Entrance Ceremony

"Let's check my progress this week!"(Alex)

I called out "System" and a virtual screen appeared in front of me, revealing my stats.

==========

>>[Status]< Stats:

[Strength: E-]

[Agility: F+]

[Intelligence: C]

[Stamina: F]

[Magic: F]

[Charisma: D]

[Luck: E]

[Exp:0]

[Profession: Swordsman Lvl. 1]

[Techniques: Higher Swordsmanship (F-)]

[Quests]

[Shop][Locked](Collect 300 experience points to unlock the shop)

[Skills]

==========

Haa…"(Alex)

Using my shirt to wipe away the sweat that lingered around my mouth, I took a good look at my status window.

'My strength and stamina stats have increased by a minor rank, it's because my sword aptitude has increased, due to which my growth was so smooth, but after reaching D-rank it will slow down considerably'.

Well, it looks like my hellish training was successful.

"Now, I should leave for the entrance ceremony, I will get punished if I get late for the entrance ceremony. This academy is very strict on its schedule." (Alex)

After walking for about 25 minutes, I was already in front of the ceremony hall, so I entered without hesitation.

Taking a deep breath, I walked inside the building.

Walking into the auditorium building, I was amazed by the high ceilings and big inside space. The detailed designs on the walls outside were also inside, showing feathers and claws in the architecture.

The big lobby was full of new students, everyone wearing their own uniforms and talking excitedly with each other.

The walls were lined with display cases, showcasing various replica artefacts and trophies that the academy had collected over the years.

Moving towards the main hall, the sound of my footsteps echoed throughout the space.

The hall was enormous, with rows upon rows of seats stretching out before me.

The roof went up high, decorated with a bunch of chandeliers that sparkled in the sunlight coming through the windows.

The stage at the far end was enormous. The entire environment of the auditorium was one of magnificence and splendour, a fitting reflection of the academy's reputation and prestige.

Taking notice that everyone else just sat anywhere they wanted, I followed them and sat on the nearby seat, in the mid-row. The seats were comfortable, made from plush velvet, and with armrests on either side.

I sunk into the seat, feeling a sense of tiredness as I leaned on the comfy seat. The rows of seats seemed endless, with thousands of students expected to attend the welcoming ceremony.

At 9 a.m. the gates of the ceremony hall closed and all the lights turned off, except for the lights on the stage.

Then, a man in a white suit was walking onto the stage. He was rather young to be considered someone of high standing in the academy, and that was what made some of the students here look at each other while whispering about the man's identity.

He was a handsome man with light brown hair and bright blue eyes that resembled the clear sky.

He had an upright posture and a positive aura that exuded friendliness and justice. Despite his youthful appearance, he carried himself with the confidence and maturity of someone with experience.

The moment, my eyes saw him I knew who the man was. He was none other than the principal of the arcane academy and the fifth strongest person in the human territory "Ian Bell".

Ian stood on the stage, his charming appearance bewitching the female students and starting his speech:

"Hello Students, nice to meet you, I am Ian Bell, the Principal of this academy and an SS Rank awakened."

After hearing this a commotion started in the hall, and all the students started to talk to each other excitedly.

"Oh my god! The legendary Ian Bell, one of the only 6 SS rank humans, the strongest fire mage is right in front of me!"

An excited girl who was sitting on my left side was shouting this, at the top of his lungs.

Seeing him surprised me, and he's just as good-looking as I wrote in the novel. He's one of only 4 SS rank humans on Earth.

No one in the human race or any other race in this world has an SSS rank because reaching SSS rank is really hard. So, the power of a race is shown by the SS rank people.

The Elves and dwarves both, have 4 SS-ranked people each in their race. The very presence of an SS rank is enough to maintain the survival of a race in this world.

Races without any SS-ranked individuals choose to be followers of stronger races, or else more powerful races take over their territories or are destroyey by appearance of a higher class dungeon.

There are very few SS-rank dungeons that are recorded in history.

After the commotion was calmed down, Ian resumed his speech "Welcome, new students, to the Arcane Academy, We are excited to have you all here with us today, as you embark on your journey toward becoming the next generation of heroes. You have all shown immense potential in the entrance exam, and that is why you're all now gathered here together," Ian paused, just to observe the audience's reaction.

Following him, I also looked around. The students looked at each other, feeling both enthusiastic and nervous at the prospect of becoming heroes.

"We cannot wait to see how you will grow and develop throughout your time here at Arcane…"

As he spoke, I found myself becoming increasingly bored. I wondered when the speech would finally be over and we could get on to the next stage of the welcoming ceremony.

After about half an hour of speech, the highest-rank student was invited to the stage.

'Here comes the protagonist'.(Alex)

"We would like you all to welcome our first ranker of the entrance exam of this year".(Ian)

"So, without further ado, let's give a warm welcome to our star student, who will be delivering the official welcome speech".(Ian)