Grand Master Magnus Greycastle
His attention then drifted, and he began to subtly scan the rest of the enormous hall.
He took in the sheer variety of faces surrounding him.
Unlike the game, where background NPCs often shared generic models with slight variations, the students here were incredibly diverse.
He saw people of different ethnicities, skin tones, hair colors, and even distinct racial features like pointed ears or subtle scales that marked them as something other than purely human.
Huh, Kaito mused, a genuine note of surprise in his thoughts.
At least in this world, all the people in the background have different faces and races.
I guess this is really the real world of Arcensis, at least I don't have to suffer with having the exact same face as everyone else for being a background character.
It was a small comfort, but a noticeable difference from the often-repetitive nature of game environments.
As Kaito finished this observation, a hush began to fall over the vast hall.
---
The excited chatter of the freshmen gradually faded, replaced by a ripple of anticipation.
A tall, impeccably dressed man with a clear, resonant voice stepped up to a small podium to the side of the stage.
He raised a hand, and his voice, magically amplified, boomed through the hall.
"Attention, all new students of Crimsonsteel Academy! We are honored to have you join our esteemed ranks!"
He paused for dramatic effect, then continued, his voice swelling with formality.
"Now, it is my distinct honor to introduce the very foundation of our institution, the guiding lights who will forge you into the protectors of tomorrow!"
"Please welcome the Headmaster of Crimsonsteel Academy, Grand Master Magnus Greycastle, followed by the esteemed members of our Faculty!"
A grand, ornate door at the back of the stage slowly swung open, revealing a procession.
First, a figure strode forward onto the stage: a tall, imposing man with a stern face and an air of authority, now confirmed as Grand Master Magnus Greycastle.
He wore the elaborate, crimson-trimmed robes of the Headmaster, his presence commanding immediate respect.
Behind him, a diverse group of men and women, all similarly robed or armored, followed onto the stage, taking their places behind the Headmaster.
They were the faculty with some radiating palpable magical energy, others with the honed, disciplined bearing of master warriors.
Grand Master Greycastle stepped to the center of the stage, his gaze sweeping over the eager faces of the new students.
The hall quieted to an almost reverent silence.
He took a deep breath, and his voice, calm yet powerful, began to resonate through the hall.
"Welcome, new students, to Crimsonsteel Academy!"
---
Quest Complete!
Main Quest:
Attend the academy's welcome freshmen grand ceremony.
Reward:
Stat Point +1
Market Coins +100
Kaito blinked, glancing from the System screen to the Grand Master on stage, then back.
"Huh," he muttered under his breath, a faint scowl creasing his brow.
"Did you have to show up at the same time as the faculty?"
Despite his mild annoyance, a small, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips.
"Well, thanks, I guess."
He then settled his gaze back on Grand Master Magnus Greycastle.
"Magnus Greycastle," he thought, a wealth of game lore flooding his mind.
One of the strongest characters in the game, an S-Rank Apex in magic, but he never actually does anything crucial in the main storyline.
Kaito remembered all the times players had complained. "He always has something else going on somewhere."
"What an excuse for an overpowered person to never be in times of need in this damn storyline."
He shook his head slightly.
"He's a Rank S Apex on magic, but no one has been as busy as him in the game."
Then, Kaito remembered the thing that the Grand Master did in the game every time he had something to prove, typically at the beginning of a new school year or a major event.
At that exact moment, the System popped out again, presenting a new mission:
Side Quest:
Resist the Grandmaster's mental attack.
Reward:
Stat Point +2
Market Coins +300
"Woah, here it is!"
Kaito thought, a surge of adrenaline momentarily overriding his earlier cynicism.
"The stage act that the Grandmaster always do in his first appearance!"
"I would be able to handle it, right? Because I always do in the game."
He looked intently at Grand Master Magnus Greycastle.
The Grand Master's expression remained impassive, but as the first words came out of his mouth, a massive amount of mental pressure, a palpable killing intent, suddenly slammed into the hundreds of students.
It wasn't a physical force, but a crushing weight on the mind, designed to overwhelm and expose weakness.
Magnus's voice, though calm, cut through the oppressive aura:
"You all must remember that you are here to learn, to get stronger, to fight for what you want, to achieve your dreams."
Kaito, slumping in his seat, was already sweating profusely.
His muscles tensed, his vision blurring at the edges as he fought against the invisible onslaught.
He gritted his teeth, desperately trying not to pass out.
"What the hell," he gasped, his voice a choked whisper.
"The game wasn't this painful, was it?! Is it because of the pain tolerance?"
"G-Goddammit, I wouldn't last another second!"
He remembered his potential reward from the System just a second ago.
Summoning every ounce of his rapidly draining willpower, he forced his mind to focus.
His eyes, though half-knocked out, fixed on the floating interface. "System, open Stats Management! Add 1 Stat Point to Resolve! Confirm!"
Grand Master Magnus Greycastle continued, his voice unwavering amidst the silent agony of the students.
"But you won't be able to do that if you don't realize the reality that death is real, that death is always lurking, finding the right time to strike, to take your lives."
Still enduring the agonizing mental assault, Kaito's mind screamed back, a raw defiance bubbling up from the depths of his being.
"You think I don't know that?! he raged internally," his jaw clenched so tight he felt his teeth might crack.
"My whole damn life I have been in that damn hospital, knowing my life will get taken anytime, I could die anytime!"
"If there's a person who knows what it is to live with that damn death, it would be me!"
A fierce, primal resolve ignited within him, pushing against the mental pressure.
"And I will keep living! I will make sure I can do whatever I want now, you asshole!"
Magnus's voice continued to cut through the haze of Kaito's struggle, resonating with an almost chilling clarity:
"...This is not a game, you are going to be the future of this world, so you better do your best to survive and be the strongest you can be."
As Magnus Greycastle's final words echoed, the oppressive mental pressure abruptly lifted.
At that very moment, the familiar blue System screen flashed before his eyes once more:
Quest Complete!
Side Quest:
Resist the Grandmaster's mental attack.
Reward:
Stat Point +2
Market Coins +300
Kaito gasped, taking in a ragged, shuddering breath, his chest heaving.
Sweat plastered his hair to his forehead, dripping down his temples, and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth where he had bitten down hard on his lip to endure the agony.
Despite the pain and exhaustion, a wide, triumphant grin split Kaito's face as he looked at the Grand Master.
His voice was hoarse, but filled with a raw, defiant satisfaction.
"Hahah... I did it! I endured it!"
Every word the Grand Master spoke, every wave of mental force, had hit like a truck to the hundreds of students.
Some were already passed out, slumping unconscious from the moment the first wave of mental pressure, or the very first word, came out of the Grand Master's mouth.
The hall was now filled with the sounds of heavy breathing, a few whimpers, and the quiet thuds of bodies hitting the floor as more students succumbed.
But Kaito, miraculously, was still conscious, though barely.
While Grand Master Magnus Greycastle surveyed the slumped forms and trembling survivors among the students from the stage, the faculty members behind him were murmuring amongst themselves.
"He didn't kill them, right?" one female instructor whispered, a hint of genuine concern in her voice as she glanced at the rows of fallen freshmen.
Another faculty member, a grizzled old warrior with a scar running across his eyebrow, chuckled gruffly.
"Kill them? Nah."
"But I don't even think most of them heard what he said, because they already got knocked out the moment he started talking."
A third, a younger, sharp-eyed mage, shook her head. "Hmm, I don't think so."
"The Grand Master probably used his mental magic to make sure all words are directly sent to their minds."
"They heard every terrifying syllable, even if their bodies couldn't take it."