Santo

Seeing the Screen, now more detailed, I smiled satisfied.

The Rune of Analyze can even make the Screen appear more detailed, which will help me in the process of growing stronger.

Hmm… My stats are as I expected. I'm rank F, every character starts on rank B, the most talented are even on A rank by now. But I guess I can't complain, since I'm nothing but an extra.

Besides, I have already advanced a rank, and I even have some points to use.

Well, I should never use my points on my physical stats, points can be only gained on Trials so you have a very limited amount, and I can increase my physical stats by training.

I should use these points on something that is hard to obtain, or learn which would be either Luck or Mana, and between the two, I'll choose mana.

Mana is the vital energy that fuels our special abilities. Without it, we can't use Alma, and Runes. 

That said, Mana stats is not about the control of mana, that would be Intelligence, Mana is about the capacity of mana you can have, and the more, the better.

Typically, increasing the amount of mana can be done through training, but that's difficult and takes too much time, and right now, I don't have time to waste on increasing my Mana from the start.

I need to level up enough to survive the upcoming events of the game. I have to reach at least Rank A within the next two months, or my life is going to get a lot harder.

That's why I'll use the points to increase Mana, that way I'll skip the most exhausting stats to level up.

Without hesitation, I used five of my points into Mana.

===Challenger===

Name: Kaleb

Title: Child of War [Click to expand]

Level: 1

Status: F

Points: 2

Strength: F

Agility: F

Stamina: F

Intelligence: F

Mana: B

Luck: E

Charm: E-

Runes:

Rune of Analyze [Click to expand]

Almas:

Sign of War [Click to expand]

Legacy [Click to expand]

============

As soon as I increased my Mana, I felt a surge of energy passing through my entire system, invigorating every muscle and cell, and granting my body a lot of energy.

Wow, this is an addicting feeling…

Good, now that my Mana is B, I have enough strength to survive for now, but for the next two months I'll have to pass through a hellish physical training to increase all my stats to reach Rank A.

I nodded before saying, "Now, I have already solved everything here in the tower"

Looking to my left side, I saw another door, which would lead toward the second Trial of Balam.

But I will not get hasty, I'm not strong enough yet to enter that Trial, and I have just received the Legacy, I need to familiarize myself with it first.

Then, It's better I leave.

I raised my hand and envisioned an exit. Light flared to life, shaping itself into a glowing door before me. Without hesitation, I stepped through.

At the next moment, I found myself outside the tower.

I glanced up at the sky, where the moon cast its silvery glow over the city, blending with the soft shimmer of magical street lamps.

As I turned my head, I caught sight of the guards stationed by the gate. They paid me no mind, and I returned the favor, quickening my pace toward my room.

Classes start tomorrow, and right now, I need rest more than anything.

***

Beep! Beep! Beep!

My eyes cracked open as the alarm blared relentlessly in my ears. I groaned, my body aching all over. There weren't any real injuries from the Trial, but the memory of it lingered in my muscles, leaving me sore and drained.

With effort, I pushed myself up from bed and went through the motions of my morning routine—shower, breakfast, brushing my teeth—before finally slipping into the school uniform.

A crisp white shirt under a gray vest, layered with a dark blue jacket and a matching tie. Dark blue trousers and polished shoes completed the look.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and let out a sigh, tugging at the stiff tie that felt like it was choking me.

This is so damn uncomfortable. Isn't Santo a school for Challengers? How the hell do they expect people to fight in this?

I shook my head as I moved outside my room.

Well, a new school year begins. Funny—I never thought I'd find myself back in a classroom again.

Fortunately, my room was within Santo's grounds, so it only took me a few minutes to reach the academy's massive structure.

Despite its modern design, the building mirrored the tower's form, its pristine white exterior contrasting with the tower's yellowish hue. Countless pillars stood tall, supporting the circular structure and the vast dome above it. I vaguely remembered the coliseums I had seen on the internet a few times.

I spotted a few other students in the same uniform as me entering through the academy's open gates. Without hesitation, I joined them.

The interior was even larger and more modern than its exterior suggested—exactly as I remembered from the game. And thanks to playing it, I knew exactly where to go.

Through Kaleb's memories, I knew which classroom he had been assigned to. And because of the game, I knew where that classroom was.

Class 1-A.

The same class as most of the game's main characters.

I quickly made my way to the classroom and stood in front of the door. The first floor was entirely designated for first-year students, due to the sheer number of them. 

As I reached the classroom, I opened the door and was immediately met with the gaze of countless eyes.

Many students studied me for a few seconds before quickly losing interest. However, my gaze remained fixed on three of them—two girls and a boy, chatting together.

The first girl had long, dark blue hair and sharp black eyes. She wore the female version of the uniform—a white blouse, a deep blue blazer with delicate gold accents, and a matching skirt and shoes. 

The second girl, standing beside her, had soft green eyes and blonde hair. A golden tiara rested atop her head, the kind that resembled those worn by ancient Greek goddesses. Wearing the same uniform as the former.

The first girl must be Emily Lancaster, and the blonde, green-eyed one was undoubtedly Chloe Areliel.

The boy between them caught my attention next. He had striking blonde hair and piercing red eyes that seemed almost too intense for someone in the middle of a casual chat. 

He's Lin Dukian, one of the most powerful characters of the game, and he seemed to not be thrilled to be between the two girls.

Those three are very important characters of the game, each has their own story and routes, but unfortunately I didn't reach the true ending with any of them.

I sighed and made my way to the back of the classroom, doing my best to avoid drawing attention. I slipped into the last seat by the window, the perfect spot to blend into the background and stay unnoticed.

As I settled into my seat, the door swung open once more. This time, it wasn't a student—it was a teacher. A woman. I recognized her immediately.

She wore a white version of the uniform, her short, pink hair reminiscent of sakura blossoms, and her clear green eyes scanned the room with a smile. Lehrina. The head teacher of the first years.

She cleared her throat twice, and the entire class instantly fell silent, the tension palpable. The sight made her chuckle softly.

"You can relax," she said with a smile, her tone light. "Despite what you've probably heard, Santo Academy isn't that scary."

I scoffed inwardly. That's because we haven't met Axel yet.

"Anyway, let's begin with introductions. I'm Lehrina, your magic teacher, and I'm also the head teacher for the first year. If you have any issues, you can come to me,"

She continued, her gaze sweeping over the room with an air of ease. "I hope we have a good year together."

Her words were cut short when the door suddenly swung open. A boy stumbled in, drenched in sweat and panting, clearly having run all the way here. His golden hair was tousled, and his deep blue eyes, the color of sapphires, looked to Lehrina with a look of panic. 

He gave an awkward chuckle, his face flushed, and asked, "Am I late?"

That's without a doubt Mikhail, the main protagonist of Tower of Babel.