The weeks after exams flew by.
Days blurred together—lectures, whispers in the halls, sword swings in practice yards. But the real buzz came on the day the exam rankings were posted.
A crowd had already formed by the time I got to the giant golden board near the academy plaza. Every name from every class was etched into the list, along with their ranking numbers.
I didn't expect anything.
Honestly, I just hoped I didn't bomb too badly.
Then I saw it.
Written Exam Rankings:
1st Place: Noah Drakopoulos
"…What?"
I rubbed my eyes.
Still there.
"Noah Drakopoulos – Rank 1."
A few students nearby noticed.
"Wait—he got first?"
"The sick one?"
"That's gotta be a mistake."
It wasn't.
I stepped back in disbelief. Sure, I remembered the answers from the book I'd read before dying and reincarnating into this world, but I didn't expect to outscore actual geniuses.
Next, I looked over at the Physical Ranking board.
Noah Drakopoulos – Rank 48
Top 50.
My jaw dropped again.
"Okay… what?"
A few minutes later, Liora appeared beside me with her usual casual swagger.
She scanned the list and smirked.
Liora Godfrey – Physical Rank: 5
Liora Godfrey – Written Rank: 12
Not bad.
Bennett waddled up a few minutes after, holding two muffins.
"Did I make top 15?" he asked through a mouthful.
Bennett Gorran – Written Rank: 13
Bennett Gorran – Physical Rank: 93
"Yup," I said. "Just missed twelve by one spot."
"I demand a recount!" he laughed.
Then came Selene, calm and composed, as always.
Selene Lykaios – Written Rank: 2
Selene Lykaios – Physical Rank: 6
Liora burst into laughter. "You lost to me in combat training?"
Selene raised an eyebrow. "Yes. I suppose I'll have to live with the shame."
"I'll tattoo it on your forehead," Liora grinned.
I smiled quietly. It felt… normal. Almost like I was just another student.
Almost.
That afternoon, I was summoned to Homeroom.
Which was weird because class was already over.
I walked in to see Instructor Halwin waiting, arms crossed, sword leaning against the wall behind him.
"Drakopoulos," he said, flat as ever. "You're on the roster."
"…For what?"
"The Four Pillars Summit."
My mouth dried up. "Wait—the inter-academy tournament?"
"Correct."
"But that's for the strongest students! Why am I—?"
"You ranked first in the written exam. Top 50 in combat. Also, someone on the council put your name forward."
"Who?!"
"Not my job to ask," Halwin said. "Your performance earned the spot. Deal with it."
I slumped into a seat.
"Your teammates will be: Liora Godfrey, Selene Lykaios, Aeron Valestar, Kara Voss, and Ren O'Shae."
My brain barely processed the names.
Liora. That made sense.
Selene. Okay, sure.
Aeron—the main character of the actual novel. Great.
Kara—the scary girl from the North.
And Ren—the quiet guy who probably talks to ghosts in his free time.
"Any questions?" Halwin asked.
"…Several. But I'll scream into a pillow instead."
I walked slowly back to my dorm, my head spinning with questions.
Just as I was about to open my door, the familiar blue glow returned.
⚠️ [Status Window]
Remaining Time: 5 Days
Mission: Survive
Side Mission Unlocked:
➤ Train and unlock a new skill
Reward: ???
I sighed.
"Five days left, and now I'm part of a national battle tournament?"
Just my luck.
I dropped face-first on my bed.
First in the written exam. In the top 50 in physical. Chosen for the Four Pillars Summit. All in the same week.
What was happening?
I closed my eyes, and sleep dragged me into a strange dream.
The tournament arena was massive. Crowds filled the stands. I stood in the center, alone. Opponents surrounded me—faces I couldn't see, but all of them powerful.
A voice echoed:
"Drakopoulos... why are you even here?"
Suddenly, fire swallowed the sky.
I screamed—and woke up with my face buried in my pillow.
"Great," I muttered. "Now I'm getting anxiety from my own brain."
The next morning, I went to one of the open training fields. The air was still cold. Most students were still sleeping.
I stretched, then started jogging.
Lap one. Breathing steady.
Lap two. Legs starting to ache.
Lap three. Chest burning. But I finished it.
"I couldn't even do one of these a few weeks ago," I whispered. "Look at me now."
Just as I finished catching my breath, a shadow passed by me.
Then another.
I turned.
Aeron Valestar. The Hero himself. Jogging like it was nothing.
He ran twenty laps. TWENTY.
Didn't even sweat.
He nodded at me once. Then picked up a training sword and started sparring with a practice dummy, moving like wind and flame.
I watched for a moment, then got back to work.
My training continued till sunset.
Sword swings. Mana shaping. Shadow Snakes. Everything I could think of.
By the time the stars came out, I was lying on my back in the grass, staring at the sky, completely wiped out.
Then—
A bottle of water hovered above my face.
I yelped and sat up.
Elizabeth Argento stood there.
Her black-and-white hair fell neatly around her shoulders. She looked calm, as always.
"I saw you training," she said. "Wanted to thank you for helping me before. So... here."
She handed me the bottle.
"Oh. Thanks," I said, surprised. I took a long drink.
"What are you training for?"
"The tournament."
"I see... I guess you're strong."
I snorted. "Nope. I'm weak. But I've got good taste in survival tactics."
She laughed, a rare sound.
We started walking back toward the dorms together.
We passed under trees lit with soft blue crystals. The night air was quiet, and somehow that made the walk feel more… normal.
"So, you're staying in the dorms?" I asked.
"No," she said. "My dad bought me a house in the city. It takes about thirty minutes to get to the Academy each day."
"Whoa. Your dad must be rich."
"Of course. Didn't I tell you? I'm Elizabeth Argento, daughter of Kazuki Argento, Duke of the North."
"…Oh. Right. I forgot."
She rolled her eyes. "Obviously."
We reached the main courtyard fountain. The water glowed faintly under the moonlight.
"Well," I said, "I guess I'll see you around. Have a good night."
"I'm actually staying in my friend's room in the nobles' dorm tonight," she said, brushing a strand of hair back. "Makes the morning easier."
"Smart," I said.
We nodded to each other and went our separate ways.
When I finally got back to my dorm, I collapsed onto the bed again.
Just before I passed out, the familiar glow returned.
⚔️ [Side Mission Complete]
– New Skill Unlocked: Black Flaming Dragon
– New Skill Unlocked: Shadow Evasion
Stat Boosts Applied.
I smiled.
"I earned that."
The next day I woke up with a sharp pain in my chest and a cold sweat down my back.
Then I saw it—
⚠️ Echo of Death Triggered
Another vision.
I stood inside a huge arena. People cheered. I held a sword, but I was frozen. Someone rushed at me fast—too fast. The next second, I saw blood everywhere.
My blood.
Then nothing.
I sat up in bed, heart racing.
"One more day," I whispered. "I'm definitely dying tomorrow…"
Outside, the academy was loud and full of life. The city streets were even worse. People from all over had come to see the Four Pillars Summit. Flags waved. Music played. Everything smelled like festival food and stress.
Banners with names were being put up across campus.
I walked up to the giant enchanted board with everyone else.
There they were—the teams for the tournament:
🏰 Cyran Academy (Our Team)
Noah Drakopoulos
Liora Godfrey
Selene Lykaios
Aeron Valestar
Kara Voss
Ren O'Shae
🌿 Nysira Academy (Southern Temple)
Lina Myrr
Tariq Fen
Ashen Ryel
Kima Solari
Solace Thren
Meira Kael
🛡️ Gravesend War Institute (Northern Warriors)
Cain Virell
Vex Umbra
Brutus the Black Warden
Zarah Frostvein
Halek Groar
Draska Twin-Blood
🌌 Elaris Academy (Sky Isles Magic School)
Thorn Everfall
Mirielle Dawnrune
Faelith Zephyr
Korin Aetherhold
Zeon Lumaire
Velra Noxveil
I stared at the board and nearly choked.
We were going up against monsters. Every team had people stronger, faster, and way more prepared.
"This is gonna be fun," I said out loud. "By fun, I mean terrifying."
Suddenly, people gasped.
The royal family had arrived.
King Alaric IV, Queen Seraphine, and the two princesses—Ilyana and Selene—walked in with guards behind them. Everyone bowed.
I stood still.
Selene caught my eye from a distance and gave a soft smile.
Even now, she was calm. Like she didn't have a single worry.
Must be nice.
The match order popped up:
1v1
2v2
3v3
4v4
5v5
6v5
Battle Royale
Each team would rotate fighters. And I was listed in several rounds.
"Of course I am…"
Just when I thought I could breathe, Nurse Vivianne pulled me by the collar.
"Come on," she said. "Your father sent money. Time to buy a sword."
We went to the blacksmith district near the academy. It was packed with nobles and students trying to grab last-minute gear.
I tried a few swords. They were fine… but none of them felt right.
Then I saw it.
In the far corner, behind a bunch of dusty weapons, was a long black katana. Simple. Clean. Sharp.
It didn't shine. It just sat there like it had seen too many battles.
"What's that one?" I asked.
The blacksmith looked nervous. "Cursed," he said. "It's called Endless Slice. Nobody uses it. It cuts too well… and it doesn't stop."
I picked it up. The handle was cold. The blade hummed. It felt like the sword had picked me.
"I'll take it," I said.
Vivianne sighed. "Of course you would."
Next, we went to the tailor.
They measured my arms, legs, and shoulders in seconds. They dressed me in combat-ready noble wear: a dark coat with silver lining, soft but durable boots, and gloves made to help channel power.
Vivianne handed me a dark gray cloak.
"For the arena," she said, "and for style."
Instead of heading straight back to the Academy, Vivianne dragged me off to one of the training yards behind the blacksmith building.
"You're not just going to swing it around looking cool," she said. "You need to learn to pour mana into it."
I blinked. "How?"
She took a dagger and her own mana flared to life—her blade shimmered faintly, humming.
"Focus your will. Push your mana into the weapon. Make it part of you."
I tried.
Nothing.
I tried again.
Nothing.
I screamed inside.
"Maybe the sword's broken," I said.
"Maybe your head is," she replied.
Fair.
We gave up after twenty minutes. Vivianne patted my shoulder. "You'll get it. Someday."
I returned to my dorm, dropped my new sword on the bed, and flopped down beside it.
I should've slept.
I really should've.
But something inside me kept thinking about what Vivianne showed me.
So, at midnight, I got up.
Held the sword.
And tried again.
Training, Again… and Again
I focused.
Again.
And again.
One hour.
Two.
Three.
I gritted my teeth. My mana flickered with every breath. I imagined the katana and I were one.
Nothing happened.
Then—
The blade pulsed.
A ripple of dark energy crawled across it.
Then everything exploded around me—just a blast of raw pressure.
I gasped.
And then the status window opened:
🔓 New Skill Unlocked: Dark Dimension Slice
A cut that slashes through space. Uses massive mana. Use wisely.
I dropped to the floor, shaking, completely out of breath.
"Cool," I mumbled. "Now I can cut air and pass out right after."