Orion had finally found a way to relax after spending hours in this Hell Maze. He was listening to Thalia and her explanations mixed with small lies.
Attending school in a magical world. I wonder what that is going to be like.
As Thalia spoke, the warmth of the fire and the sound of her voice eased him for the first time since entering the maze.
He blinked and the world changed.
What is this?
Now he was standing in a completely different space. No furniture, nothing important. Just a door and a thin window set into bare walls.
He knew it was teleportation but didn't expect it to be this sudden unlike the dragon portal.
"I have probably watched dozens of space and cosmology documentaries. But I have never heard of teleportation being possible in this way. "
He wondered if this was proof that magic had surpassed science. Then he took a deep breath and reminded himself that this was a magical world.
Still processing the shift, Orion looked down at himself. His hands wandered over his toned arms, firm chest, flat stomach and then he discovered something massive.
"I am not even aroused yet." Then he laughed. "Okay. That is a hell of a surprise. No complaints, though."
He walked over to a long but extremely thin window.
He was inside some kind of massive building. The late afternoon sun bathed everything outside in golden light. Birds flew in the distance.
A group of students, probably in their twenties, were casually walking through the garden.
The clothes looked a bit strange but not ancient. Everyone carried thick books, some strapped to their backs, others hugged between their arms.
No smartwatch or machinery in sight. Books everywhere. That says a lot.
This place is like a medieval world in terms of technology. But the way they use magic, might be light-years ahead of anything technology could pull off.
When Orion was lost in thought and muttering to himself, someone entered the room. Just as he was about to say "system," a cough interrupted him. A deep one.
He did not notice. No surprise, he had zero knowledge of mana or magical presence.
He turned and saw an old man with white hair, cloaked in black and burgundy smoking robes. His expression was unreadable, but those sharp eyes were enough to freeze anyone in place.
Except there was something else behind that gaze.
Orion was bewildered when he saw the man looked pissed "What the hell is that face supposed to mean? We just met!"
Orion looked down at himself, still naked, then back at the old man who was very blatantly not looking away.
"Your school supplies and exam results will be delivered shortly," the old man said flatly. Then he added, "Due to your performance, the assessment committee has made some adjustments to your ranking."
He raised his left hand, decorated with at least seven rings and a large cardboard box appeared out of thin air.
Oh cool, spatial rings.
Inside were Orion's clothes, along with everything he had packed for the trip to the Academy.
Three outfits, a pile of underwear, several notebooks, a few pens, a small metal case and several pouches full of junk and trinkets.
Just as Orion was thinking about getting dressed, a younger boy entered the room and handed over a stack of papers. The boy waited while the old man checked them, then gave a polite bow and left without a word.
The silence felt awkward now. The old man looked down at the papers, then held them out to Orion.
"These are yours. You didn't take the physical fitness test, so that section is blank for now. But given your performance, no one thought it was necessary."
"If you want to be measured," he added with a slightly amused tone, "the student evaluation centers are open twenty-four hours until orientation week ends."
"My name is Samuel. I will send you a file to choose a private bodyguard and a maid. When school starts, you will receive a special trainer, but you have no say in that."
Private bodyguard and maid? For a student?
They must have seen his immortality. And they didn't know it was all temporary. He would lose his cheating to death ability in a month.
The old man looked stern and serious. But Orion assumed this was simply his standard demeanor and didn't immediately feel hostile toward him. Especially after hearing the next sentence, Orion warmed up to him quite a bit.
"Let me give you some personal advice. Try to rest as much as possible before classes begin. Because once training starts, you may not get another chance to slow down."
Orion gave a short nod in appreciation and began flipping through the papers. When he looked up again, the old man was gone.
How little magic does teleportation cost here? He blinks in and out like it is completely normal.
The documents were filled with detailed information about him and the school. Orion paused at the spot where the old man had been standing moments ago.
"He was not just some forgetful grandpa. He dropped one very specific thing without explaining it and I am pretty sure that was intentional."
"He said adjustments were made to my results. Plural. Not a single change. Multiple ones."
As Orion continued scanning the pages, more than a few unseen eyes watched him carefully. Some were hidden within the walls of the Academy. Others were in the room with him, but Orion had no idea. Eventually, he found the most important sheet and walked toward the door.
He figured he would check the bags inside his dorm first. Then he wanted to go to the dorm room where he would be living from now on.
"I am starving. I need to fix that as soon as possible." He muttered to himself while unfolding the paper in his hand.
Midka Academy Ranking Results
Name: Orion Vale
Dorm: Royal Tower – 11th Floor, Room 1
Specialization: Advanced Academic Support / Civil Services / Magic Pupil / Warrior Trainee / Possible Healing Bloodline
Mana: No Magic Training
Physical Assessment: Not Measured
Written Score: 880 / 1000 (Rank: 191 / 440,000)
Combat Exam: Passed to First Area on the Second Floor (New Record!)
Combat Rank: 1 / 660,000
Designated Class: S - 1
Overall Rank: "1 / 1,000,000"
*S-1 meant the Tier of his student level and class. It was the best thing here. And the number 1 meant just the overall rank. He was the first place in the whole Academy list.
"A million 18 to 20 years old joined this exam and I am the first rank!" He couldn't remember ever coming first in anything.
Orion felt joy but didn't feel like shouting or getting excited about this.
He knew how well his new life seemed to be starting. Yet, he needed to understand the importance of this school or what being ranked first truly meant. If he ended up disliking this place, he could always run away and settle in some small elf village, living his adventures at his own pace.
Aside from the name of this new world being "Midka," he knew almost nothing.
Lost in murmurs and deep thoughts, he picked up the bags from the floor with one hand and headed toward the door.
He stepped through the doorway. The plaque on the door said "1st Rank," which was flashy enough. And he found himself at the end of a long corridor.
Dozens of students were lined up outside their rooms along the corridor. All of them were staring at him. Some with shock, others with curiosity, but mostly with tension.
Okay. I guess it is normal for them to be curious about the guy who placed first in the entrance exam.
He cleared his throat, ready to make a few new friends. That was when a breeze passed through his body from the window behind him.
A cold shiver ran up his spine.
He looked down.
"…"
Right. I am still completely naked.
Orion went back to his room. He didn't even close the door as he rummaged through the bag in his hand.
He tried to erase the recent incident from his mind as he pulled out his clothes, which had been packed with perfect meticulousness into the small bag.
He involuntarily grinned a couple of times at his own mistake, then took a few deep breaths and calmed himself.
It is not the first time I have stood naked in front of people.
From the first bag, which he assumed belonged to the original owner of this body, he took out a black pair of boxers. He immediately put on black trousers that resembled the school uniform. The actual uniform rested on top of the second bag.
Although many t-shirts were provided for students to wear underneath, they were all plain and very thin. He picked one of the identical shirts to wear under the school robe.
The fabric is better quality than it looks. Everything smells so premium.
Almost everything was black or some shade of black. It seemed harmony mattered more than variety in this Academy.
When he put on the wide student robe over everything, it resembled something from a British magic school uniform. He made a few small adjustments to ensure he looked presentable.
Orion now matched the color and quality of the students he had seen through the window. It felt as if he had joined a secret cult of magic worshipers.
He glanced down and noticed a small difference between his clothes and those of the others. On the left side of his robe and on all his garments, there was a gold-colored "S" symbol.
Dying over and over again to secure the rankings had been worth it. But he desperately needed food and a bathroom stocked with cleaning supplies.
When he left the room for the second time, even more students than before lingered in the corridor, waiting. They had already formed small groups and begun whispering.
First student friendships. How cute. Being a young university student, far from home for the first time. It must feel nice.
Orion thought these whispers were the birth of new friendships.
But he had just exposed his naked body to the academy's most superior and elite students. He was unaware of the long-term consequences.
Then he approached the most normal-looking boy in the middle of the corridor.
Orion was about to make his first friend.