"So this is the test site?" Neyman asked as he stepped out of the Teleportation Gate.
"Yes, and I need you to secure the area with runes," another professor responded, glancing at Professor Neyman.
"Sigh, this old man needs rest sometimes, you know," Neyman joked, making the other professor a tad awkward.
Both of them were selected to oversee the Test Site and ensure that nothing went wrong, but Neyman was the only one capable of securing a large territory accurately due to his proficiency in Runic Arts.
Neyman noticed his fellow professor's reaction, but he merely laughed lightly.
"But it seems they're ramping up the difficulty considerably," Neyman observed, looking at Xander, who was also present.
"I don't mind these changes. They will help the students prepare for unexpected situations," Neyman stated.
"Well, but I still feel like it's too much for a first-year student, though most of them won't be affected by it," the other professor commented, following Neyman.
Three weeks had passed, and exams for various subjects were currently being conducted.
"I wonder how many students will pass my exams," Neyman mused, remembering the challenging test he had devised.
This time he had amplified the difficulty slightly, making scoring high in his subject no easy task.
And the reason? He was curious about the limits of the infamous Rank 1 student, Asher Greville.
At the World Academy,
"Attention, students!" the instructor shouted.
"We will give you various tasks and a sheet. Create these runes and record your answers on the sheet at the end," he explained.
"We will evaluate both your creations and answers when grading all of you," he added, signaling for distributing the test papers to the students seated in the class, including Asher.
Asher scanned the paper. None of the questions seemed too challenging.
Some would take some time, but he knew how to tackle such problems.
"So, it's about combining two elements into one rune," Asher deduced that the most difficult questions revolved around combining elements into a single rune.
It was a complex task that demanded substantial concentration and thought.
Boom
Small explosions echoed as some students failed their tasks, attempting to combine the fire element with the wind too hastily.
It was a known fact that Mana was the only energy that could hold all the elements together, serving as a medium or fuel when used.
"Three students have failed. You can leave after recording your answers," the instructor dismissed any students who had failed their creations.
They had only one chance, so most approached the runes slowly and carefully. Though a safe strategy, taking too long meant the instructors would note this, which could negatively impact their grades.
Elsewhere, a young man with white hair sat before a lone professor.
"Do you think you can answer all the questions?" the professor asked with a smile.
"I heard you spent two weeks reaching D- Rank," he mentioned.
"I will try my best," Kevin replied, looking at the question.
He was taking the examination on the Lightning Element, a subject only he among the first years had, and the professor in front of him was the one teaching the Lightning Element class.
"Your affinity is strong, so ensure you score high marks," the professor reminded Kevin.
He perceived Kevin as a highly talented individual, but his thought processes were currently too narrow, and the professor understood why.
Once lauded as a prodigy of his generation, Kevin was quickly forgotten when Asher began demonstrating his capabilities.
'He could reach the highest peak if he focuses on himself,' the professor thought, monitoring Kevin's progress.
It had already been two weeks since he reached D Rank. He only lacked experience, which he would gain gradually.
"Don't worry. You will need to show your progress in the practical part of this exam as well," the professor reminded Kevin, who was still focused on answering the questions.
This practical aspect was necessary for the exam, as professors would make the students demonstrate their capabilities to evaluate their understanding.
However, most of the grading was done by analyzing the performance of the student in clearing dungeons and hunting monsters.
The purpose of the World Academy was to train exceptional hunters who could provide stability to the world.
However, due to the existence of elite families and social statuses, World Academy was not a simple academy anymore.
Every student enrolled here had a plan for what they wanted to achieve while studying. Some had straightforward goals, while others didn't think too hard about it.
Yet some had more complex motivations for studying here.
The power struggle between elite families persisted over the years, and World Academy became a place where they compared the upcoming generation.
It became a matter of pride for some people.
But there were also others whose motives were not simple at all.
One of them was Leonard Tarvian, who was rallying many people to the cause of his faction, the Blood Faction.
Many believed it was simply to oppose the Student Council, where only one student, the Student Council President, held all the power, but it was all a ruse.
Not even those close to Leonard knew what he genuinely wanted to achieve by doing all this. Only he and his father Osbert were privy to their real plan.
Unbeknownst to them, another person at World Academy knew about their schemes.
"Yes, Father, I have controlled the rumors," Leonard told Osbert.
"Don't bother controlling idiots, Leonard. They will become the reason for your downfall," Osbert advised his son.
"I understand, father," Leonard replied.
"What about the World Association? I heard rumors about some issues?" Leonard queried.
"It's nothing significant. A new pest that is bothering the Upper Society has appeared, but we don't need to focus on them," Osbert assured.
"Don't rush into things without a plan, and ignore Greville for now," Osbert directed, causing Leonard to raise an eyebrow.
"What plan?" Leonard inquired.
Osbert's sharp gaze looked at his son for a moment before he opened his mouth.
"No need to worry about it. Attend the Kalvas Gala. I'll explain there," Osbert said before disconnecting the call.
"Haah, even though he's my father, he is scary," Leonard admitted, feeling slightly cold.
But he smiled, knowing that his father's influence was the reason nobody challenged him.
Even those from the elite families didn't dare disrespect him, knowing he was the son of Osbert Tarvian.
"It's not enough. It's not fun this way, Father," Leonard smirked, looking at the chessboard before him.
While Osbert preferred to move with a plan and eliminate any threats, Leonard enjoyed toying with his prey.
"I will take it from here," Leonard declared, moving the knight forward on the chessboard.
"I know what card you want to play, but they won't move easily," Leonard remembered the message he received from Jayden Hargrave about rejecting the deal he had offered.
A week went by as the examinations kept going on.
"Why are the questions so hard this time," A student grumbled on his way to the Dorms.
Some people who had chosen hard subjects were lamenting their choices, but a few, like Eva Williams, were confident in their academic abilities.
"Only one more exam that we have, the main part of the Mid Term Examination," One student reminded them.
"Hey, don't talk about that. I am too stressed right now to think hard about that," Another replied, rubbing his head.
Unlike Asher and Kevin's team, most other teams didn't spend much time practicing together.
And that was because the teams kept changing till the last second.
"Did you hear the rumors that Blood Faction's members bully normal students like us?" One of them said, but others started frowning.
"Stop saying all this crap, and focus on your exams," His friend slapped his back as he shook his head.
"Why would they bother with us?" His friend said as they stepped towards their dorms.
