Perfect.
I nudged Maya with my elbow. "Let's get that guy to join us."
She followed my gaze, studying him for a second before nodding. "Alright. He looks capable. Bit grumpy though."
"Yeah, but grumpy's better than useless."
We made our way down the steps toward him, weaving through the crowd. The guy didn't even move. His eyes followed us as we approached, calm and unreadable.
We stopped a few feet away.
"Hey there," I said, trying to sound polite but casual. "I'm Ash, this is Maya. We were wondering if you'd like to join our team."
He looked up at us, eyes narrowing slightly. For a moment, he didn't speak. He just studied us — slowly, as if evaluating two questionable ingredients in a stew.
Then he said, flatly, "You two are weak."
…
Well. That escalated fast.
My brow twitched. "Wow. Straight to the point, huh?" I muttered under my breath.
I bit down the urge to say something snarky. It wasn't easy.
He sighed, like even that small conversation had already drained him. "Fine," he said finally. "Just don't drag me down."
I smiled thinly. "Great. Nice having you."
Maya gave a curt nod, though I could feel the irritation rolling off her. She did not appreciate the attitude.
We sat down, forming a neat little row. I ended up between them — probably for the best.
After a moment of awkward silence, I turned toward him again. "So… what's your name?"
He took his time answering, as if debating whether we were even worthy of knowing it. Then, finally, he said, "Ray."
"Nice to meet you, Ray," I said, forcing a smile.
He gave a short grunt. Then, without missing a beat, said, "No need to sit beside me just because we're a team. It's only a temporary arrangement."
I blinked. "…Right."
He wasn't done.
"I doubt you two will even make it past this exam," he added, voice calm but cutting. "So there's no point getting to know each other if that's what you're trying to do."
Maya froze for a second. Then she stood up abruptly, hands on her hips.
"Listen, you—" she snapped, glaring down at him. "Maybe you're a little stronger than us, but that's no reason to be such a stuck-up jerk!"
A few heads turned our way.
Ray didn't flinch. He just looked at her coolly and said, "I'm just stating facts."
Maya looked like she might throw something at him.
I had to step in before she did something stupid. I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Maya, leave him be. He's not worth it."
She frowned but reluctantly sat back down beside me, muttering something under her breath about arrogant idiots.
Then I turned to Ray, meeting his gaze. "She's right, you know."
His eyes flicked toward me.
"It's inappropriate," I said evenly, "to assume the outcome of this selection based on appearances alone. You might be surprised."
He stared at me for a moment, as if trying to decide whether to bother responding. Then, finally, his lips curved into the faintest hint of a smirk.
"We'll see," he said.
I leaned back with a small sigh. "Yeah. We will."
For a few quiet moments, none of us spoke again. Maya crossed her arms, fuming quietly. Ray went back to staring at the arena like nothing had happened.
And me?
I just sat there, thinking that this team was either going to be great… or a complete disaster.
Probably both. Thankfully, it wasn't long before we were addressed again.
Count Hall cleared his throat, and just like that, the entire arena went quiet. The old man had a voice that somehow carried all the way to the top row without him even trying.
"Alright, everyone," he began, hands clasped behind his back. "Now that all of you have settled down and formed your trios, it's time we begin the final stage of the selection."
Behind him, a group of men and women entered the arena from a side gate. They were neatly dressed, each wearing the same formal uniform — white shirts, dark vests, and long coats embroidered with silver trim.
"These," Count Hall said, gesturing to them, "will be your proctors."
I automatically started counting. One, two, three… twelve in total. Seven men, five women. All of them carried themselves with that calm, effortless confidence that only strong people had — the kind that made you think, yeah, I probably shouldn't mess with them unless I have a death wish.
Even without using my Perception, I could feel their mana like heat waves in the air. But since my curiosity had a death wish, I decided to check anyway.
I focused, letting the skill hum faintly behind my eyes.
[Level 58]
[Level 61]
[Level 66]
[Level 63]
[Level 70]
[Level 56]
[Level 71]
[Level 59]
[Level 78] — Wait, what?!
[Level 72]
[Level 53]
[Level 74]
I almost whistled out loud. Almost.
Okay, yeah. These people weren't teachers. They were walking natural disasters disguised as academics.
While I was trying to process those ridiculous numbers, Count Hall was still talking. "…and each proctor will oversee a separate trial platform for the matches. Your performance will determine your admission, ranking, and dorm assignment."
Then I felt it — the mana in the air thickening. My skin prickled as power coalesced toward the professor like he was pulling the atmosphere itself into his hands.
He brought his palms together with a sharp clap.
Rumble!
The ground rumbled.
With a deep, grinding sound, massive stone platforms erupted from the earth all around the arena — twelve in total, each one big enough to fit a full team fight. Dust and debris swirled everywhere, making people shield their eyes as the tremors vibrated through the seats.
When the shaking finally stopped, twelve raised platforms stood like small battle stages surrounding the centre.
Someone near me muttered, "What the… that old man just—"
Another voice shouted, "He's strong! He's ridiculously strong!"
The arena broke into a chorus of startled gasps and awed chatter.
I couldn't even blame them. Feeling his strength was one thing, seeing it was something else entirely. That had been a wide-area earth spell, cast instantly and effortlessly. He didn't even look winded. He just brushed the dust off his coat like he'd casually adjusted a chair.
I sat there, staring at him in open awe. That was easily the greatest show of strength I'd seen since coming to this world.
And then, out of pure curiosity, I made what was probably the worst decision of the morning.
Let's see what level he is…
I activated Perception again, focusing on Count Hall.
Immediately, his voice stopped mid-sentence.
His gaze turned sharply, directly toward me.
My heart skipped a beat.
It felt like someone had just poured a bucket of ice water over my head. An invisible pressure slammed down on me, crushing from every direction. The air thickened, heavy and suffocating. Every hair on my body stood on end. My instincts screamed at me to run, but my body wouldn't move.
The man's piercing eyes met mine for what couldn't have been more than a second — but it felt like an eternity.
Then, just as suddenly, the pressure vanished.
He smiled faintly. And then… he...chuckled?