Selection

The crystal glowed black, indicating an E rank. Everyone was stunned. This was the first E rank among them—Kyle was the weakest. James attempted to encourage him.

"You could one day develop and awaken a new mage seed. Just dedicate your time and strength to it."

Kyle turned to rejoin the others, his head lowered.

"At least I got a rank this time," he thought. "This is a damn blessing."

James then led the students towards another gate beyond the field. They arrived at an enormous, more secure gate, resembling the first but outfitted with advanced security. A device resembling a transparent mobile scanner was embedded at the entrance. James placed a card on it. The device turned green, and the gate opened.

"The Academy occupies the western region of the Kingdom. Although there are fewer Mages, mainly because many children haven't yet awakened their mage seeds, the seeds typically awaken between ages 13 and 15. This requires extensive training grounds. Behind us is the outer field. The entire academy spans roughly 400 square kilometres," James explained.

Kyle was stunned—not by the scale, but because he didn't understand the numbers. He had no grasp of area or diameter, but he could tell 400 km² was massive—perhaps the size of two cities. The other students were similarly shocked, though for different reasons; they were simply in awe of the sheer size of the academy.

The Academy building towered above them, approximately the height of five mega-mansions combined, estimated at around sixty-three storeys. A fall from the top would be fatal.

"You'll now be tested for your ability and power grade. What you experienced outside was merely to confirm whether you've awakened your mage seed. If you fail this part, you'll have to return next year," James stated.

The students assembled on another large field. Moments later, the background shimmered—it was a hologram. They were already inside the academy, not outdoors. The field had a width of approximately 0.27 km, spacious enough to accommodate around 500 students. A large grandstand stood within the space.

A man appeared out of nowhere. He wore a black hood and matching black trousers. His face was completely concealed. He clapped once, and in an instant, every student was teleported to the grandstand. The abrupt relocation shocked them all. Based on his use of teleportation magic, the man was likely a Rank A mage. James stood on the platform beside him.

"The second test begins now. Two students will face off using their abilities. The winner will be accepted into the academy. Blah blah. Let's begin," the man said casually.

Kyle was the first to be teleported to the test field, along with another male student. The boy stood around six feet tall with a lean, athletic build. His features were sharp and attractive, with a well-defined jawline and high cheekbones. His vibrant green hair, dyed in a tousled style, fell across his forehead. The bold colour sharply contrasted with his hazel eyes.

He flashed a warm smile at Kyle. To Kyle, the expression seemed smug and insincere.

James signalled for the match to commence. The boy immediately began forming a black orb in his hands—an ability known as Black Void. It was classified as one of the top five abilities in the Kingdom and generally associated with Rank B mages or higher. Had he been a Rank O user, he could have levelled the entire Kingdom. The ability incinerated everything in its path.

"What the hell? Am I going to die?" Kyle thought as he stared at his opponent.

Suddenly, the system interface appeared:

> [New Quest: Defeat the enemy]

[Enemy Count: 1]

[Soul Beast: None]

[Skills: Black Void]

[Reward: 20 EXP]

Kyle noticed there was no time limit this time, and the reward was minimal. The opponent launched the black orb. Kyle narrowly dodged it, and the orb struck the wall behind him, blowing a large hole into it.

He glanced at the damage and sighed. If that attack had made contact, he would be dead.

The boy continued his assault, launching several dark orbs towards Kyle, leaving him no room to dodge. Kyle froze in fear as the orbs approached.

> [Invisible Shield (Lv. 1) activated]

The black orbs disintegrated just before reaching Kyle. Gasps erupted across the grandstand—including from James. It was the first time anyone had witnessed such a phenomenon. It was as if an unseen barrier had blocked the attack.

Kyle stood motionless, astonished.

The system had protected him. That meant he possessed an ability—one derived directly from the system. He decided to attempt a counterattack.

Raising both hands, a blue fireball began to form in his palms. Kyle aimed at the opponent and fired several shots. The boy dodged them all. The fireballs collided with the wall behind him, causing less destruction than the previous black orb had.

James smiled.

"A tie. You'll now use soul weapons," James announced, lifting two swords and handing one to each fighter.

Both Kyle and the other student looked confused—they hadn't expected a weapon-based duel. Still, James handed them the soul weapons, initiating a sword fight since their magical abilities were deemed evenly matched.

He signalled for them to resume. The system interface appeared once more:

> [Martial Arts Skill (Lv. 1) will be activated]

[System will now copy opponent's moves and skills]

"I'm starting to love this system," Kyle thought. He didn't fully understand what the system intended to do, but it was clearly to his advantage.

Suddenly, his entire vision turned white. Only the opponent glowed blue. The boy lunged toward him.