The morning sun bathed the camp in golden light as Elijah, Kieran, and Visconti made their way to the main building, the same place where they had gathered the previous day. The white camp uniforms they now wore made them blend in with the other students, all of whom were buzzing with energy. It seemed like everyone was eager for the day's activities—or perhaps just curious about what awaited them.
As the three of them entered, the same man from yesterday floated into view above the gathered crowd. His booming voice filled the air.
"MIC TEST! MIC TEST! ONE, TWO, THREE! ONE, TWO, THREE!" he announced dramatically, holding an invisible microphone in his hand for comedic effect.
The students chuckled, while some, including Elijah, exchanged amused glances.
"HOW WAS YOUR FIRST NIGHT IN THE CAMP?" the man continued, his voice dripping with theatrical enthusiasm. "TODAY, WE'LL BE DETERMINING YOUR POSITION FOR FUTURE BATTLES. BUT FIRST…"
He paused dramatically, reaching into his pocket and tossing a handful of small black objects into the air. The items glided slowly, as if carried by an unseen breeze, before landing gently in each student's hands.
Elijah examined the object. It was a small, smooth, black sphere, no larger than his palm.
"THIS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IS YOUR POCKET, I'M SURELY YOU'VE SEEN THIS ON OTHER OFFICERS." the man declared, his voice reverberating through the room. "IT FUNCTIONS AS A COMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR ESPERS, BUT IT'S MUCH MORE ADVANCED THAN A CELLPHONE. AND! YOU DON'T NEED TO REMEMBER TO BRING IT WITH YOU, BECAUSE IT'S CONNECTED TO YOUR MANA. AND THE BEAT FUNCTION IS THE VISIBILITY MODE. NOW, TRY THIS: SAY 'invisible mode'."
Curious, Elijah followed the instructions. "Invisible mode," he muttered.
Instantly, the pocket vanished from his palm, leaving no trace of its existence.
"NOW SAY 'VISIBLE MODE.'"
"Visible mode," Elijah said, and the pocket reappeared, seemingly out of thin air.
The man beamed. "SEE? SIMPLE! NOW, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE FUN PART. INFUSE YOUR POCKET WITH MANA TO REVEAL YOUR POTENTIAL. REMEMBER, THIS IS JUST A PREDICTION, NOT AN ABSOLUTE."
Elijah glanced at Visconti, who had already started infusing his pocket with mana. Not wanting to fall behind, he closed his eyes, letting his mana flow into the sphere. After a minute, the pocket stopped glowing, and he opened his eyes to check the result.
SPECIAL TYPE.
Elijah furrowed his brows. Special Type? He had read about it before—it wasn't a rank but rather a classification for abilities that were rare or unpredictable, often defying conventional categorization
Beside him, Kieran grinned broadly. "What rank did you get?" he asked, puffing out his chest. "I got S Rank!"
"Special Type," Visconti replied smoothly.
"What?!" Kieran exclaimed, looking incredulous. "How did YOU get Special Type?" His tone implying that Visconti wasn't deserving of such a classification.
Visconti's eyes narrowed slightly "What do you mean by that?"
Kieran ignored him and turned to Elijah. "What about you?"
"I got Special Type too," Elijah said simply.
Kieran's expression softened. "Ohhh, you totally deserve that." He nodded approvingly, as if he were the ultimate judge of fairness.
Visconti raised an eyebrow. "Double standards much?"
"NOW FOR THE POSITION PLACEMENT!" the man's booming voice interrupted their conversation.
A massive holographic screen appeared above the courtyard, so large that every student could see it clearly. On the screen, four categories were listed:
1. Swordsman
2. Support
3. Weapon Master
4. Tactician
Names began appearing under each category. Elijah saw his name under Swordsman.
•Swordsman: Warriors who fight at the heart of battle, disarming enemies and carrying out individual missions. Their abilities are versatile, and they often wield weapons from a reel inventory.
Kieran's name appeared under Weapon Master.
•Weapon Master: Espers proficient in using every weapon imaginable. They specialize in finishing what others start, targeting enemies from a distance or providing backup to swordsmen.
•Support – Espers with healing or mind-control abilities, meant to assist from the backlines
Finally, Visconti's name appeared under Tactician.
•Tactician: The brains of the battlefield. They collect and analyze battle data, giving strategic commands to their teammates. Often, they serve as team leaders.
Kieran whistled. "I didn't peg you as a tactician. I mean, you look like a crazy scientist, but still."
"Thank you," Visconti said, smiling.
"I was insulting you! Are you dumb?" Kieran snapped.
"It's called selective hearing," Visconti replied smugly.
Elijah, sensing another argument brewing, interjected. "Being a Tactician suits you."
Visconti turned to him, curious. "Really? Funny thing is, I was supposed to be placed in Weapon Mastery."
"How do you know that?" Elijah asked.
Visconti smiled. "I asked the officer in charge to switch me to Tactician. He was surprisingly cooperative."
Elijah and Kieran exchanged glances. It was obvious why the officer had been so accommodating. A direct descendant of the Zenon family wouldn't be denied.
Kieran narrowed his eyes. "Damn nepotism."
Elijah nodded in silent agreement. 'Damn nepotism, indeed.'
"YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT FOR THE REST OF THE DAY. YOUR RESPECTIVE CLASSES BEGIN TOMORROW. GOOD LUCK!"
...
The students were dismissed, free to spend the rest of the day as they pleased. The three of them headed to the main cafeteria for lunch.
The three headed to the cafeteria, which was buzzing with activity. Elijah got himself chicken salad, Florentine butter chicken, crème caramel for dessert, and mango juice. Visconti opted for a steak au poivre alongside similar sides. Kieran, predictably, ordered twice as much of everything.
As Kieran tore into his food like a ravenous wolf, Visconti looked at him in mild horror. "You eat like you've been starving for ten years," he said, dabbing his mouth with a napkin.
"You should enjoy it while you can," he added, his tone almost ominous.
Elijah and Kieran looked at him curiously.
"Starting tomorrow, they'll use points as currency for meals. You'll earn points by participating actively in class. Of course, you can still exchange gold coins for points if you're desperate."
"How do you know all this?" Elijah asked, already suspecting the answer.
Visconti smiled. "The officer in charge. Same one who let me change my position."
Elijah sighed. I shouldn't have asked.