Welcome To The Academy

The room buzzed with energy as the young seekers exchanged jokes and reactions to their rankings, bustling amongst themselves in excitement.

Kai, however, was frozen in place, staring at his bracelet as though it had just whispered a lie into his ear.

'Number one... me? Is that even possible?' His chest tightened.

With a single glance it was plain to see that the room was filled with talented seekers—many of them obvious legacies of the great sorcery clans. Just by observing their confident stances, their subtle, controlled mana, and the air of privilege they carried, he could tell they were the real deal. And yet, against all reason, the Association had ranked him the strongest.

His fingers trembled as he turned his gaze to the elf standing beside him— the boy who had radiated so much confidence earlier.

But now? He was stiff, staring down at his bracelet as a single bead of sweat rolled down his cheek.

Kai peered over his shoulder, peeping into the elf boy's bracelet.

Player: Dash Blackwood

Rank: 99

'Ninety-nine?!' Kai's brows furrowed in awe.

He glanced at Dash's face again, noticing the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. Even he couldn't believe his rank.

Then again, the rankings couldn't be right. Kai was ranked first, after all—that alone was enough proof that something was off. Right?

Before he could fully process the absurdity, the hall quieted, and once again, Renji continued.

"Yes. I see you're all satisfied with your readings. That went far better than I-"

"Sir!" A voice cut in and out from the seeker crowd came a man—a figure of undeniable presence.

His jet-black hair, sculpted features, and perfectly tailored combat attire made him stand out even among the elites.

He carried himself with the easy arrogance of someone accustomed to admiration, yet his piercing gaze suggested he had no need for validation.

Renji, the overseer, looked in his direction with mild amusement.

"...There he is...Go ahead. Speak."

The man cleared his throat and then began.

"With all due respect to the Association..." he muttered aloud

"I believe there's been a mistake...You see, I was ranked second." His tone sharpened.

"Which should be an obvious mistake since I'm certain noone here can possibly be stronger than me."

Kai swallowed hard.

'Oh. Shit...this is gonna be good.'

The entire room stiffened.

Kai, feeling a mix of secondhand embarrassment and creeping dread, instinctively shrank back.

What was so baffling about this situation was that he was number one. And that meant the arrogant man's so-called "mistake" was him.

Renji smirked and then he continued.

"I can assure you, if you were ranked second, then you are exactly where you belong."

The man exhaled sharply through his nose, his jaw tightening.

"Then perhaps you can enlighten me. Who, exactly, is supposed to be stronger than me?"

Renji lazily gestured his finger toward the massive digital display above them. A hush fell over the room as all eyes followed his movement.

A bright flash illuminated the rankings, projected high above the seekers in sharp, undeniable clarity.

Rank #1: Kai Draven.

It wasn't a fluke. He was number one.

A heavy silence followed.

The man's lips parted slightly as if struggling to comprehend what he was seeing. Then, his gaze fell upon Kai, pinning him down like a hawk sighting a rodent.

Kai instinctively straightened, resisting the urge to laugh nervously.

He barely knew how to wield mana, let alone deserved the top spot. This was a cosmic joke—one that had just made him the biggest target in the room.

With a soft cough, Renji cleared his throat, regaining the room's attention.

"Now that the matter of rankings is settled, let's move forward. Your training program will last thirty days. At the end of it, you will be deployed to reclaim Louge City." His expression darkened.

"Succeed, and your ranks may rise. Fail, and... well, you'll be dead. Either way, the battlefield will decide your worth."

A weight settled over the crowd. The joking and lighthearted energy from before had all but vanished in a jiff as they all comprehended the situation they were in.

"This will be deadly. Many of you won't return. If any of you wish to back out, now is the time. There will be no shame in it."

A long, tense silence followed.

Kai subtly glanced around, expecting at least one person to step back. But no one did.

Renji's lips curled into a prideful grin.

"Good. No cowards among you. Then—"

'Didn't he say noone would get judged?' Kai thought inwardly.

He stretched out his hand displaying an almost dramatic posture.

"—welcome to the academy."

A massive screen flickered to life again, shuffling the list of names.

"Now, let's get to the part that really matters: your teams."

His voice carried an air of finality.

"As you all know, Seekers are strongest in groups, so we've divided you into teams of four."

A few people groaned, others muttered to their neighbors, likely hoping to be grouped with specific allies. But Kai? He could already feel the bad luck brewing.

And sure enough, his name appeared, grouped under group seven which displayed the names of the members-

Kai Draven (Rank #1)

Dash Blackwood (Rank #98)

Sonya Jensen (Rank #100)

Ira Holt (Rank #62)

Kai's stomach twisted as a thought creeped into his head.

'No...This... this is bad. Really bad.'

You see, he was already the weakest person he knew. He had been hoping, praying, that if this whole "rank #1" mess had to happen, at the very least, he'd be placed with strong allies.

Instead? He was grouped with the lowest-ranked seekers in the room. The bottom of the barrel- or rather, his mates.

But the worst part—the part that sent an icy chill up his spine—was Sonya.

Rank #100.

Was the exact same girl from the Gripper incident.

Kai exhaled slowly through his nose, pressing a hand over his face.

'Great. Just great.'

Renji clapped his hands, attaining the crowds attention.

"Now that that's settled, that marks the end of the orientation, so...let's move on. Your next challenge awaits." He muttered as he pointed toward the far left side of the hall.

A door stood there, thick and ominous, its metal surface etched with beautifully crafted runes.

"If you wish to learn the truth— and advance forward in this bout to become the strongest...then step forward."

The room fell into uneasy silence.

Some hesitated, exchanging glances. Even the man ranked second seemed to be weighing his options, glancing at the teammates assigned to him—likely relieved they were among his usual clique.

Kai, however, clenched his fists.

This was his only chance. If he wanted to survive, if he wanted to learn mana techniques, then it didn't matter how unfair or ridiculous this situation was.

He had to move forward. It was the only way to ensure he'd level up and become the strongest he could be.

And so, gritting his teeth, he muttered.

"Fuck it...let's do this."