The atmosphere inside Aetherion Academy changed completely after the appearance of the first S Rank.
Even while the examinations continued for the remaining applicants, countless eyes still drifted toward me every few seconds.
Some carried fascination.
Others fear.
The nobles looked especially irritated now, particularly those who had mocked commoners earlier in the day.
Kael and Lyra attracting attention had already damaged their pride enough.
But an S Rank possessing Darkness affinity?
That was something else entirely.
Kael, meanwhile, had fully embraced the situation.
“I knew it,” he whispered proudly while crossing his arms.
“I knew you were hiding something ridiculous.”
“You say that like you expected Darkness magic specifically.”
“I didn’t,” he admitted.
“Honestly I thought you were secretly some sword saint or retired assassin.”
“Retired?” Lyra asked quietly.
“We’re eighteen.”
“Exactly.
Early retirement.”
Despite the tension still lingering across the academy plaza, I quietly laughed again.
Strange.
That was happening more often lately.
Eventually, once the remaining candidates completed their evaluations, the enormous crystal pillars slowly descended back beneath the academy grounds.
Thousands of applicants remained gathered throughout the courtyard while instructors reorganized the crowd for the next phase of the entrance examination.
And unlike before…
The atmosphere now felt dangerous.
No one viewed the people around them as random students anymore.
Now they were competitors.
Potential obstacles standing between them and Aetherion Academy.
The old man dressed in black stepped forward once again onto the elevated platform overlooking the plaza.
Instantly, silence spread throughout the academy grounds.
“The second phase of the entrance examination will begin shortly,” he announced calmly.
“Out of twenty thousand participants, only one thousand will advance to the final stage.”
A low murmur spread through the crowd immediately afterward.
The director continued without reacting.
“You will participate inside a controlled Pocket Dimension created specifically for this examination.
Multiple environments exist within the dimension, including forests, ruins, mountains, lakes, and monster territories.
Your objective is simple.”
His gaze slowly swept across the plaza.
“Survive.”
The word alone immediately increased the tension throughout the academy grounds.
“Candidates must form teams of five before entering the Pocket Dimension.
To qualify for the next stage, each team must eliminate at least one opposing team before the examination ends.”
Interesting.
So cooperation itself was part of the test.
Not just power.
Good.
That made things far more entertaining.
“The Pocket Dimension will continuously decrease in size as time passes,” the director continued calmly.
“The longer you remain inside, the more violent encounters will become.
Monsters within the dimension will also attack indiscriminately.”
Kael slowly grinned beside me.
“Oh this is amazing.”
Lyra looked significantly less enthusiastic.
“They really expect students to fight each other immediately?”
“No permanent deaths will occur inside the Pocket Dimension,” one professor added from the side.
“Candidates eliminated inside the dimension will simply be expelled from the examination.”
The atmosphere relaxed slightly after that announcement, though not completely.
Even without real death, twenty thousand ambitious teenagers trapped inside a shrinking battlefield still sounded extremely chaotic.
Honestly…
It almost sounded fun.
A faint smile crossed my face.
Interesting.
Reader, this probably reminds you of those games from your world where people jump from flying vehicles onto islands to eliminate one another.
Humanity truly enjoys turning survival into entertainment regardless of the universe.
“You’re doing the creepy smiling thing again,” Kael muttered beside me.
“Am I?”
“Yes.”
The instructors eventually began separating the remaining candidates into designated preparation zones throughout the academy plaza.
Teams already formed naturally gathered together while countless other applicants desperately searched for allies strong enough to survive the Battle Royale.
And immediately…
The social divide became obvious again.
Nobles gathered almost exclusively with other nobles.
Powerful candidates received invitations instantly while weaker applicants were ignored completely.
Several groups openly tried recruiting Kael and Lyra after their A Rank evaluations, though most conveniently pretended I wasn’t standing beside them.
Interesting strategy.
It failed immediately.
“No offense,” Kael told one noble group casually, “but I’d rather fight monsters naked than spend three hours listening to you people talk.”
The noble looked personally offended.
Lyra apologized afterward.
Kael absolutely did not.
I quietly observed the chaos surrounding the plaza while Authority of Knowledge continuously analyzed the environment around us.
Twenty thousand participants meant the Battle Royale would become unpredictable extremely quickly once the dimension started shrinking.
Good.
That would allow me to test both myself and the people around me properly.
And more importantly…
Two other S Ranks had appeared during the evaluations earlier.
I wanted to fight them.
Not immediately.
Not recklessly.
But eventually.
For the first time since arriving in Nythera, the thought of facing powerful opponents genuinely excited me.
Then suddenly, my attention shifted toward a familiar figure standing alone near the edge of the plaza.
The demon from yesterday.
Unlike most applicants desperately trying to secure powerful teammates before the examination began, the demon stood completely alone near the outer edge of the plaza.
Several nearby groups glanced toward him occasionally, but none approached.
Some avoided him deliberately.
Others simply pretended he wasn’t there.
Interesting.
Even inside Aetherion Academy, where talent supposedly mattered more than status or race, old habits clearly remained difficult to erase.
Varkas noticed me walking toward him almost immediately.
His posture shifted subtly the moment our eyes met.
Not fear exactly.
Caution.
The kind developed after years of expecting hostility from strangers before conversations even begin.
Up close, the signs became even easier to notice.
Small burn scars covered parts of his hands and neck while his dark coat concealed multiple holsters attached beneath the fabric.
Twin revolvers rested at his waist, their metal engraved with crimson markings resembling flowing flames.
Hellfire mana.
Authority of Knowledge analyzed it instinctively.
Violent.
Unstable.
Highly destructive.
Interesting.
“You’re staring,” the demon muttered calmly.
“You use firearms.”
“That’s usually what people notice first.”
Not enough to call him relaxed, but enough to suggest he wasn’t naturally aggressive either.
“I’m Noctis.”
“I know.” His golden eyes briefly shifted toward the academy plaza behind us.
“Hard to miss the guy who nearly broke the ranking crystal.”
Fair point.
I glanced toward the revolvers at his waist again.
“You still don’t have a team.”
The atmosphere around him cooled slightly.
“No one’s interested.”
“That’s a lie.”
This time, he looked mildly surprised.
“A B Rank with Hellfire affinity would be useful to almost any group here,” I continued calmly.
“The real problem is that most of them are cowards.”
A faint silence settled between us after that.
Not uncomfortable.
Just cautious.
The demon eventually crossed his arms before studying me more carefully.
“You always talk this honestly?”
“Usually.”
“That sounds exhausting.”
I almost smiled.
Interesting.
He reminded me strangely of someone forced to become cynical far too early.
“Do you already have a team?” he finally asked.
“Almost.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Then realization appeared almost immediately afterward.
“…You’re asking me to join.”
“Yes.”
The answer came so naturally that even he looked caught off guard for a second.
“You barely know me.”
“I know enough.”
Another silence followed.
Authority of Knowledge continuously analyzed his reactions in the background.
Elevated caution.
Distrust.
Curiosity.
And beneath all of it…
Loneliness.
Interesting.
Before he could answer, Kael suddenly appeared beside me carrying enough energy to physically disrupt the atmosphere by himself.
“So THIS is the guy?” he asked immediately while staring at Varkas with visible excitement.
“The demon from yesterday?”
Varkas visibly tensed again.
Kael extended his hand anyway.
“I’m Kael.
Lightning magic.
Future legend.”
The demon stared at the offered handshake like it might explode.
“…What?”
“You’re joining the team, right?”
“That’s not usually how humans react to demons.”
Kael shrugged casually.
“You haven’t met many normal humans then.”
“I’m not sure you qualify as normal.”
“Fair.”
To my surprise, Varkas actually laughed quietly at that.
Small.
Brief.
But genuine.
Interesting.
Humans really were absurdly simple creatures sometimes.
Lyra arrived moments later, slightly out of breath after trying to catch up with us through the crowd.
The moment she noticed Varkas, she hesitated instinctively before quickly bowing her head politely.
“Nice to meet you.”
Varkas blinked once.
Then twice.
“You people are weird.”
“We get that a lot,” Kael admitted proudly.
For the first time since approaching him, some of the tension inside Varkas’s posture finally disappeared.
Not completely, but enough to suggest he was lowering his guard little by little.
Good.
That meant the team would probably function better than expected.
Unfortunately…
We still lacked a fifth member.
The academy plaza had become significantly more chaotic now as the final candidates rushed desperately to complete their groups before registration closed.
Some applicants openly argued with each other while others negotiated alliances like miniature political meetings preparing for war.
And then suddenly, someone landed directly beside us.
Not walked.
Landed.
A sharp metallic sound echoed across the stone plaza as a long black chain slammed against the ground only a few meters away.
Several nearby applicants immediately stepped backward in surprise while a young elf casually straightened herself nearby like dropping from a rooftop into the middle of strangers was completely normal behavior.
Long silver-green hair.
Sharp amber eyes.
Confident posture.
And absolutely zero hesitation.
Authority of Knowledge activated instinctively.
Wind affinity detected.
High mobility combat specialization.
Rank B potential.
Interesting.
The elf glanced toward each member of our group briefly before her gaze stopped on me.
“You’re the S Rank with Darkness magic.”
“Apparently.”
“Good.” A small grin appeared on her face.
“Then I’ll join your team.”
Kael blinked several times.
“That’s your introduction?”
“Yes.”
“You know what?
I respect the confidence.”
Varkas looked significantly less impressed.
“And who exactly are you supposed to be?”
The elf rested the chain across her shoulder casually.
“Faelyn.”
“That explains absolutely nothing.”
“You asked my name.
Not my life story.”
Kael immediately started laughing.
I quietly observed the interaction while the atmosphere inside the group shifted naturally for the first time.
Kael’s energy, Lyra’s calmness, Varkas’s guarded sarcasm, and Faelyn’s confidence blended together surprisingly well despite having met only minutes ago.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because for the first time since arriving in Nythera…
This genuinely felt like a team.
The atmosphere around us had changed subtly after Faelyn joined.
Kael’s constant energy bounced naturally against her confidence while Varkas responded to both of them with increasingly dry sarcasm every few minutes.
Lyra remained the quiet center holding the entire conversation together whenever the others became too chaotic, and strangely enough, the balance worked almost immediately.
At least enough to make us look like an actual team instead of five random candidates standing beside each other out of necessity.
Unfortunately, the rest of the academy plaza had clearly noticed the same thing.
Countless eyes followed us while the final registrations continued across the courtyard.
Some candidates looked curious.
Others cautious.
The nobles, however, appeared openly irritated.
A group composed of commoners, a demon, an elf, and now an S Rank possessing Darkness affinity probably represented everything they hated about Aetherion Academy.
Good.
That alone made their expressions entertaining.
Faelyn casually observed several nearby noble teams before letting out a quiet sigh.
“You can literally feel the superiority complex in the air.”
“That’s because most of them spent their entire lives being told they were special,” Varkas replied calmly.
Kael crossed his arms dramatically.
“Meanwhile I spent my childhood fighting wild dogs for bread.
Builds character.”
Lyra looked horrified.
“Why do you always say things like that so casually?”
“Because we survived.”
The answer immediately silenced her.
Not because Kael sounded sad.
Because he didn’t.
That was simply how life near the borders worked.
I quietly listened to their conversation while observing the academy grounds around us.
Thousands of applicants still filled the plaza, but the atmosphere had shifted entirely from nervous excitement to open competition.
Earlier, everyone had been strangers chasing the same dream.
Now, after the elemental evaluations and rank revelations, alliances had formed naturally.
Strong gathered around strength.
Weak searched desperately for protection.
And the arrogant surrounded themselves with people they considered useful.
Authority of Knowledge continuously analyzed the battlefield that existed even before the Battle Royale officially began.
Mana signatures.
Combat specializations.
Behavioral patterns.
Potential leaders.
Interesting.
Most teams were fundamentally unstable already.
Too many candidates focused entirely on individual strength while underestimating coordination and adaptability.
Inside a shrinking battlefield filled with monsters and thousands of opponents, that kind of arrogance would get people eliminated extremely quickly.
Good.
That gave us an advantage.
Then suddenly, the entire academy plaza trembled.
The conversations throughout the courtyard died almost instantly as enormous layers of magic circles illuminated high above Aetherion Academy.
Thousands of glowing symbols spread across the sky itself while mana surged through the atmosphere heavily enough to distort the surrounding air.
Even Kael stopped talking.
And honestly…
That alone proved how absurd the spell truly was.
The professors standing across the elevated platforms remained perfectly calm despite the overwhelming magical phenomenon unfolding above us, which somehow made the situation feel even more impressive.
Several portals slowly began forming around the academy grounds afterward, deep blue energy spiraling violently inside each gateway while fragments of distant landscapes became visible beyond the dimensional distortions.
Forests.
Mountains.
Ruins.
Lakes.
An entire world hidden inside artificial space.
Interesting.
The mana structure behind the Pocket Dimension felt impossibly stable for something affecting this scale.
Maintaining a separate reality capable of hosting twenty thousand participants, monsters, environmental systems, and a shrinking battlefield simultaneously should have required absurd amounts of power.
And yet…
The old man dressed in black stood at the center of it all with the same calm expression as before.
Good.
Nythera truly was hiding monsters far beyond ordinary understanding.
“All registered teams will now prepare for dimensional transfer,” the director announced calmly, his voice effortlessly reaching every corner of the academy plaza.
“The examination will continue until one thousand participants remain.”
The tension immediately intensified afterward.
This was no longer preparation.
The real examination was beginning.
Nearby candidates started moving toward their assigned portals while academy staff organized the flow of teams across the courtyard.
Some applicants looked excited.
Others terrified.
A few nobles still carried visible confidence, though even among them I could sense nervousness slowly growing beneath the surface.
Twenty thousand participants.
Only one thousand survivors.
Even without permanent death, that number alone guaranteed chaos.
Kael rolled his shoulders before gripping the handles of his daggers with a grin that looked far too excited for the current situation.
“Alright then,” he said proudly, “new objective.”
“Please say something reasonable,” Lyra sighed.
“We dominate the Battle Royale so hard future students hear stories about us.”
Varkas looked unimpressed.
“You sound like you’ve been waiting your entire life for legal violence.”
“I absolutely have.”
Faelyn laughed softly beside him while spinning part of her chain lazily around one arm.
“I’m starting to understand why your group accepted him.”
“No,” Lyra replied immediately.
“None of us understand him.”
I quietly smiled while watching them.
Strange.
A few days ago, I had stood outside existence itself, detached from reality to the point where nothing genuinely surprised or excited me anymore.
Now?
My heart was racing before an academy survival exam.
And somehow…
That felt infinitely more meaningful.
We eventually reached our assigned portal near the outer section of the plaza.
Up close, the dimensional gateway looked even more unstable than before.
Blue mana spiraled endlessly inside the opening while fragments of terrain flickered beyond the distortion like glimpses into another world waiting on the other side.
Around us, countless candidates continued watching our group carefully.
Some looked intimidated.
Others competitive.
The noble from earlier stood farther away among his own team, glaring toward us with obvious hostility.
Interesting.
He was still angry.
He would probably become even more annoying inside the Pocket Dimension.
Good.
That might make things entertaining later.
I slowly looked toward the rest of the team one last time before entering.
Kael looked ready to charge into war itself.
Lyra remained nervous, though determination now outweighed fear inside her expression.
Varkas still carried caution in his posture, but far less distrust than before.
And Faelyn…
Faelyn looked like she was genuinely disappointed the Battle Royale hadn’t started sooner.
Interesting.
A faint smile crossed my face.
“Let’s go.”
Then, together, we stepped into the Pocket Dimension.