The beginning of the journey Part 1

Renaria Academy - Main Arena

When I passed through the gate, I felt a bit of a pressure in my chest. It was like the air was heavier or the energy more intense.

Hundreds of students were moving in all directions, some already in uniform, others still in their normal clothes.

The noise, the excitement, the caution... everything was completely different from the atmosphere of the palace

"Hey, you're new here too?"

I turned around and saw a young guy with dark blue hair and eyes like calm lakes, carrying a light bag in his hand.

I nodded softly: "Yeah, Dan.

He smiled and said, "I'm Lian from the Solid family, and you are?"

I thought about it for a second. I didn't want to reveal too much.

"Just an amateur learning... Elements of Shadow and Blood."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Rare, I've never seen a Blood Elementalist in my life... I hope you're not one of those arrogant ones."

I smiled lightly: "I'll try."

Before I could say more, a loud voice rang out across the quad.

"All new students... go to the reception hall!"

Lian raised an eyebrow: "I think that's our cue."

Reception Hall

It's a big hall with a high ceiling, and it's decorated with crystals. There are seats lined up in front of a stone platform with a statue of an ancient warrior holding a giant sword. I can't imagine how he can swing it.

A deep voice speaks from the platform:

"Welcome to Renaria Academy. Here, you'll learn how to become more than just a fighter. Here, you'll take that first step to change the world."

He paused for a second, then went on.

"Some of you are going to die... some of you are going to lose yourselves... but those of you who stick around are going to be legends.

I looked around. There were so many eyes on me, and I didn't know any of the faces.

But for some reason, I had a feeling...

"This place might have the answer. I might be able to figure out how to get back to my world."

After the director of the academy finished her speech, an official, wearing academic robes, came on stage.

"Welcome to the entrance exam... You've got two stages to get through, and only those who can pass both will make it out of the academy.

"First, we do a racial compatibility test to figure out a person's talent. You can pick one or two elements to measure. The second stage is a virtual combat test. You'll enter a simulation against an opponent of your choice. We'll start in order.

We started calling out names, and each student was given a device that looked like the meter we used, but with a much bigger accent.

When Dan's name was called, he walked over to the device, stepped inside what looked like a small room, and heard a robotic voice say, "Dan Noctine, please use the element you want to measure."

You can choose any element—forget space. I don't know anything about it, but I'll enter the elements of shadows and blood.

After mana got rid of the shadow element and then the blood element, the device showed the data.

Shadow Elemental: 75% Talent Rank A

Blood Elemental : 74% talent rank A

You're about to be entered into the simulation, so just hang tight.

As soon as he said that, he felt a slight gravitational pull on his body, and then...

Then... a wasteland. The sky was gray and the wind was cold. He was holding a plain metal sword, and a few meters away, his opponent appeared: a huge warrior with gray metal armor and glowing eyes.

"Damn... so real."

Dan took a fighting stance, but it was a bit shaky. He'd read about fencing techniques and practiced them, but he hadn't had a real fight yet.

The warrior raised his huge sword and lunged.

Dan barely dodged the first hit.

The air was ripped right in front of him, and the pressure from the sword made him take two steps back, stumbling on one, but he held on. He hit back right away, but his opponent just blocked it and kicked him in the chest.

"Quiet..." he said to himself, as the opponent lunged again.

He rolled aside, took a deep breath, and then began to watch. The opponent is relying on strength. His strikes are heavy, long-range... but he's not fast.

Dan starts to change his strategy.

He stopped trying to hit his opponent directly and circled around, hitting him lightly and using the ground to his advantage. He jumped on a low stone to dodge a hit, then slid under it and cut his leg with part of his sword.

The opponent screamed, and swung in anger.

But Dan was sweaty and tired.

His hands were shaking, and his heart was pounding as if he wanted to run away. He took a breather, leaning against a stone.

"It's just a test, but it feels so real."

The opponent lunged again. Dan blocked the first hit, but he took a nasty fall. The second blow tipped him off his balance, and the third knocked his sword away.

He dropped to his knees.

It's over...?

The opponent raised his sword high, but Dan let out a scream and stretched out his arm. He made a small slash, and blood came out of the cut. The blood rushed in front of the warrior like a bullet. The bloody bullet pierced the warrior's shoulder, which stopped him from moving. Confused, Dan immediately got up, swooped towards his sword, picked it up in a half-wrap, and plunged the sword into the opponent's stomach before the blow was delivered.

Then there was silence... and then the opponent disappeared in a blue light.

"Simulation complete."