On the stage, Frankie Grenora stood still, his gaze sweeping across the crowd. The mont his willful eyes t the freshers’, all their chatter stopped.
Unlike the previous speaker, Frankie was no-nonsense.
The atmosphere instantly turned solemn.
He began his announcent:
"Listen up, Freshers!" he called out, his voice sharp and commanding. "After long internal discussions, debates, and thorough assessnts by the Student Board Ranking Committee and our teachers, we’ve co to a conclusion. This year, there will be certain changes to the tournant."
A wave of displeasure spread through the crowd—grumbles and murmurs broke out among students, even among so seniors and a few teachers. Clearly, not everyone welcod change.
"Whether you like it or not, we don’t care," Frankie said bluntly. "The decision has already been made."
Especially those from noble families and super-clans frowned in disapproval—they had clearly been planning to exploit loopholes to gain better rankings.
Frankie only smiled as he observed their expressions.
"Good. Now listen carefully," he said, pausing for effect. "I’ll state all the new rules and required information for the first phase of the tournant. I won’t repeat myself. I don’t have the ti."
The crowd settled into silence again.
"Fair enough. Rankings will no longer be based solely on strength. Other factors will also be considered—your wit, adaptability, survivability, endurance, and attitude."
He raised his hand and pointed toward one group.
"Eastern Tower," he began, then continued listing, "Northern Highland Tower, Western Frontier Tower, Southern Lowland Tower, and Island Nations Tower—these are the six groups representing our six regional offices."
"You all co from across the Western Continent. This year, we have exactly 29,599 freshers enrolling in the Academy. But rember—inside these walls, things are far more brutal than you imagine. Your dignity, your needs, your privileges—everything will depend on your ranking."
"The top 1,000 will enjoy the best facilities the Academy has to offer. Those who make it into the top 500 will gain even greater perks."
He raised a finger for each as he listed:
"Top 100—enrolled into the exclusive Special Ivy League Program.
Top 50—perks classified.
Top 30—creamier perks, still classified.
Top 10—allowed to choose their own ntors, including from among the deans.
Top 3—granted access to the Academy’s Space Research Team, and much more.
The First Ranker?" Frankie chuckled. "He or she owns the entire First Year. If they want sothing... then that sothing is theirs."
The crowd grew increasingly tense.
"Alright, moving on," Frankie continued. "Since today is your first day, the Student Board Ranking Committee has decided to begin with a simple task for Phase One of the tournant."
"At first, we considered selecting the top 100 from each tower. But since the towers have uneven numbers of students, that wouldn’t be fair. So instead, the top 600 students overall from Phase One will advance to the Second Phase."
He gestured with his hand.
Two third-year seniors ca forward, carrying a glass box filled with ten folded slips of paper. Each had a hole in the top just large enough for a hand to reach through.
"These papers each contain the na of a planet or moon in our solar system," Frankie explained. "You’ll be sent to one of them. Don’t worry—they’ve all completed the final stages of terraforming. They’re completely safe for training."
"Alright, I’ll pick."
He inserted his right hand into the box and pulled out a slip. As he unfolded the paper, a hovering drone projected the contents onto a massive screen in the air above.
"The Red Planet..." Frankie read aloud, then raised his voice for all to hear:
"Mars!"
Shelby leaned closer, whispering in Zane’s ear, "Boy, do you see the simple trick here?"
Zane shook his head.
"All the papers in the glass jar say Mars, every single one," Shelby muttered with a sneer.
"Why?"
"I don’t know." Shelby shrugged. "Maybe we can ask the president of the Student Board Ranking Committee."
Frankie continued, "Alright, I believe most of you have already studied the articles regarding the terraformation of Mars. But I’ll repeat them here briefly.
Long before the Age of Awakening, humanity set foot on the surface of the Red Planet. For decades, we poured trillions into terraforming efforts. But Mars’s atmosphere was wildly unstable—tornadoes erupted constantly, and our efforts failed again and again.
Then ca the Awakening Age. With it, ca hope. Scientists proposed that planting seeds of the Divine Tree on Mars might stabilize its environnt. So, ten seeds were planted across the planet. Each one took root, grew tall, and began purifying the air, enriching the mana. Mars beca habitable."
He paused, and then added with a shift in tone, "But not for long.
In the years that followed, hundreds of dungeons began appearing all over the planet. We had predicted this to so extent, but the numbers went far beyond expectations. Over 25 of these dungeons failed to be cleared in ti. Monsters broke loose. Most of them were corrupted mana beasts."
Frankie clapped his hands once. "Seniors! Pass out the cards."
The upperclassn moved through the crowd in orderly waves, handing each fresher a small green card.
Frankie raised his voice again, "That green card is the key to your mission. Your task: gather as many mana core stones and clear as many dungeons as possible within a one-week tiline.
Your ranking will be based on the quantity and quality of the cores you collect.
Combat is permitted. Killing your fellow students is not. That’s all for the rules."
He turned toward the teachers’ section and said, "Please do the honors, my dearest masters."
Sixty academic teachers rose and began floating in the air before slowly descending onto a large platform.
Ten of them stepped forward and sat in a circle at its center. Mana surged from their bodies, flowing directly into the stone beneath them.
They began chanting, each using a different incantation. Arcane patterns—like a glowing spider web—began spreading across the platform. The air trembled.
Zane felt the tremor beneath his feet. At first, he thought it was an earthquake.
Then, six stone gates rose from the platform.
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