A heavy silence filled the chamber as all eyes locked onto the stone tablet.
Then—
"Hahahaha!" Mayor Grant's booming laughter shattered the silence. He turned to Malcom with a broad grin. "An A-rank and a C-rank at the same time! Congratulations, Principal Malcom, for raising such promising students!"
Principal Malcom blinked, stunned. He stepped closer, scanning the results, and then his lips curled into a triumphant smile.
"Hahahaha! It wouldn't have been possible without your support, Mayor Grant," he admitted, eyes beaming with pride. "I didn't expect Lucian to actually awaken an A-rank talent."
"Haha, you shouldn't doubt my ability any longer, Principal Malcom."
The heads of the top families exchanged pleased smiles, nodding to each other in approval.
But then—
"Huh?" One of the family heads furrowed his brow, scrutinizing the inscriptions again. "The records say that Veronica awakened a C-rank... and Chris from the Rollins Family awakened an A-rank talent."
"What? My son awakened an A-rank?"
"What? Veronica really awakened a C-rank?"
Two voices overlapped in shock—Mayor Grant's and the deep, authoritative voice of the Head of the Rollins Family.
A ripple of surprise swept through the room. They leaned forward in unison, verifying the results once more.
It was true.
Veronica Frostweave, the Mayor's daughter, had awakened a C-rank talent. Chris Rollins, a lesser-known name until now, had unlocked an A-rank.
The tension in the chamber shifted.
"Congratulations, Mayor Grant! Your daughter is sure to have a bright future!"
"Congratulations, Mr. Rollins! Your son is a dragon among men!"
The leaders of the top families showered both men with praise, but while Mr. Rollins puffed his chest with pride, Mayor Grant's smile faltered ever so slightly.
His fingers tightened around the stone tablet.
Behind the mask of celebration, something cold flickered in his eyes.
"What about Lucius?" The female instructor suddenly asked, her face full of worry.
A hush fell over the entire building as they all turned toward the Primordial Records once more.
Their expressions shifted in an instant.
"F-rank?" Someone gasped.
"How is that possible?"
"Doesn't he have enormous potential? He even learned a Ranker skill to level 3 before awakening!"
"It must be a mistake!"
While murmurs of confusion and denial filled the room, Mayor Grant remained silent. His face darkened, his jaw tightening ever so slightly.
A chill settled over the chamber as his sharp gaze swept across the crowd.
"Inform those top universities of the talents here," he commanded one of his subordinates, his voice even but unmistakably firm. "They'll be eager to fight over them."
Then, turning sharply, he addressed Mr. Rollins with a brilliant smile.
"Mr Rollins, we need to talk about the future of our kids. Please, let's talk in private."
...
Six Hours Ago.
The portal shimmered, exuding an ethereal glow.
Waves of Excitement spread through the crowd gathered in the NERF Center. Teachers, town officials, and onlookers stood on edge, waiting.
Then—
Chris Rollins and Veronica Frostweave emerged.
Behind them followed a group of students, the strongest of their selection, their faces glowing with accomplishment.
"Chris Rollins! Veronica Frostweave!"
Mayor Grant's voice resonated across the hall.
"The pride of our town!"
A thunderous round of applause erupted as both stepped forward.
"Welcome back! Reveal to us your talents."
Chris, beaming with confidence, extended his palm. A brilliant blue flame erupted, swirling with an unnatural intensity. It danced above his skin, exuding a fierce but controlled heat.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Blue Flames... an A-rank talent!" someone whispered in awe.
The chamber erupted into cheers. It had been years since Whitehaven had produced such a high-ranking ability.
Veronica, standing beside him, lifted her hand with a composed expression. The air around her chilled in an instant. Frost particles condensed, swirling together into ten perfectly shaped ice swords that hovered in midair, their edges glinting under the light.
More applause.
More cheers.
Mayor Grant stepped forward, pride radiating from his every movement.
"As Mayor of Southaven, I hereby announce that these two exceptional talents will receive full sponsorship from the town treasury!" He raised his hands grandly. "A new residence befitting their status, personal training facilities, and, of course, their pick of university offers!"
The excitement in the building surged.
From the edge of the gathering, figures in well dressed suits stepped forward, they are the representatives from nearby Universities that could get closer faster.
While the Top 3 Universities aren't here yet, the other academies were trying their possible best to win over students like this with great potential!
One by one, they presented their offers.
"Starfire University offers full scholarships and private training with our top instructors!"
"Imperial Academy guarantees top Relics of your chosen as well as high-grade meditation techniques and combat techniques!"
"Celestial Institute will provide personal mentorship from our Dean, Fiendgod Wyven himself!"
The crowd murmured in astonishment.
Chris and Veronica had transformed from ordinary students into Southaven's rising stars.
Mayor Grant's smile widened as he watched this with satisfaction. However, his mind turned back to Lucian and his face couldn't help but darken.
...
Eight Hours Later
The NERF building was entirely emptied out.
Even the teachers as well as the principals and the guards have left. Anyone who didn't come out thirty minutes before the closing if the portal would automatically be considered dead.
It wasn't being cruel, rather it was from experience that had happened over the decade.
However, a single person remained standing here.
It was actually the Instructor that had sent the students into the portal at the very beginning.
While her expression was totally calm, the fact that she adjusted her glasses every 30 seconds proved how nervous she was.
Just then, the glow of the portal started to darken as the portal started loosing power.
Instructor Lorraine's eyes twitched and her fist clenched tightly it almost drew blood. letting out a sigh of defeat, she turned around and started leaving when she suddenly heard something a soft thump.
Instructir Lorraine frowned and turned around out of curiosity. Suddenly, her heart dropped as she froze in place.