and one of your team members gets hurt. "The worst part about this mission is that you are being pursued by three crier basses. Also, not putting the mission first on the line is a punishable crime."

"What would I do? Well.... I'd."

"I'd tell one of my team members to take the document and go back while the rest of us save our friend and try to get back safe."

I answered.

"Well, what if there is no way you could save your friend?"

"I'd send the others away and stay with him."

"I see. Ok." He replied back.

"Wait, what is the actual answer?" I questioned him.

"There is no real answer, but everyone will have one common answer. Saving the hurt one. We just have to hope it does not happen in reality."

"Wise answer," I replied.

"Ok. One final test. How much soul emanation do you possess? Let's see. Follow me."

I just followed him. We got in front of a table. He picked up a grey crystal.

"What I need you do here is put all of your soul emanation into this crystal. It glows through different colors, which helps me get to know what rank you are."

"Ok. Give it to me. Do I put all of it in?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied

"Ok, here I go."

I closed it and put all my soul emanation into the crystal, but the damn thing didn't change its color.

"Why isn't it changing it's color?"

I opened my eye and asked, but I was in a room with a throne. 

"Welcome." Kikei said, looking dead into my eye.

"What are you doing here?"

I spoke in an aggressive tone.

"I'm doing my job, looking over you." He replied.

"What do you mean?"

"What Otto told you was a lie. Otto #############. It seems like my words have been reduced and blocked off. Oh well, it's too soon for you to know anything anyway."

He spouted some nonsense.

"I don't believe anything you just said. You literally manipulated the whole synthex. Why would I trust you?"

I spoke back.

"Like I said, it's too soon for you to know anything. Let me give you a little advice: don't ever tell anyone I'm your nexus soul."

"I didn't plan to anyway." I jumped up and got in front of his face.

"Brat, I'm still the strongest," he said.

"I don't care. I don't trust you at all." I replied.

"Look down," he said.

I looked down and saw millions of crier, human, elf, and dwarf bodies under us.

"What are you trying to imply." I asked him, looking him in the eye.

"I didn't ###########. It looks like I can't even explain myself. Oh well, our time is up." he said.

"Hey, wait. I have a question."

"Next time, maybe if you don't return right now, you'll break the crystal and destroy the room with your soul emanation."

"Noo wai-"

*spurt*

He cut off my head. I finally opened my eyes. I was back in reality. 

"Are you done?" Mr. Inoue asked me. I nodded, saying no. 

I put all my focus into it and broke the crystal. I was mad, but I controlled my anger and fully stopped my soul emanation.

"Woah, really? You have so much soul emanation. You are a prodigy, acing all the tests. Your a talented kid." He looked surprised.

"Hahaha, I was told I had a lot of soul emanation. My reserve is almost unlimited." 

I answered, looking at him.

"Well, your done here for now. You can go back and sit. I've recorded all of your stats. We will make an announcement later. Good luck."

"Ok."

I left the room and sat back in my spot. After a while, the girl I met earlier came back and sat next to me.

"I saw your performance earlier. You're really strong."

"Wait, they showed the whole thing?" I asked her.

"No, they didn't. Only the strength part. I figured that you were strong."

"Oh, ok. I thought they showed the whole procedure." I replied.

"Why are you worried? Are you secretly weak?" She giggled and spoke.

"What, no. I'm not worried about that. I'm just shy on camera. That's why I asked."

"Hahaha, your funny," she said.

"Stop flattering me. I'm not that great. I'm just trying my hardest." I spoke, looking away.

"Awwww, so shy." 

"Stop.... Anyway, how'd your test go?"

I changed the subject.

"I frankly don't know. Like you said, I tried my best."

She replied, looking into my eye. I looked away. I was shy because I had never spoken to a girl like this before. I always thought of Annie as a sister.

*boom* *boom*

The speaker started to make sounds again.

"Hello everyone, It's me, Asta, again. We will drop the result now. Everyone look at the big screen."

***

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Scoreboard

No. Name. Rank. Class. Level

1 Nova Carnegie 1 1-A Low knight

2 Jaz Kage 2 1-A Low Knight

3 Pratam Rolot 3 1-A Low Knight

4 ..................

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_________________________________________________________________________________________________

***

"I CAME FIRST!!!"

I screamed in surprise. The room was filled with clapping and cheers.

I knew I was going to be No. 1. But I still had to act like I was surprised.

"Congrats. We did it. I knew you were a strong person. "

Jaz congratulated me with a hug.

"Ekkkke."

I made a sound, but it was faint, so she didn't hear it.

"Let's go, Jaz." I hugged her in exclamation.

*Boom* *boom*

Sorry everyone, we have made a mistake in the ranking scoreboard. Please forgive us. We have only made the changes and now have them up on the screen.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

 scoreboard

No. Name. Rank. Class. Level.

1 Nova Carnegie, 1 1-A High Knight

2 Jaz Kage 2 1-A Low Knight

3 Pratam Rolot 3 1-A Low Knight

4 ..................

..................

...................

..................

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_________________________________________________________________________________________________

"High knight?!?!?!?"