Adam walked up to the stage podium, Nyx stepping aside and forfeiting her place in the spotlight.
As he approached, he could feel the eyes of the students on him.
Some looked at him with awe.
And surprisingly, many with curiosity.
Their emotions formed a spectrum, of diverse, and unique opinions about him, and of their ire or curiosity was all directed toward him.
Well, who could blame them? he thought to himself. After all, he was just that impressive.
In recent years, Adam had become something of a celebrity.
He could still remember the exact timestamp of when it began. His first time entering the human world was in the year 2078, but it wasn’t until six years later... December 19th, 2084, that he truly became famous.
That was the day Randolph Khan Van Hellsing appeared on one of the biggest talk shows of the year. It was there that Randolph publicly introduced Adam and his twin sister as his children, both fighting for the right to become the next patriarch.
Of course, the truth was messier...Vicky Van Hellsing was not his real sister, and Adam had simply taken the place of her deceased brother to blend into the human world.
Two years after that, the Cult of the New Order launched a massive terrorist attack on the City Main Central Center. If successful, they would have destroyed all technological systems, plunging the city into a permanent blackout and turning it into a dead zone with no means of communication, until the Center was fixed.
Thanks to Adam’s intervention, the attackers were either slain or driven off, much to their dismay.
And from that day forward, he wasn’t just a respected hunter, he became a key figure in the Van Hellsing family. But Adam didnt stop there, no he was just beginning.
Over the years, he cut down countless demons, d generously to various charities, and threw himself into community service and public events, all calculated moves to build his public image.
For a time, he even served as a captain on the Supernatural Council, where he formed an elite patrol unit that slashed crime in Celestine by an astonishing 34% in just a few months upon it’s creation.
His tireless interventions and high-profile deeds turned him into something of a living legend, sparking rumors that spread across the entire Human Empire.
Eventually, he became one of the youngest people in history to be honored with a statue, erected in the outer walls of the Empire Hall of Fame for all to see.
Even during his grueling training in the Monster World, Adam left behind countless clones to keep his work going. He organized large-scale events, raised his favorablity to record highs, and never once let his reputation slip.
But it wasn’t until three years ago, did he managed to do something almost unthinkable.
He outperform Nyx who was the first in line as the next patriarch.
She had spent over thirty years building her reputation as the next head of the family, and Adam overtook her in barely a decade.
The position was his.
Their father, ever the strategist, proposed a marriage, making Adam and Nyx fiancés to each other.
Together, they now run the academy.
Nyx may hold the highest power within the school’s walls, but politically, Adam still outranks her.
In just thirteen years, he rose so high that, to the students, whether noble or commoner...standing before him felt like gazing up at a divine figure, an almost perfect version of themselves.
Or something they all inspired to be.
And now it was his time to formley introduced himself to the students and teacher here that was still skeptical about him.
Reaching where he needed to be Adam adjusted the microphone, feeling the cold metal against his fingertips.
The murmurs in the hall faded into silence, replaced by the low hum of the lights overhead.
He let his eyes wander across the crowd, not in a casual sweep, but in deliberate way to measured glances, meeting eyes here and there just long enough for people to look away. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ NoveI-Fire.ɴet
"Good Evening everyone."
Adam began his speech.
"Some of you know my name."
He began, his voice steady but warm.
"And some of you might not know who I am, given if you don’t live under a rock of course. While some of you know the stories of my rise. Half of them are true. The other half... are exaggerated."
Still, a faint smirk curved his lips as he speaks.
"For that however, I’ll let you decide which is which."
A few chuckles rippled through the rows of students, but most remained stiff and watchful.
"My name is Adam Van Hellsing. The first Student Council President of New Hera Academy. And for the rest of your time here... I am the one who will be keeping an eye on you."
He paused, letting that settle.
"This academy is still new... like way too new. That means a lot of things you might take for granted in other schools don’t exist here yet. Clubs, for example. From now on, all club creation requests go through me. If your club is productive, has value, helps the academy or its students grow, it will get my approval and the resources it needs. If it is... well, a glorified hangout for you and your friends? Don’t expect me to fund it. I’m not here to waste anyone’s time or money."
There was a shuffle of movement in the audience. Some students looked annoyed, others curious. And of course Adam noticed both.
"Now, about the grading system."
He continued, resting one hand casually on the podium.
"We don’t just deal in grades here. The best performers in each official test will earn something called Allowance Points. Stack up enough, and you can make a wish. To me personally. Yes, you heard that right."
The quiet in the room cracked with hushed voices and whispers.
Adam’s smile didn’t fade, but his tone grew sharper.
"Almost anything you want. A favor.... Access to restricted areas or information. Special equipment. Money, Power, Woman, Man, Slaves, or even the death of another if reasonable, I can’t grant all that and more."
Adam added taking the student by suprise, even the annoyed few seem to have perk there ears open the moment he said what he said.
"That doesn’t mean I’ll grant every request. If it is an unreasonable, dangerous, or just plain stupid... if not outright unjustifiable request, I’ll deny it. And yes, I get the final say."
The whispering died down again.
Still getting a wish from granted by the student council president would still be a massive win in any case.
"Now, for the real reason we’re all here. Tonight marks your first test. And it is not going to be a quiz in a classroom."
He leaned slightly forward, his golden eyes catching the stage lights.
"You’re going to survive at a random of three different planets. One month in total of course. There you’ll be evaluated on your kills, your survival, and your ability to adapt. The top five will be ranked by total kills, but your class placement... that is decided by whether you meet my personal passing criteria. Which I won’t be sharing with you beforehand."
The tension in the hall thickened, and Adam could feel the way some students confidence was already faltering.
To them he seems like a hard man to please which in a way was true.
Adam was a very hard person to please, but it doesn’t mean he was not fair.
But his next words didn’t seem fair at all.
"You want to survive and attend this esteem military academy right? You want to climb to the top? Then for that to happen, you all would need to be ready for anything. This isn’t about luck. It is about what you can do when the odds aren’t in your favor."
Then, almost casually, he added.
"Oh, and before anyone complains about fairness, I’ll be taking the test too. I’ll be under the same conditions as you... Same rules... Same danger. If you think you can outscore me, I dare you to try. I love a good competition between similar minds."
A few bold students straightened in their seats at that, the spark of competition lighting in their eyes.
Adam straightened up, his presence filling the space without effort.
"You have a few hours before the trial begins. Use them wisely and get to know your potential partner or enemy. Gear up or say your finale goodbyes to your family. Or waste them standing around. It is your choice really. But when we leave... there won’t be time for second thoughts. So use your remaining two hours wisely, the gate to these chosen planets will open at eight P.M. sharp."
He stepped away from the microphone, his gaze sweeping over them one last time.
"I’ll see you on the battlefield my comrades."
And with that, he turned, passing Nyx with a look that carried confidence, leaving the hall heavy with anticipation.
Still this give him some time to actually get to introduce himself to the cast of the original HDXD.