NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 18: Changes [2]
Together with Elena, Lucian entered the classroom, following the directions sent to his mobile.
However, as he stepped inside, he immediately noticed something strange.
There were only eight students already seated.
Including himself and Elena, that made ten.
'Weird… wasn't there supposed to be a hundred students?'
"You guys are late," Keal called out loudly, waving them over.
Lucian and Elena walked to Keal, who was seated beside Zara.
Lucian glanced around and frowned. "Why are only the top ten ranked students here? Where's everyone else?"
Keal and Zara shook their heads, looking just as clueless.
Lucian's eyes swept over the students, analyzing the situation.
As he scanned the room, his gaze briefly met Lyra, but she quickly turned her eyes away.
Before he could dwell on it, the door swung open.
A man stepped inside.
He walked to the center of the room, his sharp gaze scanning each student before giving a slight nod of approval.
His tone was calm but firm, instantly commanding attention.
"Due to a recent incident at the borders, the academy has approved a few new rules—ones developed by a certain someone."
Lucian's expression remained neutral, but internally, his thoughts raced.
'What the hell? More variables?'
Daniel continued.
"The major change: The top 10 students will receive separate training sessions."
He let that sink in before adding,
"When I say separate, I don't just mean from the rest of the students—you'll also be training apart from each other."
Murmurs of confusion spread among the students, but Daniel paid no mind.
"After much discussion, the academy has acknowledged a critical issue: Students from great families were being held back. Forcing you to attend standard classes and using you as benchmarks to motivate others was limiting your growth."
Lucian's eyes narrowed.
'So, they finally realized that? Makes sense… but why now?'
Daniel's gaze swept over the students before he delivered the final rule.
"From now on, students from great families have full freedom. You may train however you wish. However—"
He paused, his voice carrying a sharper edge.
"You will be required to complete a mission once a month.
A brief silence followed.
Finally, Daniel folded his arms.
"If you have any questions, now is the time to ask."
Lucian's thoughts raced.
'Who the hell is this 'certain someone'? Are they a transmigrator like me… or a regressor?'
A headache was already forming.
'Great. Just what I needed—more unexpected variables to deal with.'
A hesitant voice broke the silence.
"Wh-what about us?"
It was Lyra. Unlike the others, she wasn't from one of the great families.
In fact, out of the top ten, only six were from powerful bloodlines—the remaining four, including her, came from minor families.
Before Daniel could respond, Alex slowly said.
"I can train with you—if you'd like," he said gently.
Lyra's eyes widened slightly, as she nodded.
Daniel, unfazed, addressed the group.
"Right. As for the four of you, I will personally oversee your training. However, if you prefer to train independently, that's fine as well."
He glanced around the room, waiting for further questions.
"Any more doubts?"
Silence.
"Good. Then let's head to the evaluation center. From now on, your progress will be assessed every month. That way, none of you will slack off."
He turned sharply.
"Let's go."
***
Lucian carefully observed the evaluation room.
Various physical training equipment and mana-measuring devices were neatly arranged, their metallic surfaces gleaming under the bright lights.
The air buzzed faintly with residual mana from previous tests.
Standing at the front were Daniel and Sam, the latter having introduced himself as the In-Charge of the Evaluation Center.
Sam stepped forward with a reassuring smile. "No need to panic. All you have to do is place your hand on this orb and inject a small amount of mana. That's all."
His words put some of the students at ease, though the tension in the room remained.
Daniel's gaze swept across them before settling on a familiar figure. "Alex, you go first."
Alex stepped onto the testing platform, his expression calm and unreadable.
He placed his hand on the black orb—which was linked to several machines—and injected his mana.
The orb pulsed with an intense white glow.
A moment later, data appeared on the large display screen in front of them.
---
[Evaluation Results: Alex Solstic]
Mana Control: 62
Mana Core Level: Peak Adept
Current Mana Core Progress: 85%
---
A stunned silence filled the room.
Daniel barely managed to conceal his shock. 'An 18-year-old already at Peak Adept… and his progression is 85%? At this rate, he'll likely reach Expert before midterms. The Solstic family truly lucked out with this monstrous talent.'
Lucian, meanwhile, wasn't surprised. 'Wait what, isn't his progress should be in mid-adept.'
Not just Daniel and Lucian, but everyone else was visibly shaken by the revelation.
Alex, however, remained unfazed, calmly stepping down as if his results were nothing special.
Daniel cleared his throat, regaining his composure. "Alright, next—Oliver."
One by one, the students followed.
---
[Evaluation Results: Oliver Drakos]
Mana Control: 53
Mana Core Level: Mid Adept
Current Mana Core Progress: 56%
---
[Evaluation Results: Keal Vexari]
Mana Control: 41
Mana Core Level: Mid Adept
Current Mana Core Progress: 19%
---
[Evaluation Results: Elena Sylphar]
Mana Control: 48
Mana Core Level: Mid Adept
Current Mana Core Progress: 09%
---
[Evaluation Results: Zara Zenthara]
Mana Control: 56
Mana Core Level: Early Adept
Current Mana Core Progress: 89%
---
Finally, it was Lucian's turn. He stepped forward, placing his hand on the black orb.
The moment he injected his mana, the orb didn't glow—it shimmered, releasing a pulsating wave of energy across the room.
The display screen flickered before stabilizing, revealing his results.
---
[Evaluation Results: Lucian Eryndral]
Mana Control: 100
Mana Core Level: Early Adept
Current Mana Core Progress: ???
---
Silence.