Chapter 53: Introductory Class

Chapter 53: Chapter 53: Introductory Class

The Star-Crown Lecture Hall stood at the highest terrace of the central academic district, housed inside a domed tower of white marble and enchanted glass.

?Unlike the crowded lecture halls of the lower divisions, which had to accommodate hundreds of students at a time, the S-Class facility was built like a private royal amphitheater.

Thirty wide desks carved from fragrant spirit-cedar were arranged in three curved tiers, all facing a polished obsidian stage inlaid with defensive runes.

?As the thirty elite freshmen filed through the tall double doors behind Instructor Bella, the tension from the plaza followed them right into the room.

?Without looking at anyone else, Aegon walked up to the second tier near the tall arched windows and took a seat at the end of the row.

A second later, the soft scent of winter jasmine drifted over as Aria calmly slid into the chair right beside him, placing her leather satchel on the shared desk.

?Across the aisle, Prince Larsen Beliath paused mid-step, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched the two of them sit together so naturally.

Beside the prince, Julian Von Draken let out a cold snort and marched up to the opposite side of the second tier, sitting down heavily with half a dozen heirs from the capital’s great houses gathering around him like satellites.

?Meanwhile, Veera walked silently to the very back row in the dark corner of the hall. Dropping into a solitary seat, he rested his scarred elbows on the desk and stared down at the back of Aegon’s head, his eyes burning with a dark, unblinking fixation.

?Down on the obsidian stage, Instructor Bella turned around and leaned back against the edge of the lectern.

She crossed her long legs at the ankle and swept her sapphire gaze over the thirty young prodigies.

?"First of all, welcome to the pinnacle of the first-year division. Every single one of you sitting in this room is a prized genius from your respective territory. We have a royal prince, heirs of the Four Ducal Houses, an awakener of a Anomalistic Grimoire, and our Triple Crown champion."

?She raised a slender finger, a sharp smile curving her red lips.

?"However, if you think wearing that black-and-gold S-Class uniform means you can coast comfortably for the next four years, allow me to shatter that delusion right now."

?Bella tapped her heel against the obsidian floor. Instantly, a massive curtain of golden runes lit up across the wall behind her, displaying the rules of the Imperial Academy.

?"Inside this Academy, gold coins from your families are worthless. Here, only one currency matters: Academic Credits. Whether you want to borrow high-tier spell scrolls from the Scholar Tower, rent the gravity chambers in the Combat Department, purchase alchemical potions, or commission Grandmaster Gorden to forge a custom weapon, you must pay with credits."

?Several noble youths in Julian’s group sat up straighter, listening closely.

?"You earn credits by excelling in class assessments, clearing beast hunts in the Academy dungeons, or winning official duels against your peers. And speaking of duels, that brings me to the most important rule of the S-Class: the Monthly Ranking Battleground."

?At those words, the atmosphere in the hall grew noticeably heavier.

?"On the last day of every month, all thirty members of the S-Class must participate in mandatory ranking battles. Everything you currently possess is tied directly to your monthly rank. The top ten students receive a monthly stipend of one hundred Academic Credits. Rank Two keeps the West Wing of the Prime Villa. And Rank One keeps the East Wing of the Prime Villa along with double resource privileges."

?Up in the back row, Veera’s eeys turnef bloodshot.

Over on the right side of the room, Julian Von Draken grinned coldly, turning his head to glare straight at Aegon.

?"Furthermore, the bottom five students of the S-Class at the end of each month will be stripped of their black coats and demoted to the A-Class, replaced by the top five performers from below. In short, Aegon Noiré was entirely correct on that podium earlier. If you want to keep your seat, or if you want to take someone else’s, only your strength at the end of the month will speak for you."

?"Instructor Bella," Julian Von Draken suddenly raised his hand, standing up from his desk with an arrogant smirk on his face.

"Does that mean if someone defeats Aegon Noiré during the Monthly Battleground in 30 days, he will have to pack his bags and move out of the Prime Villa on Starlight Hill?"

?"That is the rule, Julian. Provided, of course, that you can actually beat him."

?"Yesterday in the forest, the suppression array restricted seventy percent of our mana, allowing someone with brute physical strength and a sneaky scabbard to take advantage of the chaos. In a true mage duel where our full mana circuits and Grimoires are unleashed, brute force alone won’t save him."

?A few of the noble heirs sitting behind Julian nodded in agreement, murmuring among themselves.

To them, the only reason Aegon had dominated the forest was that mages had been crippled by the suppression barrier while Aegon’s Blood Berserker constitution had remained unaffected.

?Sitting by the window, Aegon didn’t even bother turning his head toward Julian.

He simply leaned back in his chair, resting his chin on his palm as he looked out at the clouds drifting past the glass dome.

?Seeing Julian’s eagerness, Instructor Bella chuckled softly.

?"Since you bring up true mage craft, Julian, let us move straight into our first practical assessment of the morning," Bella said, snapping her fingers.

?Click.

?Instantly, a small square compartment slid open in the center of all thirty spirit-cedar desks.

Rising from each compartment was a completely transparent, hollow sphere made of paper-thin crystal quartz, roughly the size of an apple.

?"Raw mana capacity and physical strength are only half the battle. A sorcerer who cannot control their own power is no different from a walking powder keg. These are Fragile Quartz Orbs. Your task for this introductory class is simple: place one finger on the surface of the orb, inject your mana inside, and weave as many stable Mana Threads as you can within ten seconds."

?She held up a warning finger.

?"But be warned....