Talent
Above all.
The slogan plastered at the very entrance of the campus was nothing short of shallow, and yet, it was a reality that couldn't be denied.
My fragile thoughts drowned beneath the noise of the bustling entrance.
Countless dreams were about to be fulfilled, memories about to be made, yet I couldn't enjoy that same thought. Why?
Because I could only enroll in the class of the rejects.
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"Elia Vale."
"Here," I responded to the roll call.
Glancing around, the classroom began to worsen my mood. Broken windows, run-down paint, desks vandalized with graffiti. One would think the largest institute of the empire would be keen enough to look after all its facilities, but I suppose rejects are rejects for a reason.
Contrary to its appearance, the classroom was filled to the brim. Students of different appearances were sitting at every corner of the class.
Then, what exactly made this a class of rejects? That is—
"Ahem! Now that I have your attention." My rumbling thoughts were interrupted by the professor's lively voice.
Despite his frail appearance, his voice packed quite a punch.
"Many of you might have thoughts about your enrollment in this class... While your thoughts are certainly valid, I'd like to clear up something..."
The professor's odd way of speaking made the students tense up.
Perhaps they still had some hope, regret, or unfinished thoughts.
Whatever it was, it was about to be made clear in the next minute.
The professor slowly resumed speaking, "None of the students present in this class... will ever make it to Limit 5."
Like a guillotine swinging down, I heard the hopes and dreams of every student present shatter like glass.
A class made up of the most untalented bunch.
The reason for this allotment was simple.
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In this world, any method of measuring human worth was useless.
All measures but one.
Limit.
The most innate and barbaric yet effective way of determining one's worth.
Its origins being unknown, the oldest historic record that mentioned Limits dates back thousands of years. The man credited with being the first known user of Limit, and the first one to go beyond it:
The first emperor of the Viran Empire.
Aurex Valemir.
A name that befitted a man of his caliber.
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I glanced around the classroom once again, only to see dejected faces, some unfazed.
"As you all are currently aware of your Limit, I need not make it public, but the average Limit of your class is..." The professor hesitated to speak.
More than anything, shame was apparent on his face.
Did he feel ashamed on their behalf? Or was it unwarranted pity?
Regardless of his intentions, his words cut through the already morbid atmosphere like a knife.
"The average is... 13."
"EH?!" A male student in the front row suddenly sprung up.
His alarmed response caught the attention of the class, and now, the spotlight was on him.
"Professor, I may be out of line for saying this, but aren't there only a total of 15 Limits? Does it make sense for our average to be this low?!"
Judging by his reaction, his Limit seemed to be higher than the average.
"Th—" before the professor could respond, another student sitting at the far back interrupted.
"Too low? You bastard, get off your high horse. From the way you speak, your Limit might be higher than the average, but let me ask—how high? 12? 11?"
Her words seemed to affect the student at a deeper level as I watched his figure shrivel up.
"If it was any higher than that, you wouldn't be in this class. Isn't that right?!"
A few students from across the classroom began to cheer for her.
Were they genuine supporters of her words?
Or simply students with a Limit lower than the average?
Regardless of it, the professor seemed to be having a hard time calming the class down.
After five minutes of loud banter, the chatter died down.
The professor sighed a breath of relief and began to speak again.
"I see that some of you have taken offense to my words, so let me phrase it this way: It's better for you to accept your reality than dwell on impossible dreams."
It seemed as if he was done holding back his words.
"Since the establishment of this Institute, not a single student in Class R has been able to progress to a higher class, and I do not see that changing in the distant future."
...
Silence.
A silence enough to make out one's heartbeat.
It wasn't something that could be refuted. No, it was a fact every student present here was well aware of, and yet, they hung onto their desires.
The silence in the classroom continued on for another 10 minutes. The professor rummaged through his cluttered notes as if completely unaffected by the awkwardness of it all.
Ten... twenty... thirty minutes passed, and not a word was spoken.
"Let's see..." The silence ended as the professor finished going through his notes and raised his head to once again greet the class.
"We started off on an uncomfortable note, so let me say this formally."
He quickly arranged his tie.
Was there a point to this now?
"Students, I welcome you all to the most prestigious institute in the Viran Empire, the Valemir Academy."
What seemed to be a formal greeting quickly turned sour. As the class continued to maintain its silence, I hung my head down out of second-hand embarrassment.
"Keh..." A small laugh escaped the corners of a mouth.
I quickly turned to my side and saw the boy sitting next to me looking at me with a disgusted expression.
The boredom of the class began to seep into the podium as the previously unaffected professor began to fidget awkwardly.
"Well... I'll now commence the mandatory first class ranking."
!?!
The previously unattentive class suddenly sprung up at the professor's words.
A class ranking out of the blue?
Was it really mandatory? Or was it to save face?
Nevertheless, the faces of countless students began to shrivel up.
"Isn't that... embarrassing?" one of the students voiced their concern, but the professor paid it no attention.
"We'll begin in the order of the student with the highest Limit to the lowest one."
The class began to anxiously wait for his announcement.
In a class full of rejects, who was the single emperor?
One... two... ten seconds passed as the professor quietly scanned the classroom with his furrowed eyes.
"The student with the highest Limit... Eri Calwyn, with a Limit rating of 9."
The class erupted.
"A 9?! IN THIS CLASS??"
"Professor, are you sure you didn't make a mistake?!"
Several students began to panic—some surprised, while some bitter.
A rating of 9 was enough to be granted enrollment in a higher class. So why?
The students' voices began to calm down as a slim silhouette began to walk towards the podium.
Her dark purple hair seemed to reflect the classroom's light. Her elegant steps would've made anyone confuse her with a noble, and every sway of her body exuded a level of elegance that couldn't be explained.
And thus, my mind began to go haywire.
"Professor, I would've preferred you didn't announce my Limit to the class."
Her calm yet adamant voice enveloped the class, and everyone couldn't help but listen attentively to her.
Eri and the professor began to discuss something in silence, and while the others tried to listen, everything was inaudible.
After a few minutes of conversation, Eri began to return to her seat.
The professor continued with the announcement.
Ten... twenty... forty students went by.
I began to grow impatient.
"Ah... I'm at my limit," I whispered to myself.
I tried to calm my legs that wouldn't stop shaking.
I suppose it was finally wearing off.
My perverted courage.
As the announcement neared its end, the professor settled his notes on the desk.
"Now, the history of Class R has been grim since its birth, yet we have never had a case like this."
The corners of his mouth began to curve up creepily. Did he find amusement in it?
"The student with the lowest overall scores and with an unexpectedly low Limit of 15..."
His words stopped.
His eyes began scanning the classroom again.
Students around me began to dart their eyes too, wondering who it was.
The professor dramatically continued:
"Elia Vale."
"Ah.."