Dante exited the Hunter Association branch after concluding his business with them. It had been a month since he had received his hunter's license and with the license, he finally had proof of identity.
(A/N: The events of the one-month time skip will be revisited )
Sorting out his accommodation he prepared to journey to the academy. Today was the day of admission.
He walked into a transportation station and paid the teleportation fare to the logistics manager. He looked ahead and saw a spherical yellow glow past the manager's station. He stepped into the teleportation circle, disappearing from his spot.
Shing!
Dante widened his eyes regaining clarity in his vision after being momentarily blinded by the bright flash of light. He found himself in another different location. He had teleported across two cities arriving at the coast of the second one.
The silver token handed to him by Rogers was much more than a chunk of metal. With the aid of mana runes, information could be stored. Mana runes were the core factor surrounding the rapid growth in the technological sector of Earth.
Surprisingly upon arriving on the pier, there were no signs of boats or ships at the docks, to aid him in crossing the sky-blue ocean. The only landmark was a huge watchtower on the coast.
He walked on the elongated wooden structured platform jutting out from the shores to the waters. As soon as he reached five meters away from the watchtower, he stretched his palm out revealing the silver token.
The light reflected from the watchtower, scanned the token, and confirmed his identity.
In a few seconds, he disappeared from his spot.
Shing!
He arrived on an island in the middle of the ocean. The name of the island was State Academy Island. State Academy Island is a walled-off island as large as the Central State.
(A/N: The Central State is one of the four known countries known as The Hegemons. This country shares its power over a continent with another hegemonic country. The Central State is the birthplace of Dante. The geographics of the novel setting will further be explored at a later time.)
State Academy Island is a walled-off island accessible only through entry points which require persons to have permission or means of identification to enter or leave the island.
These entrance points were divided into five with each of them blocked off with large gates. Each gate led to an individual city on the island. There are six cities on the island. Each one of the five cities was linked to an individual gate and the sixth one was in the center of the island.
These gates are guarded by mages in black-fitting armor suits. On the imposing walls, infrared seekers and MRI scanners were mounted to check vehicles and identify individuals entering and leaving.
With the importance of this island to the Central State and the world as a whole, tech-powered security measures were in place against any form of terrorism. Access could only be granted through an island identification token.
Dante moved in the line for inspection. After confirming his identity as an aspirant for admission, he was successfully admitted.
But not before a wristband was worn on his hand. This wristband projected his identification particulars and checked his criminal history record.
The gate he entered through opened in Port Island City. The academy represented by the coiling dragon token is the Port Island Academy.
Once he stepped through the doors within the large gate, he felt like had entered a new world.
A floating mini-island hovered in the center of the city projecting an energy dome over the city. In the cities, similar would be seen. But the most shocking sight was the even much bigger floating island in the center of the island.
This larger floating island connected all the domes to one point and is rumored to be the accommodation of one of the Monarchs.
But what shocked Dante was the rush of information he received after staring at the floating island. The island seemed to have a connection with the token in his hand.
Port Island City is characterized by its state-of-the-art infrastructure, advanced technology, efficient transportation systems, sustainable development practices, and high standard of living for its residents.
The port island city had a well-designed urban layout, with a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial areas, and green spaces serving as parks for public use. The commercial and research-driven city had a robust and well-connected transportation system, which included public transportation options such as hovering buses, subways, and trains.
These setups were often complemented by hovering bike programs and pedestrian platforms, making it easy for residents to get around without relying on cars. One of the defining features of the advanced city is its use of technology to improve the quality of life for its residents.
The city is incorporated with smart grids and intelligent building systems to advanced healthcare technologies and public safety systems.
Filtration and waste management systems were designed to reduce the impact on the environment by incorporating renewable energy sources, green buildings, and environmentally friendly transportation options.
With no signs of littering as compared to lesser developed cities, this city had strict waste management policies and encouraged recycling and composting to fuel other needs of energy.
Within the advanced layout a vibrant and diverse cultural scene, with a variety of restaurants, museums, theaters, and other entertainment areas was carefully situated. This provided the feeling of a mundane lifestyle instilled both in superpowered and normal residents.
The city was incorporated with public art and cultural landmarks to create a sense of identity and community among the youth and old alike. Most notable were the mana emerald statues of the Six Monarchs.
On the pedestrian streets, commercial areas, and hospitals, machines that performed a wide range of tasks, including manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare were deployed. On the pedestrian streets, normal ''Unfated'' residents walked around with cutting-edge Holophones( Phones incorporated with hologram technology.) All these varying technologies were made possible through mana rune technology powered by mana crystals.
Tall skyscrapers typically stood at least 100 meters with numerous floors or levels designed for various purposes such as offices, apartments, hotels, or commercial spaces. These skyscrapers and other commercial structures like hotels and corporate companies were located in a megastructure plan layout with the streets factored in.
The exterior reflective facade of these skyscrapers featured a variety of architectural styles with the important constitutional component being the mana emerald. Mana emerald is a metal that can be mined in mana-concentrated regions. Mana emeralds are melted and molded into structures that prop up such enormous buildings.
After sorting out this information he headed toward the center of the city. As an important structure of the city, the Port Island Academy was located in the center of the city. As the self-proclaimed ''Best Academy In The World'', Dante wanted to attest to whether there were some truths to such a bold claim.
On his way, he registered all the mentioned landmarks and layout systems provided in the information from the small floating island. From well-placed streets, tall skyscrapers, commercial areas, residential areas for the rich normal people, and special security quarters to name a few.
All these were registered and were much more vivid and aesthetic than described in the short layout summary of the city. The view and experience were so good that Dante felt that even if he failed the admission, being able to see such a grand city would have made his trip worthwhile.
But unfortunately, he wouldn't get to retire just after sightseeing since his full intention was to succeed. His days as a combatant in the colosseum were over.
He needed an organization that could provide him with the resources to drastically increase his strength. The was only one way he could increase his swordsmanship. And that was through power. Strength and power are needed to dominate terrifying foes to sharpen his blade.
The Portland Island Academy could provide that much-needed resource. With this in mind, his determination was further renewed. A glint appeared in his eyes as reached toward his hip to caress the hilt of his katana.
This was a habit he had developed since he had a firm belief that no obstacle could block his path after being introduced to his blade. But with the security measures set in place, he could not be seen walking around with his katana. Therefore he had it in the Abyss Dimension.
Paying no heed to the gnawing feeling to caress the hilt of his katana, he headed toward a train station set for the city center.
It is of note that this was Dante's first ride on a train- a hovering train for that matter. He has never even ridden the old model trains in the lesser developed cities. His usual mode of transportation was journeying by foot until he later traveled true teleportation circles for the past month.
After locating his assigned berth, he sat down in a meditation posture. Right after he sat down, a couple of formally dressed individuals entered the train. After their arrival, the train started its journey to its destination.
A woman among the group that just entered scrunched her face in discomfort and disgust. With his superior senses, Dante perceived the woman's heated gaze on his back.
Turning his gaze to meet hers, only for her to quickly shift as if staring at something else. The woman knew better than to offend a ''Chosen''. Even though she made more money than the brat in the low-quality outfit, his group protected the world to allow her that luxury.
With his discerning eyes and sharp mental faculties, he had quickly deduced the cause of her disgusted gaze but he couldn't care less.
Pushing the thoughts aside, he meditated in hopes of perfecting his fighting style.
An hour and fifteen minutes later, he arrived at the center of the city. Following a holographic map, he finally arrived at the so-called ''Best Academy In The World''.
The academy was very large. It was comparable to a large town that could contain a population of fifty thousand individuals. A huge sign hung on the imposing gate blocking the entrance.
#PORT ISLAND ACADEMY#
The interior of the academy beyond the gates was a labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys, each leading to different classrooms, high-rise buildings, bridges, skyscrapers, and shops. The sound of traffic and the bustle of the city outside faded away replaced by the faint murmur of the voices of aspirants echoing from down the hallways and streets.
Naive kids unaware of the cold truths of the world, solemnly promising their admission into the ''The Best Academy In The World'' unaware of the true monsters that lurk in shadows with their spots guaranteed.
But these kids had something one of these monstrous aspirants didn't have. Seeing the joy of familial love and faint gleams of pride in the eyes of these parents, tugged at something in Dante's heart. This feeling reminded him that he was all alone in this cold world with nothing but a dream to clutch unto.
Inhaling to clear away the saddening thoughts, the scent of incense and magic, laying thick in the air wafted into his nose.
An announcement resounded throughout the academy.
''This is my cue'' Dante muttered as he headed toward the location. With a general map of the academy projected he quickly navigated arriving at his destination.
Upon arriving he could see a sea of people in the stadium. Even by just guessing the population, it could very well number in thousands.
Sensing a presence, Dante stared into the sky.
Whoosh
Suddenly a man with a young appearance appeared, hovering about the sea of entrants. He was dressed in a silver jacket with a fur collar and black pants. Underneath a deep blue long coat. His bright blue eyes pierced into the crowd as his cold gaze roamed around.
''With great power comes great responsibility, and the academy takes this responsibility to the world very seriously. Mages are at the forefront to protect the world from the dangers of the dark and unknown. The academy will bring out your potential but you will have to train yourself to be prepared for anything. Being prepared makes you the greatest. Survive and... try not to die.''
Just as suddenly as he came.....he disappeared
Whoosh
Out of nowhere, a pink-haired girl appeared on the stadium platform and with a cute smile, she placed her hands on the cold ground of the stadium.
Wood Magic: Forest Of Death Traps.
Suddenly, a thin tree root cracked upon the ground projecting from beneath. Then it happened... a dense forest rapidly grew in the stadium trapping every single individual in its lush embrace of death.
With the emergence of such terrifying forest outgrowth, stretching his right hand, Dante's sheathed katana emerged in his hand.