Serious

The aura of an adult dragon…

That was the pressure the Principal of the Starfall Academy radiated as he entered the stage.

All eyes were drawn to his old, yet powerful frame as he approached a mana orb that hovered on a podium.

"Hello…"

Tapping onto the mana orb, the Principal's voice boomed through the auditorium.

Making sure that it worked, he cleared his throat and continued.

"Welcome, students, to the opening ceremony of the Starfall Academy!"

His grey eyes scavenged the crowd of young faces, feeling slight mana pulses from the more talented students.

Momentarily, his attention shifted to a certain girl with blond hair and sky-blue eyes who sat in the front row.

She had no mana presence at all.

'The Saint.'

The Principal's eyes narrowed. It made sense why he couldn't feel any mana fluctuations coming from her - she had Divinity.

"…!"

However, she wasn't the only one without mana.

A white-haired boy sitting in the back row also appeared to have no mana presence at all.

'Is he a Null?'

Momentarily, the principal felt slight unease growing within him, but quickly regained his composure and leaned towards the mana orb once more.

"As you all know, the Starfall Academy is one of the most prestigious institutions in the entire world for cultivating talented individuals with exceptional magical abilities…"

He spoke whilst touching his beard.

"And it is with great pride that I welcome each and every one of you to this esteemed establishment."

The Principal raised his hands into the air.

Sparks of fire ignited for his fingertips and danced across the entire hall, lighting the chandeliers with candles hanging from them.

"However, there is one more thing before you become 'true' students of Starfall Academy…"

Weaving his hand through the air, he spoke.

"You all must know that there is a ranking system within our school. Every year has a clear hierarchy determined by the student's overall power."

The Principal spoke, whilst doing some weird signs with his hands.

"The higher you rank, the more privileges and freedom you have in the Academy."

Seeing that everyone was paying close attention, he continued.

"Anyways, you will all be taking an entrance exam to determine your initial ranking at Starfall Academy, right about… Now! Remember your main goal is to kill as many beings as possible and also… Good Luck!"

As he spoke his words, suddenly the ground beneath the students disappeared and everyone plummeted in a strange murky liquid, disappearing as soon as their bodies touched the substance.

A few students managed to react in time, trying to avoid the thing, but with a bit of mana pressure from the principal they were all dragged down into the depths, as the auditorium faded away around them.

Left alone the Principal leaned against the podium, stroking his beard with a thoughtful expression.

"These first years seem quite promising… Maybe 'he' will make an appearance this year as well."

Shaking his head, he swung his hand diagonally, opening another portal and stepping into it.

It was too early to think about that right now.

***

"Curses!"

I couldn't help but exclaim as I found myself falling from the sky.

One second I was sitting in the auditorium listening to the Principal's speech, and the next I was plummeting into a strange murky liquid below.

Whatever that substance was, it teleported me to an entirely different location, high in the sky.

Whilst tumbling uncontrollably, I heard a scream next to me as another student joined me in free-falling.

Rotating a bit, I looked at the horizon and noticed that there were hundreds of other cadets also in the air, hurtling towards the ground below.

Although the same happened in the game with the principal teleporting the students, experiencing it firsthand was a bit terrifying.

That's at least what I would've said a few weeks ago.

After that dungeon experience in the port, I was more prepared to deal with such heights.

『 Vanish 』

As per usual, when I was near the ground, I immediately used my skill and disappeared, safely landing on the ground without harm.

Without even batting an eye, I immediately rolled up my uniform sleeves and unsheathed my sword I had deliberately taken to the ceremony as I knew this entrance examination was bound to happen.

Most of the students had nothing except their clothes on them, hence I had a slight edge over them.

"Okay… Time to move."

Clenching the hilt of my weapon, I began walking South.

If my memory serves me right, there is a burrow that holds an entire pack of Fenrir Wolves in that direction and the points they give upon slaying them is quite substantial.

Honestly, a few days ago I was debating whether I wanted to take this exam seriously or not.

Being in the low rankings didn't mean that I would suffer any significant consequences, except, maybe, bullying. But in return I would have less of a presence and would be almost invisible to the eyes of the most.

That sounded like a very appealing option…

However, I decided otherwise.

If I managed to rank high enough, I would gain access to more privileges, resources, and opportunities within the Academy.

I couldn't pass up a chance like that, because I felt edgy and wanted to appear mysterious.

In the end, strength is everything in this world and if I want to survive until the end of this game, I must strive to become as strong as possible in any way possible and if that means working my butt off in the entrance exam, then so be it.

I will do it.