Morning light stretched across the stone courtyards of Valtheris Academy, painting the towering buildings in warm gold. The academy was one of the most prestigious training institutions in the entire kingdom, a place where the strongest young fighters were gathered and refined.
Students filled the massive courtyard like a restless ocean.
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"They're coming…"
"Look, look over there."
"The Great Seventeen."
Every year, the academy selected the seventeen most talented students among thousands. They were the pride of the academy, warriors whose potential far surpassed ordinary trainees.
And today, those seventeen were walking toward the academy gates together.
Heads turned instantly.
Eyes widened.
The crowd parted slightly as the group approached.
At the very front walked the one ranked Number One.
Tall, confident, and calm.
His name was Aiden Vale.
Aiden carried himself with a natural authority that made people instinctively step aside. His dark hair moved slightly in the breeze, and the long training coat draped over his shoulders gave him the appearance of someone already destined for greatness.
Students whispered nervously.
"That's Aiden…"
"They say he defeated three senior students at once."
"He's basically already an elite hunter."
Behind him walked Rank Two, Lena Arkwright.
Her silver hair shimmered under the sunlight as she moved gracefully across the courtyard. Her expression was cool and composed, but her sharp eyes constantly observed the world around her.
"That's Lena…"
"The fastest sword in the academy."
"I heard she can strike before people even realize she moved."
Next came Rank Three, Marcus Hale.
Marcus was built like a fortress. Broad shoulders, powerful arms, and a confident grin sat on his face as he walked with relaxed steps.
"Marcus could probably break a training dummy with one punch."
"He already did."
"He shattered three of them last week."
The murmurs continued as the rest followed.
Rank Four — Soren Talvik
A tall boy with long black hair tied behind his back. His gaze was quiet and calculating, as if he was constantly measuring everything around him.
Rank Five — Elise Varrow
Her red cloak swayed behind her as she walked. She looked calm, but the fire in her eyes hinted at a fierce personality.
Rank Six — Darien Frost
Pale hair, cold eyes, and a quiet demeanor. He barely reacted to the crowd watching them.
Rank Seven — Kairo Vance
He waved casually at some students watching him.
"Enjoying the show?" he joked.
Several students laughed nervously.
Rank Eight — Nyla Seris
A calm girl with dark braided hair who walked with steady confidence.
Rank Nine — Victor Thorn
A quiet young man who kept his arms folded as he walked.
Rank Ten — Alric Dane
His sharp jaw and confident posture made him look almost like royalty.
Behind them walked the remaining members.
Rank Eleven — Mira Lorne
Rank Twelve — Cassian Rook
Rank Thirteen — Theo Brandt
Rank Fourteen — Iris Calder
Rank Fifteen — Ronan Drake
Rank Sixteen — Sylas Ward
One by one, the whispers followed them.
But then came the final member.
Rank Seventeen.
Kai.
He walked quietly near the back of the group.
Unlike the others, very few eyes lingered on him.
His appearance was simple—dark hair, calm eyes, and a plain academy uniform that blended easily with the crowd.
Someone in the crowd frowned slightly.
"Wait… who's that last one?"
"I think that's the seventeenth member."
"Oh… him."
The interest quickly faded.
Most students had already turned their attention back to the higher ranks.
Kai didn't seem bothered.
He kept walking.
The academy gates slowly came into view ahead of them, towering and ancient. Beyond those gates stretched a vast wilderness used by the academy for hunting and combat training.
Today's objective was simple.
Hunt beasts.
Aiden glanced back briefly at the group.
"Everyone ready?"
Marcus cracked his knuckles.
"Been ready."
Kairo smirked.
"Hope we run into something fun."
Lena crossed her arms slightly.
"This isn't a competition."
Marcus laughed.
"Everything is a competition."
Some of the others chuckled quietly.
Despite their ranks and reputations, the atmosphere between them wasn't hostile. It felt more like a group of powerful individuals simply walking the same path.
Kai listened to their conversation without speaking.
The massive academy gates creaked open.
A cold breeze from the wilderness beyond brushed against them.
Trees stretched endlessly into the distance.
The hunting grounds.
Aiden stopped for a moment and turned toward the group.
"This area is known for mid-level beasts. Stay sharp."
Most of them nodded.
They had heard this briefing before.
Still, the air carried a tension that made everyone slightly more alert.
Kai stepped forward with the others.
Just as he crossed the threshold of the gate—
A strange sensation flickered in his mind.
For a split second, his vision blurred.
Then something appeared in front of his eyes.
Floating in the air.
A faint translucent screen.
Kai froze.
The others kept walking.
No one reacted.
The screen hovered silently in front of him.
Simple text appeared across it.
System Activated
Kai blinked.
The words remained.
His heartbeat sped up slightly.
"…What?"
He instinctively looked around.
No one else seemed to notice anything.
Marcus was talking to Kairo.
Lena was scanning the forest.
Aiden continued leading the group forward.
Kai slowly reached a hand toward the screen.
His fingers passed straight through it.
The screen didn't move.
The words remained unchanged.
System Activated
Kai frowned slightly.
Am I imagining things…?
He blinked again.
The screen was still there.
His mind raced.
He looked around again.
Still nothing.
No one else seemed to see it.
Then, just as suddenly as it appeared—
The screen vanished.
Completely.
Kai stopped walking for half a second.
His eyes searched the air.
Nothing.
Just the forest ahead.
"…Weird."
"Kai."
He looked up.
Aiden had turned slightly.
"You coming?"
Kai blinked once more before nodding.
"…Yeah."
He stepped forward again, joining the others as they moved deeper into the hunting grounds.
But in the back of his mind, one thought lingered.
What was that…?
The forest ahead rustled softly in the wind.
And somewhere in the distance…
A beast roared.