The students were gathered in one of the academy's largest halls.
The floor shimmered with complex magical circles, forming geometric patterns that pulsed with a steady golden light. There was tension in the air. Many looked excited, others nervous, but no one really knew what to expect.
K aen stood with his hands in his pockets, emagical yes lazily drifting across the room. It looked like he wasn't paying attention… but he was. When he glanced down at the floor, he couldn't help but think,
'Identical to the academy map at the start of the tutorial...'
Same layout. Same hall. Same symbols. Seeing it in real life was weird… and nostalgic.
On each student's wrist was a black bracelet covered in magical inscriptions. The device wasn't just a score tracker. It was also the key to enter the space created by the academy, a suspended plane, separated from reality, as the professors called it.
Of course, it wasn't a real world.
Not even the headmaster of Veyhart could do that.
But with the help of artifacts and mana catalysts, he managed to create something that felt real enough, with all the dangers that came with it.
An impressive achievement.
Marco walked over and broke the silence.
"Hey, what do you think the test area's gonna look like?"
Kaen kept his eyes forward, his expression flat.
"No idea."
A lie.
He knew exactly what it would be. He had played that tutorial hundreds of times. It was a magical forest filled with hidden zones, ruins, and monsters of different ranks.
But telling Marco that would raise some weird questions.
And what would last-minute info really help with anyway?
He glanced at his bracelet for a moment.
"So… if we take a serious hit, this thing pulls us out, right?"
According to the professors, the device was linked to the user's life force and the artificial space of the academy. If someone got hurt badly, something truly dangerous, the system would automatically bring them back.
The Veyhart uniforms also had magical reinforcement. If that broke, the bracelet would trigger an alert.
It was just enough to give people a false sense of safety.
But Kaen knew. The forest wouldn't go easy on anyone who treated it like a game.
Without warning, the magic circles flared.
A strong light filled the hall.
'...Alright. Let's begin.'
In the blink of an eye, they were gone.
===
Back in the academy's central hall, a man watched a giant magic screen in silence.
The headmaster of Veyhart had neatly combed gray hair, calm dark eyes, and a steady expression. He wore a black coat with silver detailing and carried the air of someone who had seen many generations come and go.
A professor stepped closer and asked casually,
"Sir, do you expect anything specific from this class?"
The headmaster didn't respond right away. His gaze remained locked on the projections in front of him, showing different areas of the artificial forest.
Students had just arrived and were already moving between the trees.
The professor pointed to one of the screens.
"That's Rayden Velmar, son of the Velmar family from Aurine. He's already fighting."
The screen showed the boy slashing through creatures with his enchanted sword like he was born for it. His movements were precise, fast, and confident. He clearly wasn't there just to participate. He wanted to dominate.
On another screen,
Elena Raventhal was rushing through the trees, dodging obstacles and scanning her surroundings. It looked like she was searching for something… or someone. Maybe a strong monster. Or maybe just a real challenge.
Other students, heirs of well-known families, took a more careful approach. Yenne, for example, moved calmly, studying every part of the forest like she was analyzing the world itself before making a move.
And finally...
There were also those who stood out not because they were strong... but because they sparked curiosity.
The headmaster narrowed his eyes for a second. The image shifted, focusing on a clearing filled with leaves and branches.
In the center of it, a boy was still lying on the ground.
The same professor, now intrigued, pointed at the screen.
"That one... he hasn't moved since he arrived. Is something wrong with that student?"
Kaen was lying among the branches, eyes closed, like he was just... resting.
The headmaster let out a faint smile.
"Indeed, this year's students are quite peculiar."
===
The image of the forest remained still.
Kaen, now in the forest, was staring at the message in front of him.
[TEST SYSTEM - INDIVIDUAL RANKING]
Objective: Earn points. • Eliminate magical creatures. • Collect crystals from defeated monsters. • Cooperation between participants is allowed.
Warning: Crystals and artifacts disappear after being registered on the bracelet.
Monster classifications: Class 1 to 3. Higher rewards come with higher risks.
Kaen stood up. The message faded into particles of light.
He hadn't stayed still out of laziness. He was just deciding what to do. Others were already running around, eager to collect points as fast as possible.
He began walking calmly through the forest.
He could earn points by defeating weak creatures and collecting the crystals they left behind.
Or he could try taking down a Class 2 or even a Class 3 monster.
But being registered as a Class 2 mage, facing a Class 3 right away might not be the smartest move.
Teaming up with other students was also an option. The academy made that clear in the message.
It was obvious they wanted to see how students handled freedom. Would they form alliances or see each other as rivals?
But there was another way to earn points... one Kaen always used during the tutorial.
He chuckled to himself as he kicked a small rock along the path.
"Man... this is so wrong..."
===
Elena was in combat with a Class 2 monster.
The creature was tall, made of living stone covered in magical moss. Its hands formed jagged blades, and the force it gave off was enough to shatter a tree.
She narrowly dodged a vertical strike.
KRRAACK!
The stone blade slammed into the ground, carving a shallow crack.
With a sharp motion, Elena stretched out her arm and cast her magic.
The scarlet flame gathered around her hand, taking shape. Within seconds, a crimson spear spun in the air, pulsing with spiritual energy.
...VUSH!
She threw it with precision. The weapon shot through the air like a crimson streak, slicing forward until it struck the monster's shoulder.
THRAMM!!!
The impact forced the creature to stagger. The area hit was smoldering, as if its magical essence was breaking apart.
The stone golem growled, stumbling. Elena seized the moment, already preparing her next move.
She raised her hand, and three small orbs of basic fire magic appeared around her.
Basic, but effective.
With a quick gesture, she launched all three at the monster's core.
FUSH! FUSH! FUSH!
The explosions sent waves of heat and dust into the air. The creature dropped to its knees, its mana destabilized, body breaking down.
KRRRSHH!
When it tried to rise, its body was already crumbling into fragments of stone.
Even though golems were strong and durable, having their core destroyed was always fatal.
In the center of the remains, a small crystal floated, pulsing with magical energy.
Elena calmly stepped forward and picked it up. She touched it to the bracelet on her wrist and waited as the system registered the collection.
The item glowed for a few seconds before fully absorbing the crystal.
The numbers on the display changed.
[ Current Points: 67 ]
She took a deep breath, eyes still locked on the bracelet.
'Looks like coming here alone was really worth it.'
She knew the past. And she knew what was coming.
When the test began, she went straight to one of the regions where Class 2 monsters were known to appear.
Those areas weren't marked on the map. But she remembered.
The longer she took to eliminate the monsters there, the greater the risk of other students showing up.
And the more people appeared, the lower her chances of earning points.
While checking her score, Elena felt something strange.
A presence behind her.
She spun around by reflex and saw a girl finishing a spell. Water shaped itself into a sharp, narrow spear in front of her.
The shot came before Elena could even think. A fast, precise stream.
There was no time to dodge. Impossible.
Elena raised her arm immediately. The Scarlet Flames burst from her palm as an instinctive defense.
The water spear crashed into the improvised flame barrier.
BOOMM!
The impact wasn't gentle. Elena was thrown back, rolling through leaves and branches until she stopped, kneeling on the ground.
A dense mist formed from the clash of both spells, filling the area.
Silence followed for a few seconds.
But within the mist, a weak flame still flickered.
The embers of the Scarlet Flame burned around Elena's body, like a broken but still working armor.
Her bracelet gave off a faint red pulse.
The system had detected a potential critical hit, triggering an alert.
If Elena took another significant blow, she would be eliminated from the test.
Of course, being eliminated wasn't the end.
Those who were knocked out lost 30% of their total points.
And if they were eliminated by another student, those points would go directly to them.
"Tsk... I really planned to take you out before you could fight back."
On the other side, Iris Vaellen narrowed her eyes.
She hadn't expected that.
Elena coughed once and dusted off her clothes. She stood back up, her body still aching, but her gaze steady.
'Damn... I didn't think Iris would show up here.'
Iris Vaellen. The kind of presence that demanded respect, even without trying.
With smooth, light blue hair and deep, calm eyes like a still lake, she always seemed too composed. But it was just an illusion.
Her Pure Water magic wasn't like anyone else's. It didn't create waves or explosions.
It moved as if it were part of her body.
"Agh... well... I'm sorry to disappoint you."
The flames around Elena began to stir again. Slowly, they spun around her right hand, taking a denser form.
She raised her arm.
"Let's see if you can put this out."