The trainees named by Instructor Krios paused where they stood. Atlas wondered why the remaining four were staying behind. But upon reflection, he noticed a common trait among these four. The potential of the four left behind was well above average. Orion Stormrider, in fact, possessed Mid-High Tier potential.

  A person's potential said a lot about them. Perception, talent, aptitude, and how far they could advance in their class... It was considered a miracle for those with Low Tier potential to reach advanced classes. Those with Mid Tier potential could advance to advanced classes and become Experts, while only those with High Tier potential could become High Experts.

  For this reason, the minimum potential required to enter the academy was usually Lower-Mid Tier.

  Atlas was one of the few people in the entire school with Upper-Low Tier potential. Even his admission to the school was considered a miracle.

  Atlas looked at Mira's beautiful face and sighed. Her Upper-Mid Tier potential indicated that this young girl could at least become an Expert. If she lived long enough, she might even become a High Expert.

  The trainees named by Instructor Krios paused where they stood. Atlas wondered why the remaining four were staying behind. But upon reflection, he noticed a common trait among these four. The potential of the four left behind was well above average. Orion Stormrider, in fact, possessed Mid-High Tier potential.

  A person's potential said a lot about them. Perception, talent, aptitude, and how far they could advance in their class... It was considered a miracle for those with Low Tier potential to reach advanced classes. Those with Mid Tier potential could advance to advanced classes and become Experts, while only those with High Tier potential could become High Experts.

  For this reason, the minimum potential required to enter the academy was usually Lower-Mid Tier.

  Atlas was one of the few people in the entire school with Upper-Low Tier potential. Even his admission to the school was considered a miracle.

  Atlas looked at Mira's beautiful face and sighed. Her Upper-Mid Tier potential indicated that this young girl could at least become an Expert. If she lived long enough, she might even become a High Expert.

  ***

  When everyone had left the area, Instructor Krios looked at the four young people in front of him. He raised his voice slightly.

  “Today's training gave me the chance to spot the talented students among you. The four of you have potential compared to the rest. That's why I'm going to put you through separate training from the others.”

  A handsome young man with ocean-blue eyes spoke up. Orion Stormrider was quite a striking figure with his sharp facial features and prominent jawline. His physique was neither overly muscular nor too thin. He had a constantly present, irritating, mocking smile at the corners of his lips.

  “What do you mean, sir?”

  Instructor Krios continued. "You have been under observation for several days. Your instructors measured and evaluated your abilities without you realizing it. Based on the evaluations, we concluded that the four of you possess much more adaptive characteristics than the others. Medical aptitude, Mana aptitude, your archery potential, your background... These are a few categories we paid attention to."

  “Our background?” asked Mira.

  "Yes. Take you, Mira, for example. We found no signs of corruption in your family. Your father was a skilled Mage who fought in the Northern Forests. You could have gone to the Royal Academy, but you chose to follow in his footsteps and came to the military academy."

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  “Did you investigate my past?”

  Instructor Krios shook his head. “Spies and ill-intentioned people are everywhere. Even though we do background checks, we can never be certain of anything. While we can ensure your safety, you could be targeted in places where we are not present. Be careful from now on. In addition to your adaptation training, you will receive special training.”

  ***

  The sun had set, giving way to faint stars beginning to appear in the sky.

  When Atlas heard Instructor Krios' command to disperse, he flinched at first, then came to his senses with a gnawing feeling in his stomach. Hours of meditation had strangely drained the energy from his body. He was one of the first three to jump to his feet.

  As he walked from the grassy area toward the camp's main road, he heard the hurried footsteps and whispers of the other students. Everyone was hungry, but they wondered why the four left behind had been chosen. Atlas wondered too, but he also felt a strange bitterness about his own situation. Potential... That word had been echoing in his mind for days. He had known from the beginning that he held no promise in the eyes of the world, but experiencing it was different.

  Atlas took his tray and joined the line. What was for dinner today? It didn't smell bad. He got something like a stew ladled onto his plate, along with a thick slice of bread and some porridge. He was so hungry he felt he could eat anything they gave him.

  Once his tray was full, he started looking for an empty spot. He usually sat with Mira, but she was still with Instructor Krios. His eye caught one of the corner tables. No one wanted to sit there, he figured. Carrying his tray, he headed for that table and sat down. He took a deep breath and focused on his meal.

  He had just put the first bite in his mouth when a shadow fell over him. He looked up. Standing in front of him was a young man he had seen a few times before, whose name he couldn't quite remember but who seemed familiar. He was blond, slender, with a hint of anxiety and curiosity on his face.

  “Hello,” said the young man, his voice sounding a little tense. “Atlas, right?”

  Atlas nodded, chewing the food in his mouth. “Yes. You... are you Vex?”

  The young man's face lit up. “Yes, I'm Vex. May I sit with you?”

  “Of course,” said Atlas, stirring the food on his plate. Vex set his tray on the table and pulled out a chair to sit down. His eyes wandered over Atlas's face, as if waiting for the right moment to ask something. Atlas continued eating, wondering what Vex would ask.

  Vex barely touched his food, glanced around, and lowered his voice. "This afternoon's training... was a bit strange, wasn't it?"

  Atlas took another piece from the casserole. “Mana Arts are always strange. It's impossible to understand how time passes.”

  “No, that's not what I mean,” Vex said hastily. "I mean, that was strange too, yes, but what happened afterwards... Instructor Krios separating those four people. Do you know anything about what happened? Why only them?"

  Atlas swallowed. The question he had been expecting had come. He looked at his plate, then at Vex's curious eyes. “Like all of us, I don't know what they were talking about. But I think it was about potential. Krios decided they were more... talented than the others.”

  Vex's brows furrowed. “More talented? Did they separate them just because of their potential? So are they implying that the rest of us... aren't that talented?”

  The hurt in his voice was clear.

  “I suppose so,” Atlas said honestly. "You know, even to be accepted into the academy, you have to meet certain requirements. But while there are people like me who barely meet those requirements, there are also those who exceed them and deserve special treatment. Apparently, those four are the ones with the highest potential among us."

  Vex took a deep breath and stared blankly at the food on his plate. “Orion Stormrider... It's not surprising that he's there, though. He's so arrogant... He acts like he created the mountains. Especially that damn smile...”

  Atlas smiled. “Yes, Orion. Quite striking.”

  He thought about it. Orion's handsome face, his mocking smile... He was striking indeed, but Atlas didn't care much about that. Only one thing mattered to him.

  ‘I hope he doesn't like Mira. I don't want a headache."

  “How high do you think his potential is?” asked Vex, his voice growing more curious, as if he wanted to reduce the topic to just Orion.

  “I can't say for sure,” said Atlas. "But since Instructor Krios mentioned his name, he must have high-mid or mid-high tier potential. I think he has the highest potential among us."

  Vex continued stirring the food on his plate. “So... they've already started discriminating? We haven't even finished orientation training yet. This... this is annoying. I feel like I've been eliminated before I've even started.”

  Atlas continued eating. He understood Vex's feelings. He felt the same way. But at the same time, he knew that talented people like Orion needed to stand out. The world was full of dangers, and strong warriors were needed. Orion's future strength would be good for the whole kingdom.

  “It's too early to accept defeat,” said Atlas. “This is just training. There's a lot to learn. Potential may be important, but so is hard work and determination. Maybe they won't give us special treatment, but that doesn't mean we can't be strong.”

  Vex looked up at Atlas. The worry on his face had been replaced by a glimmer of hope. “I guess you're right.” He swallowed. “It's just... it's infuriating that guys like Orion get ahead right from the start. Do you know what an infuriating bully he is? He doesn't deserve it.”

  Atlas shrugged. “Maybe so. But everyone has their own path. You'll find yours too.”

  As the dinner rush continued, the din of the dining hall slowly began to subside. Trays were collected, tables cleared, and students dispersed to their tents with weary steps. After finishing his meal, Atlas said goodbye to Vex and returned to his tent.

  When he reached his tent, he saw those inside heatedly discussing something. Atlas sat down on his bunk. His bunk was in the corner, between the canvas and the mesh window. He leaned his back against the wall and pulled his knees up to his chest. He closed his eyes and felt the fatigue of the day for a brief moment.

  He opened his eyes and looked at his fingertips.

  “Potential, huh...”

  ---