At the center of the Academy stood the central block, boasting a grand door with a plaque reading "Principal's Office" atop.
Beyond the doors lay the Principal's domain, a spacious and splendid room, furnished with elegance.
The office radiated luxury, with a large desk and two chairs for guests, complemented by a cozy sofa on the side. Sunlight streamed through lattice windows, casting a magical glow.
Seated behind the desk was Principal Elena, a striking woman in her early thirties, with flowing crimson red hair and captivating green eyes. Papers swirled around her as she worked, with a pen on her desk seemingly moving of its own accord.
Elena Emberlynn, an S-class adventurer and the Principal of the Star Shine Academy, commanded respect and fear alike, even from noble families.
As she sifted through the papers, she sighed deeply, lost in contemplation.
"The Nine Academy Tournament is just over half a year away, and the upcoming Academy Hunt follows closely in about a month. I have to prepare for all of that amidst this mounting workload."
With a deft hand, she rearranged the scattered documents. Almost as if guided by some unseen force, a stack of papers floated towards her, neatly aligning themselves on the desk.
Simultaneously, her pen seemed to move of its own accord, swiftly signing another set of documents.
"Let's see what updates we have on the first year's mid-tests. Hmm, the theoretical exams seem to have gone smoothly, and the magic faculty is currently conducting their practical assessments. Nothing particularly noteworthy there."
As Elena sifted through the papers, she sighed deeply, her thoughts heavy with the weight of upcoming events.
"The Nine Academy Tournament is only a little over six months away, and the Academy Hunt is just around the corner in about a month. I have to prepare for all this on top of the ever-growing pile of work."
With a subtle gesture, she organized the floating documents around her. Displaying a hint of psychic ability, a stack of papers aligned themselves neatly in front of her, while a pen, seemingly with a will of its own, continued signing another set of documents.
"Let's check the updates on the first year's mid-tests. Hmm, the theoretical assessments went smoothly, and the magic faculty is currently conducting their practical assessments—nothing particularly notable there."
As the principal, Elara meticulously kept track of all academy activities, reviewing reports sent by the respective teachers in charge.
While perusing the reports, she was struck by the performance of a student from the first-year Knight faculty combat assessment.
"Alex Blanc, a beginner-class student from the Knight faculty, defeated the top student of the Intermediate class, and even bested two Advanced class students before collapsing from exhaustion. He exhibited..."
The more she read, the more impressed she became. A light smile played on her face as she read about Alex's achievements and the obstacles he had overcome.
"It's reassuring to see that the academy still harbors hidden talents like him, though he is only just beginning to show his potential."
Speaking softly to herself, she considered a pressing concern: 'Our academy has been underperforming in the Nine Academy Tournament for years, but this year, we have a few talented students who might at least secure us a ranking.'
"This generation boasts several prodigies, but the abilities of that one girl are particularly monstrous."
'If she participates, our best hope might be to secure a ranking, given the caliber of prodigies at the other academies. Let's remain hopeful.'
Amidst these considerations, Elena approved the promotion of both Alex and Trey to the Advanced class. The academy's commitment to nurturing its student's potential made this decision a natural one.
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Back at the combat assessment stage, Alex faced a disheartening first-round defeat, leaving him with only one more chance to avoid elimination.
'That girl was simply too fast. I couldn't even see her movements. In the blink of an eye, she flicked my sword away with that strange sword move of hers.'
Despite the setback, Alex didn't let despair overcome him; he readied himself for the next challenge. The combat assessment was far from over.
His next opponent turned out to be the same towering figure he had observed the previous day—tall, bulky and muscular student student wielding a warhammer, who had battled the petite girl with a rapier. Their match had ended in a draw, but now, having lost his subsequent match, he was paired against Alex.
"You're Alex, right? My name is Gromon, also known as "Gromon the Steel Hammer". It's nice to finally meet you. I've seen your fights. For a student from the Failure class, you're quite impressive; you have my respect." Gromon greeted, his large toothy smile somewhat offsetting the intimidating presence of his warhammer.
Though intended as a friendly gesture, Gromon's greeting came across as somewhat odd and intimidating due to his demeanor.
'His name, his physique—it all screams the typical 'no brain, all brawn' stereotype. How amusing to find such a cliché opponent.' Alex mused internally.
Alex responded with courtesy, "Nice to meet you too. I saw your match earlier. That weapon of yours looks heavy, but you swing it quite easily."
After undergoing transformation and training, Alex had experienced significant growth. Now standing at 185 cm, he still appeared small and feeble next to Gromon, who towered at 210 cm.
Yet, Gromon knew better than to underestimate his opponent, aware that neither Alex's class designation as 'Failure' nor his smaller stature should be taken lightly.
"Oh, you're talking about this one? This is nothing compared to the real one I use. These training versions weigh around 125 kgs. I usually use one double that weight."
Alex was speechless, hearing Gromon speak so casually about wielding a 250 kg warhammer. Meanwhile, their match was about to start.
Once begun, the duel erupted into a flurry of strikes and parries. Alex darted in and out of Gromon's reach, searching for an opening.
Gromon seemed unfazed by Alex's agility, his heavy warhammer swinging in wide arcs, each sweep leaving marks on the stage and threatening to crush anything in its path.
Alex maneuvered around Gromon, striking with precision and speed, trying to exploit the gaps in his opponent's less coordinated movements.
However, Gromon's immense strength and resilience proved daunting. He shrugged off Alex's attacks with surprising ease, his random swings offering both opportunities and challenges for Alex.
Every swing of Gromon's warhammer was lethal, and Alex knew that just one hit could inflict severe injuries.
The battle intensified, with Alex weaving around the arena, closing the gap to attack and retreating to defend.
Suddenly, with a thunderous roar, Gromon swung his warhammer downward with all his might, sending a shockwave through the ground.
Caught off guard by the force of the blow, Alex stumbled backward, his foot slipping off the edge of the stage.
Unaware that his foot was hanging over the edge, Alex was about to lunge forward when the overseeing teacher raised his hand and signaled the match to stop.
"Hmm?" Confusion swept over both Alex and Gromon, and then realization dawned on Alex. He sighed in resignation. "It's your victory, big guy. That last strike really caught me off guard."
Gromon, still seemingly puzzled by his sudden win, watched as the teacher explained that stepping out of the stage constituted immediate loss. Alex's foot stepping out meant just that.
'He truly won by pure luck, huh!' Alex thought bitterly, chuckling at the irony of his defeat.
The crowd erupted into cheers for Gromon, who stood victorious, warhammer raised triumphantly. Despite his valiant effort, Alex had been undone by the unexpected shockwave.
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"Today really doesn't seem to be your day. You just lost by a slight mistake." Aurora remarked, floating gracefully above Alex.
"Yeah, I guess I still have a long way to go." he replied, his tone reflecting resignation mixed with a resolve to improve.
As the evening unfolded, the excitement built up among the spectators and participants alike; the much-anticipated rankings from the day's matches were finally announced.
Displayed on the scoreboard, Alex's name appeared at rank 67. This result surprised many but was somewhat expected by those who had observed his performances closely.
The crowd's reactions varied: some displayed disappointment, others joy, while a few remained impassive, their rankings unchanged.
However, one common thought resonated throughout the crowd—a new contender had made a ascent. Although Alex's position wasn't within the top tens or even the fifties, his significant leap in the rankings stirred interest and speculation.
Amidst the buzz and varying reactions, the center of everyone's thoughts, Alex himself, was preoccupied with something else entirely.
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[The host has completed a Quest]
[Main Quest: Attain Top Ranking]
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