Once inside, Mikael took his time to tour the room he would be living in for the foreseeable future. He was pleasantly surprised by how well-designed the ‘apartment’ looked. It exuded a luxurious vibe without being overly ostentatious, avoiding the excessive use of gold or other precious metals.
The apartment had two bedrooms—one serving as a guest bedroom and the other as the master bedroom. Both were furnished with spacious, comfortable beds, which Mikael considered the most important feature of any bedroom.
It also included a modern bathroom, a cozy living room equipped with a couch and a large TV screen, and a dining area featuring a sizable wooden table capable of seating multiple people. Finally, the last main area, apart from the training room, was the kitchen. It was fully equipped with modern appliances and ample storage space, ensuring all his culinary needs were met.
Mikael decided to skip the training room during his tour, knowing himself well enough to realize he’d be tempted to start training if he went in.
As he finished exploring, a self-deprecating smirk crossed his face:
‘To think that my room here at the Central Academy, which is only temporary, is far better than my apartment back in the Records. That place doesn’t even have a kitchen, and the worst part? I pay for it, while this one is free...’
‘Yeah, it’s kind of depressing. But let’s not dwell on it too much—it’ll only annoy me for no reason. Let’s focus on what’s important.’
With that, he approached the couch in the living room, where a bracelet, a uniform, and a small booklet was placed.
He picked up the booklet and began to read. The first section explained the bracelet and its functionalities. While interesting, it didn’t provide much new information. However, when he reached the section about the uniform, he was pleasantly surprised.
‘Oh, the uniform is enchanted—neat. It has self-cleaning, self-repairing, and size-adjusting enchantments. Honestly, these three may not seem like much, but they’re incredibly useful in everyday life. The enchanter profession seems really interesting.’
‘Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to learn it. With all the subjects I’ve chosen, my schedule is packed. For now, learning about arrays is more important than enchanting. The two courses have overlapping schedules, so I could only pick one.’
‘Arrays are more crucial because, at a sufficiently advanced level, I’ll should be able to create an array that generates aura and mana. This will allow me to keep growing my Aura and Mana Cores even after leaving this world!’
Finishing his thought, he returned to the booklet and reached the last section, which covered the Academy in general: its layout, how it functioned, and the rules.
He was surprised to learn about the existence of a Mission Hall where students could take on missions assigned by the Academy in exchange for credits. He made a mental note of this before moving on to read about the rules. To his surprise, he discovered that fights between students, even outside of class, were implicitly allowed. While it wasn’t explicitly stated that such fights were permitted, there was no rule prohibiting them either.
The only restrictions were that Aura and Mana couldn’t be used during fights, and students were forbidden from inflicting severe injuries on others. Those found guilty of breaking these rules could face punishments ranging from credit fines to expulsion.
Once he finished the booklet and memorized all the information, Mikael turned to the bracelet and strapped it onto his right wrist. The bracelet was black, featuring a tactile screen that offered various functionalities. It could act as a credit card, key, ID card, map, and more. While some features resembled those of a smartphone, Mikael already had his iPhone, making the bracelet’s extras more of a convenient bonus than a necessity.
Next, he took the uniform and put it on. Standing before a mirror, he examined himself. The reflection revealed a handsome young man with messy black hair, piercing emerald eyes, and a lean, muscular build—not overly bulky, but well-defined, with visible abs.
Mikael’s uniform exuded elegance and practicality, seamlessly blending style with functionality. The primary fabric was a pristine, matte white, symbolizing purity and excellence. Radiant gold accents traced along the seams, adding a regal and sophisticated touch.
The upper part consisted of a fitted, long-sleeved jacket with a mandarin collar, designed to provide freedom of movement. The asymmetrical fastening used hidden buttons, while the academy’s embroidered crest—a stunning golden phoenix on a white background—glowed subtly on the left chest.
Underneath the jacket, he wore a moisture-wicking, short-sleeved white undershirt, ideal for intense training sessions.
The slim-fit trousers were made from magically enhanced fabric, combining flexibility and durability. Gold lining ran along the sides, complementing the jacket’s design, and reinforced knee patches ensured they could withstand rigorous use.
The shoes completed the uniform. Sleek and lightweight, they were primarily white with gold accents along the edges and soles. Enchanted for enhanced grip, they were perfect for both physical activities and magical duels.
The uniform's attention to detail extended even to the undergarments, which were crafted from a soft, breathable material to ensure comfort during intense activity. Complementing the look were moisture-wicking socks in white and gold, offering both style and support while perfectly matching the shoes.
After examining himself in the mirror, Mikael couldn’t help but think, ‘Honestly, I look really handsome in these clothes.’ He then performed a series of quick movements to test the uniform’s flexibility and see if it restricted his range of motion.
To his astonishment, wearing the uniform felt almost like being naked—not inappropriately, but in the sense that the fabric seemed to meld with him. Thanks to some kind of magical enhancement, the uniform didn’t hinder him at all. In fact, it felt even better than modern sportswear!
Once his quick test was done, Mikael gave the apartment a final glance to ensure he hadn’t forgotten anything. Seeing nothing noteworthy, he headed toward the room he was most excited about: the training room.
Upon entering, he found himself in a spacious area approximately 100 square meters in size. The walls, floor, ceiling, and even the door were made of a sleek black stone, giving the room a unique aesthetic.
What immediately caught his attention, however, were the tiny blue particles floating in the air. Normally, he could see aura and mana particles in the environment if he concentrated, but here the concentration was so high that they were visible without any effort. Of course, this didn’t mean just anyone could see them—his heightened senses, far beyond what a normal human could achieve, made this possible.
The high concentration of aura and mana didn’t surprise him much, though. He knew that the room was equipped with a mid-grade Aura and Mana Concentration Array, an array that the name already said the effects. Not dwelling on it, Mikael immediately began his training.
This time, he continued to focus on control exercises by creating multiple aura threads from his hands and attempting to manipulate them. This type of training was incredibly efficient, as it simultaneously improved his control, placed a mental burden that enhanced his intelligence stats, leveled up his Aura Threads Creation and Manipulation skill, and boosted his Meditation skill during rest periods. It was, as he liked to think, a ‘four birds with one stone’ endeavor.
As his aura became fully depleted, he received a notification—one he had expected, but not without surprise:
[You have fully depleted your aura. Ambient aura in the air absorbed. Capacity increased by +7.5 aura (+50%).]
The increase surprised him. Instead of the usual gain of 5 points, his capacity had grown by 7.5—a remarkable 50% boost in growth rate. This unexpected development filled him with hope. If he could reach a sufficiently high level in array creation, he might design arrays capable of growing his cores at a rate equal to or even surpassing that of individuals with higher innate talent!
Fueled by this newfound motivation, Mikael continued his training, this time creating mana threads. Compared to aura threads, he found creating and controlling mana threads much easier. He had noticed this phenomenon before—mana seemed inherently more manageable when used outside the body.
Reflecting on this, he thought, ‘It makes sense. Based on the knowledge provided by the background system, aura is more of an internal force designed to strengthen the body. Using it externally is harder and less efficient. Mana, on the other hand, isn’t meant to reinforce the body but to manipulate reality itself.’
Satisfied with this line of reasoning, Mikael pressed on with his training, alternating between aura and mana exercises throughout the night.
Mikael sat on the ground, his focus unwavering, as two threads extended from each of his hands. Each thread was approximately 12 meters long and moved seemingly independently in a mesmerizing dance.
It was a beautiful sight: threads composed of glowing blue energy weaving through the air, crossing near each other yet never touching. After a few moments, the threads came to a halt before vanishing, the energy returning to Mikael's body in a smooth flow.
He remained motionless for a brief moment, then sighed and murmured, “Ahh, that was good training, but I should stop now. My first real class is about to start.”
With that, Mikael headed to the shower. Though unnecessary—his magical uniform prevented significant sweating and cleaned itself—he enjoyed the ritual for its calming effect.
As he stepped out of the shower, a thought struck him:
‘Now that I think about it, I haven’t eaten yet. For me, it doesn’t really matter. With my vitality stats, I could go a week without food and still function fine. But in this world, even high-ranking Rankers need to eat regularly. They’re still human.’
He paused, reflecting on what he knew.
‘At least, that’s what I’ve learned from the life I’ve “lived” in this world. It’s common knowledge for the general population, but maybe things are different for truly high-ranking Rankers. Do they require less food? I don’t know for sure—I don’t have any information about that.’
Shrugging off the thought, he continued, ‘Anyway, I’m just an F- Ranker, so I need to eat to avoid raising suspicion. If someone decided to investigate me, not eating would definitely look strange.’
He walked over to the fridge and opened it, unsurprised to find it completely empty.
‘Yep, just as I expected. No worries—if anyone asks, I’ll just say I was so excited to train using the array in the training room that I forgot to eat. Still, I’ll need to do some shopping after class ends.’
Having reached this conclusion, Mikael left his dorm room and exited the building. Outside, he noticed the area was more populated than the day before. He also caught glimpses of people glancing his way and seemingly whispering about him.
He pondered for a moment, ‘It’s probably because I’ve gained at least some level of fame, as the first stage of the Famous quest completion notification indicated. But there’s no point dwelling on it. Let’s focus on my first real class. I’m actually excited to see what I’ll learn.’
After walking for some time and following the map displayed on his bracelet, Mikael finally arrived at the classroom where he had met Emily the day before. This was where his first class, The Ranker Path, would be held—taught by none other than Emily Auror.
The classroom door opened, and Mikael stepped inside, drawing a few quick glances from his peers before they quickly lost interest. He noticed that the room was far from full, which made sense—there were 100 desks, but his group only consisted of 20 students. Choosing a seat near the wall in the middle row, Mikael settled in and began passing the time on his phone.
When the clock struck the hour, Emily rose from her desk at the front of the class and began to speak.
"Hello, everyone. Before we dive into the subject of this course, I need to address something else first. Yesterday, we took attendance, but that was the first and last time. The academy has a policy that encourages freedom, which means we won’t chase after you if you decide to skip a class!"
Her eyes scanned the room before continuing. "However, keep in mind that when exams come around, skipping classes regularly will make things significantly harder for you. On the flip side, if you believe your time is better spent training, that’s your choice. Just remember: you’re here at the academy to learn, and skipping classes could be counterproductive!"
She paused for a moment, letting her words sink in, then resumed. "Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s start discussing rankers! Can anyone tell me the different types of rankers?"
💬 I read every comment, and your thoughts genuinely shape Mikael’s path.
📚 Chapters ahead await on : www./SDASLUMMY
⭐ A single rating or follow helps more than you’d expect.
Glad you’re walking this path with me.