There is one thing that the people of Ragnarok excel at, and that is technological innovation—a true and wondrous fusion of magic and technology that, if left unchecked, would topple the balance of the kingdoms, and we cannot sit back and let that happen. Now that we have the upper hand, we need to cripple their industries and steal their innovations; that way, we can nullify them before they become a threat.
Guo Jian (Voidmind).
Advisor to HRH (Sunstone)
Year 2275
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Principal Zatya Malakov sat in her office, seriously contemplating High Duke Lightus’s words. News of the 8th sector had reached her an hour ago. Things were bad, and the situation with the war was dire.
It was a serious blow to the kingdom of Ragnarok for another kingdom to so easily take over the capital city of the 8th sector. Fortunately, it was considered a Sigma 25-50 battlefield, and the kingdom had sent a huge number of soldiers within that range to reclaim the sector.
Zatya sighed in disappointment. What good were elites against thousands of soldiers? The kingdom needed champions, soldiers with infinite potential, and they were looking to her to produce them.
With a sigh, she opened a wooden box covered in glowing green runes. Within the box were three soul seeds of epic quality. High Duke Lightus had ordered the academy to hold a tournament and award the winners with the seeds, but she’d been hesitant.
What good would it do to bestow such treasures on commoners? She’d asked herself, but after the slaughter of soldiers on the border plains of Conquestia, she realized that they couldn’t just produce the best students anymore; they needed someone whose name would strike fear in the hearts of their enemies, whose very presence would send armies to their knees; they needed someone like the great catastrophe, Az’marthon, or the abyssal wrath, Erina Blackwell, and these epic soul seeds would be the first steps to creating such a monster.
She couldn’t fight in the war as she was too advanced, but she could create a monster to fight for her; better yet, she could create multiple monsters.
She thumbed through the list of aspirants who had made an impression on the professors, observing them carefully, before sending out the tournament announcement.
Meanwhile, in the rift station, Aodhán and Daruk sat in silence and anticipation as they watched the slots on the holographic board slowly fill up. Andrew had made his way to sit beside them immediately after he arrived, and they had introduced themselves.
Andrew Willowood was obviously a noble, although he didn’t seem to care much about their difference in status, at least not as much as Eren Thornhill, who appeared a moment later, soaked in swampy water.
“Oh, this is a treat; are you enjoying it?" Daruk asked, and Aodhán replied with a chuckle. “I might be enjoying it a little more than I should.”
The image of Eren Thornhill, the pompous noble, trudging through the disgusting swamp filled his heart with joy. Unfortunately, Ahmet wasn’t with him, but there was still hope as Eren had only taken the 71st slot.
Time passed as people exited the rift, some too injured to continue and some too scared to do so. The trio of Calodans arrived a few minutes later, completely clean, like they’d just stepped out of a bath, and the holographic list was promptly updated to 84.
There were only sixteen slots left, and tension grew as the list slowly climbed up to 99. More than an hour had passed since the Calodans exited the rift, and by now, almost all of the aspirants were on their feet, watching and waiting for the last person to make it.
“Come on, Ahmet.” Aodhán muttered softly as he focused his attention on the shimmering rift. During their time on the ship, Ahmet had been a good friend, and although they weren’t buddies, Aodhán knew how much he’d wanted to get into the academy.
The minutes dragged on, seeming to stretch for an eternity, but a few minutes later, a girl appeared, covered in blood and mud, but she victoriously held the five horns in her hand and shouted in excitement as her name was updated on the list.
A cheer rose up from the gathered aspirants, and Aodhán sighed in disappointment. Professor Aleran walked to stand before them and smiled. “It is with great pleasure that I welcome the newest members of the 5th Academy. Congratulations everyone, but we still have a program scheduled for today, and assistant professor Claybourne here will lead you to the orientation hall where you can have a chat with your coordinator.”
Assistant Professor Claybourne was a short man of advanced class who looked to be in his early forties. He had vivid blue hair and blue-tinged skin, but his most prominent features were his eyes, which were cloudy as if he had cataracts.
Aodhán tried to sense the flavor of his bloodline, but his core sense wasn’t that advanced yet. They followed the professor, who led them through a long, brightly lit hallway decorated with pictures of several prominent professors as well as all the previous principals of the school.
Aodhán stared at the date of each picture and was surprised to see that they went as far back as fifty years. Unfortunately, they were unable to tour the entire hallway as the professor walked into a smaller corridor that opened up into a medium-sized hall with the same translucent roof as the examination hall. Two rows of padded wooden benches filled the hall, and the floor was covered with black tiles.
A young man, dressed in a silver and black uniform slightly similar to that of the professors, stood atop a wooden platform at the front of the hall and gestured for them to come in and take their seats.
The man had deep purple hair that reached his shoulders and silver pupils ringed by double bands of purple. The man was dark-skinned and looked to be in his early twenties, but he had a bearing that gave off a sense of immense weight and power.
“Thank you, Professor Claybourne; I’ll handle it from here.” The assistant professor nodded left as they filed into the hall and took their seats.
The man thumbed through a translucent tablet, giving them time to settle down before speaking. “Good afternoon, everyone, and congratulations! From now on, you’re no longer aspirants but students, and it is a pleasure to welcome you to one of the greatest academies in the entire kingdom.”
One of the students raised a cheer, and others shouted in excitement, even Aodhán. The man smiled, waiting for a moment before he continued. “My name is Rahim Silverspire; some of you may know me or may have heard of my name as I was the best graduating student two years ago.”
He smiled proudly, and in a slightly annoyed tone, he continued. “But today, I have been saddled with the responsibility of being your level coordinator, and as much as I hate it, I intend to take my role seriously. What this means is that I am your go-to person. If you have questions, need help, or Raol, help me with a problem, you come to me.”
“What if you can’t solve the problem?” A girl from the front row asked, and Rahim chuckled. “As your coordinator, there is very little that I cannot do. In the event that I cannot solve your problem, then you’ll most likely be expelled because of the gravity of such a problem.
There was a smattering of chuckles, and Rahim continued. “Now, the first thing you need to do is find your way to the bursar’s office; there, you’ll be given a device we call the chip, which basically updates academy information, news, or alerts to your status screen.”
“In this way, the academy has created a sort of hive system where each chip is connected to the academy, although for your level, some functions of the chip will be restricted, but it still offers a wide range of options that would be essential for your stay in the academy.”
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“Also, you’ll be given three sets of uniforms; one is the ceremonial uniform that should only be worn on such days. The other is your regular student uniform, while the last is reserved for gym and other extracurricular activities. Fortunately for you, the uniforms are self-cleaning, which is a blessing, trust me.”
Aodhán chuckled along with several others, and Rahim winked before proceeding. “You’ll also be provided with a pair of socks, boots, a belt, and an array of books and training materials. Classes begin next week, but I urge you to get these materials before the other years resume; you do not want that stress, trust me.”
He thumbed through the tablet for a moment, as if searching for something. “Oh yes, we should discuss housing. For 1st year students, the academy has employed a sort of joint or communal habitation meant to promote and foster camaraderie between students.”
Murnurs of disappointment rose up from the gathered aspirants, with Daruk groaning the loudest. “I don’t want to live with a bunch of people I barely know.” He complained.
Rahim raised a hand to placate them. “Trust me, no one likes the housing arrangement, but we all come to appreciate it in the end, and believe me when I say this is for your own good.”
When no other arguments were raised, Rahim continued. “There are a total of 20 houses in the 1st year residential quadrant, each with 5 rooms and a living room, completely outfitted with individual essential rooms and training areas. This way, you still get to have your privacy, and the only thing you have to share is the living room.”
Another roar of complaints began to rise, but Rahim quickly cut them off. “I know what you’re all worried about, and I shall disappoint you.” He raised a plastic bowl filled with folded papers with a smirk, he added. “Each house will be chosen randomly, so you can’t choose your housemates. That is up to lady luck, but you must know that whatever house you pick cannot be changed and will serve as your residence till the end of the year.”
“This is going to suck.” Andrew muttered.
“I don’t know; I don’t really have a problem with it.” Aodhán replied as Rahim urged them down to pick up their house numbers.
“Oh Raol, what if I pick a house filled with psychopaths?”
“Nutjobs, you mean.” Aodhán added with a smirk, and Daruk scowled. “So vulgar.”
“Faster people, we don’t have a day.” Rahim shouted, and they rushed towards the stage. Many groaned as they opened the slips and realized they wouldn’t be sharing a room with someone they’d hoped to.
Aodhán picked up a folded piece of paper a moment later, and he opened it to find the words 14-C written on it. Daruk scoffed as he opened his slip. “House 3? Is it just me, or does that sound like the name of a mental house?”
“Hmm, I’m in house 5.” Andrew commented with a slight frown before he turned to Daruk. “And house 3 definitely sounds like the name of a psych ward.”
"No, it doesn’t.” Aodhán disagreed with a chuckle, thinking to himself that 14-C definitely sounded like a prison cell or something.
“Okay, that’s all. Return to your seats. You can find your housemates later; we still have much to get through.” Rahim waited for the students to settle down before proceeding. “The next thing on my list is the topic of courses. First-year students are required to take a total of five classes each semester. Some courses are compulsory, like The Theory of Awakened Advancements or Awakened Combat Mastery. You have three empty slots to fill, which gives you the freedom to choose what you want to learn. Please note that 5 classes are the minimum, not the maximum.”
One of the Calodan boys raised his hand to ask a question, but Rahim waved a hand and said, “I do not have the time to go into details, but I assure you that your chips will provide you with more than enough information on the matter.”
“Another thing on my list is graduation conditions. As some of you may know, there is a requirement for first-year students to reach the second milestone by the end of the school year.” He paused and sighed. “Reaching Tier 25 in a year may not look hard, but you’ll come to find out that advancement isn’t all about energy absorption, and there will come a point where the absorption of cores will do you no good. If you find yourself in this position, find me, and I’ll try my best to help you; that is my job.”
In the silence that followed, he continued. “Anyone who fails to reach the second milestone before the end of the year will be expelled. During my time in the academy, a total of 150 students were admitted, but only a quarter of us graduated. I’m not saying this to scare you, but to remind you that although the trials are over, the battle has only just begun.”
Aodhán sighed. Why couldn’t advancement just be as simple as absorbing energy? Why did the system insist on making things hard?
“Lastly, the academy has discovered that about 44% of you have no bloodlines, so we’ve organized an in-house tournament to give you a chance to gain one. From the information I have on the matter, the tournament will be held in a week, which falls on the day before resumption, and the top three students will be gifted with a bloodline matching their affinities.”
Aodhán’s eyes widened as his mind spun. If the academy wanted to give out bloodlines, then he had to get one for himself. He’d seen just how much of a boost Daruk’s bloodline was for him, amplifying his abilities to an insane degree, and he wanted that. No, he needed it.
He wasn’t the only eager student, though, as almost all of the commoners were at the edge of their seats. Their eyes viewing the other commoners not as friends or allies but as competition.
Many looked sick as tension gripped them, but Aodhán’s mind was spinning with possibilities. Murmurs and harsh whispers rose up from the gathered students as some of the nobles questioned why the commoners were being given such an opportunity, but Rahim ignored them and simply continued.
“Once again, congratulations on making it into the academy, and I wish you luck during your stay here. Also, the houses are open, and you’re free to move into them any time you like, but it is very important that you’re within the academy's grounds before the first day of resumption.”
“Lastly, the bursar’s office is down the hall by my right for those who would like to see him immediately, and finally, good luck to everyone.”
Rahim teleported out of the hall an instant later, and Aodhán, Andrew, and Daruk filed out of the hall along with the other students. Most rushed towards the gate, eager to share the exciting news with their parents or guardians, while the rest stayed back.
Some decided to check out the houses first, while others made their way to the bursar’s office. Andrew had gone to share the news of his admission with his parents, while Aodhán and Daruk walked along with those headed for the bursar’s office.
There was only a small queue when Aodhán and Daruk arrived at the office, so they settled to wait. Aodhán’s mind was filled with thoughts of the tournament as he observed the people around him.
His need to be better and different rose up again, just like it had done when he was in the orphanage. It was the reason he’d been out in the hills that day, because he hadn’t wanted to settle for something ordinary.
Aodhán began to mentally plan his routine for the next week. He had to win this tournament, or at least finish in third place—no, first place. He had willpower to tame and harness; he needed to create a new skill; but most of all, he needed to improve his energy control.
The queue moved steadily, and a few minutes later, Aodhán was standing before an open window barricaded with golden bars. The bursar was a pudgy man with an evolved class and a slightly chipped tooth, but what surprised him was the dim feeling of his core, which suggested that he was approaching a limit.
The thought of the limit reminded him of Aldric’s words and how the 12th Academy had enforced the oath on all their students. Would the 5th academy do the same, and if so, when?
His mind was brought back to the present when the bursar asked. “Name?”
“Aodhán Ashoka.” Aodhán replied immediately, and the bursar typed it into his tablet. He scrolled for a while before he frowned and said,.
“Your information doesn’t pop up on any of the kingdom’s records; where are you from?”
Aodhán was very tempted to say earth, just to see the man’s reaction, but he shook his head and replied. “The 12th sector.”
“That explains it.” The man grumbled and asked. “Where exactly in the 12th sector?”
“The Warren.”
“Parents name?”
Aodhán paused, but after a moment of contemplation, he replied. “Unrid and Synové Brystion.”
“Siblings?”
“Yes, Aldric and Daruk Brystion.”
“Well, that checks out.” The man murmured as he typed, and a moment later he replied. “Great, I’ll need your signature, fingerprint, facial, and retinal scan.”
The entire process took about five minutes, and a second later, the whirring sound of machinery filled the room.
“Here you go.” The man handed him a plastic ID card. “You’ve been registered on the network, so I should be able to issue you a chip soon, but you’ll have to wait a few minutes.”
“How long?”
“About ten minutes. Imprinting a chip is not an easy process. In the meantime, this is yours.” The bursar replied as he handed him a box filled with his uniforms, books, and socks. “House number?”
“Uhm, 14-C.”
“Okay, this is yours.” The bursar handed him a pair of keys dangling from a silver key holder designed with runic scripts.
“Thank you.” He replied, shrugging in reply to Daruk’s questioning gaze, before moving to sit on one of the benches lining the hallway. Daruk went through the same process of registration and didn’t even bat an eye when the bursar asked him if they were brothers.
By the time Daruk was done, Aodhán’s chip was imprinted, and the bursar called him to retrieve it.
“I thought it would look like an actual chip.” Daruk muttered as they stared at the black metallic bracelet, barely an inch wide. It shimmered with white and gold scripts that glowed immediately after he put it on.
The bracelet shrunk until it perfectly fit his wrists and was in no danger of falling off, after which it flashed with a golden light, and the ping of a notification resounded in his mind.
….
ANALYZING RUNIC TECHNOLOGY
….
FUSING SYSTEM INTERFACE.
…..
INTERFACE FUSION COMPLETE.
…
[STATUS]
Name: Aodhán Ashoka Brystion.
Title: Neophyte, Stormborn, Bronze.
Class: Evolved storm awakened: 99.9% (PENDING)
Tier: 15-7.46%
Bloodline: Nil
Glimpse: Increases elemental control by 1%
5th Academy Chip: [Map] [Contacts] [Leaderboard] [Chats] [Course outlines] [Restricted]