NOVPUBInside the grand indoor stadium of the Academy…
Luka had already collected his name tag and seat number.
As he made his way through the rows of seats, he found his place in the noble section, where a few hundred men and women were settling in, chatting amongst themselves.
Of course, Luka kept to himself as he leaned back comfortably in his seat.
Serene stood by his side, a respectful distance away, her eyes taking in everything around them. 'The Academy truly is huge…'
The seats were spaced just far enough apart to allow for personal space, but not too far that it felt isolating.
'I just have to wait for the Headmaster to give his boring speech,' Luka thought to himself, stifling a yawn.
'Then he'll explain the tests and all that extra bullshit.'
Luka glanced around the vast area, admiring the efficient layout.
The fighting area in the center was already prepared with several white, squared-off platforms where everyone would compete.
'I guess I can take a quick nap… I already know what the Headmaster is going to say…' Luka thought to himself, as he lightly closed his eyes.
After all, he already knew what the test will be.
Everyone would fight in one-on-one matches, and the winners would move on to the second round: a written exam.
A written exam about dungeons, history of the world, ect.
The final thing, of course, was the real challenge. 𝚗o𝚟pub.𝚌𝚘𝚖
A man-made dungeon awaited those who passed the one-on-one fight and written exam.
Only those who could successfully clear it would earn their place in the Academy.
Fighting, knowledge, dungeons… everything focused on adventure and survival.
That's what this Academy is all about—teaching people to raid dungeons, protect themselves from monsters, and thrive in dangerous environments.
Nothing too out of the ordinary…
▬▬ι═══════ﺤ
As Luka was getting some shut eye, suddenly, he heard a familiar voice in his ear, and he was getting shook a little.
"Young Master, wake up!" Serene's urgent whisper cut through the many loud voices of the stadium.
Luka slowly opened his eyes, groggily rubbing his face.
"What…?" he mumbled, still half-asleep as he sat up straight.
Serene quickly responded. "You missed the entire speech! Plus, it's your turn! They're calling your name!"
As those words finally clicked, Luka's ears registered the announcer's voice, booming across the stadium.
"Luka Rein Junker! I repeat, Luka Rein Junker, please come down!"
"Ah…" Luka rubbed his cheek. "Thanks, Serene." He stood up, stretching with a sigh.
"Okay, I'm off. Wish me luck."
Serene raised her fist, her face serious as she gave him an encouraging smile.
"Of course, I'll be cheering you on, Young Master!" she declared with a determined look.
"Fight, fight, fight!"
"Ah…" Luka stopped in his tracks for a moment, realization dawning on him. "Almost forgot…"
He gently picked up Snow from his shoulder, the little dragon still curled up and peacefully sleeping.
"Make sure you don't let him out of your sight…"
Serene smiled warmly and nodded. "I'll make sure of it!"
She gently took the little dragon and settled him comfortably on her shoulder.
With that, Luka gave one last glance before heading down toward the center of the stadium.
He was calm as he approached the dozen or so teachers standing around, each of them greeting him with a nod.
"Sorry about that," Luka said, offering an apologetic smile. "I'm ready for my one-on-one fight."
One of the teachers gave him a smile in return. "Great, your opponent is waiting for you on Platform B. You can fight once you hear the ding."
"Alright," Luka nodded his head.
The teacher pointed toward a neatly organized stash of weapons nearby. "Don't forget to choose your weapon."
Taking in the sight of the low-level weapons laid out before him, Luka put on a small smirk. 'What should I pick…?'
There was a variety, but they all seemed to have the same basic, unremarkable quality.
After a quick look, he grabbed a long dagger, feeling the familiar weight in his hand. "This will do," he muttered, as he walked toward Platform B.
As he approached the platform, he glanced around at the other platforms, each one already occupied by men and women preparing for their fights.
Some were stretching, others were eyeing their opponents, and some had already wanted to forfeit.
'A bunch of extras... just like me…' Luka couldn't help but chuckle. H
He didn't spot anyone he recognized as important, no key characters from the game.
Luka stepped onto Platform B.
He was immediately greeted…
"So, you're my opponent? Lucky me, I get a nobody!" A young man sneered, his voice dripping with arrogance.
He pounded his chest with his staff, his black hooded cloak fluttering slightly.
"I, Zephyr, hailing from the Ashcroft family, will show you why we're the most powerful Mage family on the entire continent!"
Luka glanced at him, unimpressed, and gave a nonchalant thumbs-up. "Um, sure, bud…"
Zephyr's smug expression faltered slightly at such a casual response, but he quickly recovered, tightening his grip on his staff.
'Such arrogance! How can someone be that full of themselves…?' He thought to himself.
Luka, on the other hand, was sizing him up.
He knew exactly who the Ashcroft family was in the game—a prestigious lineage of mages, renowned for consistently producing only those of the Mage class.
However…
Luka wasn't worried at all.
The Ashcrofts may have had a legendary reputation, but most of them had never seen real combat.
They relied on buying monsters to kill for easy XP, never stepping foot in a dungeon or a battlefield.
Plus, Luka knew the dark truth of the family.
If someone wasn't born with the Mage class in the Ashcroft family—
They were killed, their very existence erased.
'Well, I'll deal with them when the time is right.' Luka twirled the long dagger between his fingers.
After all, he knew there was no need to act just yet.
'Such an opportunity to help one of the heroines get her revenge and secure that magical ring...'
Luka smirked.
'If I can get my hands on that... I'll be able to unlock magic skills.'
