Chapter 9: I’m First?

“Miss, you truly have an eye for opportunity. With our information, you’ll surely claim the top spot among the new students this year!”

After Gloria casually took out two gold coins, the seniors’ eyes lit up and they instantly grew excited.

Vilan was a bit puzzled for a moment.

Honestly, could seniors who managed to get into the academy really be this poor?

Just two gold coins and they’re this happy?

“Both of you, please follow me to the Preparation Zone for the trial.”

“Those who arrive at the academy early can wait there before the trial begins, with resting areas and food provided.”

“I’ll explain things on the way.”

“Alright.”

One person stepped out from the crowd and led the two of them.

Before the senior even spoke, Vilan had already begun thinking about the academy trial.

The academy not only gave weaker students a chance, but also offered strong students more opportunities to compete for resources.

The rules of this trial were actually quite similar to those competitive games—divided into two major factions: “Hunters” and “Collectors.”

After the trial started, weaker students would be assigned in groups of three as “Collectors,” while the strong ones would be placed alone as “Hunters.”

The goal of the game, regardless of faction, was to collect a complete “Certificate of Admission.”

Upon entering the Subspace, fragments of the certificate would be scattered at various locations and refreshed daily.

Three certificate fragments could be combined into one complete certificate.

However, only Collectors could pick up these fragments on the map.

Hunters couldn’t, and could only obtain them by defeating Collectors and taking the fragments they carried.

Everyone needed to survive for three days in the trial, and final rankings were determined by the number of certificates collected.

Death didn’t mean real death; magic would negate the damage and return them to reality.

Dying didn’t necessarily mean you couldn’t enter the academy; the number of certificates held at the time of death would still factor into the final ranking to determine eligibility.

As Vilan followed the senior, the latter had already started explaining the rules to them.

“The trial is divided into two factions, ‘Collectors’ and—”

After the senior finished, Gloria seemed quite interested.

Their Blood God Kin were particularly fond of cat-and-mouse games.

She was certain she’d be a Hunter.

At that time…

She could enjoy the thrill of the hunt.

“Ha, Vilan, if you beg your sister for mercy, maybe I’ll consider letting you go.”

Vilan rolled his eyes at her.

“You never know, I might be a Hunter too.”

“Oh, then that makes it even more interesting.”

“By the way, can Hunters kill other Hunters?”

Gloria turned to look at the senior.

Without hesitation, the senior nodded and replied, “Hunters can kill Hunters. Collectors can also kill other Collectors, and they can even kill Hunters.”

“I see.”

“And there are some special locations you’ll need to watch out for.”

The senior then explained various Trap Points and Resource Points.

Yes, there were Resource Points in the trial.

Whether it was weapons, magic tools, or scrolls, the academy would provide some for free.

Even students who failed to enter the school might gain something.

Vilan didn’t find these places particularly important, except for one seemingly harmless thatched hut.

Once someone entered, the floor would instantly collapse, and if they weren’t careful, they’d fall into a deep pit of filth.

The outcome was truly miserable.

Vilan couldn’t tolerate something like that happening.

Of course, he could set some traps there himself to lure Collectors inside…

The senior was thorough in his explanations.

Finally, he reached the topic of “dangerous individuals”—the part Gloria was most curious about.

“Ahem, you probably aren’t aware of this.”

“Because the number of Recommendation Letters is limited, those qualified to receive them register their recommended students in advance every year, so we can intercept the new student list.”

“There are many strong candidates, but each year we only introduce the top ten newcomers—these are people who, even without participating in the trial, are already well-known.”

Listening to the senior, Vilan let out a bitter smile.

Dangerous individuals indeed.

Weren’t all those female leads more abnormal than the last?

As information about each heroine surfaced in Vilan’s mind, he realized that some among them were still normal.

If he could shape their values well and guard against Seleste’s corruption, perhaps they could remain sane.

Gloria’s reaction was unexpected.

Such a strange woman, yet she could still act friendly toward him—it was baffling.

Vilan continued, following the senior’s words, “So, who are these people, senior?”

“Heh, don’t rush, I’ll tell you now. Listen up.”

“First, at number ten, is a prince from Ka Jielielun.”

When the senior mentioned Ka Jielielun, Vilan’s expression darkened imperceptibly, hatred rising in his eyes.

He would never forget his mother’s words—Ka Jielielun and Aoluowei Sa were two of the main Kingdoms responsible for her death.

“Gasoco Doro.”

“As the second prince, he’s completely different from the rest of the royal family of Ka Jielielun, who are known for their erratic personalities. He’s said to be humble and courteous, skilled in swordsmanship since childhood.”

“The Great Swordmaster of the Sword Pavilion once called him a genius in swordsmanship. He excels at fire magic, once single-handedly defeated a squad of rebel knights from the Kerrit Kingdom…”

Unlike the attentive Vilan, Gloria had no interest in this prince and even yawned out of boredom.

“Ninth place…”

The senior continued introducing the rest.

Among the heroines, the Beastman Princess was seventh, the Elf Princess fifth, a Ghost Clan Maiden fourth, and the Saintess second.

What surprised Vilan was that Gloria herself was ranked third?

When her name came up, Gloria proudly lifted her head, her steps visibly lighter.

“Do you want to become my Blood Servant, Vilan? I’ll protect you.”

Gloria’s dangerous smile gave Vilan a bad feeling.

This woman was definitely up to something…

Vilan decided to ignore her and instead asked, “Then who’s first?”

This was his real curiosity.

Logically, aside from the protagonist Seleste, the strongest should be the Saintess Eniya.

How could there be someone even stronger?

And if you say first place is Seleste? Impossible.

Before entering the academy, Seleste was just a nobody.

She only started rising after that.

“Vilan, you hurt my feelings by not answering.”

Gloria kept her smile, but there was no trace of sadness in her voice.

Still, she was indeed curious about who was ranked first.

She had met the Saintess… and though she didn’t want to admit it, she couldn’t compare.

But now there was someone even stronger than Eniya?

“This first place… she might not even appear.”

The senior hesitated but spoke up.

“What do you mean by ‘might not appear’?”

Gloria asked, confused.

“Exactly as it sounds. She might not come to the academy this year.”

“As you know, academy recommendations are reviewed annually, but some individuals are special.”

“Once, the Queen of the Banshees, one of the seven legends of the continent, helped Aurora Academy through a crisis and received a Recommendation Letter from the academy out of gratitude.”

“If her offspring held that letter and arrived at the academy, they would be given the highest honor and resources, and the academy would unconditionally protect them in every way.”

“……”

In an instant, Vilan’s mind exploded.

What kind of highest honor? What kind of top resources…?

Why didn’t he have any of that?

But was that Recommendation Letter really so powerful?

“I’ve heard of this too.”

“So what, does the Queen of the Banshees have an offspring enrolling?”

Gloria was puzzled.

“Yes, it’s said that Malinsa, the Queen of the Banshees, personally stated her daughter would one day enroll.”

“The entire academy was shocked, and every year during the rankings, the Banshee Princess is listed as number one.”

“After all, she’s the daughter of a continent legend, and everyone knows the royal level of the Banshee race.”

“I see. I’d love to face her in battle.”

Gloria understood now, her tone softening.

Vilan could sense her seriousness—she’d lost her playful air.

This made Vilan feel even more embarrassed.

Mother, you really set me up.

Why did you say your son was a girl?

Now, your son can never reveal his true identity for the rest of his life.

Then, Vilan suddenly realized something.

His Recommendation Letter behaved like a normal one, and his mother had never revealed his male identity.

She’d even instilled in him the idea of separation from a young age.

Did she foresee this ordeal all along…?

Looking at the somewhat eager Gloria, Vilan felt a strange sense of guilt.

Sorry, but this Banshee Princess might be someone you’ll never meet.