The Best Year

Abel woke up to the sound of his alarm and jumped out of bed, quickly getting dressed. There weren't any strict clothing requirements at the Divine Academy only that students had to wear the academy emblem on their chest.

After brushing his teeth and taking a shower, he skipped breakfast not that he had any food to begin with.

Opening the GPS on his phone, he checked the route to the academy. It was an hour long walk from where he was staying.

Fortunately, he had woken up two hours early, meaning he wouldn't have to sprint there.

As he walked, his mind started overthinking.

This was way scarier than going to the Hunter's Guild.

The main reason? The hierarchy.

Even though this world's setting was far in the future, money wasn't the true measure of status.

Strength ruled all.

That was why the Divine Academy had such a rigid hierarchy. It was a school for the geniuses of this generation, some of who were the children of Supremes and other powerful figures.

And this year?

This year's batch of students was considered the strongest since the generation that had produced the Ten Supremes, a feat that hadn't been seen in decades.

An hour later, Abel finally arrived at the academy.

The sheer scale of the place made even the most impressive buildings on Earth look pathetic in comparison.

It was massive, the size of at least seven football stadiums. Some of the buildings floated in midair, held up by advanced technology or magic. In the far back, an enormous arena loomed, where fights and tournaments would take place.

The entire campus screamed prestige.

Abel wasn't sure where he was supposed to go, but after spotting a huge crowd of students moving in one direction, he decided to follow them.

The crowd led him to a massive auditorium.

It had multiple upper decks, where the second, third, and fourth-year students were seated, looking down at the newcomers. This was their first glimpse at the new first-year students.

Abel found a seat in the back, the perfect spot to observe everything.

There were so many students that he couldn't even tell where any of the important characters from the novel were.

A few minutes later, the doors shut, and an elderly woman stepped onto the stage.

She exuded authority.

"Welcome, everyone. Today marks the first day of the school year," she announced. "I would like to recognize that this year's first year batch is the strongest since the Supreme Generation decades ago."

Pride filled her voice as she spoke.

"The reason you are gathered here today is to register for your classes. There are three mandatory courses, but you may choose an additional three elective classes."

The moment she finished speaking, hundreds of phone notifications pinged at the same time, echoing through the auditorium.

"You should all have received a list of available courses," she continued. "Choose wisely. Once selected, they cannot be changed. Failing too many classes will directly impact your standing in the academy."

Students immediately started chatting, discussing which classes to take with their friends.

On the stage, a 15 minute countdown appeared, giving them time to decide.

Abel barely needed five.

He already knew what he wanted.

Rune Training. Runes were extremely useful, and he had a personal interest in them. But the real reason? There was someone in that class whom he needed on his side, someone who would be invaluable in the future.

Craftsmanship. This idea had hit him the night before, just as he was falling asleep. If he learned how to create weapons, he could craft a perfect one exactly to his needs rather than spending money on multiple ones.

Weapons Training would help him further improve his combat skills and mastery over his weapons.

Once he finished selecting his courses, his schedule for the school year popped up.

His homeroom? F Block.

That meant he was ranked among the lowest of the first years.

At the top was S Class, which only had 50 students the strongest of the first years.

Below that were A, B, C, D, and finally, F.

Abel wasn't surprised. He had no artifact, and even though he was a decent fighter, it wasn't enough to make up for the fact that he had no Blessed Energy.

He could stay in the shadows and manipulate events from behind the scenes, but that required a level of intelligence and planning he simply didn't have.

Besides, he wanted to experience that feeling again.

That adrenaline rush from the raid.

It made him feel alive for the first time in a long while.

And in the moment, it had even helped suppress his fear.

He sat there, lost in thought, until the 15 minutes passed and the director returned to the stage.

"If you have not selected your courses, a random schedule will be assigned to you," she announced. "Now that we've finished registration, you will receive a digital layout of the academy. Use it to locate your homeroom. You are dismissed."

With that, she stepped off the stage to speak with the teachers.

As the students began filing out of the auditorium, Abel speed walked to his homeroom.

He hated being the last one in. Having all eyes on him was the worst feeling.

Navigating through the crowd, he finally reached his classroom.

To his relief, he was the first one there.

He climbed to the third row, choosing a seat at the edge, not too isolated, but not completely surrounded either.

A perfect spot.

Students slowly trickled in, and soon, the room was full. A chubby, brown haired boy sat next to Abel, but before they could talk, the classroom door slid open.

A middle aged man stepped inside.

He was incredibly handsome, with red hair and orange eyes. He had an air of confidence and he was dressed nicely.

Instantly, every female student's attention locked onto him.

"Good morning," he greeted, his deep voice effortlessly commanding the room. "You can call me Mr. Graves. I'll be your homeroom teacher."

He glanced around the room before continuing.

"The rough reality is that some of you will never progress beyond F Block. But that doesn't matter. The real goal here isn't status, it's to leave the academy stronger and smarter than when you arrived."

Most students only saw the academy as a status symbol but that was the wrong mindset. Even the highest-ranked students could eventually be surpassed by those ranked lower.

"In homeroom, you'll receive report cards, information on school events, and important announcements. Beyond that, it's just a place to check in."

Mr. Graves grabbed a tablet from his desk.

"I'll now take attendance. I'll call your name, along with your rank among the first years."

A student raised their hand. "How many students are in the firstyear class?"

Other students nodded they were curious too.

Mr. Graves frowned, thinking. "Not sure. You can check the academy app if you want the exact number."

The class stared at him.

Wasn't he told this information?

Shouldn't a teacher know how many students are in their own class?

He clearly didn't care enough to check.

Still, he went down the list.

"Mia Hill, Rank 902."

"Peter Warker (hehe), Rank 909."

Eventually, he reached Abel.

"Abel Black, Rank 1500."

The room went silent.

Then, whispers.

Abel already knew why.

When everyone had checked their devices, they had learned there were exactly 1,500 students in the first year class.

Which meant Abel was dead last.

Abel wasn't surprised.

What was a normal human supposed to do against superhumans?

But soon enough, that would change.

Mr. Graves barely reacted. "Anyway, first period starts soon. Feel free to talk among yourselves or ask anyone, but me, if you have questions."

With that, he sat back, kicked his feet onto his desk, and relaxed.