Raviel walked down the wide pathway. His footsteps echoing silently against the polished floor.

Turning towards his right, he saw a large holographic sign floating ahead of him, the neon colours shifted gently on the screen.

[ EXAMINATION HALLWAY ]

He exhaled once and stepped inside.

The place was huge.

From the entrance, he could see the whole layout of the room.

In front of him a large, open hall stretched forward, packed with hundreds of students who seemed to be around his age. The noise inside the room was not loud nor too silent.

Some people sat on the rows of benches, each one deeply engrossed in their routine.

A few of them were watching videos on their phones and Arctic's, or pretending to scroll. Some just stood still, quietly observing everyone else.

Raviel scanned the crowd around him.

Nervous, calm and determined faces everywhere.

Then after a few minutes, at the same time, everyone's devices buzzed.

Raviel lifted his wrist.

[ Arctic ver 12.9 – Connected to Novexus Database ]

A small loading polygon ring spun for few seconds.

[ Exam Allotment — Room 17 ]

He raised an eyebrow.

"Room seventeen...huh".

At the same time, the walls reacted with a hissing~ sound, neon colured strips appeared Simultaneously on the walls, forming the shape of a door. Large numbers appeared one by one, floating above each door like markers.

Raviel spotted his alloted number 17 glowing in a clean emerald shade.

_____________

Room no. 17 was quiet in a way that felt delibrate.

A wide desk sat on a corner, made of dark alloy that seemed to absorb all the light in the room instead of reflecting it.

Behind it, a woman lounged over a leather chair, one leg crossed over the other. She wore a black suit and a long coat draped loosely against her shoulders. Her gray hair fell straight down, while her face whose beauty could wage wars was drowned in a bored expression, as her black eyes stared at the heap of files on the desk.

Beside her sat a man in relaxed tone, almost draped in an open clothing, a damp dark shirt fitted itself snugly on his physique, open collar, boots casually propped against the desk, untamed blonde hair. He wore an amused smile on his face as he watched the files and photo's of the new students.

Jeanne marie laurent sighed, tapping a finger against the desk.

"Another waste, of a great day" she said softly, "Another batch of immature weaklings throwing in some half baked moves, and another idiot headmaster watching their dull talents. God's its dull!".

The man laughed softly. "I do agree. Most of them swing their weapons like cavemen and still talk like they're some hot shit."

Jeanne glanced sideways, as she watched the glowing neon colours. "Their arrogance is almost impressive."

Jax Harlan leaned back, hands behind his head. "I'll admit, though, the clan heirs and few freshman at most are the only ones that really catch my eye. At least they're honest about why they're here."

Her eyes narrowed just a little. "Your mana's leaking again. Calm down."

Jax blinked. "Is it? My lady"

"You know very well it is," Jeanne said dryly. "Because of you, no professor wants to sit anywhere near this room."

He grinned. "Coming from you? That's rich. You sit there oozing pressure like a loaded gun and still call me the problem."

She scoffed. "Ooooh!...please. You're the one who treats students like lab experiments before they even step into the real training."

Jax placed a hand over his chest, in mock indignation. "I am the most humble person you'll ever meet, my lady."

Just before they could have another round of words.

The door slid open.

Both of them turned slightly.

And Raviel stepped inside.

Raviel froze in disbelief, as he saw the two seated figures.

Sentinel Jax harlan, a SS+ rank being, His whereabouts were always a mystery to him whenever he read the novel, but he was sure that this man was the strongest along with a handfull of people who could match his strength but could never beat him.

And beside him.

Jeanne Marie Laurent

The headmaster of N.O.V.A academy, the person crowned with the title of harbringer of the new genration, with her S+ rank strength, she was mentioned to be the main powerhouse in the earlier arc's of the novel.

For a fraction of second, his mind tried to place together as for why both of them were together in the enrollment exam, though it didn't matter much as he had already accepted there were bound to be diversions in the story no matter what he did. But seeing them together opened a new door for his plan.

Seeing Raviel stand there.

Jeanne smiled.

Then a pressure hit him.

Not like an overwhelming sensation, more like an authorative presence which demanded respect. His vision blurred as he saw the two figures.

Jeanne still smiled with her bored expression.

"So," she said calmly, her black eyes locking onto him, "prospective student Raviel. What pleasure do I owe you for sharing your thoughts so loudly?"

Raviel swallowed back, and forced himself to straighten. His teeth clenched as he tried to push back a fraction of the overwhelming pressure.

Jax chuckled seeing the scene. "Carefull now Jeanne. I want to see a splendid performance. You know?".

She didn't look away from Raviel. "I do expect something," she continued, voice smooth, "from my top rank second year student's brother."

Jax's brow lifted. "Oh?" He glanced at Raviel again, more interested now. "So he's a Thanarion too."

Jeanne snorted at his direction. "The files on the desk are not for show, dumbass".

Raviel exhaled slowly, grounding himself, and bowed just enough to be respectful without looking like he was submiting to them. "Shall I proceed with the test?". He knew both of them were people who hated long talks, especially from a student who just stood wordless in their first meeting.

For a brief moment, Jeanne's smile widened.

Jax laughed. "I like him."

He straightened and snapped his fingers. "Well then, let's begin."

A door near the entrance slid open with a sharp hiss.

A man walked in.

He was wearing a black combat uniform, sleeves rolled upwards with a black tattoo on his neck.

Jax gestured casually. "This gentleman here will be your opponent, Raviel."

The man cracked his neck once and stepped forward.

"So," Jax said lightly, "begin."

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