The ability exams had begun.
Every first-year was gathered on the vast training grounds, the usual separation between classes erased for the day. Four classes — 1A, 1B, 1C, and 1D — combined into one massive pool of students. For many, this was their first time meeting rivals from outside their own class.
> "Three stages," Jihoon thought. "Physical exam, mana capacity, combat. Pass them all, and you move on. Fail even one, and your ranking plummets."
Stage One: Physical
The first test was simple — or at least, it looked simple.
Strength. Speed. Reflexes.
Jihoon sprinted the length of the track, slammed his fists into reinforced stone blocks, and ducked through swinging pendulums in the reflex gauntlet.
When the numbers came in, his results were… average.
> "Expected," he muttered. "I've never been a physical fighter."
Stage Two: Mana Capacity
Here, Jihoon shined.
He placed his hand on the crystal pillar, letting his mana flow freely. The stone glowed brighter… and brighter… until the examiner raised a brow.
> "Top ten out of the entire first-year," the instructor announced.
Jihoon smirked.
A bigger mana pool meant more More flexibility with his skills .
Stage Three: Combat
This was where the real test began.
Each student would face three different opponents. Win at least two matches to pass. Win all three, and you had a shot at becoming a top ranker.
Jihoon's first opponent was from Class 1C — Han Dojin.
A tall boy with sharp eyes, known for his straightforward but powerful Fireball skill.
He had recently unlocked his Level 2 skill — Azure Flame — after meeting its requirement.
Level 2 meant stronger, more dangerous, and much harder to deal with.
But Jihoon says in his thoughts:
When you reached Level 2, you didn't lose your old skill. The same was true for Level 3. And in a first match, most fighters wouldn't burn too much mana — which meant Dojin would likely stick to basic fireballs.
---
The training room doors slid shut behind them.
An announcement echoed:
[Match 1 – Begin!]
Dojin grinned, tossing a ball of fire into his palm. "Try not to cry when it burns."
The first fireball launched toward Jihoon.
He didn't dodge.
Instead — blink.
Jihoon vanished in a shimmer of light. The fireball reappeared — behind Dojin, colliding into his back. The boy staggered forward, heat singeing his uniform.
> "What—?!"
Another fireball. Blink. It slammed into the wall just inches from Dojin's head.
He cursed, spinning around to track Jihoon — but Jihoon wasn't there.
A third fireball left his hand. Blink. The attack looped back and hit him square in the leg.
The crowd outside began murmuring.
"You… you're just teleporting my attacks!" Dojin shouted.
Jihoon tilted his head. "of course i am that is my skill."
Dojin's eyes narrowed. He switched tactics — firing rapid, smaller shots in a spread. But Jihoon's teleportation was faster than the human eye could track. One Fireball twisted in midair, returning to sender with cruel precision.
It hit Dojin's shoulder. Another grazed his cheek. His movements slowed — panic creeping in.
Jihoon decided to end it faster so no one now about the 30s cooldown.
The moment Dojin raised his hand for a larger cast, Jihoon get closer to him, grabbed the boy's arm, and teleported him directly into the path of Dojin's own fully charged fireball.
The explosion sent Dojin sprawling to the floor. Smoke curled from his uniform.
[Winner: Jihoon]
Jihoon exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
> "One win down. Two to go."
Somewhere in the crowd, a few whispers rose:
"Who is that guy?"
"From Class 1A, right? I didn't know they had anyone like him."
Jihoon stepped out of the ring.
The real tests… had only just begun.