Not-So an Extra

—Flip —Flip —Flip

The sound of rustling pages resonated throughout the room.

A white-haired boy was seen reading a book with a purple cover while sitting on a giant windowsill.

His hair glistened under the bright sunlight and fluttered, dancing in the wind.

"Haa…"

Letting out a long and tired sigh, Adrian closed the book and set it aside.

Fixing his cerulean eyes on the faraway distance outside the window, he watched as a cloud drifted lazily across the sky.

No matter how many books he had read, there was not even a single clue about the Void's history.

Was what the woman said true? 

Was the Empire really hiding the truth, intending to use those items for their own purposes?

If that was the case, then that explained why the Empire possessed more advanced technology than the other Kingdoms.

Based on his previous dream, it looked like the item did indeed exist.

Nevertheless, he needed tangible proof, not just some hearsay.

Furthermore, he had also attempted to meditate in order to reach his subconscious realm to watch the rest of Adrian's past.

Despite his repeated efforts, he couldn't gain access to the 'room'. 

It was as if Adrian's past was beyond his control, leaving him with no choice but to accept the situation.

There was a moment his head gave him an idea of what if he knocked himself out to gain access to the room.

However, he quickly dismissed the thought since it was too risky and absurd at the same time.

What he meant was—

What if his Mana Pool broke during the process? 

What if he hit his head too hard and lost his memory? 

The potential consequences were too great to ignore.

In the end, he decided to focus on enhancing his strength and skills while allowing things to unfold naturally.

"Ian… I don't understand this part."

A voice interrupted his reverie, causing him to look up and see Péréz holding out his notebook. 

Meanwhile, his three other classmates were busy working in their own notebooks.

They were currently in his VIP room at the library, seeking his help to understand the subjects they were struggling with. 

Like him, they also aimed to graduate early, but in just two years.

That was why failing any subject was not an option for them.

Since Adrian had nothing important to do aside from reading books, he then agreed.

"Coming."

Putting the purple book inside his Magical Sphere, he made his way toward Péréz.

As he approached, he could see that the boy was struggling with a math formula.

Adrian took a quick glance at it and immediately spotted the mistake.

"You forgot to carry the two in this part."

He pointed out the error and explained the correct way to solve the problem.

Péréz nodded, grateful for the help.

"Ah, I see! Thanks, Ian. You're a lifesaver!"

"No problem."

With that, the wheat-haired boy continued to work on solving the problem, and another voice chimed in.

"Umm, Ian, can you help me with this?"

Glancing sideways, he found Sylvina.

"Sure."

The extra tutor started at 4 pm after their class ended and finished before dinner around 6 pm. 

As the sun began to set, they left the library and went back to the dorms.

The midterm tests had three components: written, oral, and practical.

The written test was designed to evaluate the student's understanding of the course material and their ability to express their thoughts in writing.

The oral exam required students to answer questions verbally to assess the student's ability to express their thoughts clearly.

The practical exam required students to demonstrate their skills in a real-world setting, either physically or in areas of study like magic.

Overall, the tests evaluated the student's knowledge and abilities comprehensively.

The first week of the midterm tests was dedicated to the written test, and it went smoothly for Adrian; he was able to answer every question with ease.

The second week was the oral exam, and Adrian had no problem with it either. 

He was able to articulate his thoughts and ideas clearly and confidently, impressing his teacher and classmates.

Now, in the final week of the midterm tests, Adrian was faced with the practical exam. 

.

.

.

Standing in the middle of the arena hall, Adrian cerulean eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in every detail.

The arena was a massive space with high walls and a smooth, polished floor. 

On the second floor, there were numerous balcony seat boxes for the judges to watch him fight.

"Student number SC-01.01, Adrian Leillucis, are you ready?"

A voice of a woman echoed throughout the room, and he nodded his head confidently.

"Yes, I'm ready."

Before long, two barriers covered the whole area; those were a shield and a silent dome.

"Your goal is to defeat every monster present before you within the given time 1-hour limit. You are allowed to use any weapons or magic you possess."

Adrian listened attentively to the rules and nodded in understanding.

"I understand."

"Then the test will begin shortly. Good luck."

After a brief moment, the room fell silent. 

The giant door up ahead slid open, revealing a green-skinned bipedal creature with long arms that touched the floor.

The monster lifted its leg and—

—Splat!

The beast's head exploded, scattering chunks of meat and green blood everywhere. 

"..."

"..."

The judges were taken aback by the sudden and unexpected turn of events.

Their faces registered shock and surprise as they tried to process what had just happened.

They had never seen anything like this before; it was the fastest record of the first kill in the test.

—Thud!

The monster's body then fell to the ground with a loud thud; green blood oozed and drenched the ground.

Soon, the second monster emerged inside the door, and just like before, its head burst into pieces before it could enter the arena.

The third monster appeared, meeting the same fate as the others.

—Splat! —Splat! —Splat!

The green blood soaked the floor, creating a pool with a thick, fishy scent that filled the room.

Serena, the Academy vice-principal, a middle-aged woman with blonde hair and green eyes, watched the scene below with a mixture of awe and concern.

In just a few minutes, the boy managed to kill over 15 monsters effortlessly.

Initially, she had thought that the rumor about the Imperial Second Prince single-handedly eliminating three-quarters of the enemy's troops was exaggerated. 

However, witnessing the boy effortlessly slay monsters with ease, it appeared that the rumor held some truth.

"Haa…"

With a deep sigh, Serena turned to the man standing next to her and gave him an order. 

She knew that she had to increase the difficulty level to challenge Adrian further.

"Increase the difficulty level to C."

The judges turned their heads toward the vice-principal in disbelief upon hearing what she had just said.

"But, ma'am, it's just started?"

Jumping from difficulty level E to C was too drastic.

"I don't care; increase it."

"I… I understand."

—Thud!

Adrian clicked his tongue as the monster's body thudded onto the floor.

Although Adrian knew this was just a test, he found it unbearably tedious and couldn't wait for it to be over.

Adrian remained motionless since the start of the test, firing magical bullets continuously until the monster fell dead in an instant.

Well, he couldn't blame the Academy for using a lower rank monster since this was only a test.

Monsters in this world were classified into ranks, starting from E to EX rank.

» E-Rank monsters were the weakest and most common type of monsters. 

They were usually found in large numbers and were easily defeated by novice adventurers. 

» D-Rank monsters were slightly stronger than E-Rank monsters. 

They were still relatively weak, but they could pose a threat to inexperienced adventurers. 

» C-Rank monsters were stronger than D-Rank monsters and required a more experienced adventurer to defeat them. 

They were usually found in small groups and could be dangerous if underestimated. 

» B-Rank monsters were even stronger than C-Rank monsters and required a skilled adventurer to defeat them. 

They were usually solitary creatures and could be very dangerous if provoked. 

» A-Rank monsters were extremely powerful and required a team of skilled adventurers to defeat them. 

They were usually rare and only found in specific locations. 

» S-Rank monsters were legendary creatures that were almost impossible to defeat. 

They were usually only found in myths and legends, and their existence was often disputed. 

» EX-Rank monsters were the most powerful and dangerous creatures in existence. 

Despite the lack of information available on EX-Rank monsters, it was widely known that they possessed immense power and could easily decimate entire cities.

Before long, the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the area, accompanied by the faint squeaking of many creatures.

"Squeak!!"

"Squeak!!"

"Squeak!!"

Adrian arched an eyebrow, and in no time, a horde of goblins burst through the door and charged toward the arena.

As he laid his eyes on it, Adrian couldn't resist a smirk, and his heart raced with excitement.

Ah, finally, some challenge!