"...Brother, I think the crystal malfunctioned. Even those ugly goblins have better mana rank. It must definitely be a mistake."

I looked sideways. Daniel stood beside me with an expression so genuinely concerned that I almost felt touched. But being compared to a goblin still hurts though. Still it feels nice to have a guy like him around.

"Thank you for supporting me during this difficult period of my life. I don’t think the crystal malfuncted. It’s just my shitty luck."

"I’m serious," he whispered while adjusting his glasses. "I’ve never seen an F rank before."

"Oh well, you do now." I let out a hollow laugh.

A nearby noble student overheard us and snorted quietly.

"An F rank entering Aether Academy? The standards really dropped."

The other students around him started laughing and mocking Ren.

’Damn, I can’t believe I’m actually meeting these arrogant young masters on my first day at the academy.’

"...You don’t need to listen to them." Daniel tried to comfort me.

"I wasn’t planning to." Honestly, their opinions didn’t matter much to me. They are irrelevant anyway. Before I could think further, one of the instructors raised his voice across the arena.

"The mana compatibility assessment has been concluded. Now, the last test, which is the combat assessment, will take place. Move to the arena."

The atmosphere instantly became more tense. Compared to the written examination and mana test, this was the stage people truly cared about. This will prove how much better you are than others.

The students gradually started moving toward the arena, Daniel walked beside me nervously while clutching his stomach.

"My stomach hurts. This pressure is making me sick."

"What a coward." I muttered under my breath but Daniel heard it.

"Yeah, you’re right. I’m just a coward." Daniel slumped his shoulders down and started walking like a zombie.

I’m really starting to like Daniel. Not in a romantic way. His personality made everything feel slightly less serious.

Soon we reached the combat area. It was massive. There were several circular battle platforms stretching across the area with giant holographic screens which floated over the arena displaying the participants’ names and rankings.

Students gradually filled the audience sections which surrounded the arena. This feels more like those professional tournaments instead of an academy exam.

Some looked anxious and nervous for what’s to come while some of the noble heirs looked relatively relaxed like they’d top the ranking charts.

Well they might, since from birth they are drinking high quality mana potions and are fed high food meant to increase your mana quantity and quality. But too bad, they are in the same year as the protagonist.

A thunderous voice echoed throughout the arena "This year’s batch seem very lively. As expected of the golden batch. Your combat assessments will start now. Which will be one on one combat."

’That old man must be the dean of the academy. The strongest on the human continent.’ Target set, I must cultivate till I can overpower him.

Soon the conditions of the battle were displayed on the screen.

[Victory Conditions: The opponent must surrender or must be unable to continue.]Murmurs spread immediately afterward.

"Direct combat..."

"So rankings will depend heavily on matchups."

"Damn it..."

Daniel looked seconds away from collapsing.

"I should’ve pursued accounting instead."

"You still can."

"No. My parents already told everyone I’d become an elite fighting the demons."

"That sounds emotionally exhausting."

"It is."

The screen above suddenly shifted again before displaying the first matches. Students immediately searched for their names.

I also started looking for my matchup and there it was

Match 17Ren Valecrest vs Kyle DrenorDaniel made a choking noise beside me.

"Oh no."

"...You know him?"

"He’s from the Drenor family."

"So? What does that have to do with me?" I already knew about Kyle Drenor naturally. In the original novel he was matched up with the protagonist and got defeated in a single move.

Daniel lowered his voice immediately. "They’re combat maniacs. Their family Aspect specializes in physical reinforcement."

"How troublesome." I muttered Meanwhile whispers had already started spreading nearby.

"Wait... isn’t that the F-rank guy?"

"He’s fighting Kyle?"

"He’s dead."

A blond-haired boy near the preparation area suddenly looked toward me after hearing his name. Kyle Drenor. The guy was built like a tank. A faint smirk appeared on his face. I know what that smirk meant, that bastard wants to humiliate me.

The matches began quickly afterward. Students fought across multiple platforms simultaneously while instructors carefully observed every movement.

Some battles ended instantly. Others dragged on for some time. Everyone was showcasing their abilities to the fullest.

Then came my turn. "Match 17. Participants enter the arena." The instructor called.

Daniel looked at me with the expression of a man attending a funeral.

"...Good luck brother. Let’s meet in our next lives"

"I won’t die.Thank you for your emotional support." I rolled my eyes.

"That wasn’t emotional support!"

I ignored him and stepped onto the arena calmly while Kyle cracked his knuckles across from me casually.

The moment our eyes met, he let out a short laugh.

"You’re the F-rank?"

"Unfortunately."

"Good good, heavens must be on my side for giving me an easy win"

His tone sounded casual, but the mockery underneath it was obvious.

Honestly, I preferred people like this. People like him were predictable

Kyle rolled his shoulders slightly before grinning.

"You should surrender early. Saves both of us time."

"And if I don’t?"

"Then be prepared to be crippled."

The surrounding students laughed. I sighed internally. These personalities really existed in every novel that I’ve read.

The instructor standing near the arena raised one hand.

"Begin."

The moment the signal dropped, Kyle lunged forward towards me. Mana surged through his body while bronze-colored light covered his arms and legs. A physical enhancement Aspect. His speed was fast enough to surprise normal students.

But to me, Everything looked strangely clear. The moment I entered the Qi Gathering Realm, my senses had sharpened significantly. I could see the shift in his shoulders, the tightening of his muscles, everything felt like a slow-mo.

Almost instinctively, I stepped sideways. His fist passed directly by my face.. Kyle frowned immediately before attacking again. This time he was even faster.

A sharp kick swept toward my ribs. I leaned backward slightly. The kick barely missed. Then another punch came instantly afterward. Kyle was getting agitated because his attacks were not hitting me.

My body reacted naturally, dodging all his attacks. The atmosphere around the arena slowly changed.

At first people looked excited to see a one sided beating. But now they were intensely staring at the match.

"...How is he avoiding everything?"

"Wasn’t he F rank?"

"Kyle can’t even beat an F rank"

Kyle’s expression darkened visibly. Mana surged around him more violently now.

"Die...you annoying bug." Kyle threw a punch packed with ridiculous amount of mana.

The arena floor cracked beneath his feet as he rushed forward far faster than before. His fist shot directly toward my jaw. At the last second, I raised my arm and blocked.

BOOM.

A heavy impact echoed across the arena.

Pain spread faintly through my arm as the force pushed me backward several steps. This punch was really strong. ’Damn Kyle, are you trying to kill me?’

The audience reacted loudly after the first direct collision.

Kyle grinned immediately after forcing me backward.

"There we go. You certainly need effort to squash bugs"

Mana gathered around his body again before he attacked relentlessly. The pressure on me increased continuously while bronze light covered his body like armor.

Each attack carried enough force to seriously injure ordinary students.

But the longer we fought, the stronger my body felt. The Qi inside me circulated naturally through my meridians. My movements became smoother and light. It almost felt like my body was adapting during combat.

Kyle threw another heavy punch toward my chest. This time instead of dodging, I stepped forward and swung my fist forward while circulating my qi. My fist collided directly against his stomach. He staggered backward and coughed violently. Kyle’s eyes widened instantly like he couldn’t believe the scene that was happening.

I couldn’t believe it. That much power from a causal punch. So this is the difference between qi and mana.’ I smirked. The people that were focusing on our match couldn’t believe what had happened.

"What the hell?!"

"Kyle got pushed back?!"

"He got pushed back by an F rank!"

"How is this possible?"

Anger flooded Kyle’s face and this time mana violently exploded all around his body.

"You bastard...be prepared to die now"

The bronze light covering his arms intensified rapidly. Now he was actually serious.