Leox stood surrounded by the vanishing corpse clouds of eight other students. His hair was still ablaze, and his body had started to feel drained from the overuse of his skills.

  During combat, he frequently checked his Overview, hoping that fighting in the Judge's Trial would help progress his Awakening Stage. Unfortunately, it didn't. He was still stuck at the same percentage.

  "Y-you're a monster." A trembling voice came from the sidelines. It belonged to the short, bulkier student. The last one left.

  Leox slowly stepped towards the boy, wondering if he should even waste his time talking to him. He decided there was no harm in it.

  "If you keep looking at things like this, you're only going to make things more difficult for yourself in the future. What about when the real enemies arrive, and people actually start dying?"

  When the boy didn't answer, Leox continued.

  "Look around you. You should be grateful to the Judge that he's given us the chance be around death, without actually having to kill, or die."

  In a way, it's kind of like my life.

  The boy remained frozen. Tears had started to fall from his eyes, and Leox couldn't see him as anything other than pathetic. At that moment, he wanted to spend his time educating the boy and encouraging him to fight. Eventually, his sorry state led him to decide otherwise and end things early.

  With one last dash, he closed the distance between them, driving his knee into the boy's pudgy stomach so that he bent over. Then, Leox grabbed the back of his head and placed all of his weight on it, slamming the boy's face into the stone beneath them.

  He didn't die straight away. It took a few more attempts for the boy to finally lose his life. Afterwards, Leox rose to his feet covered in blood that had started to evaporate along with the corpse. The cat, Pur, suddenly returned, walking around the scene as though examining what had happened. Afterwards, it meowed.

  [This year really will be interesting]

  ---

  The strange world of the Judge's Trial suddenly faded away. The sky returned to its blue shade, and everyone else in the stone field reappeared miraculously.

  Leox found himself standing on his feet. He looked around and found that the majority of the other students were in a trance, seemingly having fallen asleep whilst standing. However, there were some students who had already woken up and were being directed onto the giant staircases to join the class professor they had been assigned to. This process was being sped up by the help of butlers.

  Leox noticed the faces of those he had defeated in the trial. They seemed to be filled with a mixture of relief and fear. When their eyes glanced at him, they quickly looked away. He also noticed that Laughter was still in a daze. He wondered how he would perform.

  "Leox Lether," A butler suddenly made his way over to him. "Please follow me to the Class One staircase."

  Class One. As he had hoped.

  Leox was led through the crowd and towards the staircase. As he climbed the stairs, the students of the lower classes watched him with jealousy, whilst the professors wore smiles on their faces that suggested that they were impressed.

  Once he arrived at the top staircase, he was finally able to get a closer look at the professor known as The Judge. The man didn't even glance down at him or pay any attention as he stood there with his arms crossed and the paper in front of him. Leox tried to have a glance at what was written, but it was in a language that he didn't understand.

  Then, Leox's eyes landed on the two other students who were on the Class One staircase with him so far. In his opinion, he had completed the Judge's Trial quickly, which meant that these two were even more efficient.

  First was a feminine-looking boy. If not for the male uniform, he would have easily been mistaken for a girl. The boy looked innocent in all ways and had long brown hair. What stood out about him most though, was his pink star-shaped pupils. This boy looked up at Leox and smiled kindly. The gesture caught him off guard.

  Next, Leox glanced at the other boy. In a way, he looked even more peculiar than the one with the star-shaped eyes. His skin was dark like bronze, which was very rare to see in Varadna. His black hair was buzzed short, and a small tattoo depicting a purple crown was glowing on his forehead. The boy's arms were muscular, despite being only thirteen, and he seemed to carry a serious look on his face.

  When Leox glanced at the boy, he glanced back, followed by a nod of understanding. Leox felt as though his strengths had been recognised by the fellow student.

  ---

  Not long after Leox had arrived at the staircase, Laughter emerged from his daze. The boy let out a sarcastic cry as he fell to his knees.

  "Forgive me, my fellow students! This humble Jester regrets what he had to do."

  The students watched the boy in confusion. Laughter had already painted himself as a complete and utter weirdo. When he was directed to the top staircase by the butler, many strange looks were shot towards him.

  Leox, however, was not fooled by the boy's act. He looked around at the students who had participated in Laughter's trial and noticed a deep fear in their eyes... Followed by smirks? The students all seemed as though they wished to burst out laughing awkwardly.

  I'll have to ask him about his powers soon.

  Laughter joined his friends on the staircase and exaggeratedly introduced himself to the two other boys who had arrived before him. Afterwards, they all waited for the trials to be complete.

  ---

  Half an hour later, all the students were with their designated classes; thirty on each staircase. Leox noticed a lot of serious-looking students with him. Many stood out, whilst others looked surprisingly unremarkable. With the students finally where they were meant to be, the flamboyant butler cleared his throat and brought the students to silence.

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "Now then, students. I hope that the Judge's Trial was not too... traumatising for you. If it was, then the academy might not be the place for you. Anywho, you will now be led to your classrooms by your designated Professor, who will run you through the details of how your first year will look with us. Good luck!"

  ----

  Starting with class one, the professors each led their group of students into the academy building. The Judge didn't say a word, simply walking with his hands in his pockets as he expected the students to follow him regardless. Leox and the rest stepped inside the building. Perhaps for the rest, it wasn't surprising to be inside such an establishment, but for Leox, it felt unreal.

  The main entrance led to a location known as the Central Corridor, though calling it a corridor might have been an understatement. Instead, it resembled a giant tunnel made from marble, with many other smaller corridors that led to various locations. Hundreds of students of the older years occupied this space, taking part in all sorts of activities.

  Leox saw a group of students playing a game with a ball, they used some strange magic to keep it floating in the air whilst playing. Another pair of students were sat on the ground, mixing bottles of colourful liquids together. An explosion eventually took place, but one of these students used golden magic to create a bubble around the bottle, defending themselves from the impact. Two students even seemed to be sparring with metal spears. Leox watched as they danced through beautiful forms that were far beyond his capability.

  All of the children were dressed in black trousers or skirts, gold-lined blazers worn over white shirts, and some with black coats layered over the uniform. They didn't seem to be paying attention to any of the newcomers who were watching them with wide eyes.

  The Judge eventually led his class to a large door with a plate that said 'Year One/Class One' Above it. He stepped inside, and the students of Class One followed.

  The classroom hall was steep and tiered, with rows of wooden benches facing a raised platform at the front. A long stage stood beneath a giant chalkboard, with rows of bookshelves and other equipment around it. Leox's first thought was how large and pristine the place looked. It also smelled beautifully rustic.

  "Here is where your lessons will be delivered to you." That was all the Judge said before exiting the hall once again and continuing with his 'tour'.

  The students frowned and at the brevity, but dared not say anything lest they anger the man. Afterwards, they swiftly followed him back down the Main Corridor.

  At the far end was a door that led to the Academy Field. It was a giant square zone of freshly cut grass that could easily fit a thousand students. Around the field were stone paths that led to the buildings surrounding the field.

  "This is where you will train." The Judge said, pointing off at another building in the distance. "That is where you and the other classes will sleep. You will be given a room and uniform once you arrive, as well as your schedule."

  The students glanced at the dormitory. It seemed that they would all be sharing a building with the other classes, which made things interesting. However, when they turned back to the Judge, waiting for him to continue their tour, they realised that the man was just... gone.

  "Huh?"

  Leox looked around the field. He soon saw the man walking into a building in the distance that was reserved for teachers.

  "..."

  "That's it? He's not going to tell us anything else?!" Laughter shouted in disbelief, alongside some of the other class one students.

  Shortly afterwards, many of the students seemed to take it upon themselves to explore the school. What else could they do, if their professor was too lazy to do his job correctly? That left Leox and Laughter standing in the field. The orange-haired boy was still palming his face in disbelief.

  "Come on," Leox said, patting Laughter's shoulder. "Let's check out the rooms and get our schedules."

  Laughter let out a sigh. "Yes. Let's do that."

  ---

  Inside the dormitory, Leox was met with the man in charge of the students'' needs within the academy. His name was Iliad, a tall man with grey hair despite his young age. He had an awfully posh manner to him.

  Iliad explained how there were three stories to the dormitories, and a designated room for every single student. Leox, being a first-year student, was on the top floor, which meant that he would have to climb the stairs every day, and his room number was 1132.

  After making the tiring climb, he finally arrived at his room. It was even more lavish than the Preparation School rooms, as it held a master bed, a bathroom, a walk-in wardrobe, and even a tray filled with various snacks and beverages.

  On his bed rested a delicately folded uniform, alongside a few other noteworthy items.

  What caught his eye first was a sheathed sword, roughly the length of his arm. Leox pulled the sword free and admired its shining beauty. Only one side had a blade, whilst the other side was flat, and the blade was extremely pointed. Next to the sword was a note that read 'A gift from Collector Meruvio.'

  It almost made him tear up. He had thought that Meruvio had long since forgotten about him, after his months spent in the sewers with Donn.

  ...

  Leox placed down the blade and turned to the other items. There was a rolled up piece of paper, which he found out was a map with the general schedule of a first year students day, as well as the layout of the academy grounds.

  In the mornings was breakfast, followed by hours with his assigned professor in the classroom. Lunch broke the day in half, only for lessons to resume until dinner, after which there was another session with the same teacher. The schedule repeated itself, with every hour accounted for, but could frequently change depending on the assigned professor's orders.

  Only once the final lesson ended were students permitted their own time. This free time could be used to roam the academy grounds, train, explore, or rest. Though they were never permitted to leave the school grounds without permission, unless it was the weekend.

  Leox felt excitement run through him. He wasted no time changing out of his clothes and putting on his uniform, which somehow fits him perfectly. Afterwards, he stood in front of the mirror and examined himself.

  His white hair was what stood out most about him. The long coat of his uniform did a good job of hiding his frail body, but otherwise, he looked more distinguished than he ever had. His face was sunken in from the lost weight, making him look much older than a thirteen-year-old, though he expected to put on weight whilst in the academy.

  "I guess my journey officially begins here huh?"

  Leox turned his attention back to this map, examining it carefully and familiarising himself with its layout. He had nothing to do for the rest of the day, so decided that he would use this time usefully.

  His eyes landed on the school's infirmary. Over six months ago, he had visited the Biomancer of the preparation school to gain information about Doctor Frost, but unfortunately due to his luck with Donn, those plans had been crumpled. In the Academy, however, he had been given another opportunity to meet with a potentially high-ranking doctor. He wouldn't let this opportunity pass him by.

  Leox headed out of the dormitories and made his way over.

  ---

  Whilst he travelled the Academy Grounds, Leox noticed himself earning a lot of stares from the students. His white hair made him stand out, and many seemed to recognise him from the rumours of the 'underground torture situation.'

  Luckily for him, he managed to avoid any questions of conversation by moving quickly and eventually arrived at a corridor with a long seating area outside of it and three medical rooms. The students outside were waiting to be treated, which meant that the rooms were busy. Except for the first, and largest room, which was designated for Year One students. Since the year had just started for them, they had not faced any injuries yet.

  Leox peered through the window. There were multiple patient beds, which suggested there might be multiple doctors usually working in there at once, but at that moment there was only one.

  It was a woman staring out of the window, dressed in a long white long coat, with her back facing towards the door, preventing Leox from seeing her face clearly. He gently knocked on the door, but the woman didn't even turn to him, he just heard her muffled voice saying "enter".

  Leox stepped inside and was instantly hit by the strong scent of herbs and medicines. The doctor turned to face him, and now he was able to have a better look at her.

  Her hair was white like his, though most likely natural rather than a result of stress. She seemed to be in her late forties and had a relaxed expression on her face. The woman was also tall, and confidence helped her hold her chin even higher. But most importantly, Leox thought that he recognised the woman...

  As her eyes landed on his, one of her brows raised. Eventually, she smiled, before letting out a small chuckle.

  "Ah, the immortal boy. Frost told me you'd come here one day."