A Memorable First Day (or maybe not) [3]

Daniel's eyes narrowed as he stared at the results. "What…?"

Sam rubbed his chin, intrigued. "Strange. The mana powered machine couldn't detect his mana core's progression?"

Whispers spread among the students.

Lucian, keeping a straight face, thought to himself. 'So, this machine can't track my core's growth? Is it because of the Ascension Tower?'

Lucian could only sigh inwardly. '…I should've expected this.'

But the reason for the other's shock wasn't his core's progression—it was his mana control.

There had been past cases where Eryndral family members had mana cores that couldn't be properly evaluated.

The Eryndral bloodline was known to be blessed by mana, so it wasn't unheard of for their core progression to remain unreadable at times.

However, what truly stunned everyone was Lucian's mana control.

Even among Eryndral elites, no one had ever reached above 80.

His sister, the one hailed as the greatest talent in Eryndral history, had only reached 79 in mana control.

And yet, Lucian had 100.

Lucian's thoughts ran wild, then his eyes widened in realization. 'It's because of my passive mana circulation and my upgraded Mana Ruler bloodline.'

Daniel, keeping a neutral expression, nodded and spoke. "Alright, next."

Lucian stepped down and rejoined his friends—only to find them staring at him like they had just seen a ghost.

He frowned. "Why are you guys looking at me like that?"

Keal clicked his tongue. "Freak."

Elena shook her head. "Weirdo."

Zara muttered under her breath. "Monster."

Lucian rolled his eyes and ignored them.

The evaluation continued and soon came to an end.

Daniel clapped his hands. "Alright, class. You're free to have your lunch. Be at the training room by 2:00 PM. Don't be late."

With that, the session ended.

***

Lucian and his friends sat down in the academy cafeteria, their trays filled with a variety of dishes.

The academy spared no expense when it came to food—nutrient-rich meals designed to support an awakener's body.

As they ate, Keal suddenly brought up an interesting topic.

"Did you guys check the announcement? The top five ranked students received a virtual pod for training!" he said, excitement evident in his voice.

But the moment those words left his mouth, Keal's expression froze. His gaze flickered toward Lucian, who was ranked sixth.

He had completely forgotten that Lucian wasn't included in that privilege.

Keal awkwardly cleared his throat and quickly shut his mouth. The table fell into an uncomfortable silence.

Lucian, however, only smirked. "No need to feel bad about it," he said as he cut into his steak. "It won't be long before I get one."

The group looked at him, puzzled by his confidence.

"Wait… What do you mean?" Elena asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lucian smirked. "You'll see it by this evening with your own two eyes."

Keal narrowed his eyes. "That sounds suspicious. What exactly are you planning?"

Lucian simply took a sip of water and said nothing.

The group exchanged glances.

"Knowing him, it's definitely something crazy," Keal muttered.

Elena huffed. "Well, whatever it is, just don't drag us into it."

Zara, as usual, remained quiet, but there was a small smirk on her face, as if she found the whole situation amusing.

Meanwhile, Lucian was deep in thought.

Zenith Academy has a ranking challenge system. If a lower-ranked student defeats a higher-ranked one, they swap places instead of just adjusting ranks.

'If I challenge Oliver and win, I'll take his second place while he moves to sixth'.

The reason Lucian was targeting Oliver instead of the others was simple.

Zara could trap him in an illusion or mentally manipulate him, and according to the system, his mental strength was weak. Facing her was too risky.

Elena, despite her cheerful personality, was not someone to be underestimated.

The Sylphar family was known as the Rulers of the Skies for a reason—cheerful like the wind, wrathful like thunder.

She could easily hover in the air, out of reach, and rain lightning down on him.

As for Keal, his elemental enhancement made him a nightmare to deal with.

Imagine his hands engulfed in flames while his body crackled with lightning.

The only technique Lucian had that could counter him was Resonance Sword Art, which might destabilize his power. But that alone wasn't enough for a guaranteed win.

Oliver, however, was different.

Unlike the others, Oliver had no overwhelming abilities that would put Lucian at an immediate disadvantage.

Even though Oliver was at Mid Adept, Lucian had a feeling—no, a certainty—that he could win.

He glanced at Keal and the others, who were still eyeing him curiously.

'They'll find out soon enough'.

With that, the group continued eating, still wondering what Lucian was up to, completely unaware of the wild plans brewing in his mind.

***

The students arrived at the training room, a massive space with reinforced walls and a large battle stage in the center.

Daniel stood before them, arms crossed. "The reason I called you here is simple—I want to evaluate your combat capabilities."

A wave of murmurs spread through the students.

"Take a few minutes to warm up. I'll be selecting your opponent's shortly."

As they stretched and prepared, Keal grinned. "Don't expect me to go easy on you guys."

"Nhi nhi nhi, nor will I," Elena replied with a wild smile, already imagining the battles ahead.

Her gaze flickered toward Lucian, and a slight blush crept onto her cheeks.

'If he's my opponent, I'll get my revenge on him for touching me,' she thought, recalling the scene from before.

Moments later, Daniel stepped onto the stage and clapped his hands, gathering everyone's attention.

"The matchups are as follows:

1. Alex vs. Oliver

2. Keal vs. Elena

3. Zara vs. Lucian

4. William vs Alice

5. lucifer vs. Lyra"

The students exchanged glances, anticipation building as the first battle was about to begin.