The wind that blew across the gates of Astralis Academy carried with it the scent of old mana, burned runes, and ambition. The massive stone walls glowed faintly with embedded ley-glyphs, and high above the entrance, a floating golden sigil pulsed in time with the capital's world-clock.
Hundreds of noble children stood in disciplined lines, polished boots clicking against polished obsidian.
And right in the center of the courtyard, standing just slightly too casual for the setting—hands in his pockets, uniform immaculate but stylishly untucked—stood Hades Draker.
Ten years old.
Silver-white hair slicked back but still wild at the tips. Pale blue eyes that sparkled like frost with attitude. And his expression?
A perfect blend of bored and amused.
The kind of face that said, "This is cute. Show me the real challenge."
He was dressed sharply: black-and-silver coat buttoned at the side, clean trousers, leather gloves tucked into his belt, and a white undershirt with minimal embroidery—practical, tactical, noble.
And still?
He looked like he belonged on a battlefield—or a fashion cover.
Some of the girls near him whispered behind their hands. Even a few of the boys were staring.
"Don't worry," he said casually, glancing left and flashing a grin. "You can take pictures later."
The boy beside him scoffed. "Who even are you?"
Hades turned, grinning wider. "Oh, you'll remember me after I take your spot. Promise."
A crystalline array activated above, projecting the image of a sharp-eyed instructor with a mana-glass monocle and a robe etched with magical inscriptions.
"First-year initiates. Today, you will face the Seven-Fold Evaluation. These tests are designed to measure your current strength, potential, and ability to survive in Astralis Academy. Your class rank will be decided by performance."
The stone beneath their feet glowed, forming seven concentric circles, each leading to a glowing platform:
• Mana Control
• Combat Reflex
• Spell Theory
• Arcane Engineering
• Tactical Reasoning
• Core Stability
• Endurance & Focus
Hades cracked his knuckles, rolled his neck, and yawned dramatically.
"So formal," he muttered. "Where's the giant flaming gate? I was promised a boss fight."
[System Notification]
System Name: P_REX
Version: 2.0
Evaluation Sync: Complete
Seraphim Status: Stable (43%)
Academic Monitoring Grid: Linked
Note: Reminder—Do NOT incinerate the equipment.
Response: "No promises. Depends on how ugly it is."
▣ Evaluation 1: Mana Control
Hades stepped onto the glowing circle, eyes narrowing slightly. Five orbs floated around him in a shifting spiral—each responding to mana flow. The task was to stabilize and balance all five in under 60 seconds.
Most students failed at two. Three was considered top-tier.
Hades? He walked into the center and raised a single hand.
Mana pulsed from his fingertips—clean, measured, elegant.
The orbs turned blue. Then violet. Then gold.
He hummed.
With a flick of his wrist, the orbs rearranged themselves into a perfect circle, orbiting him like planets.
He posed.
"Should I add some background music?" he asked. "Maybe a spotlight?"
The instructor scribbled frantically.
Result: Gold Tier+ (Orb Sync 100%)
▣ Evaluation 2: Combat Reflex
A golem surged toward him, limbs extended, blades glowing. The challenge? Survive and strike a weakness point.
Most students dodged awkwardly or blocked with raw power.
Hades sidestepped with a smile.
He leaned to the left, tapped the golem's elbow joint, ducked beneath its return swing, and jumped—flipping over it mid-air—and gently booped the power crystal on its head.
The golem froze.
"Try again later," he said, walking off. "That one was lagging."
Result: Gold Tier (Reaction Time: 11.8s)
▣ Evaluation 3: Arcane Engineering
A broken mana stabilizer and a glowing diagnostic scroll.
Task: Identify the fault and repair it without triggering a core backlash.
Hades stared at the device for exactly six seconds.
Then he rewired the channels, rotated the main rune matrix, and added a minor compression loop that made the system 9% more efficient than the original design.
The staff engineer choked on her tea.
Result: Platinum Tier (Optimization Bonus)
▣ Evaluation 4: Spell Theory
An unstable array.
One rune missing. Two misaligned. Potentially explosive.
Hades sighed. "Honestly, this one feels insulting."
He pulled a spare chalk from his inner coat, rewrote the two lines, and added a third that condensed the whole spell.
Then activated it for fun.
A clean projection of a light blade extended from the rune pad.
"Boom," he whispered.
The instructor gave him a side-eye. "You weren't supposed to activate it."
"I wasn't supposed to be this pretty either, but life finds a way."
Result: Gold Tier (Compression Method Recognized)
▣ Evaluation 5: Tactical Reasoning
A simulated war board. Fifteen units. Two enemies. You have 10 seconds to respond.
Hades leaned back, arms folded.
At 4 seconds, he moved three pieces.
Enemy routed. Scenario cleared.
"What? I was waiting for the timer to run out so they'd sweat more."
Result: Gold Tier (Psychological Delay Bonus)
▣ Evaluation 6 & 7: Core Stability + Endurance
Inside a mana-pressure dome, most students lasted under 30 seconds.
Hades lay down. Literally.
Hands behind his head, eyes half-closed, humming a tune.
At the 1-minute mark, he asked, "Do I get extra credit if I do push-ups?"
"No," came the reply.
He started doing them anyway.
Result: Gold Tier++ (Stress Sync Exception Flag)
[System Update]
Evaluation Complete
Final Placement: Class Zero
Rank: 1st Overall
Rewards:
+200 EXP
+2 Intelligence
+2 Charisma
Skill Gained: Charm Pulse (Lv. 1)
Seraphim Sync: 46%
[System Status Panel]
Name: Hades Draker
Age: 10
Level: 2
EXP: 200/300
Core: Seraphim (Synced: 46%)
System: P_REX (Lv. 2)
HP: 200/200
MP: 190/190
Stamina: 210/210
Stats:
Strength: 14
Agility: 16
Endurance: 17
Intelligence: 26
Charisma: 25
Luck: 12
Skills:
• Seraphim Resonance (Lv. 2)
• Modular Engineering (Lv. 3)
• Spell Compression Theory (Lv. 3)
• Swordsmanship: Draker Form (Lv. 2)
• Core Pressure Sync (Lv. 1)
• Charm Pulse (Lv. 1)
As the names for Class Zero were announced, one name came first and loud:
"Hades Draker — Rank 1, Class Zero."
He turned slightly, gave a lazy wave, and smiled.
Then to the stunned students still standing on the edge of the arena:
"Hey," he said, pointing to his back. "Get used to the view."
One girl covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Kaela Valenne narrowed her eyes at him—curious. Renis Cartaine clenched his jaw—furious.
Hades stretched, walking toward the Class Zero gate.
"That was fun," he muttered. "Now let's see what the real game looks like."