"First, let's talk about your group. You are Class 101, consisting of the 20 strongest students in the first year. Class 102 includes students ranked 21-100, and it continues similarly, with Class 103 having students ranked 101-200, and so on, up to Class 111."
"Being in a higher-ranked class comes with significant advantages. You'll have access to better facilities and receive more credits. Credits are the currency of the academy. Everything—food, training equipment, and even specialized facilities like gravity chambers—costs credits. While food is relatively cheap, advanced training resources can be quite expensive."
"Here's how credits are distributed monthly:
Class 101 receives 5,000 credits.
Class 102 gets 3,000.
Class 103 receives 2,000.
Class 104 gets 1,800.
Class 105 receives 1,600.
Class 106 gets 1,400.
Class 107 gets 1,200.
Class 108 receives 1,000.
Class 109 gets 800.
Class 110 gets 600.
Lastly, Class 111 receives 400 credits."
"Even 400 credits are enough to live comfortably, but with limited credits, you won't be able to use many of the academy's advanced facilities."
Emily paused briefly before continuing, "One important thing to note is that your class isn't fixed. You can rise to a higher-ranked class. Though, for you, that doesn't matter since you're already in the best class. What does concern you is that it's also possible to lose your place and drop to a lower class."
Her words made the class grow noticeably more serious.
"To determine your rank, there will be optional exams at the end of each month. During these exams, you can challenge someone from a higher-ranked class to a duel. If you win, you take their rank, and they drop to your rank. The person being challenged has the right to either accept or refuse the duel. If they accept and win, they will receive 50% of the challenger next monthly credit allowance as a reward."
"Okay, now that we've covered the topic of credits, does anyone have questions?"
She waited a few seconds before saying, "Yes, Victor?"
The one named Victor was a young man with short brown hair and brown eyes. He asked, "We'll receive credits, but when exactly will we get them? And how does buying things work?"
Emily answered, "The credits will be added to a bracelet you'll need to collect from your dorm. But hold on—I'll explain that in more detail shortly. As for making purchases, instead of using a credit card, you'll use your bracelet at the checkout."
Once she finished speaking, she scanned the class for more questions. After a few seconds of silence, she continued, "No other questions for now? Then I'll move on to other important details.
"As you likely already know, you'll be living in dormitories on the academy grounds for the duration of the school year."
"The dorms you'll live in will vary depending on your year, whether you're male or female, and, most importantly, your student rank. First-year students live in separate dorms from second, third, and fourth years to reduce the chances of bullying by stronger students."
"Even within the same year, the dormitories are divided. First, there's the Worm Dormitory, which houses students ranked 501 to 1,000. It's the largest dormitory, with individual rooms that are honestly quite small.
"Next is the Snake Dormitory, for students ranked 101 to 499. The rooms are sufficiently sized and moderately luxurious."
"The third is the Basilisk Dormitory, for students ranked 21 to 100. These students enjoy large, luxurious rooms, and, more importantly, a meditation room equipped with a low-grade Aura and Mana concentration array."
"And finally, we have the Dragon Dormitory, where everyone in this class will reside. It's reserved for the top 20 ranked students. The rooms are enormous and resemble luxurious penthouses. The key feature is a training room that doubles as a meditation room, equipped with a mid-grade Aura and Mana concentration array."
"And that's everything about the dormitories. Moving on to the next topic: uniforms and bracelets."
"These two items will be waiting for you in your dorm room, which is assigned based on your rank. For example, if you're ranked 8th, you'll be in Room 8—simple and logical."
"As for the uniform, it's straightforward: you're required to wear it at all times when outside your room. You must always have your uniform on. Otherwise, you'll face fines, and those can add up very quickly."
Some murmurs arose in the classroom when she mentioned the uniforms.
Emily sighed as she looked at the class. "I know wearing a uniform all the time can be annoying, but it's the rule. Complaining to me won't change anything—I don't make these rules. Honestly, I agree it's a bit unnecessary, but it is what it is."
"Let's move on to the bracelets. As I mentioned earlier, they'll be in your rooms. You'll wear them on your wrists, and they'll function like a smartphone. They hold your credits, allow you to make payments, and also serve as your ID and room key. So, don't lose them. Without your bracelet, you won't be able to enter your dorm room."
"The only exception is today. Since you don't have your bracelets yet, you can access your room by presenting your ID card."
She addressed the class, "For those of you who didn't catch everything or simply want more details, there will be a small booklet in your room. It contains everything I've just explained, plus additional information about the bracelet, the uniform, the rules, and, overall, everything you need to know about the Central Academy."
Glancing around the room, she noticed that while most students appeared to be paying attention, some were clearly pretending. She decided to say something that would surely grab their focus.
"I know what I've been saying might be boring to listen to, but it's necessary. Now, I have one last thing to cover before I can let you go for the day!"
At her words, even those who were feigning attention immediately perked up, their interest now genuine.
Satisfied with the shift, she continued, "Now, for the final topic—one of the most important—the schedule!"
With a wave of her hand, a stack of papers on her desk floated into the air, distributing themselves neatly to each student.
Mikael grabbed the sheet that landed in front of him and examined it. It consisted of several stapled pages. The front page displayed a list of subjects, each with a checkbox beside it, while the subsequent pages provided detailed descriptions of the courses and their schedules.
As the students looked over their papers, Emily resumed speaking. "These are your schedule sheets. Make sure to read them carefully because your choices will have a significant impact on your future. Don't take this lightly! Oh, and for those wondering, there's a pencil in your desk. Also, don't forget to write your name at the top of the sheet, or it will be useless."
"There are many subjects to choose from, but three are mandatory: Ranker Path, Dungeon Exploration, and Duel. Beyond these, you can take as many optional subjects as you want, but be careful—make sure the schedules don't overlap. You don't want to register for a course you won't be able to attend."
"And that's all I needed to say. Take your time to decide before handing me back your schedule. I'll be here for the next few hours, so there's no rush. That said, don't take too long—I need to collect all of them by the end of today."
Mikael quickly wrote his name at the top of the sheet, then skimmed the list of subjects. The three mandatory ones—Ranker Path, Dungeon Exploration, and Duel—were listed first, followed by a variety of optional courses: Array Creation and Manipulation, Artefact Refinement, Aura Style, Botany, Doctor, Enchanter, History, Mage Foundation, Mage Specialization (further divided into Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Shadow, Light, and Space), Smithing, and Stealth and Assassination.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath. 'All of these subjects are interesting. I want to take them all! But I can't… No, seriously, the only course that looks slightly unappealing is History—and even that might teach me something useful. Damn, I need to narrow it down.'
He spent some time deep in thought. While he pondered, he noticed a few students already handing in their schedule sheets.
'Already?' he thought, frowning. 'They clearly didn't spend much time thinking about it. Well, that's their choice. Not my problem—I need to focus on mine.'
After carefully considering his options, Mikael finally decided on the courses he wanted to take. To be absolutely sure, he gave the descriptions one last review before finalizing his selections.
Subjects Descriptions
Ranker Path:
This class covers everything related to the life of a Ranker. Topics include how to rank up, understanding the differences in talent levels, integrating into society as a Ranker, and various other subjects relevant to the Ranker's path.
Dungeon Exploration:
This course focuses on dungeons, discussing their formation, assembling the right teams for exploration, understanding different danger levels, identifying monsters found within, and other related topics.
Duel:
In this class, students will regularly spar with one another. Beyond sparring, they will also learn combat techniques and how to utilize their aura or mana effectively in battle.
Optional Subjects
Array Creation and Manipulation:
This optional course dives into the mechanics of arrays: how they function, how they are created, and even how to design your own arrays. The course also covers the necessary materials and related techniques.
Aura Style:
This course, while open to everyone, is practically useless for mages. It focuses on aura applications, teaching students how to develop their own aura styles and fighting techniques.
Mage Foundation:
While open to everyone, this course is largely irrelevant for warriors. It covers the basics of mana manipulation and how to use it to create neutral-type spells. Note: This course exclusively covers neutral spells. It is recommended to either complement this course with a Mage Specialization or switch to a specialized mage course later in the year.
Mage Specialization: Wind:
This specialized course delves into the application of wind-related magic.
After double-checking his choices and ensuring his schedule didn't have any overlaps, Mikael stood up, walked to Emily's desk, and placed his completed schedule sheets on top of the growing pile from other students.
Emily glanced at him briefly but said nothing. Mikael left the classroom and entered one of the Academy's vast corridors.
Not entirely sure where to find his dormitory, he consulted a map on the wall and followed its instructions.
After a relatively long walk amistd the occasional students that passed beside him, he exited the gigantic building and found himself in a courtyard. Strolling through the magical atmosphere of the courtyard, he arrived at a building that was modest in size—at least compared to the rest of the Academy.
This building was constructed from exquisite marble stone, accented with golden details that gave it a pure and regal ambiance.
Standing before an stylish door, Mikael noticed there was no handle and paused, momentarily confused.
Next to the door, he spotted an advanced-looking blue scanner. A thought struck him, and he retrieved his ID card, presenting it to the scanner.
A blue light emerged from the scanner, enveloping the card. After a few seconds, a mechanical voice sounded: "ID confirmed. Welcome, Mikael Angelini, to the Male Dragon Dormitory."
As the voice finished, the door automatically swung open. Without hesitation, Mikael entered, not waiting for the door to close behind him.
The interior of the dormitory resembled a five-star hotel. However, already accustomed to the Academy's opulence, Mikael ignored his surroundings.
He followed the dorm numbers until he reached room number 4. Here, he encountered a scanner similar to the one at the building's entrance. Repeating the same process, he held up his ID card.
After the scanner processed his ID, the door opened with another greeting: "Welcome, Mikael Angelini, to your dormitory."
Satisfied, Mikael entered his dorm room as the door closed behind him.