Zane sat to the immediate right of Shelby, drawing more than a few eyes his way. Jealousy, thinly veiled beneath polite expressions, flared from fellow representatives around them. Even the selectors seated on the six grand stages stole glances in his direction, their curiosity clearly piqued.
After the preliminary test, one thing was clear to everyone:
Zane Carter was no ordinary fresher.
Some of the selectors even began flipping through his application form, whispering among themselves.
Ding!
[Quest Completed]
[157 Green Cards Collected]
[+10 Granted To All Stats]
[Host: Zane Carter (Human)]
[Stats]
Strength / Physical: 96 (Base) + 5 (Divine Radiance) + 10 (Radiant Strike) = 111
Agility / Speed: 95 (Base) + 5 (Divine Radiance) + 10 (Luminous Step) = 110
Mana / Intelligence: 99 (Base) + 5 (Divine Radiance) + 10 (Sacred Barrier) = 114
Health Bar: 450 / 450
Mana Bar: 490 / 490
Zane's eyes glinted with satisfaction as he read the notification. His power had grown substantially. Quietly, he looked up at the floating projection screen that listed the rankings of every participant.
Rank #53 | Green Cards Acquired: 157
"Rank 53..." he muttered under his breath.
Shelby nudged his shoulder. "Your rank doesn't reflect your real power in this round. You've still got cards up your sleeve, don't you? For the upcoming Ranking Tournament of Freshers?"
Zane responded with a faint, wry smile, neither confirming nor denying.
Sensing the evasion, Shelby chuckled awkwardly and steered the conversation elsewhere. "Still, while you were in the arena, everyone was watching you. I'm betting every faction's going to try and recruit you."
Zane's eyes scanned the room. As expected, he found Bracewell glaring at him with barely concealed resentment. That kid again... he mused.
Then his gaze shifted—and landed on a more familiar group.
Niagara Everfall sat with Eron, Finn, and Bryce among another set of participants. As if sensing the attention, Niagara turned and met Zane's eyes, smiling gently. The trio followed his gaze and each responded in their own way.
Finn frowned, as if still believing the match was somehow rigged.
Eron gave a quiet sigh and nodded in respectful acknowledgment.
Zane nodded back with calm courtesy.
Bryce exhaled deeply and whispered to his group, "We were too weak. But this is just the beginning. The path ahead—we can still carve it ourselves."
Niagara let out a hearty laugh and clapped Bryce on the back. "Good! The first step to power is recognizing your weakness. You've done that now, Bryce, and that makes your future brighter already. Remember—there are others out there, even among the freshers, who are far stronger than I am."
Just then, a commanding voice boomed across the hall:
"Welcome back, my dear juniors!"
It was Frankie.
His voice thundered over the room, bringing the chatter and murmurs to a sudden halt. All attention turned toward the towering man standing at the dais.
He smiled, his eyes scanning across the vast crowd until finally settling on Zane.
"With today's events, my eyes have been opened," Frankie declared. "Truly, this year's batch of freshers holds more potential than any year before."
A murmur rippled through the crowd, a mix of pride, tension, and awe.
"And this," Frankie continued, "was only the preliminary trial. I eagerly await the Ranking Tournament. I believe we are in for quite the spectacle."
Then, with a shift in tone, he added, "Now, let's proceed with the next phase—the Internal Assessment Test."
He gestured toward the central dais where a pedestal now stood, a large crystal orb placed upon it.
"It's simple," Frankie said. "Each of you will step forward and place your hand upon the orb. Infuse it with your mana. The orb will assess and reveal your mana's nature, quality, quantity, and various elemental or special attributes."
A palpable wave of anticipation swept through the hall.
On the six elevated platforms, each representing a faction, the selectors began arranging long tables. Resting on them were smooth white orbs that shimmered faintly under the ambient light. These were the Magical Orbs—arcane tools capable of analyzing a student's mana down to its very essence.
Each faction displayed their strength in numbers:
House Aether presented eleven Magical Orbs.
House Noxis brought forth twelve.
House Ignis arranged ten.
House Umbra followed with ten as well.
House Astralis had the most with twelve Magical Orbs.
And then, there was House Drakon, placing only two orbs.
A hush passed through the hall. From just this alone, students began drawing conclusions—which factions to flock to, and which to avoid.
Names began to be called. One after another, freshers stood and made their way toward the booth of the faction they preferred, selecting where they'd be assessed. The lines before the five major factions grew long and bustling.
All except one.
Before House Drakon's booth, there were only five students. And to the shock of many—Zane Carter stood as the fifth.
Several selectors from the other factions frowned in disbelief. Murmurs began to spread.
"Why's someone with his stats going to Drakon?"
"Is this a joke? We should double-check his form."
Curious and suspicious, some quickly accessed his submitted application data.
Their eyes widened slightly at what they found:
Preferred Faction: House Drakon
Other Options: N/A
"…What's wrong with this kid?" one selector muttered.
But after some quiet discussion, they came to a common conclusion:
This must be Thor Shelby's influence.
And Thor Shelby, sitting beside Zane, was not someone they wanted to cross. The stories about him were well-known: the prodigy who had outshone even elite seniors during his time—not just any seniors, but ones with high-standing influence. Defeating them had earned Shelby both fear and respect.
No faction wanted to challenge him directly.
So, the only option left was clear: coax the boy.
Shower him with perks. Tempt him with resources. Make him want to switch sides on his own.
Meanwhile, the internal assessment trials had begun.
One by one, freshers stepped forward, placed their hands on the orb, and infused their mana. The orb glowed faintly for each participant, analyzing and cataloging their nature, quality, and quantity of mana.
But nothing about the results was made public.
The Internal Assessment was designed with secrecy in mind. Revealing another's mana attributes could lead to fatal disadvantages—enemies tailored to counter your nature. Thus, the process was confidential, protected by strict academy laws.
Anyone caught leaking details would face "heaven-bound punishment." Immediate, severe, and final.
The selectors knew this, and treated the trial with utmost caution. They weren't interested in specifics—only ratings and compatibility.
Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for.
Zane Carter stepped forward.
He approached one of House Drakon's two lonely orbs, and without hesitation, placed his hand on it.
Then, he poured his mana in—without holding anything back.