S-Class

When I opened my eyes I saw a white ceiling, recognizing I was in some sort of nurse's office or clinic, I thought back to what happened right before I passed out.

I failed the entrance exam. Because of that evil old man. I wanted nothing more than to punch him in his senile old face and steal his cane while pushing him down some steps. Either way, it was too late to change anything. There was a tinge of regret, that I didn't prepare better. A taste of bitterness in my mouth because I felt like I had truly wasted my first life. If I had stuck with sports a little longer, or if I had tried to actually take martial arts seriously.

Wiping away a tear, I pushed myself up to my elbows, and began to look around the room. What did I see, in the corner of the room?

That devil old man, laughing at me with tears in his eyes.

"I thought you were more mature, because of how you were able to form such a clear battle plan and execute it. However it seems you really are just a kid. Crying like a baby after losing." the old man said, wiping the tears away.

"F*ck you old man, where is your caretaker, shouldn't they escort you back to the nursing home? Won't the museum contact the police because their mummy exhibit went missing?" I said, exasperated. I was sick of this old man, he ruined everything for me, and now he was laughing at me calling me a baby.

"You never learned to fight, did you. Only an amateur would have stared at my feet for almost a minute, and think that their opponent wouldn't notice what you were trying to do."

My eyes went wide, I hadn't even thought of such an obvious thing, with the adrenaline and the nerves I forgot about mind games. "It was that bad huh, so you crossing your feet was a trap?"

"Of course it was. I was a swordsman when I was a young adventurer, footwork is ingrained into these old bones. I wouldn't ever make such a mistake, but I will commend you on your understanding of it. Especially considering you're a total amateur who is self taught."

"Well, it was all for nothing anyways. In the end I lost, and now I will have to try and take the entrance exam next year. You couldn't have taken it easy on a kid? Are you the devil?" I said, shaking my head. Even when he was complimenting me, he still insulted me.

"Boy, who said you failed the exam?" the old man shook his head this time, looking at me like I was an idiot. "You're an amateur, but you're by no means untalented. You formulated a plan within a minute, executed said plan, and you even prepared for the unexpected. I was truly surprised when you dodged my cane the first time, it was something I did not telegraph it at all, you reacted quickly because you expected it. I am a friend of the headmaster, I recommended you to the special class. You will be with other anomalies like yourself."

"You're friends with the headmaster? Did you both hatch from the same dinosaur egg?" Although I said this, I had a gentle smile on my face. It turned out I had passed, and I was even going to be able to join an advanced course. The A-Class and S-Class had their tuitions paid for by the state, meaning they wouldn't have to pay anything and would get the best nurturing. They were guaranteed to be future pillars of the country. "Thank you, sir."

Smiling, the old man seemed to have taken a liking to me. "Your mouth will get you in trouble one day. You should build up your strength so you don't get stomped like an ant by old men like me." He said with a smirk. At this moment a younger woman came into the room, she was wearing a grey business suit, and she bowed to the old man before speaking.

"Guild master, you have a meeting with the Eagle guild to discuss the distribution of new gates in half an hour. We must leave now, there is a car waiting for you." the woman said, not sparing a second to speak to me.

Wait, did I hear her right? Guild master? Of the Daydream guild? As these thoughts filled my mind, I looked at the old man with a look of confusion.

The old man nodded, whispered something to the woman before turning to me and saying, "Well boy, it's my time to leave. Congratulations on entering the Academy, and I hope you keep our guild in your thoughts if you are looking for a job after graduating. I'll welcome you as long as you keep growing." With that, he left the room. As they were leaving the young woman took a moment to look at me, before leaving without saying another word.

After they left, others began to come in. Claire and Lloyd both came in, and there was also a nurse who checked me before telling me I was okay to leave. Lloyd told me that he had passed all the tests, and that he would be in the A-Class. Claire had been with Lloyd since the old man who carried me out of the testing site said he would watch over me until the exams were concluded. When they asked who he was, I decided to respect his privacy and just say he was an adventurer who conducted to mock fight with me. I told them I was admitted to the S-Class and they both shouted out in joy for me. As we were getting ready to leave, an older man walked into the room. He was dressed in a brown suit that looked worn in. It even had the elbow patches of leather, indicating it had been worn for a long time. He had grey hair and a lengthy beard. He smiled gently and introduced himself as the headmaster. He said that I was given a recommendation from someone watching over my test, and that I would be placed into the S-Class. Told that we would be living in the dorms provided for S and A-Class students, he excused himself and left the room.

Claire bid us goodbye upon returning us to the testing center, where a school official told her they would be taking us to the dorms from there.

After walking for a bit we approached a large apartment complex on campus. A residential advisor came down, and brought Lloyd up to his room. Lloyd and I hugged, bidding farewell for a bit and promising to focus on our studies to try and get stronger. We both knew we wouldn't have a lot of time to spend with each other during the week, and possibly missing free time on the weekends opting for extra training.

The school official took me somewhere else, walking down a separate street that led into a forest. The forest path we took followed alongside a paved road. After another twenty minutes of walking we arrived out of the woods, to a large mansion. Along the way, he explained that S-Class had 20 available slots, however there were only 13 students currently in it, with me being the 13th. He said that no one other than high ranking school faculty, S-Class teachers, and S-Class students themselves were allowed to enter the mansion.

He only told me, "They'll handle you when you get in. It seems they're already waiting for you." He then pointed to the mansion, and I noticed that there were 12 silhouettes standing in the windows, looking out at me.

'What the f*ck is this, why do I feel like this is a cult initiation or a hazing event?!'

Feeling nervous, but having no other choice, I walked through the door. The moment I walked in, I felt like I had walked into a new world. The difference between where I slept yesterday, and where I would sleep tonight felt like day and night. The entrance when you walked in was a spacious entryway. There were two sets of stairs on the left and right straight ahead, coming to a point at the top which would take you to the second floor. There were two archways down the hallways to the left and right, which took you to other parts of the mansion. There were 12 people standing in front of me when I walked in, all of them sizing me up.

While I was looking at them, I noticed two familiar faces. A couple girls I met in a subway. Smiling, I knew I could handle whatever was about to happen.