After arriving in Valtheras, Kyle booked a room at an inn near the Solvayne Magic Academy.
The first day, he spent resting, completely exhausted from everything that had happened.
Traveling and adjusting to this new world had worn him out. He slept deeply, letting his body recover.
When he woke up the next morning, he felt refreshed but still a little disoriented.
He reached for his cell phone, hoping to find some clues about Kyle's past or family.
But when he checked, there wasn't a single phone number saved. No contacts, no messages, no pictures—nothing.
It was like Kyle's life before this had been erased.
"Guess I'll have to figure this out later," Kyle muttered to himself.
He decided to focus on the more immediate concern—the entrance exam for the Solvayne Magic Academy.
He had three days left to prepare, and he wasn't about to waste them.
From what he remembered of the novel, 'Path of Transcendence', the entrance exam was divided into two parts: a theoretical exam and a practical exam.
The practical exam would take place in an Artificial Rift, a simulated dungeon where students would earn points by defeating monsters and, if necessary, other students.
The good news was that there was no real danger—students who were "killed" would simply be teleported out of the rift.
The exam would last six hours, and the goal was to rack up as many points as possible.
As for the theoretical exam, Kyle wasn't as confident. The novel hadn't gone into detail about the questions, so he had no idea what to expect.
He decided to head to the city library and study there.
****
Over the next three days, he covered basic topics like mana theory, the fundamentals of magic, and the history of Aevorath, the world he now found himself in.
Since he didn't know exactly what to study, he just picked up random books and hoped for the best.
The library was a quiet, peaceful place, filled with rows of bookshelves and the faint scent of old paper. Kyle spent hours there, flipping through pages and taking notes.
By the end of the third day, Kyle's head was full of information, but he still felt unprepared.
He didn't know if he'd studied the right things, but he'd done his best. All that was left was to face the exam.
***
Date: April 1, 2550
Kyle reached the gates of the Solvayne Magic Academy, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves.
The academy was surrounded by tall, imposing walls, making it impossible to see the main building from the outside.
It felt like stepping into a fortress rather than an academy.
Around him, hundreds of students were lined up in five neat rows, all waiting for their turn to enter.
Kyle quickly joined one of the lines, glancing around at the other students.
Some looked confident, others nervous, and a few were quiet.
As the line moved forward, Kyle noticed instructors stationed at the gate, scanning each student as they passed.
He overheard a couple of students talking about the process.
"They're scanning our mana cores," one student whispered to another.
"To make sure no demons are trying to sneak in."
"Yeah, but what if someone's contracted with a demon?" the other student replied, sounding uneasy.
"Wouldn't that show up?"
"I heard they can't hide it. Demonic mana taints your core, and the devices picks it up instantly."
Kyle frowned, remembering what he knew from the novel.
The mana scanner was designed to detect demonic mana in a person's core, ensuring that no demons or their contracted humans could enter the academy.
But what most people didn't know was that demons had recently discovered a way to bypass the mana scanner.
If a human contracted with a demon chose to create a separate core purely for demonic mana, leaving their original core untouched they could slip through undetected with it.
Surely they had to cultivate the core from the start but it was still a dangerous loophole, and one that humans, elves, and dwarves were still unaware of.
That's how a lot of demonic humans will get into the academy this year.
As Kyle moved closer to the gate, he couldn't help but wonder if any of the students around him had made such a deal.
The thought sent a chill down his spine, but he pushed it aside. Right now, he needed to focus on getting through the scan himself.
Soon, it was Kyle's turn. An instructor stepped forward, holding a small, glowing device.
The instructor looked at him with a neutral expression and asked, "Name?" His tone was brisk but not unkind.
"Kyle Valemont," Kyle replied, trying to sound calm and confident.
The instructor's eyes lingered on him for a few seconds longer than usual after hearing his name.
Kyle noticed the pause and felt a flicker of unease.
'D-Did he just look at me with pity?'
But before he could dwell on it, the instructor nodded and held the device up to Kyle's chest.
A soft hum filled the air as the scan began.
Kyle held his breath, hoping everything would go smoothly.
The device glowed briefly, and after a moment, the instructor gave a small nod.
"You're clear. Proceed to the courtyard," the instructor said, stepping aside to let him pass.
Kyle let out a quiet sigh of relief and walked through the gate.
With that he stepped into the academy grounds.