Extra's Ascent-Chapter 111: Exam Announcement

Aldrich opened the classroom door and stepped in only to be met with a full-blown standing ovation. Nearly half the students were already on their feet, hands raised to their foreheads in a theatrical salute.

"All hail… Him? Aldrich Aldaman!" they chanted in dramatic unison.

Mortified, Aldrich ducked his head and made for his seat, trying his best to become invisible. "Seriously," he muttered under his breath, "when are you guys going to grow out of this?"

But the eyes were unrelenting.

Every step he took toward his desk was hounded by stares that measured far more than they should. Eyes that scrutinized, admired, maybe even mocked yet all had one thing in common. They refused to look away from him.

"You’re on quite the streak, Aldaman," came the dry greeting of Dante, seated just beside Aldrich’s desk.

Aldrich groaned, slumping into his chair. "Why is everyone so hung up on this? Two weeks, Dante. Two. Weeks!"

"You really surprised?" Dante chuckled. "It’s been boring around here. Classes, lectures, rinse and repeat. Your duel with Kyle? That’s the only thing keeping the student body from going stir-crazy. It has been their only source of entertainment."

And he wasn’t wrong.

Eldora Institute, despite its grandeur and mystique, had gone through a dry spell. Theoretical lessons stacked endlessly, filling the days with routine. No challenges. No real tests. No action.

That battle in the Veilbourne, Aldrich’s unexpected clash with a renowned second-year had become the talk of the entire academy.

But what everyone saw as thrilling gossip, Aldrich experienced as smothering attention. He didn’t feel celebrated. More often than not, it felt like he was being paraded, teased under the guise of admiration.

A part of him knew it wasn’t malicious, but enough was enough.

Their chatter was cut short as the classroom door opened again and in walked Professor Marianna, striking as ever in her vibrant academic robes. Her every step exuded presence and authority, and as she moved to the front of the class, a quiet hush followed her like a ripple across water.

Aldrich straightened in his seat, and so did everyone else.

Professor Marianna paused at the podium, letting the silence settle. Her gaze swept across the room, taking stock of the attentive faces.

"It’s been a rough stretch for all of you, hasn’t it?" she began, her tone uncharacteristically reflective.

Normally, she dove straight into the lesson, throwing them headfirst into magical theory or arcane equations. But today, her demeanour was different, calmer, more deliberate.

"I’m pleased to inform you," she continued, "that we’ve reached the end of the term. And with that comes your end-session practical examination."

A collective wave of energy surged through the room. Shoulders lifted, eyes widened, and excitement buzzed in the air.

"Yes!" one student blurted out, leaping to his feet with a fist raised in victory. He immediately caught himself. "Ah, sorry, Professor…"

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"You’re pardoned," she said with a smirk. "I expected no less."

It made sense. So far, they’d done nothing but absorb information days upon days of lectures, spells on chalkboards, scrolls filled with theory. This was Eldora Institute, after all. And nothing screamed Eldora more than the famed practical tests that pushed students beyond their limits.

Now came the real deal.

The practical. The proving ground.

"It will be a group exam," Professor Marianna explained. "Team assignments will be randomized, based on the current class population. You won’t be picking your friends. You’ll be paired based on the draw, so prepare to stand on your merit."

Murmurs broke out. Some groaned quietly. Others leaned back, resigned.

Aldrich tensed. Random teams meant unpredictability. No strategy, no alliances, just whoever fate dealt.

"The nature of the test will be revealed later today," she continued. "Until then, all classes for the day are suspended. While the practical is ongoing, all lectures have hereby come to an end to allow you full focus."

Freedom. But with limits.

That "freedom" only extended within the bounds of the island campus. Eldora was generous but not reckless.

"And be warned, cheating, negligence, or failing to comply with instructions will be met with severe penalties," she added, her voice now cold and firm.

A sharp warning echoed in her tone, one that needed no further explanation.

"Also, let it be known: this exam contributes to sixty percent of your academic standing as first-year. Fail, and you risk losing more than a full third of your grade."

That landed like a hammer.

A sixty-percent loss wasn’t just a drop in numbers, it was a fall from grace.

In a place like Eldora, where rank and performance dictated your future, a misstep of that magnitude could lead to demotion. For some, it meant expulsion. But for S-Class students, like Aldrich, it meant being reassigned to a lower class tier.

Still within the school, yes but stripped of the prestige that came with an S-Class badge.

Why not expel them outright?

Because an S-Class student forced to start over in the lower tiers served as the perfect cautionary tale. A motivator. A reminder that even the most gifted could fall and would have to fight harder to reclaim their title.

Professor Marianna concluded, "I wish you the best. Let your actions reflect the pride we have in you as the first-year elite. Anything less than your absolute best will not be accepted."

No room for comfort in those words. Only pressure, thick and unrelenting.

And Aldrich felt every ounce of it.

He had narrowly avoided expulsion thanks to the neutral verdict from his duel with Kyle. That outcome had been his lifeline. Now, he had to anchor himself by delivering during these practicals, dominating them.

This wasn’t about glory anymore.

It was survival.

He couldn’t afford to falter. Not with so much at stake. Not after what he’d fought to prove not just to the academy, but to himself.

And so, as Professor Marianna dismissed the class with a nod, the gravity of what lay ahead settled over Aldrich like a cloak.

No more idle days. It was time he got to work and show the world once more than equalling Kyle Dandada was no fluke achievement.