A gentle breeze blew from the direction of the academy, as young men and women from all walks of life gradually made their way toward it, preparing for the entrance exam.
This academy was established by the royal family with the purpose of seeking out and selecting talented individuals, regardless of their social class.
Those who passed the test and were selected would receive numerous privileges, including free accommodation and tuition for the entire program. This was all to give talented individuals, who lacked financial means, the opportunity to showcase their abilities fully.
In essence, it was a truly non-profit organization. Because of this, people from various backgrounds flocked to the academy, hoping to change their lives.
"Wow... there are so many people here. I'd say there must be thousands of them."
Kairos murmured to himself as he walked into the crowd, but before he could make much progress, people around him began to look at him strangely, gradually distancing themselves from him.
(Oh... they start avoiding me just by walking past. I still can't get used to it... I mean, my face isn't that intimidating, right?)
He grumbled inwardly, quickening his pace. Despite his calm and indifferent exterior, being avoided like this still made him uncomfortable.
After a short while, he finally arrived at the testing area. The constant stares along the way, though he acted as if he didn't care, left him feeling exhausted.
"To all who have arrived, please register for a queue number and wait to be called for your core and weapon assessment."
A female officer's voice echoed, signaling the start of the important process.
The core and weapon assessments were the basic steps for determining each individual's proficiency.
Every human being had three core points in their body:
Brain (Mirenith)
Heart (Harenith)
Lower abdomen (Aurenith)
Each person had a natural proficiency in one of these cores.
Mirenith (Brain): Those proficient in this core excel at imagining mana and shaping it into various forms, naturally aligning with magic-users.
Harenith (Heart): Those proficient in this core focus on circulating mana throughout their body, enhancing physical strength and elemental properties, making them suited for close combat.
Aurenith (Lower Abdomen): Those skilled in this core can channel mana into weapons to unlock hidden powers, often seen as natural-born knights.
Proficiency in one core didn't mean one couldn't train in the others, but growth would naturally be slower for cores they weren't proficient in.
Weapon rarity was another aspect tested. Each weapon was ranked by rarity:
Common
Rare
Epic
Legendary
Mystical
Weapons were "awakened" by their owner when they reached the age of 12 and could evolve through four stages, from level 0 to 3. The rarity of a weapon didn't directly affect its destructive power but indicated the complexity of the unique powers the weapon possessed.
When it was Kairos's turn, he walked forward without hesitation.
"Your name is Kairos, correct? Please place your hand on the stone for the assessment."
Kairos nodded and confidently placed his hand on the stone. Immediately, a startling announcement echoed.
"Weapon: Spear, Legendary level!!! Traits: Mastery of all core types!!!"
The area fell silent for a moment, before a ripple of whispers spread among the crowd.
Everyone around him froze in shock… No one had expected any candidate to possess abilities so close to "perfection."
Except for one person, standing at a distance, watching quietly. She smiled faintly.
"Finally… Kairos, I've found you again."
Her soft voice and gentle smile belonged to a woman named... Fiona.