The sun was setting when the teleportation array activated, pulling Lukas back to the academy grounds. He materialized in the central plaza along with dozens of other students, most of them looking exhausted and battered.
Some were celebrating, clutching handfuls of tokens. Others looked dejected, having barely scraped together enough points to pass. A few were being attended to by healers, sporting nasty wounds from their encounters.
Lukas glanced down at his own collection. Twenty bronze tokens and one silver token. Twenty points total. Respectable, but not exceptional.
"All students, proceed to the main hall for result tabulation," a professor announced. "Your tokens will be counted and rankings will be posted within the hour."
The crowd began moving toward the hall. Lukas followed at a leisurely pace, in no particular hurry. He'd passed, that was all that mattered.
As he walked, he noticed Ace Reinhardt ahead of him, surrounded by a small group of admiring students. The protagonist looked tired but satisfied, a bag heavy with tokens hanging from his belt. From what Lukas could see, there were at least thirty tokens in there, including what looked like a gold one.
Right on track with the novel, then. Ace would place third, get recognized as a rising talent, and start building his reputation.
Lukas was fine with that. He had no interest in competing with the protagonist.
The main hall was packed when they arrived. A massive board hung on the wall, empty for now but waiting to display the rankings. Students clustered in groups, comparing their scores and making bets on who would place in the top ten.
Lukas found a quiet spot near the back and waited.
[You have been idle for 1 hour]
[+1 to all stats]
[Current Stats: Strength 31, Agility 31, Mana 31, Endurance 31]
He was getting close to the level of a trained knight now. Another week or two of passive growth and he'd surpass most of the academy's combat instructors. The thought was absurd, but the system didn't lie.
"Attention, students."
The headmaster appeared on stage, his long beard swaying as he walked. With a wave of his hand, the board behind him lit up, names and scores appearing in glowing letters.
ENTRANCE EXAM RANKINGS
1st Place: Cassius Drakos - 67 Points
2nd Place: Elara Ven - 51 Points
3rd Place: Ace Reinhardt - 43 Points
The hall erupted in whispers. Cassius Drakos, the first son of Duke Drakos, a prodigy who'd been trained by master swordsmen since childhood. Elara Ven, the genius daughter of the Ven merchant guild, known for her wind magic. And Ace Reinhardt, the "commoner" who'd somehow placed third.
Lukas watched as Ace's face lit up with pride. The students around him cheered and congratulated him. This was his moment, the start of his legend.
The rankings continued scrolling down.
15th Place: Marcus Fellor - 23 Points
16th Place: Lukas Grant - 20 Points
17th Place: Vera Solis - 19 Points
Sixteenth place. Not bad. High enough to avoid remedial classes, low enough to stay out of the spotlight. Exactly what Lukas wanted.
Except it didn't quite work out that way.
"Lukas Grant placed sixteenth?"
"Didn't everyone say he was the Grant family's failure?"
"Twenty points is pretty decent for someone who supposedly can't even hold a sword properly."
"Maybe the rumors were exaggerated?"
The whispers spread through the hall like wildfire. Lukas kept his expression neutral, but internally he sighed. So much for staying under the radar.
He caught sight of Princess Seraphina across the hall. She was watching him again, those golden eyes studying him with barely concealed interest. Next to her, one of her attendants whispered something in her ear.
Great. More attention he didn't need.
The headmaster cleared his throat. "Congratulations to all who passed. Those who scored below ten points will be given one more chance next month. As for the rest of you, classes begin tomorrow at dawn. Dormitory assignments and schedules have been delivered to your rooms. Dismissed."
The crowd began dispersing. Lukas headed for the exit, eager to get back to his room and rest.
"Grant."
He stopped. That voice was familiar.
The noble from yesterday, the one who'd threatened him, stood blocking his path. Two friends flanked him, both looking equally unfriendly.
"Twenty points," the noble said with a sneer. "I'll admit, that's better than I expected from you. But still pathetic compared to real talent."
Lukas looked at him flatly. "What do you want?"
"Just making sure you understand your place. Sixteenth is nothing special. You're still the same failure everyone knows you are."
"If you say so," Lukas said, moving to walk past him.
The noble stepped in his way again. "I'm not done, "
"Move."
The single word came out colder than Lukas intended. His Enhanced Perception had already picked up on the hostile intent radiating from all three of them. They were planning something, probably planning to corner him later and teach him a "lesson."
He was tired, still sore from fighting the Shadow Mauler, and in no mood for petty noble politics.
The noble's face reddened. "You think you can, "
"I said move."
Lukas released just a fraction of his mana, not enough to be threatening, just enough to make his point clear. The air around him grew heavy. The three nobles stepped back instinctively, their expressions shifting from anger to uncertainty.
"We'll settle this another time," the noble muttered, backing away with his friends.
Lukas watched them leave, then continued toward his dorm. More attention. More trouble. Exactly what he was trying to avoid.
But what could he do? Roll over and let them walk all over him? Pretend to be weak just to keep the peace?
No. He'd already decided he wasn't going to live like that.
Back in his room, Lukas collapsed onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. The day had been long and exhausting, but at least it was over.
[You have been idle for 2 hours]
[+2 to all stats]
[Daily Skill Lottery Available]
[Would you like to draw?]
Might as well.
[Drawing...]
[Skill Acquired: Basic Mana Control (C-Rank)]
[Basic Mana Control: Manipulate and shape mana with greater efficiency]
A utility skill. Useful for magic training, but nothing flashy. Lukas closed his eyes and let himself relax.
Tomorrow, classes would start. He'd keep his head down, attend lectures, train when necessary, and let the story progress naturally. No more incidents. No more drawing attention.
That was the plan.
---
Elsewhere in the academy, Ace Reinhardt sat in his own room, staring at the ranking board results he'd copied down. Third place. It should have felt like a victory. He'd worked hard, fought dangerous monsters, and earned his spot.
But all he could think about was that moment in the plaza yesterday. The way Lukas Grant had fought. The way everyone had looked at him.
Ace clenched his fists. He'd trained for years to get where he was. Every point he'd earned today had come through blood and sweat.
And yet, Lukas Grant, the supposed failure, had scored twenty points and made it look easy.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[New Quest Available: Prove Your Worth]
[Surpass Lukas Grant in the upcoming practical evaluations]
[Reward: Skill Upgrade Token]
Ace stared at the notification. His system had never given him a quest like this before. It was always about defeating monsters or protecting people, not about competing with other students.
Why now? Why Lukas Grant?
He dismissed the notification and lay back on his bed. It didn't matter. He was the protagonist. He'd overcome every challenge before, and he'd overcome this one too.
He just needed to work harder.
---
In the royal quarter of the academy, Princess Seraphina sat at her desk, reviewing reports on the new students. Her attendant stood nearby, waiting patiently.
"Tell me about Lukas Grant," Seraphina said without looking up.
The attendant bowed. "Third son of Marquis Grant. Previously considered talentless and was rarely seen in public. No notable achievements before yesterday. He scored twentieth in the entrance exam, sixteen points above the passing threshold."
"And his performance in the plaza?"
"He defeated a trained swordsman in single combat. Clean technique, no wasted movement. His instructor at the Grant estate reported that he showed no talent during childhood training."
Seraphina tapped her finger on the desk. Something didn't add up. People didn't go from talentless to skilled overnight. Either the rumors about him were false, or something had changed recently.
"Keep an eye on him," she said. "I want to know what he does, who he associates with, and how he performs in classes."
"As you command, Your Highness."
Seraphina returned to her reports, but her mind was elsewhere. Lukas Grant. An extra who wasn't supposed to matter.
And yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was going to be important somehow.
---
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
[Timeline Divergence: 12%]
[Multiple characters showing behavioral changes]
[Warning: Continued divergence may accelerate major plot events]
Lukas slept peacefully, unaware of the ripples he was creating.
Tomorrow would be the start of academy life.
And things were only going to get more complicated.