A red light, vivid and clear, emitted from the crystal, representing a fire affinity. Seeing the red light, Alex's tense expression melted into a relieved smile. His coming here wasn't a total accident.
Unseen by Alex and by every other student focused on their crystals, a white light also flickered in the crystal briefly. It lasted for less than a second before vanishing.
Instructor Gordon, seeing everyone checking their affinity, gave a small nod before waving his hands again. The crystals vanished from in front of the students, disappearing into thin air.
He watched them for a second before waving his hands again. This time a watch appeared in front of every student. They were ordinary-looking with red strips, but instead of time, they projected a small, rectangular screen.
"Magnus Academy's student proof," Gordon announced, his voice loud in the quiet room. "They are proof you are alive and are students of Magnus Academy."
He paused, letting everyone digest what he had said, and warned them in a strict tone, "Don't lose them." The Academy will not make new ones. They will guide you to your dorms and your class areas. Your identity, your schedule, your access—it's all here. Figure it out."
"Dismissed," Gordon said and strolled out of the room without a backward glance.
For a moment, there was stunned silence.
Then, the room erupted into frantic activity.
Students grabbed their watches, each checking them as they snapped on their wrists with a metallic click.
Alex also looked at his watch. The screen displayed:
[Name: Alex]
[Origin: Fire Kingdom]
[Class: 1-H]
[Tier: 0]
[Student ID: 19***]
[Dormitory room: 54]
Origin should be the place he was at before he got teleported to the academy. Alex thought to himself. The rank displaying Tier 0 was a description of his current stats.
Below the stats, an arrow giving the dormitory direction points to the west wing.
All around him, the other students began to move, their watches all pointing in the same direction, nobles and commoners alike.
The older-looking student, seeing Alex alone, stepped forward and introduced himself. "Hello. I am Blake. From Amazonian"
Alex looked at his face. "Alex," he replied.
Blake looked towards Alex's watch, seeing the room number 54, and then at his own room number, "Room 55." Looks like we're neighbors." He said with a smile.
Alex nodded.
The two boys, without another word, followed the direction the watch was pointing. On the way, Blake chattered non-stop, as if he were not here for studying but was a person starving to talk to someone.
"—Back home, we train with live beasts from the age of six. Makes you quick. Or dead. Mostly quick. This place smells like old books and worries, doesn't it? Not a good smell for a warrior. You're from the Fire Kingdom? Hot. Dry. I visited once. Hot place. Do you think the food here will be any good? Probably not. Prison food never is—"
Alex listened, offering only occasional nods or single-worded answers. Blake's stream of words was a stark contrast to Alex's silence.
"—My sister said the watches can shock you if you break a rule. She is currently studying in the academy and is our senior," Blake said. Suddenly, he stopped as they reached their destination. "Oh, look. We have arrived."
Blake fell silent for a moment, his energetic tone becoming serious. "Well. Home sweet cell."
The glowing arrow on Alex's watch had solidified into a dot as he stood before a door marked with number 54. Blake faced an identical room beside it, 55.
Blake's previous expression vanished, replaced by the look of a warrior preparing for battle. "Bye. Get some rest, Alex. I'll see you at dinner tonight."
Alex nodded and entered into his room. The room was simple with a bed, a chair, and a desk on which some books were placed. Along with a closet for clothes. It was exactly what a student needed.