Chapter 76: The Gathering of the first year and second year elites

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: The Gathering of the first year and second year elites As Alex, Ethan, Charlotte, Seraphina, Alden, and Ava approached the training grounds, their eyes widened in astonishment. The facility sprawled before them—a harmonious blend of ancient architecture and cutting-edge technology. Towering spires of enchanted glass reached skyward, their surfaces shimmering with arcane runes that pulsed with energy. Holographic interfaces floated mid-air, displaying real-time combat analytics, while autonomous drones hovered silently, ready to simulate various battle scenarios. Alex let out a low whistle. "Now this is what I call a training facility," he remarked, his voice tinged with awe. The training area was a marvel of modern magical engineering. Combat arenas could morph their terrains instantly, shifting from dense forests to arid deserts at the command of an instructor. Floating platforms adjusted their heights dynamically, challenging cadets to adapt to ever-changing elevations. Spell-resistant barriers ensured safety, absorbing stray magical blasts without a trace. The air buzzed with energy—a testament to the fusion of magic and technology. Class 1-A was assembled in full, and it was hard not to notice the standouts. At the center, surrounded by a retinue of other elves, stood the elegant and radiant Elven Princess Elaria Moonshade Lareth’Thalas, her hair flowing down like moonlight. On the opposite side of the arena, Vampire Princess Lilith Noctis Bloodrose stood cool and composed, her piercing crimson eyes scanning the room, while her ever-loyal maid, Isadora Vale, stood silently behind her like a shadow. Not far from them floated the royal fairy twins, Aurelia and Thalos Lumina, their wings glimmering like stained glass under the dome’s lighting. Maria Lunhart, the Saintess candidate, stood near them—serene and untouchable. Alex blinked. "This is starting to look like a fantasy RPG character selection screen." And just when he thought the elite ensemble was complete, he noticed even Class 1-B had gathered, mingling at the edges. The presence of so many top-tier cadets made the entire arena buzz with anticipation. As the group stepped forward, attention instantly snapped toward them. Eyes from all directions turned to Alex, Ethan, Seraphina, Charlotte, and Ava. But this wasn’t new anymore. They’d grown used to the stares—the mix of curiosity, judgment, and admiration. "...This again," Charlotte muttered under her breath, waving casually. Suddenly— The air shifted. A strange breeze cut through the arena. Then, in the blink of an eye, a man appeared at the center of the training ground. No one had sensed him. No one had seen him arrive. One moment the space was empty. The next—he was there. The man who appeared could only be described with one word: handsome. He looked barely in his thirties, but the power radiating off of him told another story entirely. His skin was pale and flawless, hair dark as a raven’s wing, and his eyes... deep obsidian pools that seemed to see through souls. A silence fell. Then— "Welcome, cadets." His voice echoed through the arena, calm and powerful. He looked around at the stunned expressions, and then... laughed. "Hah! That was fantastic, wasn’t it? My entrance?" He held his arms out dramatically. "I practiced it. A lot." There were a few scattered chuckles, mostly confused ones. But even as he smiled, the power radiating from him was undeniable. There was something ancient in his aura—something sharp and utterly inhuman. He was a vampire. A very strong one. Alex raised an eyebrow. "Of course the cool mysterious teacher is a vampire." Charlotte whispered, "He looks like he just stepped out of a romance drama." Seraphina crossed her arms. "He’s strong." "Yeah," Ethan added, watching the man with narrowed eyes. "Very." Then, the atmosphere shifted again. The man’s eyes narrowed, and when he spoke, it was with a voice like steel. "Today, you won’t just learn to fight with weapons. You’ll learn how to survive. Even when the odds are stacked against you. Even when you’re alone. Even when failure feels inevitable." His presence grew heavier. A few cadets unconsciously stepped back. "You are the top 100 cadets of this academy—the best of the best. And so, you will be taught by the best." He paused. "Which is, of course, me." A beat of silence passed. Then a nervous cadet raised their hand. "Um, Professor... you haven’t actually told us your name yet." The man blinked. Then scratched his cheek and laughed awkwardly. "Ah. Yes. Right. I was getting to that." He cleared his throat, striking a more formal pose. "My name is Alistar Croft." "I’ll be your instructor for Basic Swordsmanship and Combat Arts—which, despite the name, will include all types of weapons and martial techniques. My goal is simple: to make sure you don’t die the moment you step onto a real battlefield." He smiled again, this time sharp. "So relax... you’re in good hands." Alistar Croft folded his arms, gaze sweeping across the assembled cadets with a sly smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Now then..." he began, his voice echoing slightly in the mana-infused air. "Before I start wasting my time teaching you all, I need to see how much you actually know." He gestured broadly. "So, let’s keep it simple. Pair up. One-on-one. Sparring assessment. Let’s see what you’ve got." Instantly, the crowd burst into motion. Students turned to their friends, rivals, or just the nearest person they could find. Weapons were drawn from spatial rings, sparring gear adjusted, and magical flares activated for safety protocols. Even Class 1-B scrambled to pair up, clearly eager to prove themselves in front of the elite. Alex blinked. He glanced around as chaos unfolded, then lazily stretched his arms over his head. "Well, this is gonna take a while..." he mumbled, already scanning the edges of the room for the most harmless-looking NPC cadet he could "accidentally" bump into. "Maybe if I find someone with low stats, I can finish fast and take a nap..." he thought, already eyeing a distracted-looking cadet from Class 1-B. But just as he was about to move— "Not so fast." Alistar’s voice cut through the commotion like a blade. The training ground fell silent again. The instructor pointed a single pale finger toward the center group. "Not you lot—the top ten cadets." He smirked. "I’ll be choosing your opponents personally." Alex froze mid-step. So did Seraphina, Charlotte, Alden, and the rest of the academy’s top-ranking cadets. They all turned their heads slowly—toward Alistar, who now looked far too smug for his own good. He smiled back at them with a knowing glint in his eyes, like a cat who had just spotted a line of particularly juicy mice. "Of course he’d single us out," Alden muttered, arms crossed. "Typical show-off behavior." "Ugh, I was looking forward to an easy fight," Charlotte groaned. Seraphina exhaled deeply and turned to Ava. "I’ll catch you later. Go easy on your opponent." Ava waved, grinning. "Good luck!" --- The top ten cadets naturally gravitated to a corner of the training ground, forming a silent circle of uneasy curiosity. Even those who hadn’t interacted much before stood shoulder to shoulder. Elaria Moonshade stood with her arms folded elegantly, Thalos and Aurelia hovered nearby whispering in Faeborn, and Maria Lunhart stood calmly, hands clasped in front of her robe. As Alistar began barking orders at the rest of the cadets to pair up by rank, Alex leaned sideways, making sure the vampire wasn’t paying attention. Then, with a completely straight face, he turned to the others and muttered: "Professor Alistar is such a show-off.flaunting his power like he’s the main character or something. People should really learn the value of humility—like me. I’m the perfect example of modesty. Quiet strength. Unassuming brilliance. Truly, an inspiration to all." Silence. Every single person in the top ten turned to stare at him. In perfect unison. Not a word was spoken. Just... pure, concentrated disbelief. Alex looked around, blinking. "What? Why are you guys staring at me like I just cracked the biggest joke in history?" More silence. Then— "So it wasn’t a joke?" Elaria blinked innocently, genuine confusion on her face. Her blond hair shimmered as she tilted her head. "Oh dear..." Alex’s eyebrow twitched. "Why would you think that, Your Elviness?" At that, Elaria’s entire expression changed. "I told you not to call me that," she snapped, cheeks tinged faintly pink with irritation. "And yes, I think that. In fact, I might not know all of you that well, but everyone—and I mean everyone—in this academy thinks you’re the biggest show-off here." Before Alex could recover, the other cadets chimed in instantly: "She’s right." "No doubt about that." "Facts." "I don’t even know him but I can agree." Alex slowly turned his head, processing the betrayal. "We don’t even know each other that well," he muttered under his breath. "Why are they all in such perfect sync? Do they rehearse these responses in secret meetings?" He turned suddenly toward the two people he hoped wouldn’t join the madness. "Alden. Seraphina. You two—my old pals! Come on, tell them they’re wrong. I’m the kindest, most down-to-earth person you know, right?" A long pause. Alden looked away, casually beginning to whistle. Seraphina attempted to do the same—but instead produced a weird wheezing sound like a dying duck. Everyone burst into laughter. Seraphina’s face went beet red. "I—I forgot I don’t know how to whistle," she mumbled, covering her face. Alex stared at both of them, betrayed. Just as he was about to launch into a passionate speech defending his allegedly humble personality— Professor Alistar appeared right in front of them. One blink. Empty space. Next blink—bam. Vampire teacher. Cloak swaying dramatically. "Sorry to keep you waiting, my star actors," he said, lips curling into a fang-toothed smile. "It took me a while to find opponents worthy of your... shining radiance." Alex raised an eyebrow. "Why did that sound sarcastic?" "But," Alistar continued, ignoring him, "some cadets volunteered for the opportunity to spar with the top ten. So I agreed." With a flick of his fingers, eight glowing teleportation glyphs appeared in the air around him. FWOOOSH! In a flash of golden light, ten silhouettes materialized on the training ground, landing beside the professor with graceful precision. Gasps echoed across the arena. Alex narrowed his eyes, instantly sizing them up. One. Two. Three... nine of them? No—eight. Wait. His expression froze. Recognition struck like a lightning bolt. All around him, the other top ten cadets murmured in disbelief. "Those are... the second-year top ten cadets!" "No way—he brought them here to fight us?" Charlotte’s expression hardened as she saw her brother, who was also the Apex of the second-year batch. But there was something else. Something worse. Because while ten of the arrivals were clearly second-year elites, the tenth presence stood out like a glowing sword in the dark. Graceful. Radiating mana far denser than the others. With a smug grin on her face, Alicia von Crestvale, third-year, floated down like a descending angel of sarcasm. She landed with perfect posture, arms crossed, long hair flowing behind her as she locked eyes with Alex. Her expression? Smug. Very smug. That reminded him of Alden. The kind of smug usually reserved for a cat looking at a rat with a limp. Alex matched her gaze thinking. ’ Well she is his sister of course her personality will somewhat resemble him. Except she is beautiful and he is not.’ "Long time no see, Dragonheart," Alicia said sweetly, as if addressing a toddler. Alex’s eye twitched. But Before he could think of a comeback, a squeal erupted from nearby. Everyone turned as a blur of pink dashed across the training ground like a meteor— "ETHAAAAN~!!" The blur launched itself straight into Ethan Williams’ arms. He caught her out of instinct, almost dropping his sword in surprise. The girl smiled up at him with sparkles in her eyes and zero regard for everyone watching. "I really missed you," she whispered, planting a kiss on his cheek. The training ground went completely silent. A few cadets dropped their training staves in shock. Alden’s jaw dropped. Charlotte blinked. Even Alistar raised a single eyebrow. Ethan just stood there frozen, eyes wide. Alex’s jaw slowly dropped open. "No way... oh no... I almost forgot about her." The girl looked familiar now. Very familiar. Pink hair. Star-shaped earrings. That unmistakable energy of a noblewoman who believed the world orbited around her tiara. "Of course," Alex thought, rubbing his temple. "The villainess makes her entrance." Ophelia Sinclair. One of the major villainesses in the game. Second-year prodigy. Future chaos generator. And, at least in the early storyline—completely obsessed with Ethan Williams. ---------- A/N:- So how was the Chapter tell me on comments. Thanks for the golden tickets @SloZz, @Dozier_armstrong7239, @KevinZ,@Peacekeepers15 I really appreciate the support ????.