He then launched into a long yap session about school's technical matters, most of which went over my head, despite all the new information I'd learned. Eventually, he got to something important:
"As you all know, the academy is divided into two faculties: A for Enforcers and B for Evokers. During your first year, you won't interact with them much, but starting next year, those interactions will increase. The reason I'm telling you this is because, despite the separation, the year rankings are shared between both faculties. Hopefully, that clears up some of the confusion."
'Maybe my ranking isn't as bad as I thought,' I let myself hope for a second, but that quickly faded once I did the math. Nope, still awful.
While I was stuck on that, Professor Barrow had already started wrapping things up.
"So, if there are no questions, we'll head to the school's armory, where each of you will choose a weapon of your liking. Choose carefully, as you'll only get one for the entire year, and outside weapons are strictly prohibited."
With that, Professor Barrow stepped down from the podium and motioned for us to follow him.
I stayed back, letting the rest of the class file out before I joined at the end of the line, walking next to the mysterious girl.
We made our way down the stairs to the bottom floor, and I expected we'd be heading out of the building entirely. Instead, the professor stopped in front of what seemed like a solid wall. Without hesitation, he placed his hand on the surface, and a thin laser appeared, scanning his palm and right eye. A second later, the laser vanished, and with a faint clicking sound, the "wall" slid smoothly into the floor, just like the door to my room.
Behind it was a staircase leading underground.
I thought it was pretty cool, but as I glanced around, no one else seemed even remotely impressed. Feeling a bit awkward, I followed the rest of the group and headed down the stairs.
After a few minutes of silent descent, we finally reached the bottom. A massive vault door loomed in front of us, guarded by two men in black suits standing on either side.
The moment I laid eyes on them, my battle instincts flared up. These guys weren't just ordinary guards—they were strong, really strong.
Professor Barrow, however, didn't seem fazed. He gave them a casual nod, stood in front of the vault door, and went through the same security procedure as before. This time, however, it took a bit longer.
After a few tense seconds, he stepped back. The sound of gears grinding echoed through the corridor, and slowly, the massive doors began to open, revealing what lay behind them.
At first, I couldn't see anything. The inside was pitch black, but then, with a low hum, the lights began to flicker on one by one, revealing the treasure hidden within.
And it truly was a treasure.
I once had what I considered a decent armory—something I was proud of back then. But compared to this… who was I kidding? The difference was beyond comparison.
Rows upon rows of weapons stretched out before us. Swords of all shapes and sizes, axes, maces, even bows and crossbows. Every weapon imaginable, and even some I'd never seen before, lined the walls and racks.
This time, I wasn't the only one stunned. Most of the students stood with their mouths slightly open, eyes wide in disbelief—though not as much as me. Asher, of course, had his signature smirk, as if this was nothing to him, while the mysterious girl—I really should ask her name soon, it's getting weird calling her just "mysterious girl" all the time—wore the same unreadable expression as always.
Professor Barrows appeared a bit amused by our reactions, but he quickly reverted to his formal demeanor.
"As I mentioned earlier, choose wisely," he announced. "You'll have one hour to make your selections. After that, we'll do a stocktaking and leave. I trust there won't be any issues, as that would make the situation a bit..." He cracked his knuckles, his expression turning serious, "unpleasant."
With that, he stepped aside, allowing us to enter the armory.
I was a bit dazed after the warning, but that feeling vanished the moment I laid eyes on the weapons again. I felt like a little child in a candy store.
'Should I pick a greatsword? Or is it time to learn archery? I mean, I do have the Fighting Proficiency talent, so picking up a new style should be a piece of cake. Various scenarios flashed through my mind, but then the harsh reality hit me.'
'Who am I kidding? I'm not choosing these weapons for fun; I'm choosing them for survival.' I shook my head at my foolishness—the "peace" of this world was starting to get to me.
With that thought in mind, I made my way toward the dagger section. In the slums, I had relied on a combination of hand-to-hand combat and dual-wielding, so this would certainly be the best fit for me.
As I scanned through the various daggers, I noticed a pair that caught my eye. Their blades were about the length of my forearm, crafted from dark onyx and slightly curved at the tips. The handles were made of ebony wood, coated in dark leather for a secure grip. There wasn't a single decoration on them; these were weapons made for killing. Yet, despite their purpose, they possessed a type of ethereal beauty.
I grasped the cold leather handle and performed a series of slashes. It felt perfect. The weight, its distribution, the length—everything seemed as if it had been crafted just for me.
I nodded in satisfaction and checked the time. I still had about half an hour before I had to leave. So, I began walking around again, appreciating the seemingly endless array of weapons.
***
The rest of the time passed in a flash, and soon my classmates and I were all gathered near the entrance again. I looked around curiously, checking out their choices.
I noticed many swords, some bows, and even two large axes—the list went on.
Asher, the cliché protagonist he was, had taken a beautifully decorated sword and was now showing it off to his group.
I had thought I would be the only one choosing daggers, but I was mistaken. The mysterious girl also held a pair of daggers that were strikingly similar to mine—apparently made by the same blacksmith. There were some differences, though. Mine were longer and had a larger hilt, while hers were about half the length and had no hilt at all.
Those were not meant for close combat like mine... they were meant for assassins. I shivered, once again grateful she had decided to give me a protein bar instead of a knife in the back.
"Cough cough." At the sound of someone clearing their throat, everyone turned their attention to our towering professor.
"Now, as I mentioned earlier, I will call out your names in order of ranking. When I do, report which weapon you chose, and I will register it. After that, you're free to go."
Immediately after he finished speaking, he called out the first name, which was obvious to everyone.
"Asher Vale, rank 1."
Asher flashed a confident smile and made his way toward the professor. He proudly displayed the sword, and the professor entered something into the holographic window. After a moment, he nodded, signaling Asher to head outside.
Compared to the obvious first place, no one knew who would take the next spot, so a quiet chatter filled the room with anticipation.
"Selene Vesper, rank 6."
A deathly silence fell upon the group as the mysterious girl—Selene—made her way forward. Many students seemed shocked, as if they were noticing her for the first time. With a flick of her wrist, she revealed her daggers to Professor Barrow, who quickly registered her choice.
Afterward, she turned and walked to stand beside Asher, who appeared momentarily stunned, his usual confidence shaken. He probably hadn't expected one of the academy's top-ranking students to appear so suddenly.
After those two grand entrances, the rest of the process went smoothly. I silently hoped there would be someone ranked lower than me, but of course, that didn't happen.
Soon, it was just me and another average-looking guy left, clutching his sword. He looked nervous—probably for the same reason I was—and beads of sweat trickled down his neck. The next announcement, however, clearly brought him relief.
"Liam Carter, rank 3,149."
He stepped forward quickly, leaving me as the only one still waiting. As he walked away, the reality of my situation hit me hard—my rank was far worse than I had let myself believe. I was more than 6,000 places behind the second-to-last.
Finally, Professor Barrow called out the last name, and it felt like a death sentence.
"Aiden Reed, rank... 9,378."
I felt everyone's eyes on me as I made my way forward, my face twisting into a scowl.
'Aaaand it's out.'