Upon landing, the teacher langst greets them.
Langst: Welcome, I am Langst, your teacher and guide for today.
All of them: Nice to meet you.
Langst: Follow me.
They follow Langst.
Langst: Since you’re not in your best condition, stop here and head inside.
He opens the door for them to enter.
Mary: I think you need a bath, Sai, you’re covered in blood...
Sai: You’re right.
After bathing.
Servant: We’ve prepared food for you while you were bathing.
All of them: Thank you!
After finishing the meal
Servant: This way, please.
They leave to find Langst again.
Langst: Now I’ll take you to the Hall of talk.
Leo: Hall of talk? What’s that?
Langst: You’ll see.
They follow Langst to the Hall of talk.
Sai: Kinto, you haven’t spoken to us since we arrived.
Kinto: Don’t think crossing the forest together makes us friends. I could never befriend poor and middle-class people like you.
Sai: Oh...
Leo: Too bad I can’t kill you here, poison factory.
Kinto: What did you say—
Langst: We’ve arrived. Please keep quiet.
Langst opens the door, and the four of them enter.
Mary: Wow, this place is truly beautiful.
Sai: I agree.
Kinto goes to sit alone.
Sai: So, Mary, does staying with us mean you’re our friend now?
Mary: Yes, I’ll be your friend...
Sai smiles, and the three of them sit at a table. Someone called karoun begins to speak on the stage.
Karoun: Welcome, our twenty students for this year. I’m Karoun, the academy’s official spokesperson. I’ve been appointed today to explain the system of Limitless Academy, so let’s begin.
1. Your classes will run from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., with Fridays off.
2. The academic year is eight months long, followed by a four-month break.
3. There are three stages in the academy.
4. The academy will provide your food, drinks, clothing, equipment, and more.
5. Accommodations will be shared, with two people per room assigned randomly.
6. There will be missions supervised by one of the academy’s mission leaders from time to time.
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
7. A fitness trainer is available at the academy to help you lose weight and build muscles.
These are all the details you need to know. Now, we’ll move on to the classification stage.
A device emerges from the ground.
Karoun: Standing here, this device will reveal a person’s Shinta level, helping us classify you. You’ll also need to input the information it requests. Now, please come up one at a time.
They begin to step up one by one until it’s Leo’s turn. He steps onto the device.
Leo (thinking): It’s asking for my name, age, and ability. Alright.
The device determines Leo’s Shinta level.
Karoun: Alright, you may step down.
Leo steps down from the stage, and the rankings are displayed.
Karoun: Now, we’ll show you all your rankings.
The rankings appear, and the four of them are shocked to find themselves at the bottom
20th place: mary litari
19th place: Sai Vitalite
18th place: Kinto Shinga
17th place: Leo Vitalite
Karoun: There are two classes: Class A and Class B. Those ranked 1st to 10th are in Class A, while those ranked 11th to 20th are in Class B. When you advance to the second year, the rankings will be recalculated to balance the classes' strength.
Two people start whispering.
Person 1: Isn’t that Mary Elf? And yet, she’s the weakest here.
The others start commenting about Mary’s weakness and laughing.
Leo: You fools think you can mock her like that?!
Sai: Leo, I don’t think it’s allowed to do that here.
Leo: And is it allowed to be racist to someone?!
Mary: Leo, it’s okay...
Leo: Of course, it’s no—
Karoun: Silence, please. I thought it was obvious, but it seems I need to clarify. Racism is strictly prohibited in the academy. Now you may leave. You’ll find a board showing your rooms and roommates. I wish you all three happy years.
Everyone leaves the Hall of Discussions.
Sai: Let’s go check our rooms.
Leo: I’m sorry; I was about to start a fight back there.
Mary: It’s okay.
Leo (to himself): I can’t protect her anyway since I’m a joke compared to them.
At the board, the three see their rooms.
Mary: So, none of you are with me.
Sai: And we’re not together either.
Leo: See you tomorrow.
Leo reaches his room.
Leo: Room 12, huh?
He knocks on the door.
Person: Come in.
Leo opens the door and sees his roommate.
Leo: You must be my roommate.
Person: Yes.
Leo: I’m Leo Vitalite.
Person: Even though we saw our names on the board, you still introduce yourself. I’m Beatrix Linlin. Nice to meet you.
Leo: Nice to meet you too.
Leo lies on his bed.
Beatrix: I’ve never heard of someone who controls darkness before.
Leo: It’s a natural element. You control a natural element too—air.
Beatrix: Doesn’t darkness symbolize evil?
Leo: In children’s stories, yes.
Beatrix laughs, and Leo falls asleep.
6:00 AM
Beatrix: Leo, wake up.
Leo: Alright...
Leo gets up to prepare for the first lecture.
Beatrix: Come on, we shouldn’t be late.
The two head to class and meet Sai on their way.
Leo: That’s Sai. Sai!
Beatrix (thinking): I’ve never seen him smile like that; they must be close.
Sai: Leo!
Who’s this?
Leo: She’s my roommate.
Beatrix: Hi, I’m Beatrix Linlin.
Sai: I’m Sai Vitalite. Nice to meet you. This is my roommate.
Sai’s roommate: Hello, I’m Karez Lavalik. Nice to meet you both.
Leo: Alright, let’s head to class.
They enter the classroom and see Mary seated.
Sai: Mary! How are you?
Mary: Oh, Sai. I’m fine. What about you all?
Sai: We’re doing well. Is this your roommate?
Mary: Oh, him... Yes.
Mary’s roommate: So, you’re friends with this elf? No wonder you’re at the bottom, too.
Leo (thinking): Even when he’s ranked last, he’s still racist...Damn.
Langst enters the classroom.
Langst: Welcome to your first lecture. I’m Langst.
Student: A lecture? Shouldn’t we be introducing ourselves and the professor first?
Langst: Not in my class. Now, everyone take a seat.
Beatrix: Seriously, a lecture already...
Langst: For your first lesson, we’ll talk about the shinta producer.
Student: producer?
Langst: You’ll understand soon enough. Shinta is a power linked to the brain. It flows from there. We know the brain is divided into three parts: the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem. Each has its own functions. However, as biology advanced, scientists discovered a tiny fourth section between the cerebellum and brainstem during autopsies.
At first, its function was unknown, as it ceases activity the moment a person dies, leaving no trace to understand its purpose. But later, a scientist placed sensors near this fourth section on a living person and discovered that only the Shinta sensor detected activity there.
Mary: Doesn’t that mean this section is the source of Shinta?
Langst: Exactly. After some experiments, the scientist confirmed that this section’s sole function is to emit Shinta. It was given a very simple name: the shinta producer.
Karez: What would happen if this section were removed?
Langst: No one knows. Such an experiment has never been attempted.
After the lesson, the students leave the classroom.
Sai: Leo, beginner-level stuff, right?
Leo: Shut up...
Stranger: Oh, you’re Sai, right?
Sai: Yes, Sai Vitalite.
Stranger: I’m Breka Dolman from Class B. Nice to meet you.
Sai: Nice to meet you, too.
Breka: Can we be friends?
Sai: Of course.
At the end of the week, Leo, Sai and Mary go to the training building.
Leo: The best part of the day is here...
Sai: I agree...
Langst enters the building to find the three training.
Langst: You're here every day.
Leo: Better than doing nothing.
Mary: Of course..
Mary's roommate, kyotai enters the building.
Kyotai: Hey, teacher.
Langst: Yes, kyotai?
Kyotai: I request a fight between me and him.
He points at Leo.
Langst: What kind of fight?
Kyotai: Whoever knocks the other to the ground for a long time wins.
Langst: Very well, that's allowed.
Leo: You're the one who bullied Mary.
Kyotai: So what?
Langst: Alright, take your positions, I'll count to three.
One.....Tow....Three--begin!
Leo rushes at Kyotai, trying to take him down by grabbing his neck with one hand and his leg with the other. But kyotai locks Leo's hand with his own, then delivers a powerful kick that knocks Leo the ground. Leo gets up and charges, aiming to punch kyotai in the chest. however, kyotai dodges the attack, capitalizes on the opening, forces Leo's head down, And strikes him hard on the back, sending Leo crashing to the ground, defeated.
Leo (thinking): that was way too fast...
Kyotai: do you know why I challenged you? Because i was bored. But you didn't even entertain me a little.
Sai: Leo!
Sai runs to check on Leo as Mary stands nearby, sad and blaming herself
Kyotai: Weaklings.
Kyotai Leavs the building. Mary steps forward.
Leo: Mary.
Mary: Yes?
Leo: I'm sorry i couldn't beat him.
Mary: No, I'm the one who's sorry. This happened because of me.
Sai: neither of you is at fault. Let's just leave.
As they prepare to leave, kinto approaches Leo
Kinto: Let me take a look.
Kinto examines the areas where Leo was hit and finds swelling on his back. He takes out a bottle containing a green liquid, then tilts Leo's head back and pours some of the liquid into his mouth.
Kinto: You'll feel better soon.
Kinto leaves the building. ten seconds later, the swelling disappeares.
Leo: I really do feel better.
Mary: What's going through kinto's mind?
Leo (sarcastically): I have no idea, and i don't wanna know.
Sai: He seems like a nice guy after all.
Mary (sarcastically): I doubt that.
Leo: Me too
Langst: Don't let this loss bring you down, Leo. Think about becoming stronger than him.
Leo: Alright...
Sai: Anyway, we should get going.
Leo: I'm heading to the bathroom, so go on ahead.
Sai: Alright. Come on, Mary.
The three Leave the building, and Leo walks alone.
Leo: Me.....Strong?....How ridiculous.......I'm....Weak......
Leo is feeling the bitterness of defeat for the first time.