Bab 21: Ranking Assessment

As Kyle and Nine walked into the classroom and settled into their seats in the front row, hardly anyone took notice of them.

Kyle looked around the classroom with curiosity, as it was officially his first day. He noticed Alec, Carcel, Lara, and Mia sitting together at the other end of the room. The four of them exuded both beauty and strength.

'Hmm, now I'm not weak either.'

Many students tried to start conversations with them, but they ignored everyone and were engrossed in their discussion.

After observing them for a few seconds, Kyle refocused his attention on Nine and asked about the classes he had missed in the past few days.

As they were deep in conversation, Professor Aliza entered the classroom, dressed elegantly.

"Alright, everyone, please settle down."

She instantly made her way towards the podium. Her neatly tied black hair and sharp gaze caught everyone's attention, but it was her smile that truly lit up the room as she picked up the attendance sheet.

Kyle blinked as he observed her calm, kind, and beautiful demeanor. In that moment, he couldn't help but think she was the nicest person on earth.

'It's great that the teacher doesn't seem strict!'

Unlike the other male students who blushed and stared at her, Kyle turned away after a few seconds. It wasn't that he found her unattractive; he simply believed it would be inappropriate to stare at the professor for too long.

As Aliza glanced through the attendance sheet, she quickly began calling out names.

"Lily."

"Present."

"Alec."

"Present."

"Mia."

"Present."

.....

Aliza paused suddenly as she came across a certain name, and in a loud voice, she called out.

"Kyle Ohan?"

Hearing his name, Kyle raised his hand with enthusiasm.

"Present!"

Aliza's warm smile vanished, replaced by a narrow gaze.

"Oh? So you finally decided to show your face."

She said sarcastically, her eyes fixed on Kyle.

A chill ran down Kyle's spine. Just moments ago, she had seemed like an angel, but now she appeared as a demon in disguise! He stood up and gave her a quick nod.

"...I apologize. It was my first time traveling so far, and I got motion sickness after coming to the Academy. That's why I was unable to attend the class."

Kyle maintained a poker face as he lied, but the beads of cold sweat betrayed his true emotions, dripping down the side of his face.

Aliza furrowed her brow, knowing he was lying because she had checked his location the day before. She discovered that he had been holed up in the library for a week, engrossed in reading books about monsters. Afterward, he took on a pointless mission like 'herb collecting' and left the Academy.

She gave him a quick nod and continued with the attendance, mentally marking him for a punishment he would soon face.

Kyle's eyelid twitched, hinting at a sense of impending doom. Nevertheless, he brushed off the stares from the rest of the class, showing his thick skin.

Aliza closed the attendance sheet and addressed the students.

"That's it. Now everyone can leave and head to the training ground because the ranking assessment will be held there."

All the students stood up and began to exit the classroom. As they left, Aliza's gaze remained fixed on Kyle's back, her expression serious. She quietly murmured to herself, lost in thought.

"(F+)-Rank? Didn't the vice principal say just a week ago that he was only (F-)-Rank? How did he increase his rank by simply reading some books?"

After thinking for a moment, she thought maybe the vice principal made a mistake. But how can the vice principal, who is an (SS)-Rank individual, make a mistake? Thinking about all this, she decided to keep an eye on Kyle during the competition.

....

In the first-year training ground, all the students stood nervously in a single line, their eyes fixed on the professor before them.

Professor Liam, dressed in a navy blue outfit, stood tall at the front. The faint wrinkles on his forehead hinted at his age, likely in his late thirties.

As the professor spoke with a booming voice, the students could feel the dense mana in the air. Though not overwhelming, it still exerted a certain pressure on everyone present.

"Alright, everyone, listen carefully because I won't repeat myself. For the ranking assessment, you'll be teleported into a dungeon called 'Goblin Cave'. It's an (F)-Rank dungeon, specifically designed by the principal to nurture young talents like all of you."

Pausing for a moment and gazing at the students before him, the professor proceeded.

"For your Ranking assessment, all you gotta do is defeat as many monsters as you can within the given time limit. Each monster you defeat will earn you an additional point. The more points you rack up, the higher your rank will be. There are some hidden tasks in the dungeon that can give you extra points, but it's up to your luck to find them. Once the time is up, you'll be automatically teleported out."

Pausing again to ensure the students understood the information, the professor continued.

"There will be some professors hidden within the dungeon. This is a safety measure in case of any unforeseen accidents. They can quickly come to your aid. The Academy wants to ensure none of you end up getting hurt."

"However..."

"If the professors have to step in and help you, you'll be disqualified and automatically placed last in the class. I'm sure none of you want that, so I hope everyone will give it their all to achieve a high ranking."

The students shuddered at the thought of being ranked last in the class. Nobody wanted that.