Chapter 67: First Day I
Zac scanned the auditorium and spotted two familiar faces sitting together among the recruits.
Ignoring the countless stares still being thrown his way, he walked straight toward them.
A few students whispered as he passed, and others openly stared.
When he reached the seats, he dropped into the empty chair beside Marty.
Neither Marty nor Shobin said anything.
They just stared at him with faces filled with disbelief.
Zac looked between them. Then he pointed at himself.
"Why are you two looking at me like this?" Zac gestured around the auditorium. "And why is everyone staring at me?"
The question broke something inside Marty. "You tell me."
Zac blinked. "How would I know?"
Marty leaned forward. Looking genuinely offended. "Honestly, Zac?"
"What?"
"We got separated for ten minutes." Marty pointed accusingly at him. "And somehow you managed to do something like that behind my back."
Zac frowned. "Are you angry because I did something? Or because I did it without you?"
Shobin immediately covered his mouth, controlling his laughter.
"That’s not the point!"
Shobin decided to intervene before Marty exploded. He leaned closer to Zac and asked, "Did you really peek at the Ice Queen?"
Zac stared at him. "The what...?"
Shobin pointed toward the front rows. "The Ice Queen! Don’t tell me you don’t even know who she is?"
Zac saw where his finger pointed and identified the white-haired girl sitting there. "What ice queen? If you ask me, I’d call her an ice bitch instead."
The moment the words left his mouth, several nearby students gasped from shock.
Even though Zac had only whispered it, everyone in the room heard him clearly. After all, this place was filled with elite students from around the world, people whose senses far surpassed those of ordinary humans.
"So it’s true?" Marty asked.
Shobin looked equally horrified as he stared at Zac.
Zac frowned. "What’s true? I don’t understand what you’re talking about."
"Stop playing dumb, Zac," Marty said. "Just tell us. Did you peek or not?"
"Oh, that?" Zac waved his hand dismissively. "That’s nothing. It’s obviously a misunderstanding. Besides," Zac continued, "it’s not even that impressive."
The murmuring in the auditorium immediately grew louder.
"She still has a lot of room for development, you know."
"Zac," Marty said urgently, "be subtle."
"Yeah," Shobin agreed. "I’ve seen her before. She’s easily one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met, so please stop insulting her."
Zac looked at him. "Did you see what I saw?"
"No. I’ve only seen her face."
"Exactly." Zac nodded as if that settled everything. "If you’d seen what I saw, you wouldn’t be saying that."
The crowd became even quieter.
"You see; beauty isn’t just about a face. It’s about demeanor, posture, figure, the whole package." Zac shook his head. "And frankly, she still doesn’t have what it takes to be a truly great beauty."
[Just tell them you love older women.]
The temperature inside the auditorium seemed to drop several degrees. In the front row, a woman slowly rose to her feet.
It was none other than Sabrina. The murderous aura radiating from her was so intense that even the students around her instinctively moved away.
Several people swallowed nervously and silently started praying for Zac’s soul.
Meanwhile, Zac remained completely oblivious.
Just as Sabrina looked ready to turn him into an ice sculpture, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the auditorium.
The noise instantly drew everyone’s attention and brought both Sabrina’s and Zac’s confrontation to a halt.
The auditorium doors opened.
An old man with a short stature, a round belly, and a pair of glasses slowly walked onto the stage. Several teachers followed behind him.
The moment he appeared, the chatter inside the auditorium died down.
Every student’s attention shifted toward the stage. Even Marty stopped talking.
The old man calmly walked to the center seat and sat down, and the teachers took their places beside him.
A young woman with green hair and matching green eyes stepped toward the podium. She smiled at the crowd before speaking.
"Good morning, everyone."
Her voice echoed through the massive auditorium. "I would like to humbly welcome all of you to this year’s Recruit Orientation."
The students listened attentively.
"This year is particularly special." She paused briefly for dramatic effect and continued. "For the first time in fifteen years, New Dawn Academy has welcomed not one, but two SS-ranked recruits."
A wave of whispers spread through the auditorium. Even Zac noticed several students glancing toward certain parts of the crowd.
"Among them is the champion of the Crown Union Country Entrance Examination. And we also have the champion of the Eastern Alliance countries."
The excitement only grew more and more as she continued speaking.
"Not only them, but we have many talented recruits joining us this year." She stepped aside and gestured toward the old man.
"So without further delay, please welcome our principal."
The old man stood up without any dramatic aura or grand display. At first glance, he looked like any ordinary old man you might pass on the street, except for the elegant white robe he wore.
He carried no notes, no staff, and no flashy accessories. Just a pair of small glasses resting on his nose, a balding head covered with thin white hair, and a long white beard.
He didn’t even bother walking to the podium.
Instead, he stopped near the front of the stage and began speaking.
There was no microphone in sight, yet his voice reached every corner of the auditorium with perfect clarity.
"Good morning, my dear students." The entire hall fell silent to hear what he had to say.
"From this day forward, you are no longer nobodies. You are no longer princes, heirs, rich kids, or the children of powerful families."
His calm gaze swept across the room.
"No. Whatever you were before today, leave it behind."
The old man paused. "Because from this moment onward, you are students of New Dawn Academy."
His voice remained calm, but every word carried weight. "Engrave that fact into your souls."
"Every action you take and every word you speak will represent this academy. So think carefully before doing the wrong thing, and strive to do what is right."
The old man’s voice remained surprisingly gentle and his tone carried no anger or intimidation.
Yet hidden beneath those calm words was a warning that only students with a more mature outlook can truly understand.
"As the teacher before me already said, let me once again welcome you all to New Dawn Academy."
The old man’s gaze slowly swept across the crowd, as though he were examining each and every student individually.
"I won’t waste your time with a lengthy speech." His eyes briefly stopped on Zac. Just for a second longer than everyone else.
Zac noticed it immediately. "Am I in trouble?"
[I don’t think so. There was no malicious intent coming from him.]
"Well, he’s the principal. He has to be ridiculously powerful. What if he masked it?"
[Sure, he’s all of those things. But did you forget who I am?]
"...Right."
The principal continued.
"You all know why you’re here and the opportunities that lie before you."
His calm voice echoed throughout the auditorium.
"Out of the millions who dreamed of standing where you are today, only a handful were given the chance. So don’t waste it."
"Work hard. Learn well."
The old man’s eyes slowly shifted toward Zac and Sabrina with a faint smile appearing on his face.
"And try not to destroy too many academy buildings."
The entire auditorium burst into laughter. Both Zac and Sabrina immediately lowered their heads in embarrassment.
The principal ignored the commotion and continued as if nothing had happened.
"Together, let’s make New Dawn Academy the greatest academy in the world once again."
With that, the principal vanished in a puff of white smoke. A moment later, applause erupted throughout the auditorium.
"Hey, System. Do you think that old man is stronger than Armani?"
The system was silent for a moment.
[Hmm. I wouldn’t say that Dumbledore-looking grandpa is stronger than that woman.]
"Who is Dumble...what is that again?"
[Let’s just say you just born in a unfortunate era.]
[Coming back to the old man, he’s dangerous, just in a different way.]
Zac raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"
[In a world where you can die at any moment, living long enough to become an old man like that is an achievement in itself.]
"Stop beating around the bush and get to the point."
[Fine. But this answer is going to cost you points in the future.]
"Like you weren’t going to charge me anyway."
[Fair enough.] The system sighed dramatically. [He was once a powerful man. But now he’s just an old fox who is counting his days.]
Before Zac could ask another question, the green-haired teacher from earlier stood up once again.
"Thank you, Principal." She waited for the applause to die down before continuing. "Students, your assigned locations have already been sent to your VSBs. Please follow the directions and reach your designated areas within the next thirty minutes."
She smiled warmly. "Further instructions, schedules, and all necessary information will be provided there."
Then her smile widened slightly. "And try not to be late on your first day. The teachers of this academy are not particularly welcoming toward unpunctual students."
A few nervous laughs spread through the crowd. "With that, the orientation is officially concluded." As soon as she finished speaking, the teachers began leaving the stage one after another.
Zac stood up alongside Marty and Shobin and joined the flow of students heading toward the auditorium exits.
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