The First Years

Administration Block.

All the first-year homeroom instructors gathered in a meeting hall, sitting around a large round table, with the principal sitting at the head.

The meeting hall was situated at the top of the building, offering a view of most of the structures on the academy grounds.

The walls enclosing it were composed of glass that could be adjusted to control the amount of sunlight entering the room.

On the glass wall facing the principal was a massive square display divided into grids, each showing the faces of an instructor who was not a homeroom teacher but had periods with the students as they taught different specialisations.

The principal gathered these instructors to discuss the new cohort of students received this year.

Since admissions were primarily managed by a system that selects students based on their physical statistics recorded after awakening once they met the threshold, the instructors had almost no sway over the selections.

"So, what can you tell me about our new batch of students?" Principal Seraph asked, starting the discussion.

Her demeanour while seated at the head of the table allowed no scope for jokes, as the instructors understood her nature.

"Well, to start with, the number of first years this time is the highest we've ever had. Up to a 25% increase, and this without compromising the quality of students.

"Compared to other academies within the empire, we have the highest number of first years this time around." One of the seated instructors said, looking at the display before him, which showed the statistics of what he was saying.

He swiped and sent the file to the centre of the table, where a copy of what he was reading appeared for everyone to see.

Another instructor, a female, continued, "Additionally, the students we have with high potential are more than in the previous years, and this has nothing to do with the increase in numbers, as one would expect."

The principal listened to the report given by these two instructors.

As part of their responsibilities as homeroom tutors, they were also tasked with gathering and presenting the collected student data in meetings like this one.

The principal looked at the data silently. Although she didn't say so, she was glad that the quality had improved instead. The numbers also demonstrate the improvement in the quality of awakeners in their region.

"That's impressive. What about their previous academic records and behaviour? Have those files been received?" She inquired.

While the numbers and qualities were impressive, the personality profiles of the students had to be considered as well.

After all, they wouldn't want to waste resources on students who would quit halfway or stop the hunting profession after a few years.

"Yes. Most of the students are driven in their efforts to become hunters, and their academics are all good. Though much is to be said about their personality," said the man who spoke earlier.

This went without saying.

As students from different regions and backgrounds, they'd all have their unique personality traits, some more extreme than others.

However, the instructors had nothing to worry about on this front, as the point system in place ensured that any actions deemed inappropriate by the academy resulted in a loss of points.

While it may appear ineffective, no one spent a penny for them to be here. And if they couldn't conduct themselves within the established limits, the door was wide open.

After hearing his report, the principal set her sights on Instructor Horvey Doe, the teacher for Class 1A1, the class with the star pupil.

"Do you have anything to say about the students you have in your class?" She asked, drawing the attention of all the tutors to him.

The instructor in question unfolded his crossed arms and looked at his fellow instructors. "There isn't much to say at the moment. However, if you're referring to Alexander Grey, from what I've seen so far, he indeed shows potential.

"But, …"

He paused momentarily, carefully selecting his words. The other instructors waited patiently for him to finish his statement.

After all, they were all curious about the miracle boy, but without a suitable reason, they couldn't simply call for him.

Furthermore, if anyone could accurately describe someone's biology, it would be him. Horvey raised his eyes to meet everyone's gaze and continued, "… his energies felt different."

"Different? How so?"

His description piqued their curiosity. This was becoming more interesting by the second.

"I'm not entirely sure." Instructor Horvey said with furrowed brows. "He does have mana in his system, but I also felt traces of a different kind of energy.

"This energy was similar to the one given off by void creatures, but at the same time, his energy felt…. Purer? I'm not sure how to describe it," Horvey concluded with a thoughtful look as if reflecting on the moment he resonated with Alex.

Instructor Horvey's ability allowed him to resonate with any object, living or inanimate, and through that, determine its weak points.

With this, he could transform part of himself into a weapon and strike at that weak point. It was a rare dual-natured ability.

Of course, the first time he attempted that with a void creature, he fainted. Their biology was simply different from what humans understood.

"Are you saying he is some kind of void creature or something?" One of the instructors muttered, but the silence in the hall allowed everyone to hear what he said.

"Of course not. What I am saying is that he gives off a similar vibe, but not quite the same. Additionally, when my body felt that small trace, I nearly collapsed."

"…"

His words rendered all of them speechless. Horvey could still recall how he felt when he resonated with Alex.

It nearly brought him to his knees. Luckily for him, his strength and reaction speed far surpassed the students.

The principal regarded Horvey with a critical eye, as if to determine whether his words were as he claimed.

His words were difficult to believe, yet if what he said was accurate, then there was certainly something exceptional about the boy.

'Even Lord Zol asked me to keep an eye on him,' Seraph silently thought.

They were straying from their objective, as they needed to conclude the meeting and return to their duties.

"Let's put that aside for now," Seraph stated, pulling the instructors from their thoughts. "We still have a couple of things to cover before we close for the day…"

The meeting proceeded with the instructors discussing the curriculum and activities planned for the first-year students.