Bong-Bong.
The students fell silent at the loud sound of the bell ringing. Only seconds after it stopped, a circle of flames appeared on an elevated podium, taking the shape of a two-meter-tall man with bulging muscles and a serious expression. He had red hair and red eyes.
All eyes were drawn to him due to his flamboyant entrance. The man, seeing that he had captured the young adults' attention, began to speak in a deep voice that strangely carried across the entire area. "Welcome, future students. I am the vice principal, Brendan Ironheart."
At the mention of his name, many people grew excited and began to whisper among themselves.
"No way! I heard he's a powerful SS+ rank fire mage!"
"If only I could train under him, I'd become an exceptional mage."
Brendan, noticing the murmurs in the crowd, bellowed, "SILENCE!" Once quiet was restored, he continued, "I know many of you are thrilled at the prospect of joining Central Academy, but let me tell you now: this year, we will accept only 1,000 students. Yet, there are thousands of you hoping to join. This means only the top 1,000 will make it in. Everyone around you is your competition."
As soon as he said this, the atmosphere shifted, and students began to cautiously observe those around them. Brendan, satisfied with the change in mood, went on, "To determine who will be admitted to Central Academy, there will be two tests. The first test will take place in the Testing Center," he said, pointing to a large medieval-style building bustling with staff.
"You'll enter the Testing Center and line up to touch the analysis orb, which will record your talent level. Based on this, you'll receive a score. However, don't be discouraged if your talent is rated low; even if you don't score highly in the first test, hope is not lost. The second test will assess your battle power."
"I won't explain the second test now because I hate repeating myself, and some of you will forget the details anyway. I'll discuss it in more detail after everyone completes the first test. Just keep in mind that your overall score will combine your results from both tests, giving you a ranking from 1,000th place to 1st place."
"I won't go into details for now, but know that achieving a high rank comes with many benefits, so aim for it."
He paused, then fixed the crowd with a fierce gaze and said seriously, "Some of you are used to having parents who say yes to everything you ask. But here, your family background doesn't matter. If you try to use your status to threaten other students—or even the staff, if you're foolish enough to try—I assure you, there will be consequences."
"Now you may proceed to your first test; I've finished speaking," Brendan announced before flames enveloped him, and in an instant, he vanished.
Upon hearing his words, the future students began to move toward the Testing Center. Mikael quietly followed the crowd into the building. Inside, he was surprised to see that it appeared even larger than it seemed from outside. 'Space magic? Or something similar that allows for this kind of logic-defying magic. Impressive' he thought.
The interior was a stunning blend of medieval architecture and modern design. Bright orange lines on the ground, along with retractable belt barriers—the kind often seen in airports—organized the queues. These lines led to counters with staff stationed behind them. However, the most magical sight was the blue orb set atop a pillar near each counter.
Seeing the orb, Mikael thought 'This must be the analysis orb Brendan mentioned. It's supposed to assess my talent level. I'm honestly curious about how it works and what score I'll receive, though it doesn't mean much to me. Unlike the natives here, whose future may depend on their talent, mine won't.'
'Their talent… I think I understand now. The "race" I received is probably the most basic or least talented version, which means I have lower stat limits and reduced potential. So, those with higher talent levels likely possess superior versions of the same race. I can't be completely certain, but it makes sense.'
'If this theory holds, then the question is, how do I obtain a better race? Maybe there's a solution in the System Upgrades Store; I should check that when I have time.'
Just as he was about to browse the System Upgrades Store—he had nothing else to do while waiting in line—a commotion broke out nearby.
Turning to look, he spotted a moderately handsome man with slicked-back blond hair and blue eyes, dressed in luxurious but completely impractical clothing for a physical exam. He might have looked better if he didn't have a permanent scowl on his face.
The man spoke loudly, his voice full of arrogance. "Commoners, move out of my way! I am Eric Saurdane, young master of the Saurdane family, a noble! Step aside and keep your disgusting commoner air far from me."
His tone angered many of the commoners, but they still stepped aside. No one wanted to risk a confrontation with a spoiled noble, especially one likely stronger than them due to his privileged background. Better resources led to faster progression, and refusing to yield could quickly make them enemies of both him and his powerful family.
However, not everyone was willing to give in. One person firmly stated, "I'm not giving up my place. Wait your turn."
The noble was instantly enraged that a commoner dared to talk back, and was about to insult him when he felt a hand grab his collar and lift him into the air. Eric's angry retort died in his throat when he saw who it was.
It was Brendan Ironheart, towering at two meters with a body of pure muscle. Holding Eric up effortlessly with one hand, Brendan spoke, "What did I just say? Didn't I make it clear that your background doesn't matter at Central Academy?"
He paused for a moment before continuing, "So, why are you already trying to use your status to skip the line just five minutes later?"
Eric stammered, attempting to give an excuse, but Brendan wasn't interested. "I said there would be consequences, and there will be. You'll move to the end of the line, and if you pass the entrance exam, you'll start ranked as the 1000th student. If you cause another problem, you'll be expelled before you even join the Academy." With that, he let Eric's feet touch the ground again.
Horrified, Eric was about to protest but, seeing Brendan's intimidating frame and knowing he could crush him effortlessly, he held his tongue and slinked to the back of the line.
Brendan looked around at the gathered students and said, "I hope that was a clear enough example for you to understand that your background doesn't matter here." With those words, he was once again enveloped in flames and disappeared.
Watching the scene unfold, Mikael was honestly impressed. 'This Eric really is something… A true 'young master' with a negative IQ who can't even follow the instructions an SS-rank mage gave just five minutes ago. That level of stupidity is impressive in its own way.'
'I wonder if the vice principal acted out of a genuine desire to prevent discrimination based on background here. Somehow, I doubt that's the only reason. It's more likely he wanted to give the commoners a fairer chance—or at least hope. I think it's probably a mix of both.'
Anyway, that's not what really matters right now. I was about to check the System Upgrades Store to find a solution for my 'limited' talent.
He pulled out his phone, pretending to browse while actually navigating the System Upgrades Store to avoid looking strange by staring at the air.
After a few minutes of searching, during which he overheard some commotion about other people's results—something he didn't care about—he continued his search until he found two interesting upgrades that might solve his problem.
[Second Race System]
Requirements: Basic Stats System, Race System, Basic Race Gain System
Allows the user to have two active races at once. The stat limits of both races are combined, meaning if one race has a stat limit of 500 and the second race has a limit of 600, the total stat limit becomes 1100. Both races will apply their respective bonuses and drawbacks, though it's possible to set a primary race to maintain a single appearance. If not set, the appearance will blend traits from both races. Price: 15,000 LP]
[Advanced Race Gain System]
Requirements: Basic Stats System, Race System, Basic Race Gain System
Allows users to acquire new races simply by touching a being of a different race and activating the Advanced Race Gain System—killing is not always required like before. This upgrade also enables the user to gain stronger variations within the same race based on the strength of the being they touch/kill. Note that killing the individual may yield an even higher-ranked version of the race. Price: 50,000 LP]
Seeing these two options, he inwardly sighed and thought, These are both good. The first one could solve my problem in the short term, and the second one would help over the long term. But they're both so expensive. Seriously, 15K and 50K LP? Who sets these prices?!
Feeling a bit discouraged by the costly solutions, he passed the time playing on his phone until it was finally his turn to use the analysis orb.
Mikael approached the counter, where the woman behind it said, "ID." Expecting this, as it was common knowledge that an ID was required to confirm one's identity before joining Central Academy, he handed her his ID card.
The receptionist took his card, swiped it through a machine, typed a few notes into the computer, and then, after a moment, spoke. "All set. You can place your hand on the analysis orb and channel your aura and mana into it."
Mikael nodded slightly in response, stepped up to the orb, and placed his hand on it, channeling his aura and mana simultaneously.
The orb began to glow blue, but what was remarkable was the presence of two distinct types of blue energy seemingly clashing within it.
The staff woman gasped, exclaiming, "Double talent type!" She was stunned for a second but quickly regained her composure. "The evaluation is complete. You can remove your hand."
Initially, no one was paying attention to Mikael's test, as he wasn't a known noble. However, when the staff woman exclaimed, "Double talent type!" people's attention turned toward him.
"No way! That's the extremely rare body type that allows both aura and mana?"
"I'm so jealous."
"He doesn't look like a noble; maybe we commoners have a genius among us."
Similar whispers filled the room, with even the nobles taking notice, including Amelia, who gave him a curious look. Meanwhile, Mikael walked back to the counter, feeling a surge of pride at the reaction. Realizing this, he immediately berated himself. 'Why am I feeling proud? It shouldn't matter what these people think of me. I thought I didn't care about others' opinions, but it seems I still do—at least a little. But I shouldn't let it affect me.'
Mikael had these thoughts in the brief time it took to walk back to the counter. The staff member entered some additional information into the computer, returned his ID, and said, "Here are your results," as his test results appeared on a large screen visible to all examinees.
The screen displayed:
Name: Mikael Angelini
Age: 21
Talent Type: Double talent type
Talent Level: Average
Power Levels: F- Aura, F- Mana
There was nothing unexpected for Mikael in his results, though he was displeased by the public display. It's like being in school, where the teacher announces your exam results for everyone to hear.
With confirmation that he was indeed a double talent type, the murmurs resumed.
"Wow, he really is a double talent. I'm so jealous."
"So what if he's a double talent? His talent level is just average and he just an F- Rank."
"Yeah but maybe he was just unlucky and recently awakened!"
Similar comments continued, mixing awe and dismissal.
Mikael ignored the remarks and looked at the staff member. Seeing he was done reviewing his results, she added, "You can go through the door behind me. There, you'll wait for the other examinees until the vice principal gives further instructions on the second test."
"Okay," he replied, heading toward the door while thinking, 'I remember from the memories I accessed that talent levels in this world range from lowest to highest as Trash, Bad, Average, Good, Genius, and Monster.'
'I'm not exactly sure how talent level affects growth, but it's probably tied to growing faster and having a higher ceiling. But even if my talent is just average, it doesn't really matter. With access to the Akashic Records, my growth potential surpasses anything in this world. While the most talented here can only grow until they reach SSS+, I have no such limits…'
After a short walk, Mikael exited the Testing Center and stepped into a grand courtyard, immediately awed by the lush surroundings. The area was filled with luxurious vegetation—plants were everywhere, and there were even occasional trees.
Throughout this magical courtyard were small stone fountains, but the most eye-catching feature was the large fountain at the center, with crystal-clear water flowing from it in graceful arcs. Unfortunately, the beauty of the place was slightly marred by the sheer number of people crowding the area.
Seeing nowhere to sit, Mikael remained standing, taking in his surroundings and trying to ignore the bustling crowd around him.