The beginning of the journey Part 2

Dan came back to the testing platform, breathing heavily and sweating. His hair is all tied back, and he's still holding the imaginary sword that went missing when he came back.

The hall was silent.

They had a moment of silence, but it wasn't long before a female voice came from one end of the upper compartment.

"Interesting."

sitting with the professors and observers, a woman in the academy's uniform and holding an evaluation board. Her hair is tied back, and her eyes shine a cold silver color.

"He's missing the basics and the advanced stuff, but he fought like a smart novice. His performance is chaotic, but he's got a survivor's mindset. The survival instinct is there."

One of the instructors next to her whispered, "You mean he has a sense of battle?"

She shook her head slowly and said: "No, he's got something even rarer than that..."

"Pure reflex. Something you can't teach."

His name was on the board with a rating of : It said "Silver," but there was a little star next to it. It wasn't part of the rating, but it wasn't for display either.

Dan didn't notice. He was just trying not to pass out from exhaustion.

No one clapped, but he saw some students looking at him in amazement... and others in indifference.

Luckily, I had a backup plan. I didn't have much success with Sword Art for Blood, but I did learn how to get blood out of my body and make it shoot out like bullets. It's effective, but my blood supply is limited.

When he got back to the seats for new students, a young guy with messy hair and a big smile greeted him.

"Man, you almost got chopped up!"

Dan gave a tired smile.

"But at the last minute... I turned the tables. That was pretty amazing. I'm marlin, by the way."

He sat down next to him and whispered as if he was telling a secret:

"Surviving a hypothetical showdown as a semi-amateur? Man, you've got something weird."

Dan didn't say much, but he did smile a little.

"Weird? Maybe... but I didn't come here to be normal.

Then everyone stopped what they were doing when they saw a student's fight on the screen. His fight was amazing in every sense of the word, unlike me who barely won. He didn't give his opponent any chance and finished the fight in less than a minute.

"It was amazing in every sense of the word. Marin's mouth was open. Frankly, I understand how he feels. I fought the same opponent, and I know how strong he is," one of the professors said, smiling.

One of the professors smiled and said something.

"The student who brought by the headmaster of the academy is honestly incredible. I heard he's as skilled in lightning magic as the headmaster, but he didn't even use it. What do you think, Ms. Serena?"

"He's got talent and he's skilled with a sword, but he needs to work on his refinement. Still, compared to his colleagues , he's the best," she replied.

"He's good, but I don't think he's any better than the students from the noble families," said one of the professors, kinda disdainfully.

"Hawkins, when are you going to stop talking like that? "You're killing the vibe."

"I'm just saying what I think is right, Jack. I don't hate him just because he's not a member of the royal family. I'm just saying he's no better than the sons of noblemen."

Serena grabbed her head and said, "You two stop fighting, let's keep monitoring the students."

She put a crystal level with a star on the side on the student.

Once all the students had completed the tests, the results were announced.

The first place spot went to a student I recognized, Rowen Feldrick. He stepped forward and got a diamond badge.

Then a few other students came forward and got diamond badges, and then gold badges started showing up, followed by silver, until it was Dan's turn.

He stood up, looking tired, but he kept his steps steady. He stepped up to the podium where the principal and academy professors were standing, and some students' eyes followed him with a hint of surprise or maybe even a little mockery.

The principal held out his hand, looking deep into it, and it was hard to read him.

Dan Noctine, your rank is Silver.

He didn't add anything. He just gave him a silver badge with a black border. The official evaluation mark.

Dan felt like he was starting to look a bit different. Some were expecting less, and some were hoping for nothing at all.

But Marin, who was clapping wildly from the back, shouted:

"Huh! Silver?! This is wild! I bet you're barely bronze!"

Dan replied as he returned to his seat beside him:

"You're really bad at betting, Marlin."

Marin laughed and said:

"Silver isn't bad, but now I have a goal... to beat you!"

"Beat me? Dude, your rank is gold."

Marin laughed and then said, "Does it even matter?"

Before Dan could say anything, they called the last names, and the ceremony ended with the students applauding and everyone getting their badges.

A few moments later, Ms. Serena stood in front of the new students, her voice clear as she pointed to the badges:

"No matter what your rank is, remember that the classrooms are the same, and so are the opportunities. Rank reflects beginnings, not endings."

Dan looked at the silver badge on his chest for a second, then lifted his eyes to the Academy's huge courtyard.

This is just the start...