"Hey, First Academy kids, what's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Fairwind shouted from the front of the stage, smirking wildly.
"Weren't you all celebrating a minute ago? Where's the music now? Keep dancing!"
The stunned silence that had fallen over the square finally shattered. A storm of reactions rippled through the crowd.
"Wait, did I hear that right? 97 points?!"
"Level 17 with 70-star combat power? That's insane! Are we sure this guy is a newcomer?"
"No way, he's cheating! He must've bought an entire loadout of Gold-tier gear."
"That's not cheating! At least he had the money for it. And don't forget—you still need to be at least level 15 to equip most of that stuff."
"Oh, this is so unfair. Is this what they mean by having a rich dad advantage?"
"Hah! So that's why Fairwind was acting so arrogant earlier. He knew this would slap the First Academy in the face."
The square buzzed with mockery and disbelief. The mentor from First Academy, who had previously basked in praise, looked like he'd been struck by lightning.
Once upon a time, this very mentor had brought Fairwind into First Academy himself. Now, he was watching the same student—one he had rejected and discarded—shatter the rankings right before his eyes.
It was the kind of bitter poetic irony that stung the most.
It felt like dumping a girlfriend you thought was worthless, only to see her step out of a luxury car, draped in wealth and power, while you pedaled past her on a bicycle. And worst of all? You had no way back.
"Someone get the medic! The mentor just fainted!"
"Wait, what are you doing?! I'm not hurt! Heal the instructor!"
"Oops, my bad!"
Mr. Carter stood on the stage, muttering under his breath, "Pathetic."
The First Academy principal turned red with fury, waving his arms for someone to carry the unconscious instructor away.
What no one realized was—the man wasn't really unconscious. After being healed and cleansed of debuffs, he woke up immediately. But out of pure shame, he pretended to stay unconscious, unwilling to face the crowd.
Why had Fairwind gone out of his way to humiliate them? The answer wasn't just pride.
The First Academy's administration had a certain… culture. The principal and several instructors were known to accept "gifts" for favorable treatment. One day, Fairwind accidentally witnessed his own instructor receiving such a benefit—and he never forgot it.
He never forgave it either.
Only Ethan, watching from the sidelines, truly understood Fairwind's petty vendetta. And it made sense, given Fairwind's background.
Fairwind was the son of the Lord of Ravenshade City. But despite that status, his upbringing had been far from golden.
His father divorced Fairwind's mother when he was young and remarried soon after, giving Fairwind a stepmother and a half-brother.
Fairwind didn't get along with them. Not one bit.
So, he moved out early. And with the Lord of Ravenshade so busy with political affairs, Fairwind grew up without guidance.
He buried himself in comics, manga, and fantasy novels. That's where he developed his flair for dramatic speeches, childish grudges, and stubborn pride. Ethan had once joked that Fairwind had terminal "chuunibyou" syndrome—the delusional confidence of someone who read too many hero stories.
When Fairwind witnessed the corruption within First Academy, he reported it immediately to the authorities. But the principal—just as dirty—acted quickly, forcing Fairwind to transfer to Third Academy.
Had it not been for his unclear family status, no one would've dared to kick the son of Ravenshade's ruler out of First Academy.
But they had. And now, he was making them regret it.
"Alright," Fairwind sighed, "Mission accomplished."
He signaled his instructor to continue the process.
"Next, from Third Academy..."
The results continued, and with every passing name, Lily Winter's turn drew closer.
On stage, Mr. Carter's heartbeat accelerated.
Fairwind had just knocked Charles off the throne—a plot twist he hadn't prepared for. But he still had faith in the legendary Winter family.
"She's our ace," he whispered to himself. "Just wait."
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
His chest felt tight. The tension was unbearable.
Then came the moment.
"Third Academy – Lily Winter, SS-grade talent, Level 18, Combat Power: 76 stars. Total Score: 114!"
"Temporarily ranked number one!"
The instructor who announced it looked stunned. He was an average teacher, never having handled someone with Lily's sheer prowess. The words left his lips like they carried weight.
And they did.
But he also knew… this performance had little to do with him.
The rest of the instructors in Third Academy were bursting with excitement. But this one?
He just stood there, deep in self-reflection.
He hadn't trained her.
He hadn't given her direction.
All he did was not get in her way.
It was bittersweet.
In contrast, the mentor from First Academy was now being wheeled off stage, humiliated and broken.
Suddenly, three voices rose up from the audience stands.
"Good! Good! Excellent!"
"Your Third Academy is truly lucky this year. Two rising stars in one batch!"
"Last year's top performer barely reached 76 stars in combat power. This is historic!"
The one shouting, of course, was none other than Mr. Carter himself.
His earlier worries vanished. Lily's numbers were not just impressive—they were dominating. As expected of the Winter family.
He was so relieved, he wanted to pause the event, find a quiet corner, and rehearse the perfect way to approach Lily for a mentorship offer.
But there was still one name left on the roster.
Ethan.
The mysterious boy who barely spoke.
And his appearance on stage came with a surprise.
For the first time in days, the principal of Third Academy emerged from behind the curtain. He gave Ethan a subtle smile.
Ethan, in return, glanced at him curiously. Was it just his imagination, or did the principal seem… younger?
With calm fingers, Ethan opened his panel.
Only a few details were visible: his name, his S-grade talent, his Level 19 status, and his combat power.
Everything else was hidden—deliberately.
A trick that professionals could do to conceal exact growth paths.
The instructor took a deep breath.
He'd already had his heart stop twice today.
This time, he was ready.
"Third Academy – Ethan, S-grade talent, Level 19, Combat Power: 725 stars. Total Score: 754!"
A collective gasp swept the square.
The instructor blinked. Was he hallucinating?
He rubbed his eyes, reading the numbers again.
"7-7-5-4?! Temporarily ranked first!"
Everyone stared in stunned silence.
Fairwind, Lily, Charles—all were now below Ethan.
But before the shock could even fade—
The instructor squinted at Ethan's panel.
"Wait... wait... no, the number's changing?!"
"Combat Power just jumped... it's now 801?!"
Silence.
And then—
Pandemonium.
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End of Chapter
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