Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 85

Entrance Exam

Red. It was a space entirely drenched in a deep, crimson hue. Humans typically felt discomfort or fear when surrounded by such an intense shade of red, but the crimson here somehow exuded a strange warmth and coziness.

Inside, three men and a woman stood facing different directions, each gazing out of a window.

Beyond the windows, different scenes unfolded. Thanks to the artifact known as the *Eyes of Heaven*, they could observe events happening even at incredibly distant locations.

*Crackle!*

“Ugh! Damn it.”

Of course, the *Eyes of Heaven* were not flawless. They would shatter if detected by a magician’s magical waves.

“Ha, my view just got caught,” one man, wearing a mask with a pattern resembling a spider’s web, grumbled as he collapsed onto a sofa with a sigh.

“Lately, these magicians have gotten sharper.”

“There’s no helping it. After all, if they’re escorting *Estelle*, they would have to maintain strict vigilance,” replied another man.

The man with the youthful voice shook his head in response.

“Arniel, Arniel… What a troublesome place. Of all the people, why did they have to take *Estelle* there?”

“What are we going to do?”

As the two men murmured in anxious tones, the man who had been staring out the window the entire time finally parted his lips to speak softly.

“…This actually works in our favor. We were already preparing. The Magic School of *Arniel* is full of suitable prey to use as our ‘sacrifice.’”

“Oh? You’re planning to use Arniel as a sacrifice? But wasn’t there an agreement to not touch any of the prestigious families, ever since our leader’s head was taken by that young hero from *Kaladan* 50 years ago?”

“We can’t keep hiding forever. Not long ago, *Gastek*, who went to transport the *Bloodstone* through the *Harana Canal*, was defeated. By a woman named *Arihil* from Kaladan.”

“What?! That whining bastard—we even made him a contract with a *Guardian* after all that complaining, and now he’s dead? Damn it! Useless fool! Find his body immediately! I’ll resurrect him just to torment him!”

“Kaladan already retrieved the body. By now, they probably know that we’ve started moving again.”

“Ugh, does that mean…?”

“Yes. It means there’s no need to hide any longer. The decision has already been made.”

At those words, the two men and the woman revealed their emotions, hidden behind their masks.

Fifty long, grueling years.

They had been living in hiding, enduring all manner of humiliation and disgrace. Now, they would finally step back into the world!

“As the first destination, Arniel seems like the perfect place.”

“Finally, finally… Is it time to use the power of *Guardian Killivion*, the *Black Spirit*?”

“That’s right.”

*Killivion, the Guardian of the Black Spirit.*

Its raw power was unimpressive, so it was not widely known, but its ability was unique and absolutely terrifying.

The contract allowed the contractor to absorb part of the power and talents of the targets they killed, converting them into strength.

In other words, the more people they killed, the stronger they became.

The more talented and brilliant their victims were, the more power the contractor gained… A Guardian possessing a truly demonic ability.

The previous contractor had died 50 years ago at the hands of Kalel Paul Kaladan, and since then, the Guardian had been unable to properly act without a new contractor.

But now, things had changed.

“The new contractor of Killivion has appeared… Now, we have permission to act freely.”

As the man said this, he snapped his fingers. The window behind him reversed, turning sky-blue and transforming into a door, which clicked open.

From there emerged a boy with pale skin and a cold expression. He was quite tall, but his face still had a youthful look, and while his body had some muscle, it was clear that he had not trained extensively in martial arts.

“That boy…”

“His official name is ‘Ferta.’ He was selected long ago as a child possessing white magic, raised for the purpose of enrolling at Arniel. He’s fourteen this year, just the right age to transfer into the 8th grade at Arniel.”

“A full enrollment at Arniel? But that place isn’t easy to enter.”

“I told you, we’ve been planning this for a long time. This child possesses no black magic at all… and with Killivion’s power and ‘various efforts,’ his magic has already reached four cores.”

“Four cores…?!”

With that level of talent, it would be tempting to kill him immediately and absorb his power.

However, if they succeeded in planting this child at Arniel, nurturing him properly and establishing deep roots there…

They could secure far more high-quality sacrifices.

The masked figures swallowed hard, while the man patted the boy called Ferta on the shoulder.

“Our mission depends on you. Keep it in mind, always.”

Ferta nodded.

He understood the situation perfectly.

* * *

Harang boldly revealed his name and face before the reporters.

The long-haired boy with black and white hair and black eyes was a wizard named ‘Deis.’

When his name was announced as the master of Mityel, it naturally caused an uproar within the magical community.

Historically, every wizard who had ever held Mityel had left a significant mark as a Grand Wizard without exception.

Because of this, any wizard who held Mityel was usually treated with great respect at any time…

But times had changed.

In modern times, the magic of prominent families had continued to accumulate and, through many years of trial and error, had been refined and improved into more advanced and efficient spells.

In short, being born into a great family had practically become the easiest way to succeed as a wizard.

While martial artists often achieved greatness without being born into a prestigious family, it was not so easy for wizards, who had to study their craft and accumulate large amounts of magic within their bodies.

In contrast to the past, it had become nearly impossible for street magicians to rise to prominence. Therefore, the news that “a commoner magician had acquired Mityel” did not sit well with the students of Worspia, a place reserved for only the best elites.

“A commoner, of all people, got their hands on Mityel?”

“Tsk, Mityel’s reputation is ruined.”

“That ancient staff is just like all the other relics of the past.”

“The whole thing is probably overrated. There’s no doubt that modern magical tools are far superior.”

“I heard that Mityel doesn’t even have an Ego. So, how does it even choose its owner?”

The fact that a commoner magician had obtained Mityel was enough to diminish its reputation by several levels.

Of course, only a few students unfamiliar with Mityel or some noble-obsessed magicians held such opinions. Most magicians who knew the true power of Mityel did not dare to belittle it.

“What do you think is the truly terrifying aspect of Mityel?”

“Well… isn’t it its ability to summon a meteor at will?”

“Wrong. That’s not the staff’s power, but the caster’s. In fact, aside from the Archmage Natalen, no one who wielded Mityel has ever summoned a meteor, right?”

“Hmm, but isn’t that just because they never had the opportunity to summon one?”

“Wrong again. It’s because the staff alone cannot call upon a meteor.”

“Then what is Mityel’s true ability?”

Inside the faculty meeting room of Arniel.

This meeting was originally meant to discuss how to admit applicants, what exams they should take, how to select students, and how to educate them. But once the issue of Mityel’s new owner appearing in Worspia arose, the topic naturally shifted in that direction.

“Go ahead, what do you think Mityel’s true power is?”

“Well…”

Radiel, a professor who had risen through the ranks from a commoner background by thoroughly completing Worspia’s elite course to reach Arniel, slowly opened his heavy lips.

“I believe it has the power to discover a gem of talent capable of shaking the world and polish it until it shines.”

“Hah.”

“Hmm…”

In other words, Radiel explained that Mityel’s true ability was to “draw out the user’s potential.”

Not all the professors present listened attentively to his words. Some openly disdained him simply because of his commoner background.

However, those who were well aware of Radiel’s exceptional skills couldn’t dismiss him so easily.

“…I’ve never heard of any weapon possessing such power.”

“Exactly. That’s what makes Mityel all the more extraordinary. How could the staff used by Natalen, the Great Sage and companion of the first Hero Kaladan, be ordinary?”

“Hmph…”

“Deis. I don’t know the exact level of that boy’s magic at present, but if he applies to Arniel, we must accept him. No, even if he doesn’t apply, I think we should persuade him and bring him here at all costs.”

“But still, doesn’t it seem a bit inappropriate for the great Arniel to extend a hand to a commoner first?”

“The child could very well become the greatest mage in the world one day. Imagine if a mage with the title of ‘the best in the world’ wasn’t from Arniel. Wouldn’t that be a disgrace?”

“That’s quite a stretch. Just because he possesses Mityel doesn’t guarantee he’ll become the best of his time. From what little investigation I’ve done on that boy, there’s no record of him attending any academy or even acting as a mage.”

“Accepting such an uncertain mage seems a bit too…”

“No, there *is* a record of him acting as a mage.”

Just as the professors were criticizing Radiel, one of the professors, who had been silently listening, finally spoke.

He was ‘Banzar Elton,’ a 7-star mage, once a member of the Tower of Radiance, but now a professor at Arniel.

As a mage from the renowned Elton family and a former member of the top magic tower, when Banzar opened his mouth, the other professors turned their attention to him.

“The Tower contacted us. Not long ago, a boy named ‘Deis’ single-handedly wiped out a group of black mages and then disappeared without a trace.”

“W-what? And you say he’s only in his mid-teens? He defeated a black mage by himself?”

“That’s what was directly reported by Altein Alphion, one of the Nine Pillars of the Tower of Radiance.”

“Well then.”

“In that case, there can be no doubt…”

If the testimony came from Altein, a member of the Alphion family and an 8-star mage, one of the Nine Pillars of the Tower of Radiance, no other mage could refute such a fact.

The fact that a mere fourteen-year-old had already defeated a black mage was a far greater achievement than any graduation certificate from a prestigious magical academy.

In other words, if this commoner boy named Deis applied to Arniel, he would likely breeze through the basic tests and proceed straight to the advanced exams.

Defeating a black mage on his own at such a young age was an accomplishment remarkable enough to draw everyone’s attention.

“This year at Arniel will certainly be a tumultuous one.”

“Didn’t they say the princess of the Herrael Empire applied?”

“I’ve also heard that the young master, who the esteemed Ainglass family has been guarding with great care, submitted an application.”

“Geniuses that only appear once every ten years or so, all gathering at the same time…”

“That’s a good thing. A very good thing.”

“It means all the brightest stars of the world are gathering at Arniel.”

The founding purpose of Arniel Magic School—

It was to surpass the reputation of the three great swordsmanship families and truly open the era of mages.

Until now, countless wars and the dominance of Guardians had led to the belief that martial arts were the very law of the world, while magic was viewed merely as a supporting discipline. But now, the world was on the verge of change.

‘Magic is far more difficult, sophisticated, and superior to the brutish swordsmanship you martial artists pride yourselves on.’

With countless stars converging at Arniel, the age of magic seemed not so far in the future.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing what this year’s Arniel has in store…”