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3.96% Extra's Descent / Chapter 15: Rankings

Chapter 15: Rankings

'Haa…'

Brandon was in his seat as he glanced around the other students focusing on their written test.

Apparently, today was the day for the final evaluation of the rankings in their class. In which, the final criteria would be the written test.

Since Brandon skipped out on his final class yesterday, due to preparing for his business meeting with Charles, he wasn't informed.

Of course, he didn't have Raven's number, so Raven didn't inform him in advance.

Plus, they were all arranged in alphabetical order, meaning–Brandon didn't know the person seated next to him.

He couldn't ask him for answers.

'Not like they'd even let me copy…'

Furthermore, Brandon didn't grow up in this world, so he knew next to nothing about what was in the test.

In short, he was cooked.

But he couldn't give up just yet.

'If I just use the knowledge I have about the novel, then I should get a good grade…'

Is what he thought.

***

"Okay class, the automated checker has already graded your test, you can check the Astrea Academy app for your results."

Vanessa roamed around the podium as she informed them.

Brandon wasn't feeling confident at all.

'But it shouldn't be too bad…'

He then turned to check the Astrea Academy app, trying to find his student ID.

[Brandon Locke]

[Student ID: 148269]

[SCORE: 24/200]

'Fuck…'

It was bad.

With this, he officially cemented himself as the lowest ranked student in class.

Vanessa then requested the students' attention, as she held a white device in her hand.

"Congratulations everyone! You have all finished the initial evaluation for the school year. Welcome to Astrea Academy."

For freshmen, they had to take a 3 day evaluation test at the start of the school year, ranging from Combat Class, Physical Training, Theory Class, and History.

In short, the mandatory classes. Minor subjects didn't count

Vanessa then continued.

"I will now show you the official rankings of all the first year students."

Suddenly, a rectangular hologram materialized out of thin air.

On it, displayed the students' profile, such as their face, name, age, and ranking.

"This was also uploaded in the app, so you can check it there as well."

Since the only rankings displayed on the hologram were the top 10 students, they were given the option to check the app.

And of course, Brandon wasn't in the top 10.

'I did well in Combat Class, so my ranking shouldn't be too bad, right?'

Once again, Brandon turned to check the app.

His first initiative was to check for the rankings of the important characters, particularly–the main cast.

'If the events in the novel align, then the main cast should be within the top 5.'

[Raven Blackheart: 1 / 2,012]

[Reinhard Van: 2 / 2,012]

[Claire Victoria: 3 / 2,012]

[Amy Ashfield: 4 / 2,012]

[Rachel Asami: 5 / 2,012]

Brandon breathed out a sigh of relief.

'Good, it seems like nothing's changed in that department.'

This was good, it meant that–as long as Brandon doesn't meddle too much, then the plotline should flow smoothly.

Brandon continued to scroll down, trying to find his name.

He'd already passed the 1000th ranking, and he still didn't find his name.

'Damn…'

He started to panic.

As he continued to scroll, he finally found his name.

[Brandon Locke: 1,890 / 2,012]

'That's bad…'

It really was.

In all his life, he was always an average student.

'But this is way below mediocre.'

He was grade conscious as well.

As the other students continued to scan their phones, Vanessa once again spoke up.

"Don't be disheartened if you got a low ranking, you can always climb the ranks if you do your best."

When Vanessa mentioned 'low ranking', it felt as if she turned her gaze to Brandon's direction.

'She couldn't have been looking at me, right?'

Brandon felt guilty for not meeting Vanessa's expectations.

From his initial debut in the academy, to his astonishing performance in Combat Class.

Vanessa must've thought he was going to be an outstanding student, but in the end he was average at best.

No, he was way below average.

'Haha, it's fine, I've got the whole school year to climb my way in the rankings.'

It was then, when a male student stood up with a frown in his face.

"This must be a mistake, right? How is Raven Blackheart the top 1 when he's a Duelist?"

Then, another student chimed in.

"Yeah! I understand Reinhard Van's ranking, but how did Raven Blackheart even rank higher than him?"

From what they knew, Reinhard was a prodigious mage of the famous Van Family.

While Raven was an unknown student with no background or status to his name.

Plus, he was a Duelist.

It was enough for the students to complain.

And since Raven was placed in a class with no other duelists, he had no one to defend him.

At least, that was what the other students should've been thinking.

Brandon had a smirk on his face as he thought to himself.

'Right, this happened in the novel as well, then if I'm right…'

Another student stood up, with deep-red hair, and ink-black eyes.

It was none other than–Reinhard Van.

'Right on cue.'

"Well, thanks for whatever that was. But I beg to differ about your assessment of Raven."

Reinhard quickly gathered everyone's attention and continued,

"He's most definitely deserving of 1st place. Instead of worrying about someone else, worry about your own rankings first."

Reinhard narrowed his eyes, as his tone became serious.

"If you're so willing to deny his effort, then why don't you try fighting him for his ranking?"

He then turned towards Vanessa, who was still standing in the podium listening to the whole thing.

"That's allowed in this Academy, right Miss?"

"Yes, thank you for bringing that up. As for what Reinhard said, an easy way to climb the ranks is to directly challenge a student who's willing to wager their ranking."

From a distance, Brandon could see Raven's mouth agape.

Most likely, he must've not expected to be put on the spot by Reinhard.

Brandon let out a soft chuckle.

'This scene is even crazier in real life than in the novel.'

The other students then settled down, some had anguished looks, while some didn't really care.

And surprisingly, Raven just let the entire thing unfold.

But Brandon felt bad for not standing up for him, knowing he was Raven's only friend.

There was nothing Brandon could do, he had no authority in the classroom.

And his ranking couldn't back him up either, his words held no sway over the students.

'Plus, this would cement the beginning of Raven and Reinhard's friendship.'

***

They were dismissed for the rest of the day, as the semester officially kicks off tomorrow.

Vanessa then announced a party to be held at 7:00 PM for freshmen to get acquainted with their fellow peers.

After the whole ordeal, Raven immediately got up and left the room.

He must've not wanted to indulge with other students, since things seemed to be tense at the moment.

Reinhard immediately caught up and followed him, and so did Brandon.

Raven gave his thanks to Reinhard for sticking up for him.

Of course, he didn't blame Brandon for staying silent the whole time.

If it were Raven, he would've done the same, so what Reinhard did was absurd to him.

Brandon roamed around the halls, walking side-by-side with Raven and Reinhard.

The one to break the silence first was Reinhard.

"Anyway, about the party, do you guys have a suit to wear?"

"Nope."

Brandon and Raven said in unison.

"Well lucky for you two, I know just a place where we could get one for cheap."

Brandon's ears perked up, and asked,

"Really?" 

"Yup, let me call my acquaintance first."

At the mention of an 'acquaintance' Brandon had an idea of who Reinhard was about to call.

From behind them, the trio heard a voice.

"Hey, Reinhard!"

When his name was mentioned, Reinhard gave a smile and turned around to trace the source of the voice.

"Nevermind, seems like she's here."

The two followed suit and scanned her appearance. 

She had short lavender hair, purple eyes, adorning a white long sleeve under a purple jacket.

Despite her tomboyish looks, her facial features were quite feminine.

'Yup, I knew it.'

Reinhard then motioned towards the girl, wrapping his arms around her shoulder, and said,

"Guys, I'd like to introduce you to my childhood friend, Claire Victoria."


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
athex athex

Do check out the current novel I'm working on.

If you're looking for a story similar to The Villain Wants to Live and Academy's Genius Blinker, then you'll probably enjoy reading this one.

Chapter 16: Victoria Supermall [1]

"Oh? So you're Raven Blackheart, I've heard about what happened in your class, must've sucked."

Claire tried to console Raven in her own way.

"Y-Yeah… but I'm used to it by now."

Smack-!

Reinhard slapped Raven in the back as he advised him,

"Grow some backbone man, you shouldn't let people walk all over you like that."

At Reinhard's words, Brandon twitched slightly, recalling past memories of being 'walked all over' by people.

Crack-

With a devious smile on her face, Claire cracked her knuckles and said,

"Yeah? Why don't we teach those guys a lesson?"

"Absolutely not, do you want to get expelled?" 

Reinhard shot her down instantly.

"Whatever." 

Claire rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms.

Reinhard then approached Brandon, placing his arm on his shoulder.

"And this guy over here is Brandon Locke."

Since Reinhard was taller than the three, he could easily place his arm on their shoulders.

He was really touchy with people.

With a smile on his face, Brandon gave his greetings,

"Hello, Miss Claire."

"Claire's fine. Anyway, I remember you back in Combat Class, you were pretty good. But why are people saying you fell off or something?"

"Ah, hahaha."

Brandon scratched the back of his head, giving Claire an awkward laugh.

He knew the reason why, but he didn't know people were talking behind his back about it.

'Even in this world, people still gossip about everything. Haaa…'

Reinhard seemed to notice the mood had become sour, as he reprimanded Claire,

"You still haven't changed that bad habit of yours. Sorry about this guys."

"No, it's really fine. But what did you call Claire for?"

Of course, Brandon already knew what Claire was here for.

After all…

"Right, this girl over here–who can't seem to think before speaking, is the heir to Victoria Supermall."

Reinhard said while patting Claire's head.

Claire seemed like she wanted to say something about it, but she kept her mouth shut.

"Woah."

Brandon and Raven said in unison.

But for Brandon's case, he was merely pretending to be amazed.

Reinhard cupped his hand around his ear, tilting his head slightly near Claire.

"Oh, what's that? You said you'll give us a discount because you felt bad?"

His tone sounded sarcastic.

Claire seemed reluctant, pondering for a moment.

"...Mmm, fine."

"Haha, I knew we could count on you!"

Reinhard once again walked towards where Raven and Brandon were standing, placing his arm on both their shoulders.

"Well, Gentlemen, you've heard the Lady. It's a 100% discount, basically free!"

"Hey!"

Claire retorted.

The two boys could only stay silent the whole time, unsure of what to make out of the situation.

Reinhard and Claire seemed to have a relationship like fire and ice.

.

.

.

Arriving at the mall, if one could describe the sheer space that it covered, even huge would be an understatement.

It was enormous.

Stalls and rented spaces were lined all over, as a grand fountain was situated at the center.

People wandered about, children, adults, and seniors took their time shopping and exploring.

The air was alive with the chatter of conversation and murmurs being audible.

Vendors called out to each person passing by, their voices mixing with the crowd.

Brandon and Raven stood there in awe. While Reinhard and Claire motioned ahead of them.

Claire turned around to face the two.

"What are you two just standing still for? Let's go."

At her instructions, the two immediately followed suit.

"Yes, Maam."

The four hopped on a white circular device. As soon as they did, there was a robotic voice that spoke,

[Which floor would you like to go to?]

"Floor 28."

Vuuum-

As soon as Claire gave the instructions, the circular device lit up green, and they were instantly teleported to the 28th floor.

"Damn!"

Brandon was taken aback.

At first he thought it was just a fancy elevator, but turns out it was so much more different.

The technological advancement of this world had never failed to meet his astonishment.

Noticing this, Raven tilted his head.

"You've never used a shiftporter before?"

"N-no…"

"That's weird, isn't your family rich? I thought you'd have a shiftporter in the Locke Company building."

Claire chimed in, leaning close to Brandon.

"Ah, haha, I must've forgotten. My family's been calling me forgetful lately."

"Uh, okay…"

At the mention of Locke Company, Brandon's interest instantly skyrocketed.

'I really need to look into Brandon Locke's identity.'

At this moment, he could fully admit that Brandon Locke was an interesting character.

'So why didn't he ever make an appearance in the novel?'

He had the system, something that the main protagonist had.

He was also rich, and his looks are something worth remembering.

The way Brandon Locke was designed seemed like he wasn't just an ordinary extra.

From the pale white hair that reached his neck, to the ice blue eyes.

Plus, his face was perfectly symmetrical, even a narcissist would agree to that.

There was no doubt in Brandon's mind that this seemingly extra character he'd transmigrated as, had to have an important role in the story.

But he then remembered that he had stockpiled 400 chapters behind, only reading up until the 3,891th chapter.

'But isn't that too far in the story to introduce a new character?'

It was, and the fact that Brandon Locke had a system made Brandon even more suspicious.

'There has to be something more about Brandon Locke.'

He truly wished he could search the character in the Path to Ascension wiki page.

'I'll find out eventually.'

After all, he was now playing the character.

Stepping out of the shiftporter, Brandon, Raven, and Reinhard followed Claire closely.

She had led them to a store with mannequins wearing suits and dresses being displayed on the front glass.

The four of them beckoned inside.

As they made their way inside, an employee was already ready to greet them.

"Good evening, Miss Victoria, and these must be your friends."

"Good evening, yes, that's right. Could you help us get something tailored to wear?"

'Tailored, huh? A rich girl through and through, she's just like Belle.'

Of course, Brandon couldn't say it out loud.

"Yes, gladly. But for a moment, we're still helping another customer get something tailored."

"That's fine, take your time."

The four sat down on a circular couch.

While they waited, the employees unexpectedly offered them refreshments.

'What kind of store is this?!'

Back in Brandon's world, clothing stores wouldn't usually have refreshments.

The customs of this world were truly a mystery to him.

.

.

After waiting for a while, it seemed like the other customers had finished getting tailored.

A door situated in the corner opened, revealing two women.

One of them had pitch-black hair, while the other women had bright-blonde hair.

When their gaze landed on the four who sat on the couch, their eyes peered wide open.

And so was Claire's.

"Eh? Amy and Rachel? Fancy meeting you here."

"What a coincidence, Claire. Is that Reinhard with you?"

Amy approached the four, scanning the three people she was with. While Rachel also followed suit.

Reinhard then greeted Amy and Rachel.

"Yup, good to see you again, Amy, Rachel."

Seemed like rich people knew each other.

Claire added,

"Yeah, we're getting something tailored for the party. You too, right?"

Amy then pointed at Rachel, and responded,

"Yup, you guys must've waited long. Sorry about that, Rachel here took too long deciding on what design she wanted."

"Sorry…"

Rachel bowed apologetically.

"No, it's okay. Anyway, let me introduce you guys to these two over here."

Claire presented with open hands towards Brandon and Raven, as if she was giving a report.

"This gloomy fellow over here is Raven Blackheart, and this guy with the long hair is–"

Before Claire could finish, Rachel cut her off.

"Nice to see you again, Brandon."

"Yeah, you too, Rachel."

The other four tilted their heads, giving a confused look.

"Eh?... You two know each other?"

Claire asked.

"Uhm… Yeah, we're classmates."

"Oh, that's right. I forgot you Reinhard, and Raven was in the same class as Rachel."

One of the employees then approached the group, gesturing towards the door.

"Miss, Claire, the room is now open. You may proceed to get tailored right away."


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