Emma's duel seemed to serve as a dividing line.
The subsequent matches for the first-year honor students became relatively easy.
Not long after.
With Sarah Swati's victory, the recruitment tournament entered its third round.
In this third round, Dark and Diana successively encountered ordinary second-year students and both achieved victory.
The two professors quietly left during the third round, replaced by two upperclassmen who were originally supposed to be sitting there.
Night fell, and it gradually grew dark outside the arena.
The recruitment tournament entered its final stage.
The Dueling Club spent half an hour compiling statistics, selecting a cutoff score of 6.2. Everyone above this score was selected, resulting in an eighty percent pass rate.
Those who didn't pass were basically all first-year students, along with a very small number of second-years.
Originally, this recruitment tournament was semi-observational in nature, and the difficulty wasn't considered high.
The staff of the Dueling Club would record the scores of the newcomers and combine them with their performance in the upcoming Rookie Tournament to formulate an internal score.
Many future matters would be handled based on this internal score.
If the internal score reached a certain standard, the club would also provide members with corresponding resource support as encouragement.
...
After the score sheet was posted, students gathered in front of the bulletin board.
Just like after almost every exam, some were joyful, while others were disappointed.
The first-year failures were fine; after all, this was just an attempt.
The second-year failures, however, couldn't bear it as easily.
For them, this was undoubtedly an execution!
But in competitions like this, there are always winners and losers; there's no helping it.
Dark and Diana squeezed to the front together, and they saw their names as soon as they looked up.
Dark's score was naturally ranked first.
Although his performance in the third round was actually quite average—after all, his opponent wasn't very good—the senior responsible for judging still gave him face. In the end, after removing the highest score and the lowest score, the average was taken, resulting in a perfect 10.
As for second place, it was naturally the third-year senior, Angelia.
Following them, Diana, Sara, and Emma also ranked in the top tier.
Additionally, Doron from the Noble House, and Virt and Justin Wayne from the Knight House, all successfully passed the recruitment assessment.
Calculating carefully, a total of seven freshmen from this batch successfully joined the Dueling Club in their first year!
No matter which year this was compared to, it was extremely outstanding.
Especially since the Knight House and Noble House had three students selected each in this batch, making the students of both houses unusually excited.
Although only Sara stood out from the Magic House, Sarah Swati's score was high enough, so it was acceptable.
Only the Fool's House had no one selected, which was quite regrettable.
...
Dark and Diana high-fived each other, then followed the instructions of Vice President Enia and received a badge representing the Dueling Club from the staff.
It was a Dueling Badge with a gold and red base, featuring a double sword emblem in the center. In the four areas divided by the double swords, a crown, a knight's sword, a magister's staff, and a tarot card were carved respectively.
The badge itself was a symbolic item. According to the rules, it had to be worn when participating in academy competitions.
Other things, such as the statistics of dueling points and the grading of duelists, were still recorded in the sorting card and updated in real-time.
Dark injected a sliver of mana into the Dueling Badge and pressed it against his chest. The magic guide device attached to the bottom of the badge took effect immediately, firmly suctioning it onto his uniform.
Diana took a look, then also picked up her Dueling Badge. She pasted it onto her chest in a mimicry of his action, then asked Dark with a beaming smile, "Does it look good?"
Dark reached out and pinched her cheek; it was soft. "Of course it looks good."
Rose walked over and said happily, "How about it? Want to go to Traveler Street to celebrate?"
Diana immediately raised her hand. "I second that!"
Dark actually wanted to return to the dormitory earlier, but he didn't want to spoil the fun at this moment. So, he went with them to Traveler Street and had dinner together at the "Waltz Music Restaurant."
Listening to the elegant music and watching Diana's cute appearance as she ate with her mouth full of oil, Dark couldn't help but reveal a knowing smile.
The Dueling Club wasn't considered a traditional club. Aside from occasional dueling training camps, there were basically no club activities.
And even for the dueling training camps, one could choose whether to participate based on their own will.
As for dueling competitions.
Students newly admitted to the club could sign up for the Rookie Tournament held on Saturday mornings starting next week.
But Dark currently had a surplus of credits, so he didn't have that idea for the time being.
After dinner.
The group of three strolled through the night market on Traveler Street.
Accompanying laughter.
Walking with youth.
...
Night fell slightly, and the cold wind rustled.
Dark didn't know that right next door to where the three of them were dining, Virt was also having a group dinner in a restaurant.
Virt, who had just passed the assessment, and Scott, who had just failed it, received completely different results with just a one-point difference.
The order, in order to celebrate Virt's victory and comfort Scott's failure, specially changed tonight's gathering to a private room in the restaurant.
A total of 16+1 people gathered in the cramped private room. From raising glasses in celebration to complaining to each other, it only took ten minutes.
Robert looked speechlessly at the sixteen people, including Virt, who were huddling together to pour out their bitterness. He felt ashamed of his occasional thoughts of joining the order.
In this space filled with carbon dioxide, he was like an incompatible outsider, completely unable to understand the thoughts of the order members.
Even Virt felt strange to him.
It was hard for him to imagine that Virt actually had such a side. After complaining, he actually started designing a leather suit for a marine creature called a "Sponge" with high spirits alongside the others.
What is a sponge?
Cotton from the sea?
Robert was completely bewildered.
However, this so-called order now actually had a formal name. It sounded quite normal: the "Marine Biology Research Department."
Do you guys like marine creatures that much?
Worrisome.
...
The night grew deep, and the voices of people gradually diminished.
Dark and the other two returned to the Noble House tower satisfied, parting ways in the second-floor corridor.
Dark entered his bedroom and set down the bags full of food in his hands.
Inside, there was not only a large amount of cut fruit but also some cooked food and beverages that suited the tastes of Magic Guide Spirits.
They were the biggest contributors today, so Dark certainly wouldn't forget to reward them.
It was just that these ten mouths in total were indeed a bit much.
If it were any other first-year student, they really wouldn't be able to afford raising them.
But Dark had nothing else if not plenty of credits.
He took out [Paradise] from his card pouch, projected a set of stone tables and chairs from an amusement park inside the dormitory, and began summoning the Magic Guide Spirits one by one.
By the time all ten Magic Guide Spirits were summoned, some time had already passed.
Urged by DemiDevimon, he released it from the [Curse Cage] and then began to extract [Pride].
The Insect Tree was in good condition under his careful care. Adding tonight's [Pride], he had already saved up a total of 5.5 points.
Dark then poured Cat Juice on every Catnip, finally completing tonight's tasks.
This made him breathe a huge sigh of relief, and immediately after, he lay down in the bathtub.
In the cold winter, immersing everything below the neck in hot water allowed the heat to continuously seep into his skin and bones, and the fatigue all over his body gradually faded away.
Separated by a door, he could hear the chirping noise of the Magic Guide Spirits.
He felt it was particularly, particularly warm.
...
A few hours later, Dark started awake.
He discovered that he was no longer in the bathroom.
He was lying on the bed. He stared at the ceiling for a long time, confirming that he had no memory of walking out of the bathroom.
"It seems the Magic Guide Spirits carried me back to bed."
Dark felt a warmth in his heart. He pulled his hands out of the quilt and slowly sat up.
Soaking in gradually cooling water in winter would likely lead to catching a chill.
It was a good thing the Magic Guide Spirits were there, otherwise, he estimated he would be lying in the infirmary tomorrow morning.
Different from the usual situation, tonight the bed was full of Magic Guide Spirits lying in disarray. They looked like they had enjoyed themselves and were sleeping very soundly.
Dark got out of bed lightly, tightened the collar of his pajamas, and, as if guided by spirits and gods, went to the balcony.
It was now early morning, and the horizon was slightly bleaching white.
Various parts of the castle were covered with snow-white frost, possessing the leisurely flavor of a winter scene.
"So nice."
Dark let out a heartfelt sigh.
...
A short while later.
Ripples suddenly appeared in the sky.
A gate opened in St. Marian's barrier.
A slender white dragon shining with white light passed through the gate, its fine scales refracting light like seven-colored glazed glass.
Pandora Dragon rode on the dragon's spine. The oncoming wind blew her long hair, which appeared as white as snow.
But not long after entering the academy, that head of silky white hair began to recover its jet-black color from the roots.
...
"What a beautiful white dragon!"
Dark happened to witness the white dragon flying in and couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat.
"I wonder whose mount that is?"
That white dragon was different from the Western dragon species that occupied the majority of this world; it belonged to the snake-like Eastern dragon species.
That unique gentleness of the Eastern dragon species was intoxicating and irresistible.
"Meow meow meow~"
"Alright, you are beautiful too."
Dark bent down and picked up the Catnip at his feet, the corners of his mouth curving into an arc.
A new day had arrived.
...
The first weekend of the new semester.
The first-year students who had experienced the Dueling Club recruitment still had lingering excitement. They publicized and made noise everywhere, seeming to raise the temperature of the castle.
After assigning reading and writing homework to the Magic Guide Spirits, Dark took his schoolbag and went to the library.
Professor Nini had assigned a paper on Soul-Suckers, so he needed to go to the library to look up information.
Around ten in the morning, Dark finished writing the paper. He didn't return to the dormitory but continued to study in the library.
From morning to night.
Many people came to the library one after another. Most left after checking their information, while a small number stayed.
Dark unexpectedly saw Virt and Robert. They were chewing on their pen shafts as they tackled their homework, displaying a rare kind of momentum.
However, Dark didn't pay too much attention to them and soon immersed himself in his own research.
The study of knowledge related to the [Zoo] still required a large amount of time.
The problem with [Fusion] was more or less solved.
It was just that because Senior Pandora hadn't returned, the experiment for [Fusion] had been delayed.
But this kind of thing couldn't be dragged on again and again.
If the senior still didn't come, he planned to refine it alone.
In Magic Guide Alchemy, even taking a few detours had its significance.
Of course, it was also because he had sufficient credits that Dark dared to say such things.
He was ready to go to Traveler Street early Sunday morning to buy materials for [Fusion]. Calculating at the price of 1500 credits per portion, he could buy three portions first.
Anyway, no matter how many [Fusion] cards were refined, there was no need to worry—the fear was not being able to refine a single one!
...
Suddenly, his vision was slightly obstructed.
Dark jerked his head up and saw a beautifully smiling face.
He immediately revealed a happy look. "Senior, when did you get back?"
Pandora pulled out a chair and sat opposite him. "This morning."
Dark looked her up and down, then suddenly asked, "Did you encounter something good?"
Pandora's eyes instantly narrowed into crescents.
She held up her index finger and said cheerfully, "Secret."
It looked like heartfelt joy.
Dark's mind spun, and he considered his words slightly. "But I'm very curious."
Pandora shook her head slightly. "Curiosity won't do either. Hmm, it's not the time yet. When it's possible, I'll tell you. How about you? I heard you did another big thing?"
"It wasn't anything big." Dark didn't press further. "Just encountered some danger in the secret passage..."
Both of their voices were kept very low, trying not to affect the people in the reading room.
Dark recounted the details of the secret chamber, the treasure, and the vampire.
Pandora also revealed some of her itinerary during the holiday.
After the Christmas Ball, she set off and left St. Marian.
She didn't stop anywhere afterward, simply flying all the way on her Magic Guide Spirit, rushing to arrive at her birthplace within a week—the Exile Forest.
"Exile Forest?" Dark raised an eyebrow, almost unable to stop himself from raising his volume.
Pandora rested her chin on her hand, looking into the distance as if reminiscing. "That is a cursed land of oblivion. People die one by one, disappear one by one. Whether it's those who were punished or those who were abandoned, none can escape the curse of death..."
A trace of unconcealable despair permeated her understated sentences.
Pandora was still full of gratitude toward Principal Cynthia, who had brought her out of there.
She was the only person alive in the Exile Forest.
When she was very young, there were people in the Exile Forest.
They taught her language, taught her hunting, and then died one by one, leaving behind only mounds of stone piled up as graves.
Three years after the war, the Exile Forest was completely forgotten, and no one was sent in again.
It wasn't until Principal Cynthia suddenly appeared in front of her that she realized there was actually a world outside.
________________________________________
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