337: First Day Ends

First Day Ends

"Why are people cheering for him more than for my brother?" Lucas asked Damian.

The crowd of students were cheering for Kevin Whiteheart, and his popularity in all other years was also evident.

"Eh? That's a bit..." Damian scratched the back of his head.

He couldn't outright say that Asher was one of the most hated people in World Academy, especially among First Year students.

Those who followed Raelyn Whiteheart, the Student Council President, also hated Asher because he was disrespectful to her. The same went for those who supported Leonard Tarvian, except Leonard didn't let others know that there were rifts between him and the heir of the Greville Family.

"If you call everyone useless on the first day at World Academy, this is what happens," Amelia, who had just entered the room, said.

Livia looked back and smiled at Amelia because she had also won easily; her match was with someone in Rank 41.

"It's just that he is too strong, so people get jealous," Damian tried to sugarcoat Amelia's words.

Lucas looked at Damian and then at the stage. He didn't like Kevin, Elena, and Eva due to their behavior at the party that happened a year ago. For Lucas, Asher was someone who changed his life and saved his sister whom he tried so hard to save.

Amelia just shook her head, looking at Damian, who was trying to save Asher's image.

Though the main reason was their personality, there were other reasons as well why people tried to connect more with Kevin than with Asher.

Kevin was friends with both the Rothschild Family and the Williams Family, which made people think of making connections with the Whiteheart Family. The Whiteheart Family had risen in ranks, having become an Elite Family just over a decade ago.

Greville were one of the strongest, and few people could get close to them because of their personalities and the way the Greville handled matters.

At the Main Spectator Area,

'He doesn't look too bad,' Alfred judged Kevin by his stance and demeanor.

'If not for Asher, he would have been the strongest of this generation,' Alfred admitted, observing the way Kevin was handling his mana.

Because he possessed the lightning element, one of the strongest offensive elements, it was evident that his affinity with that element was high.

Silvus shared the same opinions, while Farnus's expression remained unchanged. He showed no reaction to Kevin, simply observing the match.

Kevin's match was against the Rank 26th Student. The match began with the student rushing at Kevin to close the distance. But Kevin didn't move. As the distance between them decreased, he stepped to the side, rotating his spear to connect the edge of it with the student's stomach.

"Arghh," the student groaned in pain but managed to stay on his knees.

Without giving him more time, Kevin moved to the student's side, prompting the student to raise his sword to his right. But at that moment, Kevin used his spear to shift his weight to the left, surprising the student as he appeared right in front of him.

Kevin tilted his body backward, raised his right leg, and kicked the student, sending him flying off the stage.

"The Winner is Kevin Whiteheart!" The Commentator announced as the Referee stopped the match.

Kevin turned and left the stage, wearing a smile.

However, his smile faded once he entered the waiting room, away from the eyes of the crowd in the Arena. Kevin wasn't going to be satisfied with just this win. His aim was the top spot, and he understood the challenge of attaining Rank 1.

Defeating Asher seemed an uphill task. Kevin would need to reach C-Rank as well to even stand a chance, and even then, he lacked an effective counter to Asher's unique swordsmanship.

The manner in which Asher wielded his sword was unconventional and his movements unpredictable.

"Not too bad for the first day," Alfred commented.

"But I'm eager for the next three days, when the 'real' matches begin," Alfred added.

Silvus nodded in agreement.

At the moment, none of the top-tier students were competing against one another. But the stakes would soon escalate, as many from the Elite Families and Seat Holders would soon be in attendance at the Arena, closely watching the battles.

Three hours later, as the final match concluded, the first day of the End Year Tournament came to a close.

Upon the day's completion, a magical veil materialized before Alfred and Silvus, revealing their respective portals.

"It's been an interesting day," Silvus remarked to Farnus, smiling.

"I feel the same," Alfred said.

"I'm glad you both enjoyed it," responded Farnus.

Both the Greville Twins and the Grandus Twins had accommodations prepared for them. However, the Greville Twins were given the choice to stay in the Rankers Dorm with Amelia or Asher Greville.

Rumors regarding the Grandus Twins, as well as sightings of some children accompanying Amelia Greville, were making rounds. All the speculations would be addressed on the Fourth Day when Farnus would make two significant announcements.

After some brief chatter, Alfred and Silvus departed, leaving Farnus by himself.

Suddenly, Arman emerged from a gathering black mist behind Farnus.

"Are the preparations complete?" Farnus inquired.

"If tomorrow's matches are conducted in the same manner, we should have ample time for the event," Arman responded.

"Then, maintain the same schedule," Farnus instructed.

"But will the other Seat Holders consent?" Arman questioned.

Despite Farnus spearheading the plans, he was bound by certain limitations that prevented him from acting solely on his whims.

"Don't worry about it. Human greed and aspirations often exceed our expectations," Farnus remarked with a light chuckle. "When you've lived as long as I have, you'll perceive these nuances more profoundly," he added.

Arman nodded, absorbing the wisdom imparted by Farnus. Nonetheless, he harbored reservations about whether events would unfold as anticipated. He anxiously awaited the Fourth Day, when all would be unveiled.

The tournament held much anticipation for the student body.

They looked forward to potential rank advancements, the coveted reward awaiting the top five first-year rankers – the Trial's Ground, and the outcome of the impending clash between the Student Council and the Blood Faction.

Farnus was about to reveal something that would shock everyone.

However, only Arman and the other professors who were aware of this could adhere to Farnus's commands.

'Well, this day was bound to come soon,' Arman thought to himself as he stopped pondering it.

It was somewhat rushed, but Arman had somewhat anticipated this event.

In the Ranker's Dorm,

Asher was in his room when he received a notification on his ID Bracelet, asking to confirm the entry of four people.

Upon Asher's confirmation, the door opened to reveal the lavish accommodations reserved for the Rank 1 Student.

"It's so spacious," Livia observed as they stepped onto the Tenth Floor.

With the day having come to a close, Amelia chose to introduce the twins to the Ranker's Dorm.

She had requested Asher to grant them access to his floor, which he did.

Inside his room, Asher closed the computer and various documents he had been reviewing before stepping out.

He had departed early because Tom had new intel for Asher's perusal. He was engrossed in this until Amelia's message arrived.0

"When you see his training room, you'll be even more astonished," Damian remarked, noticing Asher emerge.

"There's so much mana," Lucas commented, sensing the abundant mana around the World Academy.

"It's due to a special artifact that enriches the mana on this floating island," Amelia explained to Lucas.

"And his room has the highest mana concentration among all the rooms," she continued.

Being the Rank 1 carried privileges, which both Damian and Amelia coveted.

"I'm curious about the arrangements for you two," Damian said, glancing at the twins.

Amelia had informed him that not only Lucas and Livia but also the Grandus twins were enrolling here.

"We strive for these facilities, but you all will have a special class. It'll be interesting to see how everything is organized," Damian mused aloud.

"Let's not dwell on that. Let's take them to your training and sparring room," Damian said with enthusiasm.

Amelia eyed Damian, noting he seemed even more eager to enter Asher's training room than the twins.

'This guy,' Amelia mused, shaking her head, as Damian shamelessly capitalized on the opportunity.

"Please, go ahead," Asher said, granting access to all rooms for them.

<Need for Confirmation is Removed

The robotic voice announced as all rooms unlocked, permitting anyone to enter without needing Asher's consent.

The twins marveled at everything while Damian led them to rooms of 'his' choosing.

Amelia saw Asher heading back to his chamber, recognizing he wasn't one for prolonged company.

'Maybe he's not so bad after all,' Amelia reflected, following the twins.

Noticing them entering, Asher retreated to his own room.

Ping!

A voice message from Tom landed in his inbox, which Asher played immediately.

"Boss, what should we do about those guys?" Tom inquired, awaiting Asher's response.

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