The grand hall of the Imperial Velorian Academy was filled with the murmurs of new students, all awaiting their turn for the entrance exam. Ornate banners bearing the academy's crest hung from the high ceilings, and the air buzzed with anticipation.
Newton sat in one of the waiting areas, his arms crossed as he listened to the chatter around him.
"I heard the Dragon Class is only for the absolute best," one student whispered.
"Obviously. The lowest is Pigeon Class—no noble would ever accept being placed there."
"I'm not worried about the written test, but the magic portion…"
Newton frowned slightly. ["Magic… right. This world follows different rules. If I am to succeed, I must understand them."]
A booming voice silenced the students.
"The entrance exams shall now commence! All examinees, prepare yourselves!"
Newton took a deep breath. ["Let's see what this world considers intelligence."]
---
Newton sat at a desk in the grand hall, fingers tracing the surface of the smooth, pristine paper before him. He picked up the sleek pen provided for the exam, rolling it between his fingers.
["Remarkable. This world's education is centuries behind, yet its technology has surpassed even my own time."]
It was a contradiction that intrigued him. The tools of writing—modern, efficient—were leagues beyond the quills and parchment of his past life, yet the knowledge these students possessed was rudimentary at best.
A voice boomed across the hall, silencing the chatter.
"The entrance exams shall now commence! All examinees, prepare yourselves!"
Newton glanced at the first test sheet and immediately frowned.
---
His eyes skimmed through the questions.
Solve for x: 3x + 5 = 11
List the three primary states of matter.
Describe the significance of the first emperor of Veloria.
["This is… middle school material."]
Newton exhaled through his nose, feeling both amused and mildly insulted. He had formulated the principles of calculus—yet here he was, solving arithmetic that a child could manage.
Around him, students furrowed their brows, some biting their lips in frustration. A few whispered to themselves, struggling to recall the basics.
Dani Donner, his small black-furred duck familiar, perched on the edge of his desk, peering at the exam. "This is embarrassing," he muttered, shaking his head.
Newton barely spared him a glance. He picked up the pen and began writing. His answers flowed effortlessly onto the page. The history questions were simple recollections of this world's past, which he had skimmed through in the books available to him. Their scientific questions were laughably basic.
Newton was done in minutes. He placed his pen down and leaned back.
Silence stretched around him as students noticed.
"She's finished already?" a girl whispered, eyes wide.
"That's impossible. It hasn't even been half an hour!"
One of the proctors, a silver-haired professor, raised an eyebrow at him. He walked over, checking Newton's test. His expression shifted slightly before he moved on without a word.
["If this is their standard of intelligence, then this world is in desperate need of reform."]
He sat patiently, waiting for the next test.
---
The second phase took place in a vast, open-air training ground. The academy had prepared several testing areas—each assigned to evaluate a student's magical potential. Students murmured excitedly, watching as one examinee after another stepped up to demonstrate their abilities.
Newton crossed his arms, observing.
A girl raised her hands, and flames danced at her fingertips before bursting into the air. Another stomped the ground, causing jagged pillars of earth to rise. Others manipulated wind, water, and light with varying levels of success.
["So this is real magic."]
For the first time since arriving in this world, he was caught off guard. His entire life, he had dismissed magic as nothing more than superstition, mere tricks to entertain the ignorant. But now, watching the very elements bend to human will, he couldn't deny its existence.
He frowned.
["If magic follows rules, then it can be understood. And if it can be understood… it can be mastered."]
A stern-looking professor called his name. "Lady Isadora. Step forward."
Newton walked onto the designated stone platform. Before him stood an enormous earth golem, its surface reinforced with layers of enchanted rock. It was the standard test for assessing magical power. The stronger the magic, the faster the golem would be destroyed.
He narrowed his eyes.
["If they control fire and wind as easily as one breathes, then why not gravity? It is the fundamental force governing all things."]
The gears in his mind turned. He thought back to his own discoveries—the force of attraction between masses, the curvature of space-time. Could he impose those same principles here?
He took a deep breath and extended his hand.
Complex equations flooded his mind, calculations forming in mere seconds. If magic was simply another law of nature, then he would bend it to his will.
A dense, glowing blue sphere materialized in his palm. The air around it warped, light bending unnaturally as if reality itself was distorting. A deep hum resonated from the orb, vibrating through the air.
The examiners leaned forward in their seats.
"What kind of magic is that?" one murmured.
"I've never seen such an affinity before…"
Newton opened his eyes and threw the orb.
The moment it touched the golem, the entire structure compressed inward violently before collapsing into dust.
Gasps echoed through the training grounds.
"What—"
"She destroyed it in an instant?!"
"No incantation, no traditional spell circle—just raw force!"
Even the examiners exchanged stunned glances. One of the professors, an elderly man with white hair, stepped forward hurriedly. "You—what did you just do?"
Newton turned to him, unfazed. "I controlled gravity."
A ripple of whispers spread through the crowd.
"Gravity?"
"What kind of magic is that?"
"I've never heard of such a thing…"
The elderly professor grabbed the nearest examiner. "Do you realize what this means?! We are witnessing the birth of a new branch of magic!"
The head examiner, still recovering from his shock, finally spoke. "Lady Isadora… your performance is beyond exceptional. Your placement is clear."
A long parchment unfurled in front of him, enchanted ink shifting until it settled on one word:
Dragon Class.
Another wave of shocked murmurs passed through the crowd.
"She skipped over all the lower classes?"
"That's never happened before!"
"This is insane."
Even Lady Alora, watching from a distance, narrowed her eyes. Her lips curled into a smirk. "She just keeps getting more and more interesting."
Newton, however, barely reacted. He merely tilted his head, observing the response of those around him.
["If this is how magic functions in this world, then I have only scratched the surface. Let's see how far I can push their understanding."]