The sterile chill of the orbital campus seemed to deepen as a massive holographic leaderboard shimmered into existence above the Proving Grounds. Five hundred names glowed in stark white light, ranked from top to bottom. A collective gasp rippled through the assembled students.
Kael scanned the list, his **Perception 15** letting him pick out details quickly:
**TOP 10 RANKINGS:**
1. **Darius Kane** (Gravity Mastery) - *Score: 99.1%*
2. **Lyra Solara** (Plasma Manifestation) - *Score: 98.7%*
3. **Klea Storm** (Ice Manipulation) - *Score: 98.3%*
4. **Torin Stoneheart** (Seismic Sense) - *Score: 97.5%*
5. **Nyx Shade** (Umbral Weaving) - *Score: 96.8%*
6. **Orion Brightsky** (Solar Infusion) - *Score: 96.2%*
7. **Jaxon Blitz** (Kinetic Acceleration) - *Score: 95.7%*
8. **Silas Reed** (Sonic Resonance) - *Score: 95.1%*
9. **Aurora Flux** (Magnetic Control) - *Score: 94.6%*
10. **Vesper Thorn** (Bio-Organic Manipulation) - *Score: 94.0%*
Klea stood apart, her glacial beauty untouched by the murmurs around her. Her third-place rank drew awed stares, but her ice-blue eyes remained fixed ahead, utterly composed.
Kael found his own name much lower:
**302. Kael James (Lightning) - Score: 61.2%**
He felt a strange mix of relief and frustration. Relief because 302 was forgettable – buried safely in the middle of the pack. Frustration because he knew his true capabilities were shackled. He'd deliberately underperformed, relying solely on Lightning and physical prowess, hiding the devastating potential of Space and Time. The Crucible noted coldly: **STRATEGIC CONCEALMENT SUCCESSFUL. VISIBILITY MINIMIZED.**
"Ouch, 302?" Maya Grey materialized beside him, her wind affinity making her steps unnaturally light. She pointed to her own rank: **187. Maya Grey (Wind) - Score: 73.8%**. "Guess dodging cannon fire with pure reflexes only gets you so far." She grinned, nudging him. "Don't worry, Lightning-bug. Plenty of time to climb."
Jacob Stone lumbered over, scowling at his rank: **215. Jacob Stone (Earth) - Score: 70.1%**. "Should've been higher. That mud pit in the Gauntlet was rigged." He shot Maya a look. "Unlike *some* people who float over everything."
Maya stuck out her tongue. "Perks of dating a breeze, Rock-brain. Hey, room assignments are up!"
A new list appeared. Kael scanned it:
* **DORM 7A:** Klea Storm & Maya Grey
* **DORM 7B:** Kael James & Jacob Stone
Jacob groaned. "Sharing with the lightning rookie? Great."
Maya beamed. "And I get the Ice Queen! This is perfect!" She linked her arm through Kael's, ignoring Jacob's deepening scowl. "Come on, roomies! Let's find our cave before the monsters claim the good bunks!"
They navigated the gleaming corridors towards the residential sector. The dorms were surprisingly spacious pods – two sleeping alcoves, a shared study area with a holographic interface, and a small hygiene unit. Dorm 7A was directly opposite 7B.
As they approached Dorm 7A, the door hissed open. Klea stood framed in the entrance, her silver hair catching the light. She regarded them with cool detachment, her gaze lingering on Kael. "Maya Grey. Your belongings arrived. Do try not to create a perpetual whirlwind in our shared space." Her voice was like frozen crystal. She then looked directly at Kael. "302. An... interesting starting position. I expect improvement." The door slid shut.
Maya whistled. "Told you she's intense." She squeezed Kael's arm. "See you boys at mess hall!" She vanished into 7A.
Jacob shoved open Dorm 7B. "Home sweet prison." The room was utilitarian but clean. Two bunks, two desks, storage lockers. Jacob immediately claimed the bottom bunk nearest the door, dumping his pack. "Top's yours, Sparky. Try not to electrocute yourself in your sleep."
Kael took the top bunk, stowing his meager belongings. The Crucible mapped the room: structural integrity, energy conduits, comms panel. **ANALYSIS: SECURE. NO IMMEDIATE THREATS.**
Jacob flopped onto his bunk, hands behind his head. "So. Lightning. Grade 1. Middle ranker. Why'd Klea Storm mark you?"
Kael kept his voice neutral, unpacking. "She saw me watching her trial run. Guess she noticed I wasn't drooling like the others."
Jacob snorted. "Lucky you. That kind of attention from Rank 3? It's like being noticed by a glacier – beautiful, but likely to crush you." He paused, studying Kael. "You held back in the Dome. Saw the shoulder scrape. Pure evasion, no tricks. Why?"
Kael met his gaze. "Didn't want to fry the cannons. Or attract the wrong kind of attention." He nodded towards the door, implying Ember's crew.
Jacob grunted, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. "Smart. For a rookie. Ember's Rank 25. His crew are all top 100. They eat middle-rankers like you for breakfast." He sat up. "Maya's got a good instinct about people. She thinks you're worth talking to. So, try not to get yourself flattened before classes start tomorrow. I hate moving roommates." It was the closest thing to camaraderie Jacob offered.
Kael nodded. "Not planning on it." He pulled up his status screen privately, the blue glow reflecting in his eyes:
---
**<<< STATUS >>>**
**HOST:** Kael James
**LEVEL:** 10
**EXP:** 70/1100
**ENG:** 120/120
**GRADE 2 PROGRESS:** 73%
**RANK:** 302
**ABILITIES (MASKED):**
* **Lightning (Grade 1):** Official
* **Space (Grade 1):** Hidden
* **Time (Grade 1):** Hidden
**LOCATION:** Dorm 7B (Ascendancy Orbital Campus Alpha)
**ROOMMATE:** Jacob Stone (Earth, Rank 215)
**ADJACENT:** Dorm 7A - Klea Storm (Rank 3), Maya Grey (Rank 187)
**OBJECTIVES:**
* **Maintain Concealment:** Critical
* **Improve Rank:** Target Top 200
* **Achieve Grade 2:** (Level 15) - **73%**
* **Survive Ember's Crew:** Threat Level: **Extreme** (Ember Rank 25, Spark Rank 42, Brick Rank 55)
* **Navigate Klea's Interest:** Threat Level: **Unknown**
* **Unlock System Origin:** (Grade 3) - **33%**
---
He was Kael James, Rank 302. Officially, a middling Lightning-wielder sharing a bunk with a grumpy earth-shaker, across the hall from a whirlwind and a glacier. Unofficially, he was a walking anomaly, a vessel for a dead god's power, hiding cosmic secrets in a Grade 1 shell. The Crucible hummed, a silent engine of war buried beneath the facade of a rookie student. The real trial – maintaining the mask while climbing the ranks – had just begun. Dawn would bring classes, sparring, and the first true test of his carefully constructed lie.