Morning sunlight spread across the massive grounds of the Academy of Ascension.
Thousands of hopeful students stood waiting.
The atmosphere felt heavy with anticipation.
Whispers moved through the crowd like wind through grass.
Then suddenly—
FLASH
A bright light filled the area.
The students disappeared.
The Written Examination
When the light faded, every student found themselves seated inside a vast examination hall.
Long rows of desks stretched endlessly in every direction.
Teachers and invigilators stood along the walls, their eyes sharp and watchful.
A piece of paper and a pen appeared on each desk.
A magical voice echoed through the hall.
"Welcome to the first stage of the Academy of Ascension entrance examination."
"Stage One: Written Evaluation."
"Each candidate will receive twenty-one questions."
"The questions are tailored specifically for you."
"Time limit: two hours."
"Cheating is impossible."
"Begin."
The papers glowed softly.
Then the questions appeared.
Azlea
Azlea looked at her paper calmly.
Questions about:
• Advanced mana theory
• Water–wind elemental compatibility
• Tactical spell casting
• Environmental manipulation
She nodded slightly.
"These are manageable."
Her pen moved steadily across the page.
Kaizer
Kaizer stared at his paper.
"…Oh no."
Questions about:
• Lightning channeling efficiency
• Fog concealment techniques
• Mana flow calculations
He scratched his head.
"I knew I should've studied more."
He glanced around.
An invigilator immediately appeared beside him.
"Eyes on your paper."
"Y-Yes ma'am."
Kaizer sighed and went back to work.
Dazai
Dazai looked down at his questions.
They were strange.
Questions about:
• Mana absence theory
• Physical combat strategy
• Energy resistance mechanisms
He blinked.
Mana absence theory?
"…Why would they ask this?"
But slowly, carefully, he began writing.
His academic training helped him reason through the questions logically.
The Hall of Tension
Time passed slowly.
Pens scratched across paper.
Some students finished early.
Others sweated nervously.
One boy in the corner whispered desperately,
"What even is mana resonance theory?!"
An invigilator immediately walked over.
"Silence."
The room fell quiet again.
Time's End
Finally—
A bell echoed through the hall.
"Time is up."
The papers glowed.
Then vanished instantly.
"Your answers have been submitted."
"Please prepare for teleportation."
FLASH
The hall disappeared.
Back to the Field
Students reappeared on the large academy grounds.
Nervous chatter exploded instantly.
"That exam was brutal."
"I couldn't answer half the questions!"
"I think I did okay…"
Soon, the results appeared on giant magical screens.
Numbers rolled rapidly.
Out of 21,000 participants…
11,000 students failed.
Gasps spread through the crowd.
Only 10,000 students passed.
The Trio's Results
Azlea checked her score.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…Excellent rank."
Kaizer peeked over her shoulder.
"Of course you did amazing."
He checked his own score.
"…Above average."
"Barely."
He shrugged.
"I'll take it."
Dazai looked at his result.
Also above average.
Not impressive.
But not failure.
For him, that was enough.
The Principal Speaks Again
The female principal stepped forward onto the stage.
"Congratulations to those who passed."
Her voice echoed clearly.
"But do not relax yet."
"This was only the first stage."
She raised four fingers.
"The entrance exam consists of four trials."
Written Examination
Mana & Physical Evaluation
Specialized Trial Based on Your Field
Mental Examination
"Even if you fail one stage, you may still succeed."
"If you pass two stages, you will receive another opportunity."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
Hope returned to many faces.
"Prepare for the next stage."
The Evaluation Orbs
Suddenly—
Ten large glowing orbs appeared in the center of the field.
Each orb radiated powerful mana.
"These are evaluation orbs," a professor explained.
"They measure your natural abilities."
"Approach one at a time."
Students lined up nervously.
The Results Begin
One by one, students touched the orbs.
Results appeared instantly above them.
D Rank
C Rank
B Rank
Most students scored B or below.
Some exceptional students reached A Rank.
When someone achieved S Rank, the crowd gasped loudly.
But such moments were rare.
After thousands of evaluations—
Only 70 students achieved S Rank.
Azlea's Turn
Azlea stepped forward calmly.
She placed her hand on the orb.
The sphere glowed blue and white.
Water and wind energy swirled together.
The result appeared above her.
A Rank
Applause spread through the nearby students.
Kaizer grinned.
"Nice!"
Azlea smiled modestly.
Kaizer's Turn
Kaizer cracked his knuckles.
"Alright. My turn."
He touched the orb.
Electricity sparked violently.
Fog swirled around the sphere.
The result appeared.
A Rank
Kaizer pumped his fist.
"YES!"
Azlea rolled her eyes.
"Quiet down."
Dazai's Turn
Then came Dazai.
The crowd had already grown bored of evaluations.
But something about him felt different.
He stepped forward slowly.
His heart pounded.
This is where they'll realize…
He placed his hand on the orb.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
The orb's light flickered.
The mana inside began collapsing.
The bright glow turned dim.
Then darker.
Then—
BLACK
The orb went completely dark.
And shattered internally.
The entire field fell silent.
"What just happened?"
"Did he break it?"
"Is his mana too powerful?"
Dazai's heart raced.
What did I do…?
The Investigation
Several academy officials rushed forward.
"Stop the evaluation."
They examined the orb carefully.
One professor whispered in shock.
"…The mana inside is gone.
"Completely drained."
Another professor turned slowly toward Dazai.
"Boy… what did you do?"
"I— I don't know…"
The tension grew heavier.
Then the principal arrived with four senior professors.
They examined Dazai closely.
And what they saw…
Froze them.
Inside Dazai's body…
They sensed something terrifying.
A shadowy demonic presence.
A monstrous shape devouring mana endlessly.
An ancient curse.
One professor whispered quietly,
"…Impossible."
Another said under his breath,
"This curse… it exceeds Divine rank."
"Perhaps even beyond the Z level…"
Even the principal looked disturbed for a moment.
But she quickly regained composure.
"Enough."
She turned to the crowd.
"This was a technical malfunction."
"Replace the orb."
The announcement calmed some students.
But rumors had already begun.
Everyone was staring at Dazai.
He felt thousands of eyes burning into him.
The official result appeared.
E Rank
Kaizer clenched his fists.
"That's ridiculous."
Azlea whispered,
"Stay calm…"
But Dazai simply stood there silently.
The Physical Trial
Next came the physical evaluation.
Students were tested in several categories:
Strength
Speed
Endurance
Pain tolerance
Weapon mastery
Battle intelligence
Kaizer performed well in speed and agility.
Azlea excelled in tactical intelligence.
Dazai shocked several instructors with his raw combat instincts.
Despite lacking mana, his physical performance was impressive.
But the day had already been overshadowed by the orb incident.
End of Day One
As the sun began setting, the principal announced,
"The remaining trials will occur tomorrow."
"Return and prepare yourselves."
The exhausted students slowly left the academy grounds.
Rumors Spread
News spread through the city instantly.
"The boy who broke the evaluation orb!"
"His mana drained the entire sphere!"
"Maybe he's some hidden prodigy."
"Or a monster."
The rumors moved through the city like wildfire.
Back at the Hotel
The trio returned quietly.
Anugus waited inside.
"Well?" he asked calmly.
Kaizer exploded immediately.
"The orb exploded!"
Azlea corrected him.
"It didn't explode."
"It… died."
They explained everything.
Anugus listened carefully.
Then he nodded slowly.
"I see."
Dazai looked worried.
"…Am I in trouble?"
Anugus shook his head.
"For now, remain calm."
"We reveal nothing."
"Act normal."
His voice became serious.
"Especially tomorrow."
The Secret Meeting
Back inside the academy…
An emergency meeting had begun.
Professors gathered around a circular table.
One slammed his hand down.
"That boy is dangerous!"
Another professor argued,
"Or misunderstood!"
"He carries a curse capable of devouring mana!"
"And yet he has control over it!"
The debate grew heated.
Finally the principal raised her hand.
Silence returned.
"He will remain."
Several professors protested.
"That curse could destroy everything!"
The principal spoke calmly.
"…Or it could change everything."
She looked toward the academy windows.
Outside, night had fallen.
"That boy will stay."
"But we will watch him closely."
A Storm Approaches
Back at the hotel…
Dazai sat by the window.
The city lights flickered across the night sky.
Kaizer tried to lighten the mood.
"Well… at least you're famous now."
Azlea sighed.
"That doesn't help."
Dazai stared at his hands.
"…What exactly am I?"
No one had an answer.
But somewhere deep within the academy…
Ancient forces had begun paying attention.
Because the boy who devoured mana…
Had just stepped onto the world stage.