It had been two months since Grey and his squad embarked on their second mission—the beast portal break incident in a remote village.
Ever since that event, and especially after learning about the ranking system within the academy, they had become obsessed with improvement.
Every member pushed themselves harder than ever, determined to rise through the ranks and prove their worth.
Any mission that appeared on the board—whether it was dealing with bandits, escorting dignitaries, slaying beasts, handling portal anomalies, or engaging in duels—they took it on without hesitation.
With Grey at the helm and driven by an unrelenting hunger to reach the top, their success rate remained unmatched. Yet, they rarely returned unscathed, bearing cuts and bruises as marks of both struggle and growth.
Grey, ever mindful of Noir's advice, didn't let the others grow too dependent on him. He often stepped back, letting the team handle missions on their own.
"You won't always have me to rely on," he'd said. "If you're to stand beside me, you must be strong enough on your own."
To his surprise, they performed efficiently. Despite returning with fresh injuries each time, they always returned.
Through grit and determination, their squad climbed the rankings, ascending from Iron Rank to Bronze. It was a proud achievement, though they were still far from reaching Gold Rank.
Captain Amir had made it clear—45 stars were needed to touch that level. After two months, they had earned 22.
Outside of missions, Grey continued training relentlessly. Fusion Magic had hit a frustrating bottleneck.
No matter how intensely he trained, he couldn't develop a new skill within that domain.
Accepting this plateau, he shifted focus to his Creation Magic and other affinities.
After classes, he often snuck into the training room alone, hammering away at his limitations. He didn't want any part of his magical arsenal to lag behind.
No one saw how late he stayed, nor how many times he collapsed from exhaustion, pushing himself past reason.
The rest of the team weren't idle either.
Scarlet's fire magic had grown fiercer, her flames burning hotter and her constructs lasting longer. Her mana pool had also expanded slightly, allowing for more sustained combat.
Greg's once-cuddly wolf cub had evolved into a formidable creature the size of a small horse, now crackling with lightning.
His lightning magic had matured as well, delivering deadly shocks with each strike.
Raze, though not the most hardworking, still honed his abilities. With Copy Magic, he only needed to touch someone strong to mirror their magic—affinities, mana reserves, control, even unique spells and skills.
Still, mastering what he copied required effort, and the frequency of their missions gave him plenty of opportunities to practice.
He had touched every member of the squad at least once—everyone except Grey. And oh, how he begged for it.
"Just once, Grey! Let me touch your shoulder! I wanna see what Wind Magic feels like from your core."
Grey always refused, and for good reason. Raze's copy of his abilities could easily tip the balance in ways Grey wasn't comfortable with.
Despite spending four months in the academy, they had yet to encounter upperclassmen—no second or third years in sight.
It felt like they were alone in a ghost school, with whispers of the elite floating through the halls.
But Grey didn't care. His eyes were fixed solely on one goal: surpassing Captain Amir.
He absorbed lessons like a sponge, trained with near-insane dedication, and volunteered for mission after mission, all to inch closer to his target.
Greg had started to joke about it.
"The monster keeps getting stronger," he would say after each mission.
Grey's growth was terrifying. It didn't make sense. They all trained hard, but the gap between them and Grey only widened.
Today felt like any other day. The students were in class, practicing creation magic under Von's guidance.
The instructor was demonstrating various techniques and theories, encouraging students to mold mana into physical constructs.
Grey didn't even bother paying attention. He could perform everything Von was teaching in his sleep. Instead, he leaned against a wall, closed his eyes, and cultivated his core quietly.
The door slammed open.
A messenger strode in, heading straight to Von. He whispered something into the instructor's ear. Immediately, Von's expression changed. Cold sweat trickled down his bald head, and his eyes widened in alarm.
The students took notice.
"What's wrong, Instructor Von? Is it another mission?" Raze asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"In a sense, yes," Von replied, his voice unnaturally stiff.
"Well, what is it? I'm already feeling pumped!" Scarlet grinned, flames dancing across her fingertips.
"Actually... the captain wants to see all of you."
Grey pushed off the wall. "See us? Why? This isn't our first mission. What's the big deal?"
Von shook his head. "True. But this mission... this one's different."
"How different? What's so special about it?" Vanica asked.
"Go see the captain. Let him explain. Don't pester me."
The messenger gestured, and the students filed out, murmuring among themselves. Grey trailed at the rear. Before stepping out, he glanced back.
Von remained frozen, sweat still beading on his scalp.
'What kind of mission is this? And why does Von look so shaken?' Grey wondered. 'I just hope it's nothing too dangerous.'
He exited, his expression unreadable.
Von stood in silence, watching them disappear.
'Guys... I hope you pull through. This mission... it's the most dangerous yet. But knowing Captain Amir, he must have a reason. You shouldn't be the ones going on this... and yet, here we are. I have no choice but to wish you all luck.'
Now, I wonder what kind of mission this will be that will make Von this shaken up😫 let's click the to find out more and see if our favorite MC can pull through or if he will die 😅
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