The Legendary Programming Mage

The Dean of Apex Academy and the Queen of the lowest of the lesser continents.

Alicia Frostmoor.

It was said that she was the one with the highest chance of becoming SSS-rank.

And she was always known to be playful and sweet, like a doting mother.

Oh, and one more detail?

She was usually jobless and lonely.

Alicia, now possessing Seraphina's body, tilted her head. "Did I do something wrong? Haven't you all seen a possession before?"

She didn't give the stunned students any more attention.

"Okay now, let's continue from where we left off."

"Ma'am."

Looking into the crowd, Alicia noticed a peculiar boy raising his hand.

"Yes, dear."

The young man in a knight's uniform stood up. "I don't mean to be rude, but why didn't you come in person?"

Alicia blinked once, then laughed warmly. "It's because I want to be mysterious."

She smirked. "If you want to see your Dean so badly, then earn enough points."

All the students felt a sudden surge of confidence and burning desire.

"Apex tries its best to mimic the real world, not raise sheltered children. That's why we use rankings that are close to the grading system the real world follows."

The students nodded.

"Okay, without further ado, let's call the top three cadets."

She flicked her hand, and the dust on the red carpet vanished as the room glittered as if bathed in sunlight.

"Our third highest-ranked cadet from the mage school, with a total of one million points, a girl who proved herself both in strength and leadership, Quincy Blake."

The hall was silent for a full minute before a voice rang out.

"We love you, Quincy Blake! Thanks so much for helping us!"

Different voices began echoing the same words, and from behind the crowd, a gorgeous beauty stepped forward.

She had long, whitish-blue hair and divine golden eyes.

She looked more like an enchanting celestial than a human.

With a rather cold face, she walked onto the podium.

"Quincy Blake, any words for the students?"

Quincy glanced at the Dean, then back at the students, cleared her throat, and said,

"Please, no one should say they love me. It might cause a misunderstanding."

The hall went still, and before Quincy realized it, everyone burst into laughter.

The young girl's face flushed red.

The girls who were glaring at her moments ago couldn't help but see her in a new light.

Alicia chuckled softly. "Such a sweet thing you are."

Quincy, still embarrassed, moved toward the place where the other top ten stood.

Alicia cleared her throat. "Ahem..."

She looked at the students once more. "Now, our top two."

Everyone held their breath in anticipation.

"Number two, with a total of one million five hundred thousand points, the saintess and second princess of the holy nation, Valentina Solrath."

Instead of cheers, the hall fell silent.

"The saintess is second place?"

That single question didn't just reflect the thoughts of one person but many.

Even if someone had scored higher in the test, wasn't she still the younger sister of the world's greatest prodigy?

A single recommendation from a prominent grade-two citizen could change a lot in the scores.

Valentina appeared from backstage, unlike the others who had come from the audience.

She bowed and stood in the place reserved for second place.

The silence in the hall was heavy.

No one said a word. No sound of breathing could be heard.

Everyone just froze.

Who was the Apex?

Who would lead them?

What exactly was their fate?

Alicia gave a sly smirk. "I know you all have a lot of questions, but the decision's already been made."

She paused and landed gracefully on the podium.

"This year, there weren't any major fights among the participants, so we made our decision another way."

With a flick of her wrist, the holographic image changed to a graphic chart.

"The one who was the best among all the applicants, the one who figured out the exam's mechanisms first, the one who showed absolute dominance in the test, and the one with the most growing influence outside these walls."

No one said a word, but a face appeared in their minds.

A face impossible to forget.

Someone who, from the very first day, had shown dominance, the one who stopped first and started first at the initial red-light green-light.

He was the same man who distinguished reality from illusion during the final ghoul test.

Alicia's eyes narrowed. "I guess all of you already know who he is. And yes, when I said he had influence, I meant five grade-two citizens gave him a recommendation."

She gestured backstage.

"Newly matriculated cadets, I present your star, your god, and your Apex, the one who will lead you..."

She took a brief pause and muttered,

"The unknown, Allen Vanderbilt."

Step. Step. Step.

The sound of soft footsteps echoed in the quiet hall as a single man appeared from behind the curtain.

He was dressed in the black mage uniform, and unlike most who had removed their military cap, he did not.

A small smile curved on his beautiful face, and each step he took radiated an immense aura.

It wasn't the type that came from combat exactly, but one born of confidence beyond belief.

As soon as he entered, he pressed down the edge of his cap as if to cover his face.

Then he looked up to meet each and every one of their gazes.

For the briefest moment, his eyes shifted to a blonde-haired woman at the very end of the seats.

Her lips barely moved, but he caught onto the signal.

Tilting his head ever so slightly, he muttered, "Nice to meet you, you lot."

He continued almost lazily. "I'm your god and king, Allen Vanderbilt."

---

A/N:

Hey guys, I hope you're enjoying the story as much as I'm enjoying writing it.

As I've mentioned before, I'll likely be starting my RF by Monday. And just like you, I want this story to reach its conclusion.

I currently have over 1000 chapters planned, but continuing this project depends on your support. I'm human too, and writing is my only focus right now, so I can't keep a project alive if it doesn't get any solid backing.

I'll keep doing my best to deliver the story, and I'll leave the rest in your hands.

Note: I need a certain number of RF unlocks to qualify for the weekly recommendation.

So... Let's go!

Water7