Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 86

Entrance Exam

Arniel was a school where exceptionally talented individuals from around the world gathered. As such, it was rare to see someone who stood out as particularly exceptional or to be labeled a “genius” at a glance.

The majority of the students who enrolled were already called geniuses wherever they went, each one showcasing remarkable achievements and academic knowledge far beyond their age, asserting their presence confidently.

In a place where everyone shone so brightly, merely glowing faintly wasn’t enough to become the sun.

On very rare occasions—perhaps once in half a century—there would be a genius so outstanding that they even made these brilliant stars seem dim. But such occurrences were few and far between.

In that sense, this year’s entrance exam at Arniel could be described as a storm in many ways.

“A Festival of Stars.”

A reporter had coined that phrase when witnessing this year’s entrants to Arniel.

It wasn’t just one star rising, but several.

It was as if a Milky Way had appeared.

This year, nearly a thousand applicants applied to Arniel, but the majority had already been eliminated during the interview stage. Only 200 remained.

The remaining 200 applicants were also exceptionally talented, but they couldn’t afford to celebrate just because they passed the interview.

Most of them would still be eliminated and sent home during the four-part entrance exam.

Arniel didn’t want ordinary geniuses.

They sought something special, creative, and dazzling.

Any genius who didn’t meet those criteria had already been filtered out. The 200 students gathered at the “Arniel Final Exam Hall” were those determined to be particularly outstanding during the interview.

Now, could you believe it if I told you there was one true genius among these geniuses, a boy they were all watching?

“The first test: Mana Capacity Test is beginning. Applicant number one, Zelka Ainglass.”

As a boy’s name was called, the gaze of the applicants naturally shifted in one direction.

He had calm, black hair and eyes that shone blue, like the sea.

When one thinks of the family with the longest history in magic worldwide, which name comes to mind first?

Naturally, people would think of Ainglass.

The Ainglass family, known as the “Clan of Blue Eyes” symbolizing magic, was also the most influential among the Five Great Magic Families of the world.

“Step forward.”

As Zelka Ainglass approached, the applicants gulped nervously. Some even preemptively lowered their gaze to avoid making eye contact, as just meeting his eyes made them uneasy.

This boy was no ordinary member of the Ainglass family.

Zelka had just turned 14 this year. It was almost unheard of for someone from Ainglass, the most powerful magical family, to enter school at such a late age.

Typically, they would enroll as first-year students immediately upon turning seven, or at the latest, by their third year.

But occasionally, even in such prestigious magical families, there were exceptions…

Either because they had no talent.

Or because…

“Either their talent is excessively outstanding…”

Zelka Ainglass fell into the latter category. His talent was so extraordinary that the family judged it better to educate him with the best curriculum available within the family, rather than having him study at Arniel. Thus, he entered Arniel at the belated age of 14.

In other words, it was no exaggeration to say that Zelka Ainglass was practically a fully-formed mage already.

“Is that person really the Ainglass…?”

“I heard rumors that the Master of the Tower of Radiance designated him as their successor.”

“Last year, he already mastered 3-star magic, and now he’s supposedly previewing university-level courses.”

“He’s already studying university courses? So, he’s learning 4-star magic?”

“That’s what they say.”

“Wow… that’s insane.”

To reiterate, in order to even gain admission to Arniel, one had to possess the kind of talent that would be called “genius” anywhere in the world.

And among these gathered geniuses, Zelka Ainglass’s abilities were so exceptional that they evoked astonishment even from such prodigies.

[Test Results]
[Magic Power Measurement: 864–1,037 mpp]
[Average Value: Equivalent to a 4-core magic power]

Zelka Ainglass possessed an overwhelming amount of mana, to the point where one could say he was loved by mana itself…

As Zelka’s magic power test concluded, a momentary stir spread among the crowd.

“A maximum of 1,000 mpp? Is he really our age?”

“His body won’t be able to withstand that much, right?”

“My dad said that if you absorb too much magic power before you turn 15, your heart won’t be able to take it, and you’ll suffer side effects, living as a cripple for the rest of your life.”

“But that’s only if you can even absorb that much, right? How is that even possible…?”

Zelka Ainglass smiled faintly as he listened to the whispers of the students. It was, to anyone watching, the smile of victory.

However, no one said he was arrogant or annoying. They simply couldn’t.

He was undeniably a winner in life. At such a young age, he had already approached a level that even senior mages could only reach after decades of hard work…

In light of this, there was one person who couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

That person was Citrinne Asadin Herrael, the princess of the Herrael Empire. She had boldly declared that she would surpass the “Blue-Eyed Clan,” one of the five great magical families of Arniel, and become the best.

‘What… is that? Is that even possible?’

Like Zelka, Citrinne had reached the 3-star level at the age of 14, achieving a level of accomplishment greater than most genius mages. That was why she had confidently applied to Arniel. But she never expected there would be a monster like him!

“Next, Ailka Willed.”

One by one, the children of the five great magical families and other globally renowned mage families were called up.

Fortunately, the mana capacity of most of the geniuses ranked within the top ten was similar to that of Princess Citrinne.

[Test Results]

[Magic Power Level: 701~762mpp]

[Average: Equivalent to 3 Magic Cores]

“Hmm…”

Citrinne gently touched her lips as she looked at her magic power level. Reaching 3 Magic Cores at the age of fourteen was an incredible achievement, but standing next to the extraordinary outlier, Zelka Ainglass, made her feel somewhat insignificant.

‘…Magic power isn’t everything. As long as you reach a certain level, anyone can become an archmage.’

She consoled herself, knowing there was no time to be discouraged. She had to prove her magic, no matter what.

However.

Not just for Princess Citrinne.

Not just for the prodigies gathered here.

Even for the one who prided herself as the best, Zelka Ainglass.

There was one uncomfortable truth.

[…Test Results]

[Magic Power Level: 692~941mpp]

[Average: Equivalent to 3~4 Magic Cores]

That truth was, there was another participant whose magic power approached 4 Magic Cores.

“Wh-Who is it?”

“You don’t know? It’s ‘Perta,’ the adopted child of the Rendella family.”

“I’ve heard of him. He was originally from an orphanage, but his talent was so dazzling that he was adopted into the Rendella family, which is famous for enhancement magic…”

Perta Rendella. After finishing his magic test with a pale complexion that matched his equally pale skin, he returned to his seat with a stiff, expressionless face, as if he were a doll. The way he stared blankly into space was almost unnerving, making him seem less like a person and more like an eerie figure.

“Amazing…”

While the other participants marveled at Perta, the examiners and supervisors hardened their expressions.

‘His magic power is so unstable.’

Perta’s magic level was undoubtedly impressive, but the fluctuations were extreme, and the average value kept distorting. Magic like that, while powerful, would be difficult to control, potentially harming not only himself but also his allies. The precision of his spells would likely suffer, increasing the chance of casting failures.

But… despite the instability, his overwhelming magic power made it impossible for them not to be intrigued.

‘And to think he came from an orphanage. I heard the Rendella family rarely takes in adopted children…’

‘His talent must be truly exceptional.’

The examiners’ eyes gleamed.

Recently, the higher-ups had requested a list of talented students from commoner backgrounds.

Although Perta had been adopted into the Rendella family, he was originally a commoner, so his name would definitely be worth submitting.

After Perta, quite some time passed. Over a hundred participants had undergone the magic test, with an impressive average of 2-star results, as the tests continued.

“…Next. Participant number 187, Deis.”

After all the noble participants had taken their tests, it was now time for the commoner participants to be called up.

Deis.

As the name of the first commoner examinee was called, the hall buzzed with whispers.

“Deis? Did they say Deis?”

“Did he really apply to Arniel?”

“Isn’t that the same Deis who was chosen by ‘Mityel’ just a few days ago?”

“That’s right!”

“No way… So he really is just a commoner with no family background?”

“Why would Mityel choose a commoner…?”

The examinees stirred with as much interest as when Zelka Ainglass had made his appearance.

When the news that Mityel, the legendary staff said to have summoned a meteor hundreds of years ago, had recognized a new owner after a hundred years, it spread rapidly throughout the lakeside city of Worspia, causing shockwaves.

But when it was revealed that the new owner was a nobody, a mere commoner boy, the public grew restless.

In Arniel, steeped in aristocratic ideals, the notion of a “commoner surpassing nobles” was nothing short of irregular.

While it wasn’t unheard of for commoners to occasionally gain admission to Arniel, they were usually exceptional only by commoner standards. In the eyes of the nobles, such students never quite measured up to those from prestigious families.

Harang, standing on the platform under the burning gazes of the noble examinees, focused his attention on the blue crystal in front of him.

‘A magic test, huh?’

Harang, by now accustomed to being the center of attention, barely felt the pressure. What caught his interest more was the curious structure of the magic measuring device in front of him.

Through his Eyes of Truth, he instinctively began to analyze the mechanics behind the device.

‘It detects the wavelength of the waves emitted when magic power is released and calculates the volume of magic capacity, huh?’

It was a rather unique idea, and Harang had to admit that it was impressively precise.

Indeed, it seemed Arniel’s reputation as the top institution in the world was well-earned.

‘But it has its limitations.’

He estimated that the device would likely be inaccurate or incapable of measuring magic beyond five cores, and it definitely couldn’t measure aura using this method.

‘It’s a device purely for new students.’

With that thought, Harang placed his hand on the crystal.

There was no need for any special manipulation or holding back his power. Unlike some of the geniuses attending the magic school, Harang knew that he had to give his utmost effort in everything.

Just how talented was the mage chosen by Mityel?

With all eyes on him, the result finally came out.

[……Test Result]

[Magic Power: 220~221mpp]

[Average Value: Equivalent to Magic 2 Core]

The result was rather underwhelming.

“…What? Only 2 cores?”

“Isn’t that about the same as us, or even lower?”

“It’s even less than mine. I reached 300 at my peak.”

The examinees murmured amongst themselves.

At the age of fourteen, possessing 2 cores of magic power was certainly a respectable achievement. However, at Arniel, it was just “average,” neither outstanding nor disappointing.

Having just witnessed several examinees with 3 to 4 cores, it was only natural that Harang’s result left them unimpressed.

“Not much to see here, huh?”

“As expected, Mityel’s time has passed.”

“That’s how it is with ancient staffs.”

As Harang turned to head back to his seat amidst the sneers of the other examinees, the examiners, on the other hand, were shocked for a completely different reason.

‘How… How can the magic power be so stable?’

Harang’s magic power was measured at 220~221mpp, with almost no fluctuation at all.

For those with a solid understanding of magic, they would recognize that this result was absurd.

Magic power wasn’t something with a fixed capacity like water. It was always a discontinuous “energy state,” which meant it was impossible for the waves to be stabilized to such a degree.

If, by some miracle, that was possible—

It would mean that the person’s “control over mana” was far beyond human capability.

‘Who is this commoner boy…?’

The examinees stared at Harang with sneering eyes, while the examiners, filled with both fear and curiosity, observed him closely.

Thus, Harang’s magic test ended, leaving all eyes fixed on him.