After the testing concluded, a mentor walked over and led the freshmen who had passed away from the plaza.
Only after passing through a massive magical gate did the interior of the Magic Academy truly unfold before Lilith’s eyes.
“Wow...”
She wasn't the only one who gasped in amazement.
What lay before them wasn't the rows of academic buildings she had imagined.
Instead, it looked like a small city.
The lead mentor was a stern-looking man. Noticing the students' wandering eyes, he gave a brief reminder.
“Don't dawdle. You’ll have plenty of time to see everything later. For now, we are heading to the dormitory area.”
Occasionally, they saw upperclassmen dressed in uniform academy robes. Most of them were in a hurry, barely sparing a glance for the group of freshmen.
After walking for about ten minutes, an incredibly grand building appeared at the end of the road.
It was a massive, circular tower.
The tower occupied a vast area, and circles of magic formations were slowly rotating upon its surface.
“Students, this is our academy's Central Dormitory.”
The lead mentor stopped in front of the tower and turned to face the freshmen to explain.
“As you can see, it is a building entirely driven and maintained by magic. There are no stairs inside the tower.”
A slight commotion broke out among the crowd.
“If there are no stairs, how do we get up?”
Satisfied with the reaction, the mentor continued, “Every room inside the tower is an Independent Space.”
“An Independent Space!” a student who knew their stuff cried out in shock.
“Correct,” the mentor nodded.
“Our academy worked with several space mages to cut and stabilize multiple small dimensions, combining them together.”
“This means your dormitory is a truly private space that belongs only to you. No one from the outside can intrude without permission—not even the mentors.”
Lilith listened, stunned.
This level of investment... were human magic academies really this wealthy?
“Now, I will explain the housing rules.”
The mentor’s tone returned to a businesslike manner. “The dormitories are divided into two types: standard shared rooms and single suites.”
“Standard shared rooms are free. Usually, two to four people live together and share a set of living facilities.”
“As for the single suites...”
The mentor paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, lingering for a moment on several young men and women dressed in the most opulent clothing.
“They require an additional lodging fee of 20 gold coins per academic year.”
“20 gold coins!”
Many students from commoner backgrounds gasped. The 100-gold-coin tuition had already forced many families to spend everything they had or even go into debt; these 20 gold coins were an astronomical figure.
Lilith did the math in her head.
“I have a total of 500 gold coins. After deducting 120 for tuition and lodging, I’ll have 380 left.”
“Okay, no pressure!”
A temporary registration desk had already been set up in the hall.
Several academy staff members sat behind long tables, with a few mentors nearby to maintain order and answer questions.
“We will now begin registration and the payment of tuition. Once paid, you will receive your dormitory card.”
A female mage was in charge of the registration.
The freshmen began to line up. The atmosphere grew a bit subtle as the gap in economic power was vividly displayed in this moment.
Karl was undoubtedly one of the focal points of the scene.
Not only did he stride confidently to the registration desk and nonchalantly pay 120 gold coins, but he also turned around and generously waved to the five or six people in his small clique.
“This young master is covering the lodging fees! Put it all on my tab!” His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for everyone nearby to hear clearly.
His followers also appeared to be children of nobility, but their family backgrounds were clearly inferior to Karl's.
The group immediately broke into wide smiles, and the sound of flattery was endless.
“Master Karl is so generous!”
“Thank you, Master Karl!”
“Following Master Karl really gives us face!”
Karl basked in the praise, his gaze occasionally drifting toward Lilith in the queue with a clear sense of boasting and comparison.
Lilith rolled her eyes, complaining internally, “More money than sense. If you’re going to treat them, just treat them. Why make it look like you're giving alms? He’s got a terminal case of chuunibyou.”
Finally, it was her turn.
“Name.” The female mage with glasses didn't even look up.
“Lilith.”
The hand flipping through the register paused. She looked up and studied her carefully.
“Oh, it's you. The all-element Rank 6.5 genius.”
Her tone softened considerably. “Tuition is 100 gold coins. Your choice of lodging?”
“Single room.”
“Alright, that’s 120 gold coins in total.”
Lilith nodded and raised her hand, retrieving 120 gold coins from the air and placing them on the counter.
The hall fell silent for a moment.
Almost every eye focused on the pile of gold coins and Lilith’s empty hand.
Where was the storage ring? How did she just flip her hand and take them out?
“Is that... a storage space?!” someone whispered in shock.
Everyone’s eyes widened. While storage spaces weren't unheard of—one could attempt to master them upon reaching Rank 1—they were usually something only mages of a certain level possessed. How could a freshman have one?
The smug smile on Karl’s face froze. The clearly expensive storage ring on his hand suddenly felt like a joke.
The mage with glasses was also stunned for a moment, but her professional training allowed her to recover quickly.
She counted the gold coins, and after confirming the amount, she pulled a pale silver card from under the table.
She placed the card on a base, which lit up with a faint glow. She looked at Lilith. “Inject a wisp of magic to complete the binding.”
Lilith carefully pressed her fingertip against the card.
On the blank space on the back of the card, a line of text immediately surfaced:
“Lilith · 7th Floor · Room 704”
The text flashed once and then faded away, and the card returned to its original state.
“Alright, here is your dormitory card. Please keep it safe.”
The female mage handed the card to her and gave a rare extra piece of advice.
“This card is not only your key but also your student ID. It is very troublesome to replace if lost, and there is a 10-gold-coin processing fee.”
“Thank you, teacher.” Lilith took the expensive card.
At that moment, a mentor responsible for guidance clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
“Students who have received their dormitory cards, look here.”
He walked over to the smooth, seamless door of the dormitory tower. “The method of use is very simple. Just tap your card against any area of the door.”
He gave a demonstration, tapping his own teacher's card against the door. The moment the card touched it, his figure vanished. A few seconds later, he stepped back out from the door.
“The principle is the same when leaving the dormitory.”
The freshmen grew curious and couldn't wait to try it.
One after another, people tapped their cards against the door and vanished in a faint glow.
With a dark expression, Karl led his group of followers and quickly tapped his card to leave, seemingly unwilling to stay a second longer.
Lilith also walked up to the door. Imitating the others, she tapped her card against it.
In the next instant, a surge of magic enveloped her.
The scene before her blurred, and she found herself standing in a brand-new space.
She looked around.
The room was much larger and more exquisite than she had imagined.
It had all the necessary daily amenities.
“Incredible.”
Lilith let out a sincere exclamation of praise.
These 120 gold coins were well worth it!
She walked over to the sofa in the living room, collapsed directly onto it, and let out a satisfied sigh.
“Teleportation is so convenient.”
Recalling the experience just now, she looked at the light screen on the wall.
“I wonder if I’d be trapped here if I lost my card? But the academy must have emergency measures.”
“Still, separate from that, 10 gold coins for a replacement is a total scam.”
She lay there for a while before deciding to get up and explore.
She held her card and swiped it against the wall repeatedly, appearing at the base of the tower one moment and quickly teleporting back to her room the next.
“This is fun!” She felt like she had found a new toy.
Next, she tried giving a command to the room. “Dim the lights a little.”
The light from the walls indeed softened.
“How about a moon?”
The walls quickly transformed into a tranquil night sky.
“Amazing!” Lilith had a blast playing around, thoroughly falling in love with this magical dormitory.
After messing around for quite some time, she finally settled down and lay back on the sofa.
Classes would officially be assigned tomorrow, and her academy life would begin.
Rate on N.U.
