The courtyard was vast—wider than Leo, now Caelum, remembered from the game. Massive white pillars coiled with mana vines which pulsed a blue light and circled the edges, and above them hovered arcane glyphs that shimmered in the air like constellations where watching them. Hundreds of students stood in formation, each wearing uniforms marked by their noble houses or assigned factions.
And at the center of it all stood a raised platform carved from a branch of the world tree and trimmed with gold. Upon it, the Headmaster.
Headmaster Aldrath Valor.
His presence alone silenced the courtyard. An old man with a flowing coat of indigo and white, His eyes, sharp and violet, glowed faintly as if seeing through the very fabric of each student's soul.
"Students of Virelion Academy," he began, his voice commanding and magnified by a floating crystal "you now stand upon the pillar of power, legacy, and death."
The crowd tensed.
"Each of you has been nominated—or placed—here by fate, lineage, or circumstance. Yet know this your bloodline will not protect you here, and your name alone will not carry any weight or privilege. Virelion tests not what you claim, but what you yourself can only prove."
Caelum swallowed hard. Even knowing the lines from the game, hearing them in person carried a different weight.
"You will be subjected to both theory and combat examination," Aldrath continued. "Only those with the aptitude, intellect, and will to act will be permitted to remain. Fail—and your journey here ends succeed now and your story will begin"
A collective shiver passed through the courtyard.
"To the commoners among you this is your chance to ascend above those who mock you."
"To the nobles among you this is your chance to justify your place."
"To those from fallen or cursed houses,"—his eyes flickered briefly toward Caelum, who stiffened "know that redemption is not granted to you. It is earned."
A small group of instructors stood behind the Headmaster, wearing robes trimmed with sigils—each one representing there specialisation in magic, combat or alchemy
Aldrath raised his hand, and the crystals above flared.
"Let the First exam commence. All first-years, report to your designated sectors. Theory examination begins now."
With that, a magical ring echoed across the courtyard, and Caelum felt the handbook in his coat vibrate. He pulled it out—its pages now glowing, guiding him toward the East Wing.
Celina, standing beside him, turned with her usual grace. "Stay close. If you fall behind, I won't wait."
Caelum gave a curt nod. "Wouldn't expect you to."
He followed her, his thoughts racing.
The real game begins now.
But unlike before... this time, he wouldn't be a forgotten extra.
This time, he'd rewrite the path himself.
The East Wing was bustling with whispers of students reviewing and testing each other, the polished obsidian floor reflecting the lights above like a mirror. Dozens of students trickled in, funnelled into circular hall lined with glass orbs and arcane runes that pulsed softly. Each seat hovered inches above the ground.
A proctor in black robes gestured Caelum toward one of the seats. "Scan your handbook," she said without looking at him.
Caelum placed the book against the orb in front of his seat. It flashed blue, then green.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED: CAELUM LORVINE - CLASS: MAGIC SWORDSMEN
Caelum walked toward his seat and sat down
The orb glowed brighter, and a scrolls of questions materialized before him—each inscribed in golden ink, floating in the air. The words shimmered, reshaping into clear prompts as the system adjusted to his language comprehension.
THEORY TRIAL: ROUND ONE — ARCANE KNOWLEDGE & HISTORICAL APPLICATION
Time Limit: 45 Minutes
He had not studied at all for this exam after all he had just been placed in this new world a few minutes ago. The best bet was to use all the knowledge he had acquired from the game .The game itself had hardly went into detail about the theory exam as most of the focus was on the physical exam
Now he took a deep breath and began reading.
Question 1: Describe the theoretical difference between a Mana Vein and a Ley Conduit. How does each respond to elemental strain during overload scenarios?
Question 2: In the Third Era War of Binding, which class of spells were sealed by the Accord of Flame? Provide two reasons why.
Caelum blinked. These weren't easy. Even as a player of the game, he only skimmed through lore.
But then something pulsed behind his eyes.
[Observer's Insight Activated]
In his vision, faint glimmers of context and memories came to light from textbook passages, dialogues from hidden NPCs, trivia from deep within the codex.
So it's not just for combat... this skill reads metadata from everything I've absorbed.
A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.
His pen moved swiftly.
Minutes ticked by. Sweat dotted his brow, but Caelum never once paused. Page by page, question by question—he wrote. Not perfectly. But intelligently and Strategically. Enough to stand out without attracting too much attention from the academy.
As the final minute was called, the scroll vanished into motes of light. The orb dimmed and a voice rang out.
"Stand and proceed to your assigned practical chamber," the proctor instructed.
Caelum exhaled, heart pounding.
One trial down.
Now came the real test: survival by blade and magic.
HI readers to explain Mana veins are basically = private mana network
Ley conduits = Underground rivers of power lines of magic running through the land which diffuse mana into the environment mages can tap into these using special technique and knights can use techniques to coat and form aura around them and also diffuse it into their core where mana veins can channel this into there muscle. Whereas Magic swordsmen can use both
Hope this helpsssssssssssss