After the Headmaster left, Casphian made his way upstairs. The second floor held a master bedroom and two spare rooms he could use however he wished. The wide halls and polished finish made it feel less like a dormitory and more like a noble's estate.
He stepped into the master bedroom, and for a moment, he just stood still. The room was far larger than he expected—big enough to fit three of his old rooms. A broad, soft-looking bed rested at the fa center. On the left side, bookshelves lined the wall, filled to the brim with books, while on the right, a sturdy desk sat near the window, placed to catch the natural light and give a clear view of the school grounds.
"So this is what luxury feels like?" Casphian muttered.
After taking a look around and dropping his things, he went back downstairs and followed another stairway that led to the basement which is home to a training area as headmaster has said.
The moment he entered, his eyes widened.
It wasn't just a simple training area—it was a full-scale one. The space was massive, its stone walls reinforced with glowing magic inscriptions. Dummies lined the far side, and training equipments were neatly arranged on racks.
"The training grounds back in Stella City can't even compare to this…" Casphian muttered, unable to hide his surprise.
Casphian walked deeper into the training area, curiosity in his eyes. He stopped before one of the reinforced wooden dummies set on a platform and studied it. Faint inscriptions ran across its surface—evidence of the protective enchantments woven into it.
"Looks durable enough…" he muttered.
Casphian stepped back from the dummies to gain some distance, then raised his hand and conjured a spell.
'Water Bullet.'
Three water bullets shot forward, striking the dummies with sharp crashes. The dummies didn't even crack—it simply absorbed the force, its inscriptions pulsing faintly with light
Casphian tried again with a stronger spell, but the results were the same—the dummy absorbed the impact, glowing briefly before returning to normal.
Satisfied, he smiled faintly. "Perfect. I can go all out here without worrying about breaking anything."
He glanced at the racks of training swords and weights but didn't bother touching them. His body wasn't conditioned for that path yet—his focus for the past month had been magic.
After a while, Casphian gave a small nod. "This place has everything I need."
With that, he left the basement and headed back upstairs.
"Guess it's time to see what kind of people I'll be studying with." Casphian said, heading toward the spectator's arena to watch the ongoing test.
...
The place was already crowded, so he slipped toward the back and found an open spot near the exit. From there, floating screens projected the ongoing trial, each showing a different perspective of the battle.
By now, the field had been thinned out—it was down to the last eight teams.
On one screen, a team of earth and water users clashed with a group that relied on fire and lightning. The ground split apart as stone walls shot up, only to be shattered by a blazing fireball. In response, one of the lightning users blurred forward, her movements almost too fast to follow, striking the earth mage before he could raise another defense.
Another screen showed a group of wind mages circling their opponents, launching gust of winds to corner them. Their enemies fought back with ice, freezing the very air to block the wind blades, the clash created a mist that obscured the view.
Casphian crossed his arms, eyes narrowing as he followed the fights. The tension was real—every spell, every strike, was thrown with desperation. Victory here wasn't just about passing the exam; it was about making a name.
"It's a lot fiercer than what I've seen in Verdantia." Casphian murmured.
The scenes flashing on the screens stirred old memories of his days adventuring as Zero. Compared to the battles of C class adventurers, this was still underwhelming—but considering their age, the trainees were impressive.
With the strength they were already showing, the three years they'd spend at Celestia would only hone them further.
Casphian stayed until the end, quietly watching as the last teams clashed until a single group emerged victorious.
"Celestia really is the den of talents." he muttered under his breath. Their coordination, precision, and sheer power were far beyond what he had seen from most adventurers in Stella.
Once the winner was declared, the crowd erupted in cheers and chatter. Casphian rose from his seat, stretching slightly before making his way back.
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