Victor delivered his usual speech to the new players gathered in the auditorium. Even after a month of the same speech being repeated, the excitement exhibited by the new players was the same. From the moment he spoke, all the players closed their mouths and stared at him with bated breaths.
Even though this batch of players was rather unique, they shared the common enthusiasm intrinsic to gamers. Victor then raised his head and glanced around the room. Among the ten players, three… or four of them were female. Seeing a tall woman standing in the corner, he was still a bit taken aback. No matter how she tried to blend with the crowd, it was a futile attempt.
So, this is what the previous headmaster meant by a surprise in this batch of players. A Bloodline Magus? Interesting, interesting…
Bloodline Magus, or Warlock, was a distinct class of Magus with a special bloodline that granted them extraordinary powers and abilities. These Magi were markedly stronger than their typical counterparts, as they could harness special magic that was tied to their bloodline’s legacy. However, this same potent lineage was the thing that shackled their potential, known as bloodline shackles. On top of that, with each successive generation, the concentration of this potent bloodline tended to diminish progressively. Consequently, Warlocks were all but extinct in the current world of Seraphia.
Nevertheless, the bloodline inside this player’s body was quite extraordinary. Looking at her striking red skin and two prominent horns, Victor suspected that should be the bloodline from the Crimson Mystic Giant. According to legend, an adult of its clan had combat prowess on par with a peak Sigil Conversion Magus.
It was noteworthy that the headmaster of the Arcane Radiance College was only a middling Sigil Conversion Magus. This was the case for most prestigious academies around this kingdom… Only the legendary Nexus Conjurer or above Magus could confidently confront and possibly subdue a Warlock possessing such a distinguished bloodline. This made Victor excited for the outcomes of the elemental affinity and mana aptitude tests.
After concluding his opening speech, Victor seamlessly transitioned into informing the players about the updated version 3.0 of the guidelines, as was written in the announcement. These revised guidelines incorporated an array of new rules and regulations covering various aspects, including the treatment of NPCs, theft, and numerous other areas based on players’ suggestions.
With a firm tone, he emphasized the consequences of breaching these rules. “Mark my words! Acolytes who violate these regulations will face extended confinement periods.” To reinforce his warning, he projected a stronger-than-normal surge of mana, effectively asserting his authority. “Severe violations will result in expulsion from the academy. We earnestly hope that each of you will rigorously adhere to these standards!”
Victor observed the players absorbing his words with earnest seriousness. Even Auralise — the rich investor who had gotten a free pass — looked at him with some level of importance. It was evident that this group, despite their unique backgrounds, could be guided and governed like any other.
Satisfied with their response, he then instructed them to form an orderly line to commence their mana aptitude and elemental affinity tests.
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Sean watched with keen interest as the other players formed an orderly line leading to a table with a crystal ball and a silver mirror. Around him, the players chatted among themselves, and speculation about their affinities and aptitudes abounded. Since he wanted to see the others’ results first, Sean chose to take the last position in line. Amusingly, Chicken thought that he might have something in mind and positioned himself just ahead.
The first player on the line was a black-haired youth with the username “DigitalMagicianPatrick,” or Patrick for short. Sean remembered speaking with him earlier about the conflicts between the female players in the Nexus Tower. He also said that he worked as a magician in a carnival in real life. It was surprising that someone with this kind of profession would play a video game.
“Come forward and place both your hands on the crystal ball… Oh? You seem familiar with this procedure.”
“Indeed.” Patrick nodded. “I have something similar at home— Ngh.” His face twisted in slight discomfort as the crystal ball began to emit a faint glow.
“Hold on, don’t let go,” the blue-haired headmaster instructed, watching as the glow from the ball intensified despite Patrick’s pained expression. “Impressive. Superior glimmering-grade mana aptitude. Now, step over here and look into this mirror.” He guided him toward the silver mirror.
On the official website forum, it was widely discussed that players’ mana aptitude could range anywhere from the inferior glimmering grade to the inferior bright grade, depending on luck and how intense the crystal ball glowed. Most players, unfortunately, found themselves on the lower end of this spectrum. The reason behind this range limitation in the game remained a topic of speculation, with many theorizing it was to maintain fairness and balance within the game’s mechanics.
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Lost in thought about these details, Sean was brought back to the present by the headmaster’s announcement of the affinity test results. “Interesting. You have a high affinity for the Lux element, followed by Anemo. The rest… are not worth mentioning.”
Patrick beamed at the news and stepped aside, making way for the others. As each player underwent the tests, their aptitudes and affinities were revealed one by one. Also, Sean had picked up on everyone’s in-game username — his ability to gather intel was indeed excellent.
“Hahaha! I am talented in both business and this game.” Auralise couldn’t hide her delight as her laugh echoed.
“As expected of you, miss.” At the same time, her attendant responded with a respectful bow.
Auralise’s full username was something that he didn’t quite catch on to; it was “Something-Auralise,” so he decided to call her Auralise like everybody else. As for her attendant, they were named “Dominique” — a surprisingly normal name that didn’t feel like a player’s username at all.
Surprisingly enough, most of the noteworthy individuals in this batch got impressive results. But among them, a few stood out exceptionally. For example…
“S-Superior bright-grade aptitude… You possess the highest mana aptitude among all the acolytes in this academy. Congratulations.” There was a slight wince in one of the headmaster’s eyes. The other players were also reacting in envy.
For an unknown reason, Sean noticed an undercurrent of what seemed like mockery in the headmaster’s tone. It was subtle, and he couldn’t pinpoint its target or intent, but he didn’t dwell on it since it was almost his turn soon.
Many questions piled up in his head as he waited for that anticipated moment. What elemental affinity would he have? Would his mana aptitude be high or merely average? The blend of excitement and uncertainty left him feeling unusually giddy.
Nearby, Chicken was effusively sharing his expectation of getting a high-grade aptitude and a rare affinity — his confidence was without equal. Sean could only smirk at his enthusiasm. This game, with all its unpredictability and promise, was exactly what Sean had been looking forward to. The rush of adrenaline he felt was surreal.
Finally, his moment arrived. Stepping forward, he placed his hands on the crystal ball, as instructed by the headmaster. Almost immediately, a sharp pain began to throb in his head, intensifying as the ball glowed increasingly brighter.
“Ughh! This pain is unbearable!” Overwhelmed, Sean released his grip and staggered back, panting slightly. Still, he was sure of one thing: The intensity of the ball’s glow suggested his mana aptitude was far from mediocre, possibly even among the best.
“Good. You have inferior bright-grade aptitude,” The headmaster confirmed with a nod. “Proceed to the affinity test.”
“Yes!” Sean almost couldn’t hold his excitement as he moved on to the next test. The results of his elemental affinity test were also promising, with him having a high affinity for Umbra and Pyro elements and a minor affinity for Electro.
“Dang, bro, you got an excellent aptitude! Makes my advanced glimmering grade look like child’s play!” Chicken clapped him on the shoulder with jealousy.
“Yours is not bad either.”
Pleased with his results, Sean knew this was only the beginning. With his knowledge and skills, he was determined to climb to the pinnacle, staying a step ahead of his fellow players in the world of Magus Academy Online.
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Victor was more than surprised to see that there were three people in this batch achieving at least an inferior bright-grade aptitude, with one even reaching the superior bright grade. Truly, this group was undeniably the most remarkable batch of players since the founding of the academy… or the game.
To this, Victor arrived at three possible conclusions:
1. The leveling up of the academy might have had a positive effect on the quality of the players’ bodies.
2. There seemed to be a potential correlation between the uniqueness or eccentricity of individuals and their mana aptitude grades. However, this theory faltered when considering players like Storm and Zero, who, despite their distinctiveness, had lower mana aptitudes. This was the most implausible explanation, but it was the one that bugged his mind the most.
3. It was simply pure luck.
Perhaps a combination of these factors had contributed to the current outcomes, but Victor was uncertain about this.
“The individual’s mana aptitude can be traced back to the quality of their soul…” he murmured to himself, widening his eyes in realization. There was this theory that had been prevalent among Magi, but for a lowly acolyte like Victor, he could not verify its validity.
Pushing these thoughts aside, Victor resumed his role as the headmaster. He proceeded to introduce Lizbeth, the fairy, to the new players, offering a brief overview of her role and significance. Following this, he let the arranged veteran players recruit and teach this batch of players.
Once he had addressed all the necessary matters, Victor retreated to the solace of his office. Settling into his chair, he began to monitor the activities of the players, particularly those who had recently advanced in rank. With Lizbeth managing the new arrivals, he was able to enjoy the quietness of his room.
“Finally, some peace…” He sighed.
Contrary to his initial assumption, the players didn’t rush off to the newly designated dungeon. Instead, most seemed to be methodically preparing for the venture. Victor noted that many players were eyeing the pendant magic tools being sold in the blacksmith workshop, likely considering a purchase before venturing into the forest. A wise choice.
Each one wasn’t cheap, though. Victor had deliberately priced them at two thousand merit points so that the players valued and cared for these magic tools. Besides, each party would only need one… No, as long as several parties were going at the same time, they would need no more than one.
Still, not all players were gearing up for dungeon exploration. Some, who were less inclined towards combat, bought spells useful for mundane but important tasks, such as {Earth Weaver} and {Verdant Surge}. One could imagine that with such spells, the efficiency of doing manual labor would be significantly enhanced. This fact was witnessed firsthand by his own eyes.
As a matter of fact, now that the agricultural area was no longer being expanded. The players’ focus had shifted back toward the completion of the academy’s northern wall. While other projects like road building and dormitory construction were also crucial, securing the academy with a protective wall, even if made of mere mud and dirt, was a priority; it was better than being exposed with no protection whatsoever.