The following morning, the students of HA25 sat quietly in their classroom, the usual hum of pre-class chatter subdued by an air of anticipation. The faint click of fingers on academy tablets and the occasional murmur of speculation filled the room. Everyone knew why they were tense—today, the official rankings would finally be announced.
The sound of sharp, deliberate footsteps echoed down the hall. As the door swung open, Professor Eleanor entered, her presence imdiately silencing the room. Her sharp eyes swept across the class, taking in their expectant faces.
"Good morning," Eleanor began, her voice crisp and unwavering as she placed her papers on the podium. She paused briefly, her gaze lingering on a few students before she continued. "I know you've all been waiting for the official rankings to be updated."
She straightened, clasping her hands behind her back as she addressed the class. "The rankings were supposed to be finalized before the sester started. However, due to a number of objections and complaints—so of them from overzealous parents—the process was delayed."
A few students exchanged glances, whispering under their breath. Eleanor's sharp gaze cut through the chatter, and silence quickly returned.
"The academy was forced to review every case thoroughly," Eleanor explained, her tone betraying a hint of irritation at the unnecessary complications. "This took longer than expected, but we are now ready to announce the official rankings."
She picked up a small tablet from her podium and glanced at it briefly before addressing the class again. "Let clarify sothing before we proceed. The rankings you've seen on your smartwatches were provisional—temporary placeholders based on initial evaluations. Today, those rankings will be finalized."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the classroom, a mix of relief and unease.
Eleanor raised a hand, cutting through the noise. "I understand so of you are concerned about the implications of these rankings, particularly regarding your dorm assignnts. Let assure you, the academy will handle the necessary arrangents."
Her sharp gaze swept over the room, ensuring she had everyone's attention. "For those of you whose rankings have improved significantly, you may be required to move to higher-ranking dormitories. Conversely, those whose rankings have dropped may need to relocate to smaller quarters."
A hand shot up from the middle row. "Professor, what if our belongings don't fit into the smaller dorms?" the student asked hesitantly.
Eleanor's expression didn't soften as she replied. "Then it is your responsibility to discard the things that cannot fit into your assigned dorm room. The academy will not accommodate excess belongings. We provide sufficient space for each rank, but nothing more."
The student blinked, their mouth opening as if to respond, but no words ca out. Eleanor continued without pause.
"The academy's personnel will handle the transportation of your belongings while you are in class," she added. "You will find your new dorms ready by the ti your lessons are complete."
As Eleanor finished explaining the dorm reassignnt process, another hand shot up from the back row. The student's voice carried a tone of unease, their words spilling out in a rush.
"Professor, isn't this an invasion of privacy? We weren't inford about any of this beforehand. There are things in our rooms—private things—that we don't want anyone to see."
A murmur of agreent rippled through the room, with several students nodding in solidarity. The tension was palpable, the students clearly uncomfortable with the idea of academy personnel handling their belongings unsupervised.
Eleanor's sharp gaze swept over the class, silencing the murmurs before they could escalate. She regarded the student who had spoken with a asured expression, her tone calm but firm as she replied.
"That is a fair concern," Eleanor acknowledged. "Privacy is important, and I understand your apprehension. Therefore, after this lesson ends, you will be given ti to return to your dorms and pack up any personal or private items before the academy personnel begin the relocation process."
The room seed to exhale collectively, the students visibly relaxing at her words. However, Eleanor's expression turned slightly pointed as she added, "That said, let remind you that choosing to pack away specific items may invite suspicion. It is not my place to question what you consider private, but you must be prepared for the impression your actions may create."
The subtle warning hung in the air, a reminder that transparency—or the lack thereof—could carry consequences.
It was evident that the academy was using this as an excuse to conduct a search, albeit most of the students knew that it was just a superficial warning.
At the end of the day, those who wanted to hide would hide.
Satisfied that the matter was addressed, Eleanor straightened and returned her attention to her tablet. "Now, with that clarified, let's move on to the official rankings."
The tension in the room shifted again, this ti tinged with anticipation and nerves. Eleanor tapped her tablet, and the classroom screen at the front lit up, displaying a large, scrolling list of nas. The ranking numbers glowed beside each na, sharp and definitive.
"The finalized rankings," Eleanor announced, "have been determined based on your performance last sester, both in academics and practical evaluations. This list is final and reflects your standing as of now."
She began reading the nas aloud, starting from the lower ranks and working her way up. The room was filled with a mix of reactions as the rankings were revealed—relief, disappointnt, and a few muted cheers.
"Rank 2121, Oliver Park."
Eleanor's voice rang clearly as she continued reading the rankings.
"Rank 1555, Liam Wayne."
At the sound of his na, the room imdiately stirred. All eyes turned toward a young man sitting stiffly in the back row. Liam Wayne, a student whose pride had recently been tarnished, felt the weight of their stares. He gritted his teeth, his face reddening as whispers began to ripple through the classroom.
"That's the guy who lost to Astron, isn't it?" one student murmured.
"Yeah, he challenged soone ranked last—and still lost," another whispered, barely hiding their amusent.
Liam clenched his fists on his desk, his knuckles turning white. He could feel the disdain in their gazes, the unspoken judgnt. His loss to Astron had already been the talk of their class, but now, seeing his rank so publicly announced, the humiliation resurfaced in full force.
Eleanor continued, unfazed by the murmurs.
"Rank 1234, Timothy Grey."
"Rank 1052, Astron Natusalune."
The room collectively gasped. Heads whipped around to Astron, who sat quietly in his usual corner seat. The last-ranked student at the start of the academy—ranked 2450 out of 2450—had now surged forward by nearly 1,400 ranks.
"That's insane," soone whispered, their tone equal parts awe and disbelief.
"How does soone jump that far in one sester?" another asked, their gaze locked on Astron.
It wasn't just the ranking that drew their attention. Astron's transformation—the refined features, his sharp purple eyes, and the aura of quiet confidence—only added to the growing mystique surrounding him. The students couldn't help but stare, their earlier judgnts crumbling under the weight of his achievents.
Julia leaned toward Ethan, whispering, "That's one hell of a glow-up. Who even is he anymore?"
Ethan didn't respond imdiately, his brow furrowed as he glanced at Astron. There was more to this than t the eye, and Ethan couldn't shake the feeling that whatever had changed in Astron wasn't just physical—or even purely academic.
'Heh…..They are finally noticing him….'
Seeing Astron like that, Irina was satisfied. That guy was finally getting the recognition that he deserved.
He may not care about it, but she cared.
But before the room could fully process Astron's leap in rank, Eleanor continued to read the next nas.
"Rank 915…."
"Rank 876…."
.
.
.
"Rank 570…."
.
.
.
Since the Astron's change, there weren't that many jumps in the academy. That is why the students didn't shine too much, even those who had improved.
Well, that was until a new na ca up…..
"Rank 215, Ethan Hartley."
The room exploded with whispers. Students turned toward Ethan, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief. The murmurs quickly grew louder, drowning out any other reaction.
"Rank 215?" soone said, their voice incredulous. "No way!"
"Wasn't he ranked 2000-sothing at the start of last sester?" another exclaid.
"Yeah, and he jumped to 970 last sester, but this? From 970 to 215 in just one ranking update? What the hell?"
Ethan shifted in his seat, feeling the weight of their stares. Julia, sitting beside him, grinned and gave him a nudge. "Guess you're the new star, Mountain Boy."
He rolled his eyes at her nickna, though he couldn't entirely hide the small smile tugging at his lips. The truth was, even he was surprised at how far he'd co in such a short ti.
'This….'
The room erupted into chaos as the announcent of Ethan's rank sank in. A few students couldn't contain their disbelief, and objections flew from multiple corners of the room.
"This is ridiculous!" one student exclaid, standing abruptly. "How can soone jump from rank 970 to 215 in just one sester? It's not fair!"
"Yeah," another chid in, their voice laced with suspicion. "Is the academy just playing favorites now? What's the point of rankings if they can change this drastically?"
The murmurs of agreent grew louder, frustration and envy bubbling to the surface. Ethan remained seated, his face calm but his jaw tightening as the accusations mounted.
Eleanor narrowed her eyes, the sharpness of her gaze imdiately silencing the commotion. "Enough," she said, her tone cutting through the noise like a blade. The students froze, her commanding presence suffocating any further protests.
"You doubt the fairness of the rankings?" Eleanor's voice was cold, her eyes scanning the room. "Then allow to show you exactly why Ethan Hartley has earned his rank."
She tapped her tablet, and the screen at the front of the room flickered to life. A video began to play, its projection dominating the classroom. The footage was imdiately recognizable to so—the duel between Ethan and Kellan Stormrider, a cadet ranked 256 at the ti, against Ethan's then-ranking of 975.
The room fell silent as the scene unfolded. Kellan Stormrider was on the offensive, his strikes fast and precise. But Ethan's movents, though less polished, were deliberate and unyielding. He dodged, countered, and withstood every attack with a resolve that visibly shook his opponent.
Then ca the turning point. The projection showed Ethan channeling an imnse surge of mana, his figure nearly consud by its brilliance. A mont later, a massive lightning strike descended from the sky, its sheer size and ferocity dwarfing everything around it. The roar of thunder shook the ground, and the battlefield was consud in a blinding light.
Gasps filled the room as the screen displayed the aftermath. Kellan Stormrider was sprawled on the ground, his mana shield shattered and his expression one of disbelief. The students watching the footage could feel the weight of the attack, even through the screen.
Eleanor paused the video, the image frozen on the massive strike mid-impact. She turned back to the class, her expression unyielding.
"This attack," she began, her voice steady but heavy with authority, "would obliterate any of you below rank 200. Even cadets ranked higher would struggle to resist it."
Everyone was silent….
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