A few students had witnessed what Safa had just accomplished, and they were in awe that she was able to select the artifact with seemingly no issue at all. The top five ranked students had been carefully observing the transfers, wondering which among them they truly needed to watch out for. Now, they were utterly stumped.
Yolden sighed as she saw Safa claiming the artifact. “The talented Lightning user, the girl with a special knack, and an idiot who’s able to do something none of us understand. It’s getting harder and harder to see who to look out for.”
However, as usual, there were two other individuals who didn’t possess quite the “cheats” that the others had.
‘Me synergizing with that bloody woman is not helping me in any way here,’ Beatrix sulked internally. ‘She’s not a mage, but a warrior, so she has no clue about these items. I can’t feel anything. Should I just pick something at random?’
It was the same for Dame. He wondered if he should try to force himself to pick an item. Perhaps he could use his Qi to push past the power of rejection and claim an item that way. They had used Qi in front of one of the professors before with no issue, but to do it again…
“Don’t do it,” Raze said as he walked past them. “Liam’s odd actions have already caught attention. If you force yourself to obtain the item, then they will definitely investigate you.”
Raze then walked off, continuing his search for other items, leaving Beatrix and Dame feeling quite lost. They wondered why he didn’t offer a little more help.
That’s when Safa came over, the luminous orb gently resting in her hand. “I can help,” Safa said with a warm smile. “I can see which items will accept you, and which ones have a stronger sense of Mana… although I have to tell you, the two of you don’t have a lot to choose from.”
It was quite expected. The two didn’t even know how to use mana and didn’t possess a mana heart in the first place. So, the magical enchanted items of great value wouldn’t select them. They didn’t have a cheat like Liam, who could somehow force the item to work with him either.
Safa then pointed out the specific items they could potentially pick from and left the final decision up to them.
“She’s decided to help them?” Redrick murmured, watching the exchange. “Well, I guess that’s not against the rules. She’s the only one who can help, and it appears as if the others can’t select artifacts like her, based on what she’s pointed out to them. So I will let this one slide.”
In the end, Dame decided to pick a pair of gloves that conducted flame-like magic. He remembered seeing Alen use his own pair of gloves. Dame was a person who relied on his fists a lot in the first place, so he thought the gloves matched his fighting style perfectly.
For Beatrix, she had initially wanted to pick a sword, but because she hadn’t used a sword during the assessment, she thought it would seem a bit suspicious to select one now. From the sound of things, there weren’t many magic swordsmen, so it wasn’t something someone could just pick up easily. In the end, Beatrix decided to go for a staff. She saw what items the others had gotten, and since it didn’t really matter, she had chosen something different just for variety.
“Who knows, maybe this will help me… this thing can use earth abilities, right?” Beatrix thought, as something else sparked in her mind. She still had one of the other artifacts that allowed her to change the landscape of the area she was in. Maybe she could ask Raze to somehow attach the power of that artifact with the staff, in a way that it could be used and disguised as an earth ability. Because of this exciting prospect, she was quite thrilled about what she might be able to do in the future.
“Well, that’s good, right?” a short-haired, pig-tailed girl said as she approached Yolden. This mage was known as Chiba, and despite her cute and delicate small features, she was ranked the second-highest mage in the class. “It appears that not all of the transfer students are complete monsters. But who knows, maybe they have more to show us and will then reveal a unique trait they have, or a special affinity we’ve never heard of before.” Chiba claimed, a hint of playful speculation in her voice.
“Please don’t joke about that stuff,” Yolden said, a weary expression on her face. “I’ve seen enough surprises here, and everyone’s favorite lightning user hasn’t even done anything yet; he’s just been walking around the place.”
Raze had indeed been meticulously examining all the items. He wondered if there would be one artifact that truly suited him, something he could genuinely use. But as he walked around, he started to notice something. A particular item that he continued to draw himself to, almost instinctively.
It was then that Safa appeared by his side. “I was going to tell you, but it seems you’ve already noticed it yourself,” Safa calmly stated.
The two of them were looking at a pair of gloves. They were plain white, seemingly ordinary, and one of the other students was reaching out, about to grab them.
“Don’t touch that,” Raze snapped, his voice sharp.
The student froze, dead still. He wasn’t one of the top-ranked students, and he had certainly seen Raze’s impressive display during the assessment. “What… you can’t stop me from picking an item. I wanted to select it first,” the student weakly protested.
Raze then walked over, lightning crackling ominously around his hand, which caused the student to back off quickly. Piba, Chiba, Yolden, Moze, and the other high-ranking students looked at the item Raze was approaching, but they couldn’t sense a strong flow of mana from it. Why would he be going towards that item?they all wondered.
‘Why would the academy do something like this? Why do they have a cursed item out on display?’ Raze thought, a grim realization settling in.
*****
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There were very few cursed items that naturally appeared in the world. Most artifacts labeled as cursed were discovered in strange dimensions or hidden relic vaults, buried away for good reason.
But one thing was clear the moment Raze laid eyes on the object in front of him, this particular pair of gloves were enchanted. And the only way a curse could appear on an enchanted item… was through Dark Magic.
If these were created using Dark Magic, then how did they even end up here? Raze wondered, eyes narrowing slightly as he studied the gloves more closely. Because of my affinity with Dark Magic, I can sense the curse immediately…
He knew that wouldn’t be the case for the others, not even for the teachers. They wouldn’t have the slightest clue these gloves were cursed. Which led to a darker thought swirling in his mind.
Does that mean someone in the academy actually knows Dark Magic? And not only that… did they enchant this item on purpose?
If they did, why? What would anyone gain from setting a cursed item out in the open like this?
The more he thought about it, the more a chilling possibility started to form in his head.
Could someone in the academy be secretly part of the Dark Guild? Maybe this whole setup was a trap, meant to weaken or sabotage the academy from the inside.
But even then, it didn’t quite add up. As far as he knew, while Harvey had taught the Dark Guild some forbidden techniques, very few actually knew how to enchant items with Dark Magic. That kind of skill wasn’t just rare, it was elite.
Only someone who’s already highly knowledgeable in enchantments could even begin to attempt something like this.
And I just can’t see someone in a high-ranking academy position being a part of the Dark Guild.
From what Raze had seen so far, most of the people who chose to join the Dark Guild were those who had lost everything. Individuals scraping the bottom of society, filled with resentment, looking for someone, or something, to blame. The Dark Guild gave them a cause, a purpose, and a twisted sense of belonging. A place to direct their pain and anger toward the world that wronged them.
Then again… there was Harvey. A talented mage, respected and powerful, who had joined the Dark Guild despite everything he had.
The memory made something else stir in Raze’s thoughts.
This reminds me of the Central Academy. My secret room had been sealed with powerful Dark Magic… yet somehow, it was opened. The items inside, taken.
And that happened even before the Dark Guild officially formed. Which means… it couldn’t have been any of them. At least, I don’t think so.
“There’s another issue, Raze,” Safa spoke up beside him, her voice calm but concerned. “That item, if one of the students had touched it, it would have accepted them. Actually… its energy is currently reaching out to every student in the room.”
That revelation hit Raze like a hammer. The cursed gloves weren’t picky, they weren’t waiting for a specific person.
Anyone who had touched them would have been accepted.
Which also meant anyone could have fallen victim to the curse.
That makes things even worse, Raze thought grimly. If this wasn’t random… if someone deliberately planted this item here, then the most likely suspect has to be someone inside the academy itself. Maybe even one of the teachers.
Raze’s eyes scanned the room as he slowly walked forward. He could feel the eyes of the top students watching him carefully, Moze, Yolden, Chiba, and Piba, all their gazes locked on him, waiting to see what he would do.
“That item doesn’t have nearly any magical power,” Piba muttered under his breath, loud enough for those around him to hear. “Honestly… if he picks that, I’m going to be disappointed.”
But Raze didn’t stop. He reached out and grabbed the gloves.
The moment he did, everyone could tell, the item had accepted him. There was no rejection, no pushback.
These cursed items… I can’t let anyone else get their hands on them, Raze thought, tightening his grip on the gloves. I don’t even need to use them. I’ll just pretend I made a mistake and picked something weak.
If one of the others had used these gloves… the curse would’ve hit them immediately. And the person behind it? They’re probably watching right now, waiting to see what effect it has on me.
They’ll think I’ve fallen into their trap. But they’re wrong. I’ll figure out who did this. Especially if they’re targeting people who have nothing to do with this entire mess.
From across the room, Redrick shook his head with a smirk.
“Panla’s going to be disappointed when I tell her about her favorite transfer student’s choice,” he muttered.
The selection in the chamber continued as more of the top students stepped forward to claim their weapons. Gradually, one by one, they began making their choices.
High-enchanted weapons were picked up, and the students were accepted.
What shocked the observers the most was Moze. He just wouldn’t give up. He went for several powerful wands, one after the other. Each time they rejected him, lashing out and injuring him, sending him crashing backward.
But he got up. Again and again.
Most students would have given up after the first hit. Fear, pain, or embarrassment would’ve kept them back. But not Moze.
Eventually, one of the high-enchanted wands accepted him.
Then there was Piba, the academy’s number one ranked student. Out of the entire room, he was the only other person to successfully claim an artifact. That made two total, Raze and Piba.
Two more than any of the teachers had expected.
“Alright everyone, that’s the end of the lesson for today!” Redrick’s voice rang out, cutting through the buzz of excitement and disappointment. “You all should start getting used to your weapons during your free time. We’ll be using them again during practical classes.”
“Get as familiar as you can with them. Use them however you like. But the weapons you hold now, those are your weapons. You are not permitted to trade with other students or make any deals for them.”
“There’s a reason you picked those weapons, and a reason they picked you.”
Some of the students looked deflated upon hearing that. A few had been hoping to use family connections to trade up, maybe convince others to give away their picks. But it wasn’t going to happen.
“Alright!” Redrick clapped his hands. “Check your schedules for the rest of today’s lessons and don’t be late!”
*****
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Chapter 1307: The Ranked Students
After selecting their weapons, the students were given a short break before heading to their next lesson.
The hallways buzzed with chatter, students casually talking among themselves as they gradually made their way to class.
Among them were two of the academy’s top female students, walking side by side. One of them, Yolden, held a few books pressed neatly against her chest, while Chiba swung her arms and legs freely as she walked, full of energy.
“Wow, so many interesting things happened with the transfer students on their first day, right?” Chiba said, nodding eagerly.
“You’re right,” Yolden replied, adjusting the books in her arms. “I didn’t expect all of them to be so intriguing, especially since some of them were kind of disappointing when they fought against the professor.”
She let out a small sigh. “But still, I have to admit I was disappointed about one thing.”
Chiba nodded. She already knew what Yolden was referring to.
“We were all kind of surprised, right? That lightning user, Raze… Why would he choose such a useless item? Do you think he’s trying not to stand out or something?”
“I thought the same,” Yolden said. “Maybe he’s one of those mages who doesn’t like relying on enchanted gear. Wants to prove himself through his own strength.”
She paused, her eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “But in a way, picking such a bad item is making people talk about him even more… so he’s still standing out, just in a different way.”
Chiba giggled. “Aren’t you curious about the next class though? It’s usually reserved for the top ten, even among Class A students. Makes me wonder… are any of the transfer students going to be invited?”
“Of course they are,” Yolden replied confidently. “That class is taught by Panla. There’s no doubt she has a strong interest in the new student.”
When the two finally entered the classroom, Chiba and Yolden took their usual seats, near the front corner, giving them a clear view of nearly everyone in the room.
Already, several of the academy’s top students were present. Moze and Piba had just arrived, glancing around the room as they made their way in.
“Hah! I guess those transfer kids were too stupid to try coming to a theoretical class,” Moze said with a laugh. “They might be decent in a fight, but this class? This one’s for elites only!”
Just as he finished speaking, Chiba pointed behind him.
“I guess they’re elites too,” she said with a grin, nodding toward the five transfer students who had just walked into the room together.
“Oh? I thought this was a class just for Class A students,” Beatrix said as she looked around. “But it seems like only a few are actually here.”
“It’s not just any few,” Raze said, his eyes scanning the room. He could tell immediately, every student present was one of the academy’s top ten.
And now, the five of them were here too.
But something felt… strange.
The classroom was big enough to accommodate all of them comfortably, yet when Raze examined the seating, he noticed that everyone was sitting in pairs.
Worse, between the empty seats, there was a faint magical field, a strange aura that made anyone nearby feel uneasy. It was subtle, but it clearly discouraged students from sitting there. Whether intentional or not, the effect was very real.
Even more puzzling was the fact that there were several single seats available, but none of them had been taken.
“I’ll just go ahead and explain, since you guys look kind of confused,” Yolden said, turning in her seat. “The teacher for this class is Panla. Her motto is basically: ‘Always be uncomfortable.’”
“Because of that, we’re encouraged to sit next to people we don’t know, or people who make us uncomfortable. We’re always changing places.”
She gave them a sympathetic smile. “Panla’s got a sharp memory too. Since you guys are new and arrived as a group, she definitely won’t let you sit together.”
As soon as those words left Yolden’s mouth, all of the transfer students instinctively turned their heads to look at Raze.
And they weren’t the only ones who noticed.
“Ohhh, did you see that?” Chiba whispered to her seat partner for the day.
That seat partner was a young man named Current, short in stature, with messy hair and large round glasses. He was currently ranked fourth in the academy.
He didn’t talk much. In fact, he only ever showed his true abilities when absolutely necessary. There were rumors that he could easily rise even higher in rank if he just put in the effort.
Strange, quiet, and mysterious, Current had always been like that since the day he joined the academy.
“I saw it,” Current replied calmly. “Those transfer students clearly know each other well. And earlier today in the chamber, it was hard to tell which one of them stood out the most…”
He adjusted his glasses and gave a slight smirk.
“But their actions just now made one thing clear. All of them, without a doubt, see that man, Raze, as their leader.”
It wasn’t just that he was their leader. He was their hope. In an academy filled with experienced magic users, these five transfer students barely knew anything about magic.
So far, they had done a good job of staying close together, supporting one another. But now… now they were being split up for the first time.
How were they supposed to handle this?
“We have to follow the rules,” Raze said calmly, reassuring the others. “Just do your best.”
He waited patiently as the others picked their seats first. One by one, they filled the open spots.
Eventually, only one seat remained.
Raze made his way over and sat down without hesitation.
Across from him, a familiar face smiled.
“I’m glad, out of everyone here, you decided to sit with me,” Piba said softly. “I wanted to be with you.”
The current rank 1 student at the academy… was now sitting with Raze.
Chapter 1308: The Best In The Class (Part 1)
Raze didn’t know whether he’d done it intentionally or not, but he had let everyone else choose their seats first before picking his own. He figured he could adapt to any situation he found himself in, so it didn’t matter who he sat next to.
But what the others hadn’t realized was that it was nearly impossible to judge someone’s strength just by looking at them, especially since none of them had been in the academy long enough to know who was who, let alone the current rankings.
So how was it… that Raze ended up sitting next to the number one ranked student in the entire academy? At least, that’s what he assumed based on what he’d observed so far.
“It’s exciting meeting new people, don’t you think?” Piba said with a bright smile stretching across his face.
“Sure, but can you not get so close?” Raze replied, leaning slightly away. “I don’t really like being touched.”
“Got it, no problem!” Piba said, still beaming. “But questions are okay, right? So… what Star level are you?”
Asking someone about their Star level right off the bat wasn’t exactly considered polite, especially in a place like this where competition was fierce.
While a person’s Star level didn’t guarantee victory in battle, just like the different stages of a Pagna body, it definitely increased their chances.
“My Star level?” Raze repeated, pretending to think. “I’m a Five-Star Mage.”
He had already planned the lie ahead of time. At some point, he knew he would have to reveal something about himself. This answer was just believable enough to work.
“Oh! We’re the same level then. That’s great! I was worried you’d be so far ahead of me that we wouldn’t be able to compete,” Piba said with a relieved grin.
Before Piba could ask another question, the classroom door opened and Panla, the teacher, entered.
Were top-ranked students always this chatty? Raze wondered, glancing at Piba again. Weren’t they supposed to be the quiet, brooding type who just kept to themselves? Times really have changed, haven’t they…
“Alright, everyone!” Panla’s voice echoed through the room, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Today’s lesson is on magical formations. As you all know, not everything in this world is solved through direct combat.”
She walked toward the front of the class, her posture upright and commanding.
“Even though the academy’s focus has shifted more toward battle training, learning about magical formations is still incredibly important.”
She gestured toward the glowing board behind her as it lit up.
“Understanding formations helps you grasp the fundamental logic behind your own spells. It even opens the door to creating your own unique formations mentally.”
Panla paused and looked around the room.
“More than that, if a mage has time to prepare and set up, several formations can completely shift the outcome of a battle. Think about this very academy, we’re surrounded by magical defenses.”
She tapped the wall behind her for emphasis.
“Every single wall here is embedded with powerful protective spells. Only a complete fool would attempt a direct assault on an academy. You’d have a much better chance ambushing a mage outside, in the open, when they’re unprepared.”
She smiled.
“And of course, you all should know that. Everyone in this room performed exceptionally well in the written portion of the entrance test.”
Raze’s group collectively gulped.
They were out of Slyva at this point, but still, their throats felt dry. They knew Raze had been the one to fill in their answers. Technically, they weren’t supposed to be in this class at all.
Maybe I can get away with cheating again, Liam thought nervously. If I record enough knowledge or read some books, the system might be able to help me figure things out, right?
“Let’s begin by examining a magical formation,” Panla continued.
She waved her hand, and a complex, circular diagram appeared on the board. Intricate runes and magical circles were nested inside one another. It was a dense and highly advanced formation.
“I want someone to step forward and explain what this magical formation does. Break it down piece by piece. Not just what the spell does, but why it works the way it does. Use the details of the formation to support your explanation.”
She paused again, letting the weight of her words settle.
“There are students who memorize formations and recite their effects, sure. But that’s not enough. If you truly understand something, then you should be able to explain it clearly to others.”
Now she was scanning the room, waiting for volunteers.
The transfer students suddenly found themselves doing everything they could to avoid eye contact.
Looks like the rumors were true, a student thought as he observed them. Those transfers just cheated to get here. The only one who might actually know what he’s doing… is that guy.
But before Panla could call on anyone, one student confidently stood up.
“I’ll go first!” said Moze, the fifth-ranked student. “I know the others are too shy, so I’ll lead the way.”
He walked boldly to the front of the class, but not before glancing directly at Raze. It was a clear statement: This is a challenge.
“Looks like he thinks you’re his rival,” Piba chuckled. “Maybe because you both have lightning cores?”
When Moze reached the front, he picked up a magical feather and began writing.
Alright. He might beat me in combat, that much was obvious during the assessment, Moze thought. But when it comes to theory and magical knowledge? No one beats me.
He began breaking down the formation bit by bit. His explanations were clear and confident, connecting each rune to its function with ease. It was clear that Moze did understand what he was talking about. He was one of the top students for a reason.
When he finished, he stepped back with confidence, his explanation neatly written out for everyone to see.
“So that’s your final answer as to what this magical formation does?” Panla asked, folding her arms.
She looked around.
“Does anyone disagree? Anyone think he might be wrong?”
Most of the students stayed silent. There was a strange feeling in the room, but it wasn’t because of Moze’s explanation, it was the way Panla was acting that made them uneasy.
Then Piba raised his hand with a playful grin.
“I think someone does disagree, Miss. Raze over here was shaking his head the whole time, and writing a bunch of X’s on his notes.”
Panla immediately lit up with a smile.
“Oh, was he now?”
