Vice Principal Weston stood at the edge of the high stone balcony overlooking the Central Plaza of the Radiant Academy, his hands resting on the gold embossed railing. Below him stood thousands of newly admitted students, organized in neat rows across the wide white marble courtyard.
Dressed in the sharp, prestigious attire of the academy, the young men wore tailored black noble suits adorned with intricate, gold threaded crests across the shoulders and cuffs. Beside them, the young women wore pleated, deep navy plaid skirts trimmed with gleaming gold patterns, paired with fitted black jackets that bore the same gold embroidered trim.
Weston adjusted his spectacled gaze and projected his voice using a low tier acoustic amplification spell, filling the grand plaza with a deep, echoing chime.
"Welcome, students of the Next Generation," Weston’s voice carried over the quieted crowd. "You stand today within the gates of the Radiant Academy, not as heirs of your respective houses, but as raw talent waiting to be forged. Your starting class tier and monthly resource allocation will be determined by two comprehensive entrance examinations."
He raised two fingers.
"First, the Written Assessment, a test of your mastery over history, arithmetic, tactical theory, and foundational spirit mechanics. Second, the Controlled Dungeon Challenge, a practical trial conducted inside the managed rifts beneath the main spire."
Murmurs rippled through the rows of students.
"To test your adaptability under pressure," Weston continued, oblivious to the rising tension, "you will not be permitted to form teams with your house allies or personal guards.
In front of each sector, attendants carry sealed wooden boxes containing colored sticks. You will draw one stick and proceed immediately to the matching colored pillar. The four students assembled at each pillar will form your official squad for the duration of the dungeon trial."
...
Ansel smoothly stepped forward to draw his stick from the wooden box. The moment he moved, squeals and hushed whispers erupted from the surrounding crowd.
"Kyaaa! Look, it’s Prince Ansel!"
"He’s even more handsome in person..."
"That golden hair... he looks like the sun god in that uniform!"
"I wonder who gets to be on his team? I’m so jealous!"
Unbothered by the attention, Ansel pulled a crimson tipped stick from the box, giving the attendant a polite, effortless nod. Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
He walked over to Pillar Crimson, spinning the small wooden stick between his fingers. As he arrived, three others were already standing in the shadow of the tall red stone pillar.
The first was a girl with long, midnight black hair and sharp, dark eyes that seemed to analyze everything around her with cold precision. She stood with her arms crossed, her plaid skirt falling gracefully just above her knees.
The second girl was striking in a completely different way vibrant red hair that fell in soft waves over her shoulders, framing a delicate face with vivid emerald eyes. She held her hands clasped in front of her, projecting a refined, gentle aura.
Then Ansel’s gaze landed on the fourth member. He was a pale, quiet boy standing slightly apart from the rest. His dark hair hung low over calm, unreadable red eyes, and his black and gold noble suit sat comfortably on his lean frame. Ansel offered a charming, warm smile as he approached the group.
"Hello, everyone. It seems we’ll be working together."
Sitri and Aria immediately offered polite, graceful bows.
"Your Highness," Sitri acknowledged with a slight dip of her head.
"It is an honor, Your Highness," Aria murmured softly, bowing as well.
Iver, however, remained completely unbothered. He didn’t bow, nor did he show a shred of nervousness or deference to royalty. He simply met Ansel’s blue eyes and gave a brief, subtle nod.
What caught Ansel’s attention wasn’t just the boy’s casual reaction, but his posture, there was no tension in his shoulders, no sign of awe, and not a single trace of hesitation. ’He’s completely unfazed’, Ansel thought, his sharp instincts registering the boy’s calm demeanor instantly. He didn’t even blink. ’Interesting.’
Sitri kept her dark eyes fixed on the pale boy for a fraction of a second longer than necessary. ’His breathing is dangerously quiet, his balance is perfect. Not an ordinary noble or standard guard. Is he like me, was he sent also?, i have no way of knowing, since the elder never let us meet the others since it would compromise everything if one of us gets caught.’
Ansel broke the short silence, keeping his easy charisma going.
"Since we’ll be relying on each other in the rifts shortly, let’s get along. Can everyone share what they are good in? I’ll start, my primary specialty is light manipulation."
The black haired girl spoke next. "Sitri. My specialty is ice manipulation."
"I am Aria," the red haired girl offered with a polite tone. "My specialty is healing."
All eyes turned toward the quiet, pale boy.
"Ares," Iver replied simply, keeping his voice level and devoid of any unnecessary emotion. "Fire manipulation."
’So this is the Empire’s royalty’, Iver thought as he quietly observed Ansel.
Radiant, approachable, and effortless charisma... exactly what you’d expect from a prince. His gaze shifted briefly toward Sitri. Sitri, huh... ’She seems sharp and overly observant, but it doesn’t matter. As long as she doesn’t get in my way or pry too deeply, I have no reason to care.’ he thought.
Finally, he cast a fleeting glance at Aria. ’Aria... calm, composed, and well trained. A noble huh’. ’What an interesting team’. Before he could reflect any further, Vice Principal Weston’s voice boomed across the entire plaza once more, cutting through the murmurs of the students.
"The team assignments are locked!" Weston declared, his voice echoing with authoritative magic. "The Controlled Dungeon Challenge begins now!
Teams will enter the rift portals in sequence. Their performance, clear time, and kill count will be monitored in real time on the central leaderboard above the grand arena!"
A massive, glowing mana screen ignited high above the courtyard, displaying the empty ranks.
"First team to step into the rift, Team Sapphire, led by Adela of House Zephra!" Iver glanced toward the portal gates, watching Adela step forward with her assigned group. ’She’ll definitely pass’, he thought calmly. Her pride won’t allow her to do anything less.
Vice Principal Weston watched from the high balcony as Team Sapphire disappeared into the swirling blue rift portal. High above the plaza, the massive mana leaderboard flickered to life, tracking their progress through the managed dungeon layers.
Within minutes, Team Sapphire’s score began to surge rapidly. The monster kill counter ticked upward without pause as Adela’s wind magic paved a ruthless path through the first wave of rift beasts, placing her squad firmly at the top of the leaderboard with a flawless opening record.
Satisfied with the high standard set by the first group, Weston raised his hand, channeling his voice back into the acoustic spell.
"A promising start!" Weston announced, his voice echoing over the quieted crowd.
"Team Sapphire has established an exceptional benchmark!" He shifted his gaze down toward the crimson pillar where the Second Prince stood alongside his squad.
"Team Crimson, you are up second. Step up to the portal!" Ansel turned to Sitri, Aria, and Iver, his blue eyes flashing with quiet excitement.
"Shall we?" Sitri nodded silently, while Aria adjusted her focus staff. Iver calmly stepped into line beside them, his red eyes fixed on the swirling energy of the rift portal ahead.