Ashura slipped into the uniform of Saint Goban Magic Academy—a dark green magical robe.
Wearing the uniform, he finally blended in with the students around him.
His first class at the academy was a fundamental magic course taught by their homeroom instructor, Ayla.
As a distinguished graduate of the academy, combined with her captivating appearance, Ayla held the students' attention effortlessly.
However, there was one exception—the boy seated at the back, Ashura.
Having never studied magic before, his only exposure to it was through eavesdropping on his fourth sister's meditation techniques. Out of curiosity, he had attempted meditation a few times, simply wondering what magic elements looked like.
And now, he was expected to follow high-level magic lessons with zero foundational knowledge.
Despite his intelligence, he was drenched in cold sweat, feeling as if he were listening to an incomprehensible foreign language.
The other students were focused on the lecture, paying no attention to Ashura's struggles.
Only Clara, who was sitting nearby and listening effortlessly, sensed that something was off about him. She didn't say anything, merely glancing at him from time to time.
The academy held classes in the mornings, leaving the rest of the time for independent practice. Lessons ran five days a week, with weekends free.
Ashura attentively attended four classes that morning, taught by four different instructors on four different branches of magic—two of which were specialized in Thunder Magic.
Despite his efforts to concentrate, his lack of foundation left him utterly lost.
The gap between him and his peers spanned several years of prior study.
Moreover, students from magic-wielding families received extensive resources and personal mentorship—privileges far beyond the reach of the third son of a mere general from a vassal state.
At this rate, there was no way he could close the gap in just three months.
If he failed the upcoming assessment, he would be expelled.
Frustration weighed heavily on Ashura, along with an overwhelming sense of uncertainty about his future.
Feeling burdened, Ashura pushed open the door to Dormitory 138.
Inside, three roommates were chatting over tea in the living area, all turning to look at him as he entered.
When they saw the magic academy robe he was wearing, their expressions turned to shock.
Wasn't he a Stage Three Warrior just yesterday?
How did he end up at the magic academy?
What secret was he hiding?
Not in the mood to explain, Ashura simply waved a hand in greeting and started heading upstairs to his room.
But Jinze, the eldest among them, called out, "Hey, Third Brother, I've got some premium tea here. Why don't you sit down and have a chat with us?"
Ashura froze mid-step at the mention of Third Brother.
His two elder brothers at home also used to call him that.
Hearing it again brought a warm feeling to his heart.
Looking back at his three smiling roommates, Ashura finally smiled too.
"Sure, I'm actually pretty thirsty," he said, turning back toward the tea table.
Still dressed in his magic robe, Ashura flopped into a seat, crossed his legs, and downed a cup of tea in one gulp.
He didn't care about the quality—he just needed to quench his thirst.
Jinze, watching him, shook his head with a wry smile and poured another cup of tea brewed from rare, precious leaves.
Arthur, the second eldest, remained his usual quiet and cool self, sipping his tea slowly, as if he could truly appreciate its value.
Angelo, the fourth, was practically glowing with excitement, looking like he had some big news to share.
Jinze, waiting until Ashura finished his second cup, refilled it again and asked, "What's wrong, Third Brother? You seem a little out of it. Did something happen?"
"Did a beautiful girl reject your confession? If it's the first, tell us and maybe we can help. If it's the latter… well, you're on your own!"
Ashura shot Jinze a grateful look.
Instead of questioning the magic robe or pressing him for explanations, Jinze had kept the atmosphere lighthearted with an easy question.
If Ashura didn't want to answer, he could simply make up an excuse, and they could all continue chatting and drinking tea without issue.
After a brief silence, Ashura finally opened up.
He shared his current magic level, why he hadn't studied magic before, how he had passed the academy's entrance test, how he was assigned to his class, and how he struggled to understand a single lesson today.
However, he left out details about his family's predicament and the dangers he faced on the way to the academy.
He wasn't sure why he chose to confide in them, but perhaps being called Third Brother had given him a rare moment of emotional release.
His three roommates listened in stunned silence.
They hadn't expected this seemingly harmless boy to have such a dramatic background.
Nor had they imagined he had the guts to sneak his way into the academy!
Now they understood—yesterday, he hadn't been hiding his abilities out of modesty.
He had truly relied on sheer luck and audacity to get accepted.
The three weren't fools. A brief moment of thought was enough for them to realize the depth of his predicament.
But an immediate solution wasn't easy to come by.
After some contemplation, Jinze spoke up seriously.
"Third Brother, out of all of us in the dorm, only you and I are magic users. I've been slow in my own magic training because I've had to learn how to manage my family's business. But I can still teach you the fundamentals of magic.
"However, I'm a Water Mage, not a Thunder Mage, so I can't help much when it comes to your element-specific studies."
"Oh, right. I also have a basic meditation technique that will help you gather more magic energy. I'll pass it on to you."
Ashura nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Jinze."
Jinze waved it off casually. "We're roommates. It's what we do."
Arthur, the second eldest, thought for a moment before adding, "I don't know much about magic, so I can't help you there. But I have an older cousin in the senior class who's an Earth Mage.
"He's one of the strongest in his year. I can ask him to help tutor you."
Ashura quickly expressed his gratitude but declined.
"With my current foundation, Jinze's help is more than enough. There's no need to trouble your cousin."
Then, Angelo, the fourth, pulled something out of his storage ring—a bracelet.
Grinning, he said, "Third Brother, I don't know magic either, but my family specializes in artifact forging.
"This bracelet is one of my best works. It can boost the power of low-level magic spells by 20%!"
"You'll need to attack a dummy during the three-month assessment, right? This should help you out. But it's a one-time-use item—I haven't figured out how to make it reusable yet."
With that, Angelo handed the bracelet over, scratching his messy, bird's-nest-like hair with an embarrassed grin.
Ashura took the bracelet into his hands and looked up to see three pairs of encouraging eyes staring back at him.
His vision blurred slightly—his eyes glistening with emotion.
The selfless support from his three roommates touched him deeply.
He silently vowed to remember their kindness and repay them in the future.
His earlier honesty had unknowingly strengthened their bond, erasing any initial doubts they might have had about him and eliminating any lingering distance between them.
After all, they were just a bunch of young guys—who wouldn't want a few good friends to share their days with?
If Ashura's heartfelt confession had brought them closer, then what Angelo said next would take their friendship to an entirely new level.
With eyes practically glowing with excitement, Angelo leaned in and revealed some thrilling news to the group—
The Top Ten Freshman Beauties Ranking!
No one knew how he managed to gather this information in just one morning, but here he was, grinning mischievously as he rattled off the names, class details, and other basic info of the academy's most stunning new female students.
He explained that the rankings weren't finalized yet—further assessments would be made based on multiple factors.
Then, Ashura heard a familiar name—Clara!
He clicked his tongue. That silver-haired girl was indeed beautiful, but there was clearly something wrong with her brain.
She had even dared to call him an idiot!
If not for the high chance that he couldn't beat her in a fight, he would have loved to knock that arrogant nose of hers down a peg...
As Angelo enthusiastically finished listing the final name on the ranking, he smacked his lips in satisfaction, vowing to keep updating and refining the list.
Then, he suddenly sighed with regret.
"There was actually a stunning beauty from the alchemy department named Tang Guo who could've easily made it into the top ten… but unfortunately, she's blind. That really hurt her image, so she didn't make the cut. What a pity..."
After hearing about the top ten beauties, all four of their eyes gleamed with the fiery light of youthful ambition.
They turned their gazes toward the female dormitory building—just a road away from their own.
The air inside Dorm 138 was now filled with the undeniable presence of teenage hormones...