Chapter 40: Seven Years Later
Seven years have passed since the world began to change. Many things have happened: wars, peace, and the awakening of new powers across the continent. And now, a new era begins... The Golden Era.
An era where the beginning or end of the world is determined. And the beginning of destruction...
POV Azel:
Hey, my name is Azel Monzain. I am currently in the Neutral Continent called VLORA to attend and register for the examination of the strongest Academy in the entire world, ARCANA.
And I am a low-ranking noble's son from the Human Empire. Why could I enter the academy? Because of talent—I received a recommendation to come here due to my fairly good talent... That's right.
Actually, he got in for free. Not just Azel, everyone can enter the academy if they pass all the tests.
...
Initially, when I arrived on this continent, I froze in place in shock. How could I not? This continent was much better than the one where I live.
While the human continent, or Atlas, is filled with kingdoms and forests, this continent is filled with towering buildings and spires. There are also vehicles like cars, motorcycles, etc.
The Atlas Empire also has cars, but only high nobles own them. But here? People commute using cars and motorcycles, even if they are much cheaper than the nobles'.
That left me gaping like an idiot. But that wasn't enough; when I arrived at Arcana Academy, I almost fainted—I swear to God, I'm not lying this time!
Because the island where the Academy stands—is floating in the sky above the middle of the city. Yes, the island is flying! I only heard about it from my father back then, and I didn't believe it until I saw it myself.
The city is also named Arcana, same as the Academy. And there are many more surprises here. Like when I entered the Academy through the teleportation portal, inside, there were various races.
And now I'm in the Academy yard along with 10,000 other people who registered here. But don't be mistaken, that doesn't mean everyone will enter this Academy.
They must first pass the Principal's exam, and now the time for that exam has arrived.
"Hey Azel, aren't you feeling nervous?" asked a guy next to me named Ali.
I turned to him slightly annoyed, I said, "Of course, I'm nervous, you idiot! What's wrong with you?"
Ali is my friend; we came here together, but like I said before, he's a bit of an idiot.
He pouted, annoyed. "I'm worried about you, you know!?" he snapped softly, afraid the people around us would hear.
I quickly raised my hand toward him, "Sorry, but I like girls."
Ali paused for a moment—.
Then a vein popped out on his forehead as he raised his hand, about to slap me. "You—!"
Before he could say more, a Mana wave suddenly exploded in the air.
Wuuuuushhh!!
The wind spun fiercely, causing many people to stagger backward. Some even fell to the ground. Ali and I automatically closed our eyes because the Mana gust felt like a storm piercing the skin.
"W-what was that!?" Ali shouted in panic, holding onto my shoulder.
I slowly opened my eyes. From the center of the field, right on top of the large stage...
A woman stood with long, reddish-orange hair that glittered like fire under the sunlight.
She wore white-gold regalia—half armor, half ceremonial robe. The fabric glittered like trapped sunlight, and the golden shoulder guards reflected an aura of authority that made anyone bow their heads unconsciously.
The Mana wave emanating from her body made the air vibrate.
Every student present immediately fell silent. Even their breathing seemed to stop.
A feminine voice, yet filled with power, sounded through the air.
"Welcome, prospective students of Arcana Academy. I am the Dean of the Academy, Helena Eliz."
The voice was loud, yet somehow calming to the ear.
Ali whispered, "That's... the Principal? She's beautiful..."
I swallowed hard and hit the back of his head, saying hastily, "Hey! You could die!"
The woman's gaze swept across the entire field with her light purple eyes, which seemed to dive into everyone's soul—then she raised one hand calmly.
A moment later, a dense Mana wave spread again, but this time, it was stronger, like a hot mist creeping to the ground.
Several nervous participants immediately staggered, their gazes unfocused, then one by one they collapsed, unconscious—not from injury, but from the magical pressure that demanded mental preparedness.
A small rumble swept through the ranks as bodies dropped like a row of puppets.
We also almost knelt, but held it back with all our might. The Mana wave continued to press us for several minutes until it finally disappeared.
Ali and I took heavy, ragged breaths, gasping for air. The other participants were no better; some even vomited.
The sound of footsteps echoed on the stage; every tap of her shoe was like a war drum.
"Those who cannot stand under my pressure..." she paused for a moment, looking coldly at the people sitting and unconscious.
"... are not worthy of setting foot in Arcana Academy."
The surrounding air returned to calm, but the atmosphere felt heavier. We all knew—the test hadn't even started, but the Principal had just shown a level of strength far beyond our reach.
"Those who couldn't withstand my Mana wave, leave now," she commanded.
A few moments later, less than half of the participants remained standing.
Silence enveloped the field. No one dared to speak; even breathing felt heavy after hearing the Principal's command.
The woman looked at us one by one, her gaze seemingly piercing through our chests, then nodded lightly.
"Good. At least, half of you still have the guts to stand up." She took a step back, "Now, I hand the rest over to you."
Right then, the sound of shoes echoed on the stage. From behind the Principal, someone walked forward: a young man with blonde hair parted in the middle, showing a bit of his forehead.
Almost half of the female participants immediately widened their eyes and murmured softly.
""So handsome...""
His red eyes stared sharply ahead, but his expression was calm. He bowed politely to the Principal before speaking.
"I will proceed, Principal."
The woman looked at him briefly, then turned to leave, her robe gleaming in the light.
"Very well, Leon. Make sure they all realize who deserves to be here."
Leon—the name immediately echoed through the magical loudspeaker on the stage.
Ali and I exchanged glances.
"That guy... isn't he—"
"The Imperial Prince and the son of the Emperor of the Atlas continent, Leonhard Astria," someone behind us cut in admiringly.
Leonhard looked at us from the stage, then smiled faintly.
"Welcome to Arcana Academy. For those who don't know me, I will introduce myself." He placed his hand on his chest, bowing his head slightly.
"I am Leonhard Astria, the second-year Student Council President. Today, I will be the main supervisor for your entrance exam."
His tone sounded polite, but every word carried a subtle pressure that made it difficult for people to stare back.
"For now, our Vice Student Council President, Ren Ozawa, is on his way. So, I will start without waiting for him."
Small whispers began to spread among the participants' ranks.
"Ren Ozawa? Is the person he mentioned... that genius? Tsk, what's his nickname now..."
""The White Devil..."" several people who knew the nickname said in unison.
I swallowed slowly. That name somehow felt familiar to my ears, like I had heard it somewhere before.
Leon raised his hand, and immediately several blue magic circles appeared in the air, projecting large writing across the sky.
[Practical Exam]
Black clouds rolled across the blue sky. The light from the magic circles in the air illuminated the entire field like an artificial aurora.
Leon looked at all the participants below the stage, his voice ringing loudly.
"This exam will evaluate your combat ability, cooperation, and mental resilience in a Virtual World."
He pointed at us and continued, "This virtual world is structured directly by the Arcana professors—so don't think you can cheat the system."
The magic circles above our heads began to expand, radiating a dazzling blue light.
Ali and I stared at each other.
"Virtual world?" I muttered.
Ali blinked quickly. "Are you sure this isn't some kind of game?"
"I hope so, but... the Student Council President's face doesn't look like someone who likes to joke."
Leon raised his hand. In his palm, a black crystal appeared, emitting a deep blue light.
"You will be sent into an artificial magic world, and the injuries and pain you experience... will feel real."
He pointed the black stone toward us, "and this stone will be with you when you enter that world."
"Whoever can defeat an opponent will gain points." He looked at us again.
"Therefore, gather as many as you can and become the champion. But of course, it won't be that easy."
"In there, there will be second-year students hunting you. But if you can defeat them, you will get double the points compared to fighting fellow participants."
A murmur immediately filled the field.
Some people swallowed, others began to look at each other sharply, already treating each other as enemies. Then Leon raised his hand, signaling them to prepare.
"The exam will begin in three... two..."
Before he could finish counting, someone's voice echoed across the yard.
"Well, well~! You're not waiting for me again, Sir Leon? I'm feeling sad now~!" The voice was teasing like a flirtation, especially to the girls' ears.
Leon sighed softly when he heard that, turned to the back of the stage, and saw a white-haired young man walking casually toward him.
We all followed the voice and—our breaths caught in our throats.
.....
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