Being one of the top 16 college teams in the whole of Olympus. The Ravenville Illusions were always considered one of the groups of elites that was closest to the door of pros.
In its golden period, the Illusions would have 8-10 people from a generation get drafted into the OPL every year.
In a sport with 7 players in a team, that number had meant that aside from all the starter members, even some of the Illusions' reserve players had even gotten the chance to get drafted just as well.
Naturally, not every single year of the university's long history could have such a surprising statistics. But the fact that such a percentage had appeared before was a testament to how strong the Ravenville's Battle Arena team had been.
However, none of those prestige and enticing opportunities were made to be within reach for just about everyone inside the team.
In any sports, every single elite could only rise up after stepping on the numerous bodies of the defeated.
And it was the same with the competitions within the Ravenville's Battle Arena club as well.
.
.
On one of the rows of Arena training fields beside the university's stadium, a group of people both in exosuits and casual clothes were gathered together at the center of it.
The people wearing casual clothing were all standing right in front of the few who were in their exosuits or their Ravenville Illusions jersey.
In the middle of the tens of people present, Irvine was also standing in-line wearing a set of exercise clothes he had changed into after the campus tour with Bob.
Presently, the scoreboard standing to the side of the field were showing the time of [15:00] in the afternoon with digital lettering.
It was the designated time for the first meeting between the new recruits and the Arena team's staffs and senior players.
'...' Irvine gave a quick scan towards the crowd he was in and turned silent for a while,
'So Medea's not here... Is she going to Verdante or Eastern Zeta after all?'
After choosing Ravenville University which was based in Zeta City, he would be lying if he said he didn't hold any anticipation of the chance to play together with a future all-star Ranger. But Irvine was not about to regret the decisions he'd made.
Coming back to his past, he had to admit that he had spent far less time in socializing than any normal person his age. Especially compared to when he'd first graduated high school the first time around.
Beginning in April, he had single-mindedly filled his head with either training or his plans for the future. Breaking them down and rebuilding them more times than he could count.
Having a clear grasp of his initial future hadn't made him more clear on his own development, instead, it had forced him to become more hesitant and meticulous with himself. Be it with regards to training or choosing schools.
What little free space he had left of his time was dedicated to his sister and his parents as his one and only family in this world.
Only people like Grant from his high school, or Medea, Dylan, and the rest from the gym, were the friends he could frequently talk to in the 4 months since his return.
They were all people he could meet on a daily basis because of their activities that had coincidentally aligned with his.
And whether it was intentional or not, eventually the routine that had forced him to interact with these people had also brought him a sense of closeness and familiarity with each of them.
But from today onward, it would be the start of something different.
The people around him right now, and the rest of the Ravenville Illusions members who were not present at the moment.
These were the people who would be his comrades for the next 4 years starting today.
.
.
"ATTENTION!"
At the loud yell coming from the front, the crowd of new recruits numbering around 10 people including Irvine reflexively straightened their backs and looked forward to the source of the shout.
In front of them, a middle-aged man with spiky hair and sideburns that're connected to his beard was staring at them while wearing a formal suit that didn't really match the place and occasion.
"..."
*gulp*
With the silence that had followed the intensity of the shout and the stare, even a gulping sound had felt a little too loud for the surroundings at the moment.
Fortunately, without waiting too long, the man eventually began to speak again after the pause.
"It is nice to meet you all. I am the current Head Coach of the Ravenville Illusions." He voiced out his speech carefully word for word,
"My last name is Lark, so you may call me Head, Coach, Mister Lark, or just sir! But anything else, you shouldn't even bother awaiting my reply."
*clears throat*
"Now all of you here... Are the people that have proven your worth in the field one way or another, enough to get yourself a place as the new life and blood of this university's Arena team!"
With this indirect praise, some of the new recruits in the crowd showed a proud smile or a satisfied one while looking at the coach.
All of the people here had had their fair share of hard work and struggles to get to where they were today. Most of them were well-known people in the high school scene of Arena, be it an Ace of a powerhouse school, or a member of the current champion team.
Nevertheless, the Head Coach's speech continued without missing a beat,
"You should really congratulate yourselves. If you look to your left and right... There is no doubt in my mind that at least one of you will be the new pillar of our school in a few years time."
"But." Reaching here, the Head Coach's tone had suddenly turned heavier,
"That is the extent of your current worth."
"All the hardships you've endured in your 3 years of high school, It all only amounted to that one invitation letter from us." He pulled out a finger from his hand,
"Of course, it's not a small thing in the least. It is a scholarship after all. Those invitations were our initial investments on you."
"But to put it another way, it means that you are merely that, an investment. Not even the smallest bit of asset for us right now. Not yet anyway."
"..." The crowd immediately turned tense at his words.
They hadn't expected themselves to get brought down just as quickly as they were praised.
*SIGH*
"Now,"
"The dozen of you here are not ALL the people that we have recruited. Because of various circumstances, some players still hadn't arrived yet... So I want you to do me a small favor,"
"I want you guys to tell the rest of the people absent today my message from before when you see them later. Tell it to them word-for-word. Better yet, show them the difference of missing even a single day of practice in this place!"
"I repeat. None of you are useful to me as you are now!"
.
Amongst the crowd, Irvine was a little bit intrigued at the last thing the coach had mentioned,
'Not everyone's here huh? Then maybe...'
'Well, no matter.'
In the end, he chose to shrug it off and continue listening to the speech.
.
.
Of the dozen or so new recruits on the field, most of them were males with only 3 students who were females standing out from the rest.
This was the normal ratio of women in the Pro League as well, with the exception of some teams that were dominated by female players.
But no matter the case, the simple speech that the Head Coach had delivered to them was quite successful in creating the intended tension and pressure to all the recruits.
Whether it was the boys or the girls, everyone's expressions were no longer the same easygoing ones they had been showing during the start of the gathering.
But the Head Coach's words weren't over yet.
.
"These 2 weeks before the school starts!" He shouted once more,
"Is the time for all of you to turn our investments into actual values!"
"By the end of this 14 days period, will be the decision whether you'll become a 3rd string member along with all the future walk-ins. Or a 2nd string who'll actually participates in various Uncrowned Tournaments, polishing your skills in the real world."
The Head Coach made a clear distinction between the 3rd string players headed by a single assistant coach with no privilege in joining competitions. And the 2nd string which was the preparatory phase for the actual skilled players of Ravenville.
"Right, I should probably mention that the players here who're in the 3rd string by the end of this semester will have their scholarships revoked effectively beginning next semester."
"!!" Many of the recruits were agape at the sudden declaration.
This was the responsibility that came together with being an invited student athlete!
"As for getting into 1st string..." Lark's voice trailed off for a bit when he finally reached this topic.
It might just be his imagination, but Irvine felt that the Head Coach was turning his head slightly towards his position as he said that.
"...I don't need to say much, do I? 1st string players are the ones who'll come with me to the Warrior Crown and Silver Crown Tournaments. Do you really think Ravenville will put in players who don't even have license yet?"
The Head Coach stared coldly at all of them.
Though it's not actually against the rules to participate in Crown Tournaments without Arena Athlete License, in Tier-1 colleges, there're almost no cases where a participating player get into a match with no Gene Mod or Ability.
Only in Uncrowned Tournaments could people regularly see some college players who hadn't gotten their Gene Mod yet. And even then, up to 30% of the participants there still have them.
.
The Head Coach continued without minding the reactions in front of him since a while ago, "Also,"
"In these 2 weeks, everyday after the training's over, all the new recruits will form one single team to play a match against the 3rd year's 7-man team."
""Whaat!?""
If the threat of getting their scholarships revoked was enough to give them a huge sense of pressure, the announcement this time had made them unable to hold back their voice.
"Problem?" Head Coach Lark was still unfazed as he's facing all of them.
"No, er... That is, sir! Aren't most of the 3rd years players with Abilities playing for the 1st string?" One of the female recruits raised her hand nervously and asked.
"Yes."
"Then...?"
"As I've asked before. Problem?"
"W, well..."
"You're intimidated? Really? Do you think there won't be anyone with Abilities when you become a 2nd string and play in various tournaments?"
"Err..."
"I'll make one thing clear for you all. As of right now, none of you are yet worthy to become even the 2nd string's bench players!"
'...Well, except for one, huh.' This single thought leaked out in the middle of his speech when he saw Irvine through the corner of his eyes.
*cough*
"The 3rd years won't have any substitutes but you will. Don't you think I've given you enough handicap?"
"If I tell any of the current 2nd strings to do the same thing right now, all of them would jump at the chance like hungry vultures. And why wouldn't they? It's a chance to prove themselves and maybe even rob the position from one of the 1st strings."
"Change your mentality."
'These 14 days will be for me to make every one of you to either be just as desperate, or out the team. There'll be no middle ground.' The Head Coach thought to himself.
The smile he showed at the end could only be interpreted as devil-like for all the people present including Irvine.
"...That should be all for now. Your training will all be handled by the very same 3rd year students. Get to know each other."
'Oh, right.'
"One more thing, Irvine Lang!"
As he finished, all the 3rd years behind him were just about to walk forward with their fully equipped exosuit uniforms, but before he stepped aside, he remembered to call Irvine's name from the crowd.
Getting singled-out by the Head Coach, the moment Irvine make the smallest movement in response to the summon, the rest of the recruits looked at him with curiosities and confusions.
'Why's one of us getting called out now when we're about to begin?'
.
.
"Alright, except for that guy, the rest of you. Line up in a single row and tell me your names and positions!"
The person who first spoke out was the sharp-eyed Clint wearing a full black and grey exosuit with his helmet on hand.
He was smiling widely with his eyes turned into a slit as he ordered the rest of the freshmen to line up.
To their side, Irvine was standing in front of the Head Coach who'd been giving a speech up until a moment ago.
"What is it, coach?"
"Hmm, it's good to finally meet you Lang." Lark lifted up the corner of his mouth slightly upwards and greeted.
"The pleasure's all mine, sir."
"...As someone that has already gotten your Gene Mod and Ability since 3 months ago, I will speak honestly and tell you that you won't have any problem getting into the 2nd string even if you do absolutely nothing until the school starts."
Lark spoke casually as if the decision was not his to make.
"..." Irvine turned silent for a while when he'd heard his words. He was trying to discern the coach's meaning behind such a statement.
"...I see."
"That's right."
"But from what I saw of you during the speech and right now, you're not really satisfied with that at all, huh?" The Head Coach once again showed his cunning smile at him.