Limitless Summoner: Rise of the Soul God-Chapter 165: Welcome to Blackstone

"The tests are over?" Ethan looked around in confusion. Including him, there were at best a handful of students in the classroom, 16 to be precise. It was a quiet room, too quiet. The other students had a calm and collected demeanor and none paid any attention to him.

One particular student looked as if he was very nervous, but otherwise everyone else behaved as if they belonged here. As if from the very beginning they had no doubt they would be selected. Was this really it? Did he get selected?

He glanced toward the front of the room where an instructor stood silently, arms crossed, expression unreadable. The man's eyes swept the room once, then locked with Ethan's for the briefest second. No words. No smile. Just that measured, assessing gaze, followed by a small look of disdain that faded.

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Ethan let out a breath and walked over to one of the benches. There must be at least two hundred benches in the classroom, each bench capable of seating three or so students comfortably. The emptiness made the space feel even larger than it was.

Ethan chose a bench somewhere in the middle—not too close to the front to look eager, not too far back to seem detached. The kind of spot someone invisible might pick.

He sat down slowly, resting his hands on the smooth wooden surface of the desk, eyes casually scanning the others. One girl sat with perfect posture, eyes closed in meditation; another twirled a crystal-tipped dagger between her fingers with practiced ease; a bulky boy leaned back with a lazy smirk, boots up, as if this was already his academy.

And then there was the nervous one. He kept glancing toward the front, fiddling with his sleeves, clearly overwhelmed. He met Ethan's gaze and gave a small smile. Ethan smiled in return. This was the first normal exchange he had since coming here, and when he observed the boy closer, he understood why.

Clearly, that person was also from a commoner's background. His robe, though clean, didn't have the polished sheen or magical embroidery some of the others wore. And his boots were worn in that very specific, practical way that spoke of long walks and secondhand shops.

Ethan was obviously the worst dressed in the classroom, with no boots whatsoever and a worn-out robe that was torn in a couple of places. He had lived the last few days like a homeless bum, and it showed.

A soft shuffle echoed as the instructor finally moved, stepping forward and unfolding a scroll. "That should be the last. You sixteen are the final selections," the man said, voice low but sharp, slicing through the silence. "You are here because you passed the entry trials… barely, in some cases. And that is all you've done. Don't mistake survival for success."

A few students straightened, a few others smirked. Ethan remained perfectly still.

The instructor's gaze scanned the room again. "The academy does not cater to weakness. You will not be protected. You will not be coddled. You will either rise to meet your potential... or be cast out." Then, he smiled. But it wasn't kind. "Welcome to Blackstone."

"Now, let's move on with other introductions. Do any of you require school supplies?"

No one raised their hand or answered. Ethan glanced at his robe's frayed sleeve, then at his bare feet. His toes wiggled against the stone floor. He raised his hand.

A few heads turned toward him, including the short-haired girl who'd passed the mana orb test. The instructor didn't seem surprised, only annoyed. "One," the instructor said, marking something down. "Anyone else?"

The nervous boy raised his hand as well, hesitantly, as if hoping no one noticed. Ethan gave him a tiny nod of approval. Thanks to him, Ethan was not standing out. The boy noticed it and seemed to sit a little straighter.

"Two," the instructor noted. "Great." He added in an annoyed tone. He tapped his ring, and to Ethan's surprise, two bundles appeared on the desk beside him with a soft thump. They were neatly wrapped in dark cloth and tied with string.

"Basic gear," the instructor said flatly. "Uniform, boots, student seal, starter kit. You'll find your dorm assignments inside as well."

Ethan stood up to grab one of the bundles. It was heavier than it looked. He gave the instructor a brief nod and returned to his seat without saying anything. The nervous boy followed, quietly taking his own bundle before shuffling back to his desk like he was trying not to make noise.

"Don't lose the seal," the instructor continued, addressing the rest of the room now. "It's your identification, your access to the academy's network, and your tracking token. If you're not where you're supposed to be, we'll know."

The silence in the room thickened. One of the other students yawned, unimpressed. Ethan unwrapped a corner of his bundle and peeked inside—a navy robe with the Blackstone crest in the shape of a serpent coiled around a star, a set of student ID parchments, and a polished bronze emblem, his seal.

The instructor rolled up the scroll and gave them all one final look. "Classes start tomorrow. Don't be late. If your performance is not adequate, you will be kicked out of the academy. There is no room for laziness and tardiness here. Work hard and progress." Then he turned and walked out, robes sweeping behind him.

Ethan sat back, bundle in his lap, and let the moment settle in. He had made it in. Somehow, against the odds, he was officially a student of Blackstone Academy.

He looked around at his fellow classmates and nodded. Not bad. He had heard a lot of things about this academy, but things seemed to be going okay for now. They had selected students based on their merit, and there were only a dozen students, which meant the resources wouldn't get diluted. Maybe his experience here wouldn't be as bad.

However, just as he finished his thoughts, a sound came from behind him. Ethan turned to see a portal open up and a couple of students stepping out of it. This was followed by another couple of students, and then some more, and then even more.