Upon hearing his words, all the students became excited. They did not know how many points they had accumulated.

By finding out, they could measure their potential and strength.

In addition, they wanted to know about the other students as well.

Once the rankings were announced, they would see the strength of those who might one day become their rivals.

“Alright. I will announce the top five. Fifth place is Rossnia from the Magic Kingdom of Arcadia with fifteen thousand points!”

Everyone naturally turned to look at the girl. She had a striking appearance, with green hair tied in a ponytail.

Feeling their gazes, she smiled broadly.

‘Hehehe! I knew I would be in the top five,’ she whispered proudly.

“Fourth place is Arlena from the Knight Empire of Batrum with twenty thousand points!”

A girl stepped forward with an arrogant, domineering posture.

She was tall, with two gray braids and a cold, indifferent expression.

All the students stared at her in awe, but she remained calm, showing little emotion.

“Third place goes to Nysera from the dragon race with thirty thousand points!”

Everyone’s attention immediately shifted to the dragon girl, who stood out from the crowd. Silver scales adorned parts of her skin, and two horns jutted from her head.

She was quite tall, and her well-proportioned figure was strikingly attractive.

“Tch! Only third place? How annoying!” she sneered.

At first, she thought she would take first place. After all, she considered the children here weak.

Who would have thought? It turned out that two people were far stronger than her. This stirred her competitive spirit.

She glanced around, trying to identify those two.

Just then, Ronald’s voice rang out again.

“Second place is Liora from the druid race with thirty-five thousand points!”

When they heard the word “druid,” everyone was surprised. They instinctively turned to look at a girl with a strange appearance.

She wasn’t particularly tall. She had green hair and eyes, and leaves and small roots wrapped around her body.

Her face was actually quite beautiful, but the roots and leaves covering her made others feel uncomfortable.

“Is she Liora from the druid race? It’s amazing that she got second place. But unfortunately… ugh… her appearance is a bit creepy, isn’t it?” a girl whispered.

“Yes, she looks really strange. I don’t feel comfortable looking at her,” another replied.

A quiet murmur spread among the students in the academy courtyard.

Liora’s achievement in reaching second place was remarkable and stirred jealousy. But her unusual appearance made the others unconsciously distance themselves from her.

Liora naturally noticed their whispers and expressions. A deep sadness welled up inside her.

‘I just haven’t reached adulthood yet,’ she murmured softly.

She was still very young and had not fully matured. But there was no point in explaining that to them.

After all, her appearance was strange—at least in human eyes.

“Alright. Now, I will announce the first-place winner. She is Catrine Clay from the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria with forty thousand points!”

As soon as Ronald’s voice rang out again, everyone froze in surprise. They quickly searched for Catrine, and their eyes soon landed on her.

Catrine’s beautiful yet cold appearance immediately captured the boys’ attention.

“Damn! Is that Catrine Clay? What a beautiful girl!”

“You’re right! If I tried to approach her, do you think I’d have a chance?”

“Tch! You want to approach her? You’re dreaming!”

Excited chatter broke out among the students. The boys were drawn to Catrine’s striking appearance and power, while the girls felt a mix of admiration and… envy.

She was not only beautiful, but she had also claimed first place. It was impossible not to feel inferior in her presence.

“But wait… her name is Catrine Clay, right? Is she related to Merlin Clay, the genius listed in the academy records?”

At that question, everyone froze. Only then did they realize that Catrine shared the same surname as Merlin Clay, the most brilliant student of the first wave.

Their gazes shifted. What had once been simple admiration was now mixed with reverence and a hint of fear.

They didn’t know the exact relationship between the two, but it was likely they were closely related—perhaps siblings.

“Merlin Clay, huh? So that’s why…” Nysera whispered, her eyes gleaming.

During the final stage of the first test, she had chosen Merlin Clay as her opponent. And she had to admit, he was truly strong.

Even Nysera, who had always been confident in her own strength, had been rendered helpless against him.

If it weren’t for the many defensive artifacts she possessed and her physical strength, which surpassed that of other children her age, she might have lost within the first minute.

Who would have thought that the first-place winner shared the same surname as Merlin Clay?

Her eyes sparkled with fighting spirit.

“Achoo!” Catrine suddenly sneezed. She glanced around and noticed the admiring gazes of the other students.

However, among those gazes, one was filled with hostility—as if its owner wanted to defeat her.

‘How foolish,’ she whispered, shaking her head.

She wasn’t afraid of anyone—not even those ranked second, third, fourth, or fifth.

In her eyes, they were not worthy opponents. Only her brother and the first wave of students posed a real threat.

“Alright. The five of them have earned the highest points among all of you. Of course, a reward awaits them,” Ronald said with a playful smile.

At the mention of rewards, everyone’s hearts sank. They wanted them too, but they knew it was nearly impossible.

Only five people were eligible. Moreover, the number of points they had gathered was astonishing.

While most students had not even reached ten thousand points, the five of them had exceeded fifteen thousand—and Catrine, in first place, had reached forty thousand.

It was a gap they could not hope to close.

“Well then, you may return to your respective quarters. The dormitories have been prepared. You may ask the academy staff on duty for assistance.”

After saying that, Ronald stepped down from the stage, his back aching from standing too long.

The academy head should have given him extra pay, but he was too afraid to ask for it.

The students began to disperse, heading toward the dormitories Ronald had mentioned.

Of course, their dormitories were not in the same complex where the first wave of students lived but in a separate complex.

After all, they were on different levels from the first wave.

Catrine let out a soft sigh and was about to turn away when an enthusiastic voice called out from behind her.

“Wait a minute, Catrine Clay!”

She stopped in her tracks. With her brows slightly furrowed, she turned around and saw a tall girl with scaly skin.

Her eyes were sharp, with vertical red pupils. The students who witnessed the scene were immediately intrigued.

They recognized her—Nysera from the dragon race.

“What’s going on? Are they going to fight?” one student asked hesitantly.

“Looks like it,” another replied. “Want to watch?”

“Let’s go!”

Many students who had been on their way to the dormitories changed their minds and stayed to watch the potential clash between Catrine and Nysera.

“What is it?” Catrine asked indifferently. Her gaze swept over the surrounding students, her expression showing annoyance and discomfort.

She didn’t like being the center of attention.

“Hehehe…” Nysera rubbed her nose and flashed a wide grin. “Catrine Clay, I challenge you to a duel!”

Catrine was taken aback. “A duel? What do you mean?”

“A duel means a fight. I want you to fight me!” Nysera declared eagerly.

Catrine was speechless. At first, she had thought Nysera wanted to say something important, but instead, she was challenging her to a fight.

“Not interested. Don’t bother me,” Catrine replied coldly.

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away.

“Huh… predictable. Who would accept a sudden challenge like that? If I were Catrine, I’d refuse too. Besides, there’s no benefit,” one student remarked, disappointed.

The others nodded in agreement, shook their heads, and quickly dispersed.

But suddenly…

Whoosh!

Nysera shot toward Catrine at incredible speed. She raised her fist, wreathed in a bright red flame.

“Are you underestimating me? Damn it! I’ll show you I’m better than you!” she roared.

Everyone froze, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Nysera’s attack was lightning-fast and almost silent. There was no way for Catrine to dodge.

Just as Nysera’s fist was half a meter from the back of Catrine’s head, something unexpected happened.

Ice flowers sprouted beneath Catrine’s feet and surged toward Nysera.

Her rushing body was instantly stopped, suspended in midair, and held fast by the massive, freezing blossoms.

The fire in her fist vanished, extinguished by the intense cold of the ice.

“What? How… is that possible!?” Nysera screamed in shock.

Before she could react, Catrine turned and swung her sword directly toward her neck.

Nysera closed her eyes, bracing herself for death.

But she felt no pain. When she opened her eyes, the sharp tip of Catrine’s sword was stopped just inches from her throat.

It was so close that the slightest movement would have drawn blood.

“If it weren’t for the rule against killing, you’d be dead,” Catrine said coldly.

Her gaze was so piercing it sent a shiver down Nysera’s spine.

Sheathing her sword, Catrine turned and walked away calmly, leaving the courtyard in stunned silence.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep