Kael Vi-rel's POV
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I thought I'd gotten used to the pressure of being in Class S.
But I was wrong.
The atmosphere was... too peaceful. Peaceful in the way a silent forest feels right before a beast leaps out of the shadows.
These students weren't the friendly kind. They didn't tease, joke, or complain. Instead, they watched, judged, and memorized.
I was more nervous in this so-called "peaceful" class than I had been surrounded by monsters in the practical exam.
Word had already spread outside Class S, of course. Apparently, more than nine students from Class A had gone to the principal's office just to demand an explanation for my admission.
Nine people.
All of them so bothered by my existence that they needed to get official clarification.
I wasn't sure whether to be flattered or insulted.
They couldn't accept it how someone they considered trash had made it into the highest class of the most prestigious academy in the continent.
And the surprising thing?
They all got the same answer:
> "Kael Vi-rel deserves to attend Class S."
That was it.
Simple. Undeniable.
So, with nothing else to do, I decided to take it easy.
Honestly, being in Class F before reincarnating made this place feel like luxury. Compared to that, S-Class was paradise even with the silent tension hanging over everything.
As long as I'm alive again, I want to sit at the top. Even if I have to pretend I belong here.
But of course, it wasn't going to be that easy.
---
Every student's placement was fluid, determined by their rank in ongoing exams. There were cases where underdogs climbed their way up from Class F to A or even S… and just as many stories of prodigies crashing down to the bottom.
S-Class wasn't exempt.
However, once someone did reach Class S, it was rare for them to fall again mostly because everyone here had talent sharpened to the bone.
I remembered one example clearly: a girl named Clara Winslet. She started in Class A but eventually climbed to Class S. She wasn't part of the main storyline in the early game, but I remembered being impressed with her potential.
She wasn't famous yet. But I had plans for her.
And if I could help her without disrupting the timeline too much, I would.
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I snapped back to the present and pulled out the device in my pocket.
[Nexus Smart Watch]
—ID Verified: Kael Vi-rel
—Class: S
A faint flicker of light ran across the screen as it activated.
It was more than just a piece of tech. In this world, the Nexus Smart Watch acted as identification, health tracker, training recorder, communication device and most importantly, a symbol.
It marked me as one of the elite.
Even if I didn't earn it with traditional effort, it still felt… good.
---
As time passed, more students trickled into the lecture hall. Despite being built to hold two hundred, only forty students filled the space. The sheer emptiness of the room made the silence louder.
And then, at exactly 08:00 AM, the door at the front of the class creaked open.
A hush fell over the room instantly.
And in stepped the person that could silence even Class S with a single look.
Professor Seraphina Dusk.
Her very presence changed the atmosphere. From bored and tense to alert and serious. No one dared speak.
Seraphina Dusk. Fire affinity. Skilled, popular, and beautiful. She was a fan-favorite in the game… and most players missed just how important she was. I already explained this before.
"Nice to meet you all again," she said. Her voice was calm, but every syllable was laced with weight.
"I am Seraphina Dusk."
She didn't need an introduction.
Everyone in this world knew her name.
A high-ranking battle hero who specialized in fire magic, she had carved her name into history by turning impossible missions into victories.
It was said she had slain over a hundred demons and monsters on the battlefield. That her flames once held off an entire army of Underworld beasts for three days straight.
In the old days, magic users were often portrayed as scholars elegant, refined, and reclusive. But in this era? That image was long dead.
Now, combat heroes were the true elites.
And in this war-torn world, with portals constantly opening and monsters pouring through rifts in reality, they were humanity's shield.
It made perfect sense that someone like Seraphina Dusk was put in charge of Class S.
---
She began pacing the front of the class slowly, her eyes scanning the rows of students. Her gaze moved from Elric, to Damon, to Lucian, and then finally to me.
Her eyes narrowed just slightly.
"...A lot of outstanding students are gathered here. And one… very unusual student."
No one needed her to explain who that was.
Every student knew who she meant.
Me.
I didn't flinch.
I held her gaze and nodded politely, but internally… my heart thudded a little louder than usual.
---
"This academy exists to train combat heroes," she began, finally addressing us all.
Her voice had a strange power like it could command storms or silence a battlefield. Even the most arrogant students sat up straighter, drawn in by the sheer weight behind her words.
"For the next three years, you will undergo advanced courses brutal, unforgiving, and demanding."
"There will be no hand-holding. No second chances. If you fall behind, you will be removed."
"Your enemies will not wait for you to grow stronger. Neither will I."
Her tone never changed. Cold. Steady.
"Innumerable students drop out every year. Some die. Some disappear. Those who remain those who rise become legends."
She paused for a moment.
"In this world, everything returns to magic. The buildings we live in, the technology we use, the food we eat all of it is powered, shaped, and reinforced by magic."
"Even the reason clouds float, or that we can breathe and walk on solid ground... It's all magic."
"And at the heart of that system," she said, "are people like you. Magic warriors. Hero candidates."
"It is your duty to defend the world from the creatures of the Underworld, demons, monsters, abominationsthings that don't belong in this reality but claw their way through anyway."
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I frowned slightly.
"Duty," huh?
That word always felt heavy.
I wasn't here to save the world.
I was here to survive.
---
"Some of you entered this academy with dreams of becoming heroes. Others, for money, power, or family legacy. I don't care about your reasons," she said.
"What I care about is your will. Show me the courage to fight, and I'll show you how to win."
---
Just as she finished, the door at the back of the class slammed open.
Every student turned their head.
A girl walked in, her long black hair cascading down her back like a veil of shadow.
She didn't hesitate. She didn't look around in embarrassment or offer an excuse.
She simply walked.
With calm, measured, almost regal steps.
Selene Whitmore.
---
"Late…?"
That was… unusual.
Selene was known for her strict adherence to protocol. She never arrived late in any timeline I knew.
I glanced at her more closely and noticed something odd her cheeks were slightly flushed.
Her breathing, though subtle, was just a tad faster than normal.
---
'What happened to you?'
Just in case, I mentally activated the [Vismora Glasses], one of the passive observation skills I inherited from my in-game build.
A faint window popped up.
> [Selene Whitmore]
[Just came back from a hunt]
'A hunt? Before class?'
Before I could speculate further, Professor Dusk's voice cut through the silence.
"Go to your seat."
Selene nodded without hesitation.
Then… her eyes locked onto me.
And she began walking again.
Straight down the aisle.
Past all the empty seats.
She stopped right behind me and sat down.
---
Cold sweat beaded down the back of my neck.
'...What?'
There were 160 empty seats in this hall.
She could've chosen any of them.
Why mine?
---
'It's just a coincidence,' I told myself.
'Just bad luck. Don't panic. Don't overthink.'
But no matter how hard I tried to rationalize it, I could feel her gaze burning into the back of my head.
Sharp. Observant. Calculating.
Like a predator watching something that might be prey.
---
And at that moment, I realized something.
My life at Nexus Academy…
Was about to get a whole lot more complicated.
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