The day after she obtained the magic books.
Lilith, as usual, strolled into the classroom just as the final bell was ringing.
Instructor Arret stood at the podium. Seeing Lilith enter, he pushed up his glasses, a smile that hinted at his rising frustration appearing on his face.
“Student Lilith, I granted you a three-day leave of absence. How many days has it been now? Did you find somewhere particularly fun to visit?”
Lilith’s footsteps faltered. An innocent smile quickly bloomed on her face. “Hehe... Instructor Arret, what are you saying? I was... I went to experience the natural scenery! It wasn’t for fun at all.”
As she spoke, she walked to her seat by the window in the back row and sat down.
Arret watched her performance, his lip twitching. Ultimately, he could only shake his head helplessly.
“You need to focus on your studies,” Arret said, walking over to Lilith’s desk and lightly patting her shoulder.
Lilith nodded obediently. “Mhm, I understand, Instructor. I’ll work hard!”
Looking at her “I’m sorry, and I’ll do it again” expression, Arret knew she hadn’t taken a word of it to heart.
He walked back to the podium and cleared his throat, getting down to business.
“Students, this morning’s classes are canceled.” Arret scanned the room. “All first-year freshmen are to head to the Starry Assembly Tower in the center of the academy for a general freshman assembly.”
A slight stir went through the classroom.
“A freshman assembly? School hasn’t been in session that long. Is there something important to announce?”
“The content of the meeting is related to the upcoming Freshman Test,” Arret answered their doubts.
“The test will officially begin in half a month. This is an academy tradition, primarily designed to assess the freshmen’s combat capabilities and teamwork levels. The test results will be included in the annual evaluation and will affect future resource allocation.”
“The test is divided into two parts: first, the Multi-Academy Student Duels; second, team-based academy missions. The specific rules and details will be explained by the Dean’s Office during the assembly.”
“Now, everyone stand up and follow me.”
The students rose one after another.
Nervous expressions appeared on many faces. The Freshman Test! This was a prime opportunity to prove themselves!
Lilith stood up slowly as well, following the crowd out.
The group walked through the corridors of the teaching building, down the spiral staircase, and arrived at the central plaza of the academy.
A towering white tower stood at the center of the plaza.
This was the Starry Assembly Tower, the venue where the academy held important meetings and ceremonies.
Quite a few freshmen from other classes had already gathered at the tower’s entrance.
Lilith followed her class through the main doors.
Inside was a spacious hall.
Staff members were already guiding the various classes to their seats.
Lilith’s Class A was assigned to a spot near the front on the left side of the venue.
As the class with the best overall performance in this year’s talent testing, they enjoyed certain privileges.
Lilith found a comfortable seat and sat down, letting her mind wander.
Just then, a familiar voice drifted from nearby.
“Oh, if it isn’t Lilith?”
The voice had a deliberately drawn-out tone, carrying the characteristic arrogance of a noble young master.
Lilith didn’t need to look back to know who it was.
She let out a yawn, having absolutely no desire to acknowledge him.
Karl, along with his small group of lackeys, happened to sit just diagonally behind Lilith.
A provocative smile was plastered on his face.
Seeing Lilith offer no reaction, Karl didn’t get angry. Instead, he smiled and sat down among his followers.
“Master Karl, look at her. How rude,” one lackey whispered.
“Exactly. She gets a decent test score and thinks she’s better than everyone. Today she’ll learn that there’s always someone better,” another chimed in.
Karl raised his hand, signaling them to be quiet.
“Don’t worry about it.”
His tone carried blatant confidence.
He still vividly remembered the humiliation of being crushed by Lilith during the entrance test.
Over the past half month, he had studied desperately, and his family had provided him with the best resources and support.
He was confident that in actual combat, he would not lose to anyone.
The Freshman Test was his best chance to reclaim his dignity.
At this moment, Lilith was staring at the ceiling in a daze.
“That time-attribute scroll Veen gave me... what exactly does it do?” She recalled the magical runes on the scroll, which were complex enough to make one’s head spin. “Super-tier magic...”
Just then, lights flared on the podium at the front of the hall.
Several figures emerged from a side passage and stepped onto the stage.
Leading them was a middle-aged man, the Dean of Academic Affairs, followed by several instructors and teaching assistants responsible for freshman affairs.
The hall gradually fell silent.
The eyes of every freshman were focused on the podium.
The freshman assembly had officially begun.
The Dean of Academic Affairs was a serious-looking middle-aged man with thinning hair. He walked to the center of the podium, cleared his throat, and used magic to amplify his voice.
“Good morning, first-year freshmen.”
“I am the Dean of Academic Affairs, Horn. I have gathered you all here today to announce and detail the specific matters regarding the Freshman Test that will take place in half a month.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the hundreds of young faces below.
“The Freshman Test is a tradition that has continued for three hundred years at the Holy City Magic Academy. It is not merely an assessment; it is your first baptism of combat in your magical career.”
“Through this test, you will gain a preliminary understanding of true magical combat and teamwork, as well as the ability to adapt when facing real-world missions.”
“Your test scores will directly impact your comprehensive evaluation for this academic year, as well as your future eligibility for off-campus training opportunities. In short, it is very important.”
A collective intake of breath echoed through the hall. Many students sat up straighter, their expressions becoming even more serious.
Dean Horn continued, “The test is divided into two independent projects, scored separately and then combined for a final evaluation. Below, I will detail the content and rules of the first project.”
Behind him, an assistant activated a projection spell.
“Project One: Multi-Academy Student Duels.”
“Time: Day one through day three of the testing cycle.”
“Location: Mirage Corridor, the academy’s exclusive combat zone.”
“Format: Single-elimination tournament.”
Rules:
Group Drawing: All registered freshmen will be randomly assigned to eight large groups, with approximately 30-40 people per group, distributed across eight sectors.
Elimination Format: A single-elimination tournament will be held within each group until a group champion is determined.
Mirage Arena: The matches will take place within the ‘Mirage Corridor.’ This venue is constructed by the academy’s high-level mages and can simulate various terrains and environments. It is equipped with basic protective barriers to ensure the maximum safety of the participants.
Victory Conditions: One party voluntarily surrenders; one party is knocked out of the arena or loses the ability to fight; or the referee determines that one party cannot continue the battle.
Furthermore, intentional killing and other violations are strictly prohibited during the matches. Violators will be handed over to the Royal Capital Tribunal for processing.
Magic Restrictions:
The use of all learned magic is permitted.
The use of external magical support items is prohibited.
Rewards:
Group Champions: Will receive the title of Freshman Duel Victor, an additional 100 academy points, and one-time access to the middle floors of the Starry Library for two hours.
The eight champions from the eight groups will then compete in the final tournament to vie for the position of ‘Freshman Chief.’
All participants will receive base points according to their number of wins.
Once the rules were explained, a wave of discussion broke out below.
“Single-elimination! How exciting!”
“The Mirage Corridor? I’ve heard of it. Apparently, random magical interference can occur inside!”
“Scrolls and potions are banned? Then it’s purely down to individual strength...”
“100 points! And access to the middle floors of the library! I’m going all out!”
Sitting in the back row, a confident smirk curled on Karl’s lips. Individual duels? That was exactly what he wanted.
Rate on N.U.
