The Magic Core
"Bzzzzzz..."
The old examination chamber slowly opened, allowing Scott to step outside. He shook his head, trying to shake off a mild headache—one of the side effects of mental exhaustion after staying too long in the Virtual Dimension Realm.
"Damn it! My head hurts like hell! The only students still using these filthy old devices are people like us from the Red Class. The Blue Class students had all their test chambers upgraded to the newest generation. They don't suffer any side effects, no matter how much they overexert themselves!"
James Lee, who was beside Scott, complained loudly while rubbing his eyes. "Man, this time, the exam simulation was really tough. I barely passed. What about you?"
"I think I did okay."
Scott rubbed his nose. Indeed, the difficulty of the exam this time had been quite high.
"Let's get out of this rusty chamber."
James Lee moved to the side of the examination room and began extracting his score report.
Each examination chamber was equipped with high-speed crystal processors, allowing for instant test grading. The scores were immediately displayed as soon as the test ended.
"Whoa! 472 points! That's a crazy high score! That's enough to qualify for the Top Ten Universities! And yet, you said you 'didn't do anything'?!"
James Lee shouted in shock.
Scott glanced at the holographic display and sighed.
Technically, 472 points wasn't a bad score.
It met the minimum passing threshold for some of the top universities.
However, the numerical value next to it was red, causing his eyes to narrow.
"Magic Core Efficiency: 21%."
Inside the human body, there was a mysterious organ called the Magic Source.
Scientists had never been able to explain its existence—it was an intangible, untouchable organ, completely unobservable by any physical means.
And yet, it undeniably existed.
For mages, it was everything.
It was the fountainhead through which one could wield magic.
---
Within the Magic Source, there existed the Magic Core, the essence that connected a mage's body to the mana of the world.
Only when the Magic Core was filled to 100% could someone awaken their "Talent".
Only then could they step onto the path of a mage.
---
When ordinary universities evaluated students for admission, they didn't care about their Magic Core percentage.
Even if it was just 1%, they would still accept them—because normal universities only nurtured normal people.
But when it came to the Top Ten Universities, the elite institutions that nurtured true mages, their admission system was brutally different.
They multiplied an applicant's exam score by their Magic Core percentage to calculate the final ranking score.
Naturally, the higher the Magic Core percentage, the greater the advantage.
To qualify, a student needed to reach at least 10,000 total points.
---
Scott's Magic Core percentage was far too low.
Even with 472 points, when multiplied by 21%, his total score was only 9,912.
Not even 100 points away from passing—yet still failing.
But according to the admission rules, he would never be accepted by the Top Ten Universities.
If he wanted to pass, he needed to increase his Magic Core to at least 22%.
But it wasn't that simple.
Even with hard work, someone like him—who had no resources—would need an incredible stroke of luck to achieve that.
Who knew if he could even manage it within 150 days?
---
Not everyone was a genius like "Needle King" Eddie Thompson.
For the Blue Class, having a Magic Core Efficiency above 40% was common.
In other words, they only needed a score of 250 points to secure admission.
But the worst part?
The higher one's Magic Core percentage, the faster their thinking speed, the sharper their five senses, and the greater their physical control.
How could the scores of Blue Class students even compare to those from the Red Class?
It wasn't that they were all talented geniuses.
It was simply that they were lucky.
Lucky in status.
Lucky in wealth.
Lucky in resources.
Lucky in genetics.
Lucky in power.
Being born rich and powerful was already a form of luck.
---
Every day, they consumed all kinds of elixirs and magical cores.
They hired private magic tutors or visited underground magic shops.
The money they spent each month on boosting their Magic Core efficiency was simply insane.
Meanwhile, Scott?
He scraped by collecting scraps from the Artifact Graveyard.
At most, he made $10,000 a month.
But after paying rent, living expenses, and school fees, he barely had anything left.
He couldn't even afford to fill his stomach properly—how could he ever afford to raise his Magic Core percentage?
---
He was one of the unlucky ones.
---
As he sank into frustration, he suddenly heard James Lee curse loudly.
"Damn it! Two people scored over 700 points! It's John Hill and Eileen Vanitas—those damn bastards! They're at the top of the rankings again!"
---
This time, all third-year students had taken the simulation exam at the same time.
At the front of the testing hall, a holographic leaderboard displayed the top 100 students at lightning speed.
The first-place student was a tall, handsome young man with golden-blonde hair, sharp eyes, and an aura of dominance.
In second place, a beautiful girl with pure white hair stood silently—as cold and pristine as snow.
Scott wasn't particularly shocked by their scores, but their Magic Core Efficiency made him furrow his brows in frustration.
"John Hill, Magic Core: 65%. Eileen Vanitas, Magic Core: 68%!"
James Lee was still shouting. "They really deserve to be the stars of the school affiliated with the Scarlet Sea Guild—the elite among elites, the most skilled of all the Blue Class students. Look at those two bastards! Not only are they handsome and beautiful, but they also come from wealthy, powerful families with long histories of mages in their bloodlines. Their grades are top-tier, their Magic Core efficiency is high—they're our school's secret weapons for dominating the university entrance exams! Everyone says getting accepted into the Top Ten Universities should be a breeze for them. The school even specifically requested Needle King Eddie Thompson to give them special training."
James Lee kept rambling, then let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Man, people really aren't born equal. We're all studying in the same school, but once we pass the university exams, I bet they'll soar high, enter the mage circles, indulge in a life of luxury, and enjoy the high-class life. Meanwhile, kids like us from poor families will be stuck as middle-class workers for life. Just thinking about it makes my heart feel cold!"
He spoke for a long time but received no response.
Turning his head, James Lee was stunned to see Scott staring at the holographic ranking with a sharp glint in his eyes.
Then, Scott spoke with determination:
**"That's not true. As long as we work hard enough, we can reach the highest peaks. Eddie Thompson is proof of that. There have been many poor commoners like us—some even worse off—but they still became mages. Some of them even became legends told for generations.
When humans first discovered magic, everyone was ignorant, but they were all equal. That won't change, not even after millions of years."**
James Lee was shocked by Scott's words.
He knew his friend was diligent and had unbreakable willpower.
After all, he had heard about Scott's life at the waste processing plant.
But he never expected him to have such strong resolve despite his current situation.
---
That's right. Miracles have always existed.
And for every action, there is a reaction.
Even if his efforts didn't pay off now, they would bear fruit someday.
---
In truth, every time Scott's determination wavered, he thought of Horyang's ambitions and how Horyang taught him to always hold on to his resolve.
"You're right. We have to work hard. We can definitely do this."
James Lee clenched his fists, now filled with his own determination.
Scott's words had inspired him.
Even though he wasn't completely convinced he could achieve it, one should always look forward.
"Maybe one day, you'll even win over Eileen. Who knows?"
Scott smirked as they both stared at Eileen Vanitas' name on the ranking list.
James Lee immediately flicked Scott's forehead.
"Man, sure, we should look forward, but not that far ahead. Someone like me could never get close to her."
Lee Yao looked away, as if comforting himself.
"Well, who would want a girl who spends her whole day keeping a cold, icy face like a corpse? She's probably just as cold on the inside too."
"Don't say that about her! She's the best, the most beautiful, the most amazing!"
James Lee immediately defended her.
Scott gave him a helpless smile.
"...Man, you need to make up your mind."
---
Later That Day
The school's resources were overwhelmingly biased toward the Blue Class, while their policy toward the Red Class was extremely lax.
After finishing the mock exam, the Red Class students focused on their weaknesses and trained special skills.
The day passed quickly, and by the afternoon, class was about to end.
"Wait up! Let's walk home together. I found this pancake stall recently—the omelets they make are top-tier. Today, dinner's on me! What do you say?"
James Lee pounded his chest.
"I can't. I have something to do today."
"Alright, see you tomorrow then!"
James Lee replied without hesitation.
Scott bolted out of the classroom like lightning.
---
For a moment, he glanced left and right, moving like a thief.
He circled around the public square of the school, covering half the campus.
He passed through two cafeterias before stopping at a grove of trees behind the schoolyard, waiting for five minutes before doubling back.
Moving quietly on his toes, he snuck toward the first floor of an old school building, entering a room filled with scrap metal.
Click.
He gently closed the door.
Immediately, a soft, fragrant scent filled the air.
From the shadows, a pair of cold eyes—as clear as a mountain spring—watched him silently.
Below that gaze was a high nose and thin lips, pressed tightly together.
---
If James Lee were here, he would have shouted in disbelief:
"Well, well... So you're the young engineer I've been hearing about, huh?"
---
Because standing there in the dimly lit room was none other than—
Eileen Vanitas.