The grand banquet hall buzzed with noise as the first years stood in salute.
The man who addressed them was the head of the student disciplinary committee.
"Welcome, all of you, to the entrance ceremony of the greatest academy in the world."
The young man with a scar stretching from his chin to his cheek paused.
Then, with an intimidating voice, he continued. "This isn’t Pantheon, or your home, or your clan. This is Apex, you fuckers. I don’t want to hear your whining about how important your family is. Only one thing matters in Apex."
He paused again, saying nothing, but the word etched on nearly every facility bearing the Apex name echoed in their minds.
"Demons, humans, no matter what race we face, here at Apex we dominate. In here there are no real rules, because only the strong create rules."
He grinned. "You hate a teacher so badly you want them gone? Then work your ass off and earn more points than that teacher."
He pointed at a student. "A classmate called you disgusting? Then earn the points to get rid of them."
His gaze fell on a peculiar first year who was smirking.
"You there, you like killing, don’t you?"
Without waiting for a reply, he went on. "Here in Apex, as long as you have the points to clean up a death, murder is possible."
The entire hall froze.
"Those who stand at the top can bend the rules, while those who fall short shall perish. That is what we preach at Apex! That is dominance!"
The whole hall erupted in loud cheers.
"Okay, Jeroen, that’s enough of the cult talk."
A young woman clapped her hands before stepping onto the stage.
The vice president of the student council, Seraphina Duskveil, second princess of Lutherdal.
She had blonde hair and blue eyes that seemed to capture everything.
Her steps were graceful, and the boys couldn’t help but stare in awe.
The girls’ eyes weren’t filled with envy, but admiration.
She was the type of beauty no man would dare lust after.
As soon as she appeared, the hall grew quiet.
"Hello, my fellow students."
Immediately, murmurs spread.
— "Wow~ she’s gorgeous."
— "Is she a goddess?" Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel⁂fire.net
— "Wait, isn’t that the voice of Quilbot?"
The young woman smiled warmly. "Yes, I am indeed the voice of Quilbot."
She paused, tapping her head lightly. "How may I help you gentlemen?"
— "Wow! Quilbot is our senior!"
— "Damn, that’s unreal."
Seraphina calmed the crowd with a simple gesture. "That’s enough, everyone. Just as Jeroen said, Apex is a place ruled by points."
She extended her hand toward the students. "If you study hard enough, train hard enough, maybe you might even earn enough points to date me."
The students’ faces lit up as she continued.
"I think that’s enough of the rules. If you need more, just check the school’s face board."
"Now, with that out of the way, it’s time to announce the test scores."
The students went silent.
"For context, last place in the school had 2,000 points. That can barely last a month, and someone with higher points could easily get them expelled. But during this first month, you’re protected by the school, so no need to worry."
Standing tall on stage, she flicked her hand, and a holographic image appeared beside her, showing the academy’s insignia.
"We’ll start from tenth place."
The entire hall chilled as every student stood on edge.
Even those who knew they had low ranks leaned forward.
After all, those above them determined what kind of life they would have.
That wasn’t even mentioning their Apex—the one who stood as god and king.
"Tenth place, with a total of 100,000 points: Adrian Peterson!"
The crowd cheered loudly as a knight in a white uniform stepped up, his hand tucked casually in his pocket.
The young man didn’t spare Seraphina a glance and simply stood behind her.
Seraphina’s eyes twitched, but she held her thoughts. "Good work."
She turned back to the crowd, her smile still framing her beautiful face.
"Next, ninth place, with a total of 230,000 points: Vivian Cross."
Another cheer roared as a dark-skinned man stood from his seat and walked to the white carpet, bowing.
A young woman with platinum blonde hair and gray eyes chuckled as she passed him.
As she stepped onto the podium, she bowed before standing beside Adrian.
Seraphina’s expression remained the same, though there was a flicker of respect.
"Eighth place, with 250,000 points: Lucas Greyhound."
The dark-skinned man moved aside as another, dressed in the same white uniform, walked past.
He carried a charismatic air, his smile radiating joy.
Some of the lower-ranked students nearly teared up at the sight of him.
After all, he had helped them during the exams.
Had he moved alone, he would have earned far more points.
When he reached the stage, he extended his hand.
Seraphina shook it with her usual warm smile. "Good work, cadet."
The young man bowed, then moved behind her.
Seraphina glanced back at the remaining cadets before continuing.
"Seventh place, with 400,000 points: Serena Vale."
The hall fell silent for a full minute.
After another minute of silence, Seraphina sighed. "Anyone who’s friends with Serena, please pass the message to her."
No one moved or raised their hand.
"Hmm..." Seraphina paused, then announced again.
"Sixth place, with 500,000 points: Sylvia Draven."
A loud shout echoed as a stunning beauty stepped onto the red carpet.
Unlike the others, she wore a black uniform—the mage school’s attire.
All the boys could only stare.
Seraphina had been beauty beyond belief, but this?
Sylvia climbed the podium, shook hands, and moved behind Seraphina.
The hall quieted once more before she spoke.
"This year’s fifth and fourth are very close, and since they’re both royals, I’ll call them together."
"Fifth place, with 700,000 points: Daemon Blackwood. Fourth place, with 700,001 points: Edo Ikenna."
Everyone knew those names.
They had led their generation from the very beginning.
If they were third or second behind the Saintess, it would make sense. But fifth and fourth?
The dark-skinned man by the red carpet stretched lazily, muttering under his breath.
When he reached the stage, he smirked at Seraphina.
She shut her eyes briefly. "Respect yourself, Ikenna."
He tilted his head back to glance at the crowd before walking to where the others stood.
Instead of taking fourth place, he pushed Lucas aside to stand next to Vivian Cross.
Seraphina’s eyes gleamed as she smiled widely.
"It’s finally time, isn’t it?"
The voice was hers, but the weight behind it was different.
"I had to wait until the top five were here."
The blonde woman suddenly floated into the air.
"I know this isn’t the proper way, but welcome to Apex. I am your Dean, Alicia Frostmoor."