Chapter 30: Entry exam!
Bong-Bong.
The students fell silent at the loud sound of the bell ringing. Only seconds after it stopped, a circle of flames appeared on an elevated podium, taking the shape of a two-meter-tall man with bulging muscles and a serious expression. He had red hair and red eyes.
All eyes were drawn to him due to his flamboyant entrance. The man, seeing that he had captured the young adults' attention, began to speak in a deep voice that strangely carried across the entire area. "Welcome, future students. I am the vice principal, Brendan Ironheart."
At the mention of his name, many people grew excited and began to whisper among themselves.
"No way! I heard he's a powerful SS+ rank fire mage!"
"If only I could train under him, I'd become an exceptional mage."
Brendan, noticing the murmurs in the crowd, bellowed, "SILENCE!" Once quiet was restored, he continued, "I know many of you are thrilled at the prospect of joining Central Academy, but let me tell you now: this year, we will accept only 1,000 students. Yet, there are thousands of you hoping to join. This means only the top 1,000 will make it in. Everyone around you is your competition."
As soon as he said this, the atmosphere shifted, and students began to cautiously observe those around them. Brendan, satisfied with the change in mood, went on, "To determine who will be admitted to Central Academy, there will be two tests. The first test will take place in the Testing Center," he said, pointing to a large medieval-style building bustling with staff.
"You'll enter the Testing Center and line up to touch the analysis orb, which will record your talent level. Based on this, you'll receive a score. However, don't be discouraged if your talent is rated low; even if you don't score highly in the first test, hope is not lost. The second test will assess your battle power."
"I won't explain the second test now because I hate repeating myself, and some of you will forget the details anyway. I'll discuss it in more detail after everyone completes the first test. Just keep in mind that your overall score will combine your results from both tests, giving you a ranking from 1,000th place to 1st place."
"I won't go into details for now, but know that achieving a high rank comes with many benefits, so aim for it."