Upon seeing the gates to Mirror Dragon Academy, Nadran's pulse involuntarily sped up. This famous academy was home to the best of the best, and they had many alumni that became powerful, earth-shaking experts. Even the city's ruler had once attended this prestigious school. Nadran had primarily come here for protection, but that did not mean he had never desired to go here. This was the dream of many but the reality of few, and Nadran would soon join their elite ranks.

[If only I had learned that I was this good at alchemy earlier,] Nadran lamented, unaware that before the last week, such success would have been impossible for him. He knew that, while he had managed to learn some alchemy, he was still too old compared to most of the geniuses here, especially in the field of sigils. He was 21 years old and had yet to even reach the slate realm, and yet it was not rare to see students reaching the marble realm by 16 or 17. He was truly too far behind in this field.

After reminiscing about his past wishes that had so unexpectedly come true, Nadran stepped through the grand gates and entered the academy. The gates were massive, and the only entry point to the academy. The gates stood almost fifty feet tall, connecting to a wall that surrounded the entire academy. The imposing gates looked as though they were made of obsidian, being a glossy black with gold highlights that seemed to command attention and respect. A set of double doors as tall as the gate stood ajar, allowing entrance to the interior of this school that almost resembled a fortress.

Inscribed on the door in gold was a set of words. They seemed to glow with a fierce light, appearing grand and imposing.

"With the tranquility of a mirror, we reflect on our true selves.

With the might of a dragon, we crush our enemies."

A slight smile emerged on Nadran's face as he felt the power and conviction behind those words. [As expected, even the entrance to the academy is so incredible. I'm sure I'll be able to find what I want here.]

Nadran soon reached a gigantic courtyard where hundreds of people sat, chatting and relaxing. At the front of the courtyard stood a podium that seemed to be made of jade. It was currently empty, and Nadran glanced around before finding an empty space and sitting down.

There was still another 15 minutes until noon, so Nadran lay on his back, staring at the puffy white clouds drifting across the sky. [It feels weird to actually be at Mirror Dragon Academy,] Nadran thought idly. [It hasn't really sunk in yet. This almost doesn't feel real.]

Nadran glanced around to see what the other students were doing. Some were talking to each other, others appeared to be cultivating. Nadran also noticed Noctis, who was, unsurprisingly, asleep. While only seven people had passed the alchemy exam, most of these students had gotten here through the normal entrance exam due to having a high sigil realm.

[That means that most likely.. I am the person with the lowest sigil realm out of everyone here..] Nadran thought, sighing, and once again hoped that he would be able to actually raise his sigil realm while here.

[There's nothing to do..] Nadran thought, bored. [I wish I had a book to read.] Unfortunately, his family did not have the money to buy many books, and the only books they had were story books that Nadran had already read through nearly a dozen times. He had only managed to read about alchemy by sitting inside the library and reading for hours on end, without even having the money to borrow them from the library and take them home.

"Hey there! What are you doing?" A loud voice suddenly broke Nadran out of his thoughts, and he looked over to see two people approaching. The one who spoke was a brawny looking boy with wild-looking black hair, probably around 15 years old. Following behind him was a girl who looked to be a few years older, her appearance looking much more tidy, her long black hair well-combed. She looked visibly uncomfortable, trying to stop the boy from moving forward, but he continued onward regardless.

"Firen, please don't disturb this random person for no reason," she said quietly, tugging ineffectually at his sleeve in an attempt to stop him. "He looked like he was relaxing comfortably on the ground, why not just let him be?"

"Don't worry, I'm sure that he'd love to have a nice talk with me," the boy named Firen replied confidently before turning back to Nadran. "So, what's your favorite color?"

Nadran stared blankly at Firen for a second. "What?"

Firen did not seem perturbed in the slightest by Nadran's obvious confusion. "Your favorite color. Mine's yellow, by the way."

Nadran blinked before hesitantly speaking. "Uh, I guess.. purple?"

"Purple, huh? A nice choice," Firen responded happily. "I like you. Let's be friends!"

Nadran's brain nearly short-circuited while trying to follow this strange boy's obscure train of thought. [He is willing to be friends with me.. because I like the color purple? I can't even..]

Seemingly oblivious to Nadran's questioning gaze and the strange stares he was receiving from the nearby students, Firen beamed and spoke up once again. "I'm Firen, by the way, and this is my sister, Icina. What's your name?"

"..Nadran," Nadran responded, still unable to regain his footing in this ridiculously fast-paced conversation.

"Sorry about this," Icina spoke up nervously, clasping her hands together. "My little brother can be a bit.."

"Awesome?" Firen interjected, smiling brightly. "I know, right? I'm really awesome." Firen suddenly seemed to realize something and his eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! Why didn't I see you in the entrance examination?"

Nadran took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "I didn't take the normal entrance examination, I took the alchemist entrance examination."

"Ooh, you're an alchemist?" Firen asked excitedly. "Can you make me a pill that will make me 50 feet tall?"

Nadran stared blankly at Firen, feeling exhausted despite the fact that he was barely moving. Before he could respond, though, he noticed a figure walking up to the jade podium.

This man was wearing long, flowing green robes that covered everything below his head, almost resembling a monk. He had a serious expression on his face and sported a neatly trimmed triangular goatee. His hair was light gray in color, and the faint wrinkles on his face seemed to speak of vast experience. As he stepped up onto the podium, all of the conversations stopped and everyone's eyes involuntarily moved over to look at him.

"Welcome to Mirror Dragon Academy," the man declared, his gaze passing over the crowd seated before him. Despite his age, his voice sounded powerful and resonant, and it was clear that he was an expert. "You are here because you are the most talented of your generation, and this academy has the capacity to raise you to become warriors and leaders. You must learn the rules before you proceed, however. While this is a great opportunity for you, you cannot act freely, and your actions have consequences. Even if you have powerful backing, you must follow the rules like everyone else. If your actions are drastic enough, your punishment may be death."

A solemn atmosphere filled the courtyard at these words. Only an academy as strong as Mirror Dragon Academy could say such strong words and back them up without fear of retribution.

"First: you must not kill or cripple other students," the man continued, looking around gravely. "While conflicts are inevitable, there are a number of ways to solve conflicts that don't result in death. I encourage you to use these routes instead."

"Second: you must not attempt to steal another student's identity slip. If it is discovered that you did this, the consequences will be severe."

"Third, as students of Mirror Dragon Academy, you must not do things that reflect badly on the academy."

The man's expression relaxed slightly. "Now, I will explain what your stay here will entail. This academy has a number of buildings and facilities, and what you can access and use depends on your own accomplishments. Your identity card that you were handed at the exam is very important, so be sure not to lose it. It contains not only your identity, but also records your strength, accomplishments, and permissions. Without this card, you cannot even walk through the front door and enter the academy. With this card, you can access useful places and purchase valuable goods and services to assist you."

"This academy has its own special currency called Contribution Points. You can use these points to exchange for a number of different purposes, from advantageous cultivation rooms to valuable pills, weapons, or cultivation manuals. You can earn them by doing deeds to help the academy, by, for example, doing missions from the mission hall or by succeeding in difficult challenges or setting records. If you are ever unsure how to get more points, the mission hall is always a good place to start. The attendants can also inform you of other opportunities."

"I will not describe every building in the academy, but I will explain the most important and popular ones. First of all, there are the classrooms, where teachers will explain concepts and aid in your understanding of sigils and other fields. There are lectures at all levels, but the higher-level ones usually have a contribution point fee to attend."

"There is also a section devoted to places you can acquire valuable resources. These include the weapon hall, sigil hall, pill hall, array hall, cultivation manual hall, and many others. If you have points to spend, this is a popular destination. You can also go to these buildings to learn and practice the arts they involve. For example, many alchemists spend much of their time in the pill hall."

"There are the cultivation rooms. These rooms contain a high amount of natural energy, and cultivating within one is very beneficial. Of course, points are required to stay in these rooms."

"There is also the challenge pavilion. This building has a number of different challenges that can test your limits and help you improve. Getting good results can even get you rewards."

"The Mirror Library is a building that contains a vast wealth of knowledge. As long as you have the permission or points to enter, you can read about a wide range of topics."

"There is the arena, where students go to settle disputes or watch tournaments. Fighting is one of the fastest ways to improve, and even watching others fight can be very beneficial."

"Finally, there are the living quarters. These include rooms, food, and other daily necessities. You will likely spend a large amount of time here."

"If you have any questions, you can feel free to ask other students or visit the information booth at the mission hall. Everyone will start with 100 contribution points and basic-level accommodations, and will have an opportunity to learn a cultivation manual from the first level of the cultivation manual hall as well as a sigil from the first level of the sigil hall. This concludes the academy orientation. Thank you for your time." The man finished speaking and turned around, walking out of the courtyard.

Gradually, the students began speaking amongst themselves once more, and Nadran looked forward, an excited expression on his face. It was finally time for him to get a cultivation manual!