Wand Selection Ceremony [1]

Today marked the official start of the new semester at Starlight Academy, and Caius, dressed in his Elite class uniform, made his way toward the wand storage room.

Before the academic year commenced, students were given the opportunity to choose a suitable wand for themselves at the academy's wand selection ceremony - a major attraction for Starlight Academy, known for its prestigious reputation and high-quality wands, even for their lowest grade ones.

As Caius made his way into the room, he was immediately greeted by a bustling crowd of first-year students, all eagerly searching for the perfect wand.

While it was not strictly necessary to use wands, staffs, or cranes to perform magic, these tools could greatly enhance a user's accuracy, and proficiency, and reduce mana wastage.

Additionally, using a wand could provide a greater range of magical abilities than without one. For example, some wands may be better suited for casting spells related to elemental magic, while others may be more effective at enchanting or casting protective spells.

In this world, where the majority of the population focused on magic over any other weaponry, wands were considered the ultimate weapons. As such, the wand selection ceremony was a crucial moment for the students. Many hoped to get their hands on a better wand, which could provide them with a significant advantage over their peers in the coming semester and could unlock their full potential.

As the students crowded into the wand storage room, Scarlett, the professor in charge of the Elite class, addressed the group. "From now on, you will inherit a wand that you will use at the academy," she announced, flanked by other professors who were in charge of the other classes.

Since Starlight Academy had a lot of resources, they didn't lend wands; instead, they gave them out for free.

Caius shook his head when he heard Scarlett's words. Although students were allowed to choose their own wands, it was the wand that ultimately chose its owner through resonance. This made the process of choosing the right wand critical for every student, regardless of their class.

'At this point in the game, the highest level a player can be is level 12, and even that requires completing a few minor side quests.' Caius mused. 'And since it was just the beginning, not every protagonist might have reached level 12 at this point.'

In the game, wands were also graded, ranging from Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, Mythic, Divine, and Artifact.

These grades may also have sub-levels within them, such as low, medium, and high levels, to indicate the power or rarity of the wand.

And Players may need to reach a certain level or complete certain quests to obtain wands of higher tiers.

For the average students of Starlight Academy, most of them would only be able to resonate wands of the Uncommon low grade, with only a few lucky ones receiving wands of the Rare low grade.

However, there were exceptions for protagonists, antagonists, and other important side characters who had already reached Level 10 or above. They would be able to resonate wands starting from at least the Rare low grade.

And only veteran players who had explored every part of the game, completed every side quest, and had reached Level 12 before the wand selection ceremony would be able to obtain an Epic low-grade wand, the highest grade available in the room.

'There are no grades above Epic low grade here in the academy, and even if they existed, no one would give them away so easily. They are coveted items that could even start wars,' Caius mused as he looked around the room.

Wands dangled in the air, stuck on the floor, piled up in drawers, and even flying around the room. Each wand had a unique personality and ego, making them enigmatic objects. They appeared beautiful to the naked eye, but their true value came from being selected by a worthy owner.

"Some wands are merely decorative and serve no practical use. Others are dangerous trap wands that can cause harm to their users. It's important to choose carefully, as the selected wand cannot be changed or swapped for the entire year," Caius muttered as he scanned the room, examining the various wands.

"Do you have a wand in mind that you want to use, Ember?" Aria asked with a curious smile, standing beside her new friend.

Caius grinned to himself, glad to see that the two girls were getting along. He wasn't interested in getting involved with any "save the villainess" quests or other similar missions.

Ember pointed to a wand on the table. "That's the one I'll go with. I did some research beforehand and I think it suits me."

Aria's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at the wand. "O-Oh, I think that's the highest-graded one here," she said awkwardly.

Ember's eyes sparkled with excitement as she pointed at a wand. "I have a feeling about this wand. Its name is Celestia's Star, and I believe it has chosen me."

"...."

Aria just smiled at her, but deep down she knew that it was unlikely that Ember would be chosen by that particular wand. 'Sorry, Ember, but that wand already has its owner. Even I wouldn't be able to get my hands on it,' she thought to herself.

Aria's attention then turned to a handsome blonde-haired boy who she knew would be the owner of Celestia's Star. 'I wonder if that wand will still choose Aiden in this timeline,' she mused to herself. Her gaze then suddenly fell on Caius, who was yawning as if bored.

"...."

She couldn't help but wonder, "...There's no way that wand would choose Caius, right?"

She quickly dismissed the thought, realizing that even though they were both regressors, the wands would choose their owners based on their own criteria and not their abilities.

"Alright, I hope you have all had a chance to look around and have decided which wand you want to choose," Scarlett spoke up again, commanding everyone's attention.

"Without wasting any more time, let us begin the wand selection ceremony," she announced, her voice echoing through the room.

"The Elite class students will be the first to select their wands," she continued, her words causing excitement among the Elite class and disappointment among the others who couldn't help but feel the system was biased.

"What if all the best wands are taken by them?" many of the students thought as they turned to watch the Elite class students with envy.

"The rest of you will select your wands based on your rank from the entrance examination," said the professor in charge of the Honors class, taking charge of the selection process while Scarlett settled into the only chair in the center of the room, leaving the bothersome work to her colleagues.

As the selection process began, Scarlett couldn't help but steal glances at Caius, her mind racing with thoughts about how she could help him remove the curse. She wasn't one to judge people based on their appearance, but in her eyes, Caius was already handsome enough, and she couldn't help but wonder what he really looked like without the curse.

Scarlett shook her head to clear her thoughts, realizing that she needed to focus on the task at hand.

"Ember, as the top student in the entrance examination, you will have the honor of selecting your wand first," the professor announced, gesturing for her to come forward.

"However, it's important to note that the wand you choose must resonate with you and also choose you as its owner. If that doesn't happen, you'll need to select a different wand," the female professor in charge of the Advanced class reminded the students.

With all eyes on her, Ember approached the selection of wands, her heart beating fast with excitement. She made her way towards the most highly graded wand in the room, Celestia's Star, determined to make it her own.