(XXXV) Tower Assignments

Everyone walked along the hallways, with massive paintings between large stained glass windows, as they entered an enormous auditorium.

The three years of upperclassmen stood wearing their uniforms, separated from one another as they remained underneath a banner representing their tower.

Franc crossed his arms over his chest as he stood beneath a blue banner with the visage of a dragon in the center in silver trim.

Leading the applicants into the auditorium was the young woman who confronted Cervantes. Her long, straight black hair flowed behind her as she strode along the carpet leading to a covered pedestal.

The nobles followed closely behind the young woman as she came to a halt, holding her hand up and signaling they stopped as well.

The commoners were closely behind the nobles as it was the first time for most they had been this close to nobility. Some of the more pretentious applicants turned back, scoffing at them.

The headmistress stood behind the pedestal with the other professors, including Earl Dromund, Ziegor, and, much to Leon's surprise, Alec. The young woman departed the applicants, approaching the pedestal and standing beside it as she turned around and faced them.

"Thank you everyone for participating in the Entrance Exam!" The headmistress said, raising her arms as the professors and students applauded, including the young woman.

"Now is for your final exam…" She continued as the young woman grabbed the sheet on top of the pedestal, snapping it off and revealing a massive sphere sitting atop, "The Tower Guardian Assignment!"

Exvius Academy has four guardians, each represented by a colored tower in one of the cardinal directions.

To the north lies the black tower of Genbu, a humongous tortoise with the tail of a snake. It has three senior prefects and seven junior prefects, each wearing a black cloak with gold designs representing the constellation that supports Genbu.

In the east is the blue tower of Sieryu, a massive serpentine dragon. The three senior prefects and seven junior prefects wore blue capes with silver trim, revealing the constellations that support Sieryu.

The west houses the white tower of Byakko, a giant white tiger that appears almost transparent. The three senior prefects and seven junior prefects wear a white trench coat with black trim, detailing the constellations that support Byakko.

Lastly, in the south is the red tower of Suzaku, a gigantic phoenix with blazing feathers. The three senior prefects and seven junior prefects don a red poncho with orange trim, intricately decorated with the constellations supporting Suzaku.

The headmistress, professors, and the head girl wore orange robes with radiant thread on the back, depicting Kirin, the calamity sealed beneath the auditorium by the four guardians.

Kirin was a mythical animal with the body of a deer, a dragon's head, an ox's tail, a horse's hooves, a body covered in a fish's scales, and a single horn on its forehead.

"Now, it's simple!" The headmistress exclaimed, smiling as she held her hand toward the sphere, "Just walk up and press your hand against the sphere, pour in your aura or mana into it, and a color will be revealed, determining your tower placement."

When she announced the task, a series of windows appeared before Leon.

[Quest Chain (3/3)]

[Tower Assignment]

[Task: Place first!]

[Reward: Three Bonus Attribute Points]

[Penalty: Attribute Point Reduction]

[Secret Quest received]

[Limitbreaker!]

[Task: break the previous record and submit the highest score in Exvius Academy history.]

[Reward: Placement into Kirin Squad]

[Penalty: Rejection of Entry into Exvius Academy.]

Leon rolled his eyes at the notifications, slowly having grown accustomed to the ridiculous ideas the system had been throwing at him.

The applicants were called forward, forming a line and approaching one by one, starting with the nobles, but Leon slipped to the back of the line, wanting to be the last one for the class.

Callum hardly touched the orb when it brightly illuminated a brilliant blue light, and he stood beside Franc with the Sieryu students. Shortly afterward, his two goons joined him.

Cao was placed in the Suzaku Tower, which was an immense surprise, as the Sieryu and Suzaku Towers were almost exclusively for Nobles.

Cervantes placed his hand against the sphere. It brightly lit up white as he joined the Byakko students.

Lastly, it came to Leon's turn. He cautiously approached the pedestal, the head girl smiling at him, "Don't be nervous; this isn't a test you can fail."

He rolled his eyes internally, smirking as he nodded to her, 'If only I didn't have a system ready to straight kick me out of the Academy before I even joined!'

He accessed his status window and quickly placed forty of his Available Attribute Points into his intelligence, shooting it up to [110+10] and placing the remaining points into his wisdom, increasing it to [66+14].

He placed his palm against the sphere, slowly releasing his aura as he began pouring it into the sphere, thinking, 'There's no way there has been an applicant with my overwhelming basic attributes.'

"Hmmm…" A voice rang inside his head, startling him as he nearly removed his hand from the inert sphere, "What a curious predicament I seem to find myself in!"

"What's going on?!?" Leon asked telepathically as a distorted face appeared in the sphere, almost startling him again.

"Well, it seems like you might have a problem deciding which Tower is best for yourself!" The sphere replied, explaining the four towers.

Genbu treasured knowledge and intelligence. Sieryu supports malevolence and justice. Byakko grabs the opportunity to select hunters and fighters it would appreciate, and Suzaku values good luck and prosperity.

"M-me..?" Leon asked in shock, not understanding the sphere, "Why would I pick between the towers? Just register my maximum strength and post me to a team!"

"You would excel in any of them without fail!" The sphere replied.

"Anything but Sieryu…" Leon muttered, repeating himself continuously.

"Not Sieryu..? But with your bloodline, you could do great things in Blue Tower!" The sphere laughed heartily.

Leon flooded the sphere with his aura as it continued to pour into it. Shocking everyone present as it began to emit a color.