Olfurd Diex Starlet.
Also known as the Uncrowned King.
He was the principal of Central Academy and a well-known powerhouse across the world.
Despite his old appearance, he was a very strong mage well-versed in several schools of magic, and his combat strength was at a very high level.
His most famous feat was fighting a king beast for five hours and eventually forcing it to withdraw despite not being a king himself.
That was what gave him his title.
Although he has not attained the King realm, he is considered to be strong enough to fight against a king without losing.
Of course, that does not make him stronger than a king, but still, most people put him in the top ten of the strongest humans.
And now, that same man was giving a speech in front of a group of students.
Many freshmen became excited after seeing him. It was like seeing their idol in person.
Even I felt a tinge of admiration. That old man is one of the few people I really respect.
"I won't give a long speech; I don't want the future heroes to think of me as a long-winded old man." He said with a chuckle. "The only thing I want to tell you is to work hard for the next four years. All of you are kids full of potential, so don't waste it, and instead, use it for what is right. I hope that when you leave this place, all of you are full-fledged heroes."
A loud applause filled the auditorium. Everybody, from the students to the audience, clapped loudly at the words of the director.
"Now, let's go straight to the important part. Following the tradition, let's start your first evaluation."
Immediately, the magic circle lit up brightly as the students tensed up.
"The rules are simple, I will call you one by one according to your ranking when admitted. Afterward, you will be sent inside an illusory realm I created where you will fight a magical creature. Your score will be based on your performance against this creature. According to the final scores, the rankings will be remade. Any questions? No? Then, let's start.
"Number one, Sila Dune. Step forward."
A petite girl stood from her seat and walked toward the principal.
She had pale gray hair and an expressionless look. Her eyes, bright silver, seemed devoid of emotion, like a doll.
As soon as she stood up, the people observing the entrance ceremony could not help but stir.
"Is she the disciple of the Witch Queen?"
"If she is the disciple of that madwoman. She can't be normal."
"Let's watch. There must be a reason she was ranked first in this batch of freshmen."
The girl ignored the conversations and stood in front of the principal expressionless.
The principal smiled and waved his hand.
"If you think you can't continue, just shout surrender. Don't worry, there is no danger."
As soon as the girl nodded, she was enveloped in a curtain of light.
In the next instant, several screens appeared across the auditorium, showing a lush forest.
A girl stood in the middle of the forest, watching her surroundings completely.
It was Sila Dune.
[The test start is three, two, one.]
When the mechanical voice finished the countdown, a creature materialized in front of her.
It was an almost two-meter-tall wolf with red eyes that exuded a fierce aura.
As soon as the wolf appeared, it growled and charged toward her.
Sila remained expressionless. Without moving from her position, she extended her hand toward the wolf.
"Vanish." She muttered.
In the next instant, the wolf froze mid-jump.
Then, its body twitched violently before shattering into countless dots of light.
The entire auditorium fell silent.
[Test completed.
Time: 0:03.12
Performance: 10
Final score: 997.]
"Amazing." The principal exclaimed when Sila left the illusory realm. "That was an eye-opening display. I have high hopes for you."
"Thank you." Sila nodded and returned to her seat without changing her expression.
I let out a sigh while watching that.
What a monster.
"Next, second place, Liu Hao. Please come forward."
This time, the one who stepped forward was a tall young man with a confident smile.
Just like before, the people observing the ceremony could not help but stir when they saw him.
After all, he was the disciple of another king, the Heavenly Demon.
And just like the previous girl, he showed a shocking performance.
The monster he faced was a brown bear almost three meters tall, but it seemed like he was fighting a kitten.
He just took a step forward, extended his palm toward the bear's chest, and blew it away.
When the beast landed, it was already dead.
[Test completed.
Time: 00:04.01
Performance: 10
Final score: 996.]
Following that, one student after another stepped forward.
Every one of them showed an outstanding performance, none taking more than one minute to get rid of the enemy they were facing.
The third student was a swordsman. He swung his sword once, cutting a hyena into two.
The fourth place was a girl with her eyes bandaged. She waved her hand, unleashing dozens of blades of wind that rained on a giant lizard.
My sister, Lina, was the seventh. Her opponent was another wolf. She defeated it by casting a spell on herself that gave her body a silvery glow before charging toward the wolf and crushing its head with her palm.
It was a strangely brutal performance for such a cute-looking girl, but it was also efficient and powerful.
After that, several more students came forward, every one of them showcasing their abilities proudly.
Until finally, it was my turn.
"Number fifty, Linsley Steerl."
The last one. That was me.