God’s Temple

Elion and Valeria found themselves seated in a grand hall, surrounded by a sea of eager students. The air buzzed with excitement, as murmurs of anticipation filled the space—everyone was ready to begin their academic journey at Eldoria Academy.

The chatter quickly quieted as two figures stepped onto the stage. The first was a towering, muscular vampire clad in warrior-like attire, his presence radiating authority and strength. Beside him stood a slim, graceful elf dressed in elegant blue robes, her beauty striking, yet her eyes sharp with intellect.

The vampire was the dean of the Warrior Department, renowned for producing the fiercest fighters in the realm. 

The elf, draped in her mystical robes, was the dean of the Mage Department, known for her mastery over arcane arts. Together, they commanded respect and silence, as the hall awaited their words.

"Good morning, students," boomed the voice of the Warrior Department dean, his tone powerful enough to echo throughout the grand hall without the need for a microphone. His gaze swept across the sea of faces before him.

"I know you're all eager to begin, so I'll keep this short," he continued.

"First and foremost, congratulations to each of you for making it here. You are the future—the next generation of warriors and mages who will stand against the demons that threaten our world. You are the shield and sword that will protect this realm from the beasts that seek to consume it."

"You have all received your academy badge, which contains your current rank based on your performance in the entrance assessments," the dean announced.

"The higher your rank, the better the resources available to you within the academy."

He paused briefly before continuing. "These resources range from items that can only be purchased using contribution points—tracked through your badges—to access exclusive books and knowledge in our library, private time with professors, and specialized training rooms."

The students murmured amongst themselves.

"Your ranking," the dean added, "is not static. Every month, there will be evaluations, giving you the opportunity to climb higher. This system ensures constant self-improvement and competition. I trust you'll make the most of it."

When the Warrior Department dean finished, the Mage Department dean stepped forward, offering a few pleasantries before dismissing everyone to their classes. 

"Your classes will begin in half an hour. Make sure to head to your assigned classrooms promptly."

Elion glanced at his badge, following the instructions provided earlier. A holographic display emerged from it, revealing his details:

[Name - Elion]

[Rank - 5000]

[Class - F]

[Department - Mage]

'Wow, this has to be the last rank, right?' he thought with amusement.

[Congratulations, kid. You're first—from the bottom. Quite the achievement, no?] 

Valen's voice echoed in his mind, sarcastic as usual.

'As my mentor, you should be ashamed.'

At that moment, Valeria approached, her eyes sparkling. "Brother, which class are you in?"

"F class. And you, sister?"

"S class," she replied with a confident smile. "But don't worry. I'm sure your rank will shoot up soon, and you'll move up in class. You're way too strong for F class."

Elion chuckled at her unwavering faith in him. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, sis. Let's not be late. See you after class."

They exchanged smiles before heading off to their respective classes.

Elion entered the classroom and was soon surprised at the sheer number of students packed into the massive hall. 

'There must be at least 500 people here,' he thought, scanning the sea of unfamiliar faces.

'How are we supposed to learn anything in a class this big?'

'[Do you even need a teacher with me here?]'

'Says the one who can't help me break through to the next realm,' 

'[That's the student's fault. Maybe you should learn how to learn better.]'

'Right, right,' Elion replied, rolling his eyes.

As he moved through the rows of seats, he noticed that groups of students had already formed, chatting and laughing among themselves. He felt like an outsider.

'Everyone already seems to know someone. Am I the weird one for being alone?' he wondered, spotting an empty seat in the middle of the room and quietly slipping into it. 

"You. Are you the one who isn't even in the Soul-Strengthening Realm, yet dares to enter here?" a sharp voice came from behind Elion.

He turned toward the speaker and saw a small girl standing before him. She was a vampire with striking shoulder-length blonde curly hair.

"Oh, that must be me. Do you have a problem with that?" Elion replied, his voice calm and his expression unreadable as he locked eyes with the girl.

She stiffened, her face flushing with indignation as if she'd been personally insulted. Her hands clenched into fists.

"Yes, I do!" she snapped. "This isn't a place for weaklings. Even with a recommendation, someone as weak as you have never dared to come here before. Don't you think it's an insult to the rest of us who've trained every single day just to earn our place at Eldoria?"

Her words drew the attention of several nearby students, who turned their heads to watch the commotion. Elion felt the weight of their stares, but he remained composed.

"And yet," he said slowly, leaning back in his chair with a faint smile, "here I am, sitting with you. If you have a problem, why don't you go complain to Princess Seraphina, who gave me the recommendation?"

"Shameless! How dare you speak of Her Highness so casually," she snapped, her eyes narrowing in contempt. "She must have felt sorry for you, allowing someone so unworthy into Eldoria. Or maybe… you're just her blood sack?"

Elion raised an eyebrow. "Why? Are you jealous?" he asked, his tone light and teasing. 

"Do you wish the Princess would suck your blood instead? I didn't know vampires were into drinking from other vampires. That's... kind of weird, don't you think?"

Before the girl could retort, the teacher entered the room, his commanding voice cutting through the tension. "Good morning, class. Everyone, take your seats."

The girl shot Elion a final, irritated glance before storming off to her seat, leaving the conversation unfinished. Elion simply leaned back in his chair and ignored her.

'For someone stuck in F class like me, she sure is confident,' Elion thought, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

The teacher stepped up to the podium, his graceful and elegant presence seemed to mesmerize the girls. 

Elion noticed the girls in the room fixated on the teacher, their admiration clear in their eyes. 

'And not just the girls,' he mused, catching sight of a few boys also looking at the elf with a similar kind of awe. 'Guess everyone has their preferences.'

"My name is Robert, and I'll be your homeroom teacher. First and foremost, let me be clear: even if you received a recommendation to be here, if you don't meet the standards by the end of the semester, you will be expelled. So I expect everyone to work hard." 

'Was that aimed at me? It's barely my first day, and I've already been targeted twice,' Elion thought baffled.

"There will be a practical assessment consisting of five evaluations per semester, along with a written test at the end of the semester. Your grades will be based on these six assessments, with the first one scheduled to take place in a month."

"Your ranks will be updated each month based on those assessments. If you want to access additional resources, this is your best chance to prove yourself. However, keep in mind that you can only change classes at the beginning of each semester after all six evaluations have been completed."

"Now, I know you're all eager to visit God's Temple, but even if you're familiar with it, let me explain again." 

'God's Temple? What's that?'

[That's the answer to your current dilemma, my boy.]