SYSTEM ASCENSION

Today was a question and answer moment. Less of a class and more of a discussion. It is usually held one day a week, and today was the day.

There were three professors in the class, two male and one female, and all fifty eight students of the senior class, including Rolarza and Quil who took the advancement test, and Haliad who popped out of who knows where.

A particular student sat down after her question had been answered, and so the teacher flipped the page of questions to the next one.

”Going through the portals, how is communication handled,” a professor read. ”Question by Clinton Towni.”

The boy raised his hand to signify himself.

”Does anyone want to answer?” The female professor looked around. ”President?”

Claude who was dozing off snapped back to life. He, apparently, wasn’t the only one. All the student council, except Elias, were asleep.

”What was the question?” He rubbed his eyes.

”Going through the portals, how is communication handled?” She repeated.

”Via a translator device,” he patted his pocket and pulled out a small device shaped like an earbud. ”It works in all words because it’s powered by vital energy. As long as you’re speaking to something with vital energy, it’ll translate it.”

”And if you lose it?” Clinton raised his hand again.

”What...oh...” Claude was still in a daze. ”Communicate directly to them through vital energy.”

Murmurs rose up. Apparently, it sounded unnatural to them.

”The device is just a medium to help beginners with communication. True mastery of vital energy allows you to communicate without needing...”

He had dozed off.

The professor chuckled softly. ”Understood?”

Although he wasn’t finished, the students understood perfectly. They were more excited, knowing that they could manipulate their energy for something that profound.

”Next question,” the professor flipped the page. ”Is there a possibility that the portals would stop opening. Can we ever leave a normal life without the fear of odd creatures. Cadi Lan.”

The girl known as Cadi raised her hand to identify herself.

The male professor looked around, and sighted the only person who looked like he didn’t want to be here.

”Could you answer that, Mr C ranked?”

All eyes turned to Elias. A few laughed, while Rolarza frowned.

”C ranked?”

Elias turned his hooded gaze to Cadi who was sitting beside Princess Bora.

”Give it up.”

They all flinched.

Cadi herself was pissed. ”What?”

”If the portals stop opening, humanity will shift their attention elsewhere. Instead of robbing the portals, they rob your pockets; instead of fighting for portal rights, they take your houses, and when they lose their purpose to serve the portals, they create new purpose,”

Even the ones that were dozing off had opened their eyes.

”Ninety percent of humans don’t think logically. Pathetic wastes of spaces that need something to anchor them. The portals are already doing that,”

He paused a while and yawned.

”Take that away, and it’s hell we’ll be facing. Monsters won’t kill you. Humans will.”

”Hey!” She pointed angrily. ”Are you insulting us?!”

”My, did I hit a nerve?”

A few students chuckled, especially watching her embarrassed face. She quickly sat down.

No one else spoke up, because speaking would be admitting that his words affected them.

The professor flipped the book and her expression narrowed as she read the book. ”Why was a C ranker allowed into Ringoff academy. Princess Bora Alaric.”

Murmuring rose among the students. It was indeed unfair, since the school was accepting only B rank and above.

Cadi was the first to stand up and point fingers. ”He’s a C rank, ill-mannered and dared to push off the princess a day ago! He shouldn’t just be exiled but hung!”

”Yes!” Many students stood up, agreeing and yelling.

All this while, Rolarza just looked around like she was in a freak show. Everything was getting stupid and stupid. She leaned closer to a boy.

”Who’s the C ranker?”

The boy pointed. Her eyes followed his finger to Elias and suddenly she was bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

All eyes turned.

”Are you kidding me?!” Rolarza hit the table and put her head on it. ”C ranked?”

”Who the hell is that?” Bora sneered.

”She’s a recommended student that resumed a few days ago.” Cadi replied.

Bora stood up. ”How dare you—”

”Elias,” Rolarza cut off the princess without acknowledging her. She stood up and leaned over the table. ”What happened?”

He shrugged.

She laughed, eventually resulting in a cough. Then, she quieted down.

”Professor, it takes three to four S rankers to clear an S ranked portal, right?”

The man frowned. ”Yes?”

Rolarza tilted her head and grinned. ”So a person who cleared an S ranked gate alone, would be called what?”

”...”

There was no answer. It was unheard of. Absurd even.

The man snorted. ”It’s not possibl—”

”Oh, but it is,” she cut him off. ”Town Yuta, Quora empire. It’s a familiar story right? And if I say Elias cleared it?”

”...”

All eyes turned to him.

His expression hasn’t changed, but somehow everyone had cold feets.

”So how was he reevaluated as a C ranked?” Rolarza continued to laugh.

It wasn’t funny one bit. The council stared at him with more respect. He had been a strange guy from the start but now they realised he had the strength to back it up.

However, the rest of the class stared at him with pure horror. They had taunted him on Bora’s command, forgetting that the rules naturally bend towards the ages. A word from him could get most of them expelled and Bora herself who is just an A ranker, cannot save them.

Cadi quietly sat down.

”You cleared an S ranked gate?” Claude raised a brow. ”I knew you were an S ranker, but I didn’t expect that much. We might have to add a rank higher than S. L maybe? Legendary...”

”S rank?!” Coco gasped. ”And I picked a fight with him?”

”You what?” Lane raised a brow.

”Extinction level is the word for him.” Davon frowned.

Haliad just chuckled softly.

”Then, how did you get ranked as a C ranker?” Kael peeped at him.

”I dunno. I’m not sure what happened.”

The professors continue to give him a look. The thought of clearing an S ranked portal alone is simply quixotic.

No one knew where to start with the news. They had barely gotten over it when the door opened.

As soon as Mona stepped in, all the students who hadn’t seen him before stood up and ran.

The professors took fighting stances and activated their abilities.

”That’s a humanoid beast!”

”Where did it come from?”

”Hey, he looks familiar.”

Mona ignored them and continued to walk. Soon he got Elias’s place, and without another word, he shoved Kael off, and took the space.

”Hey, I was sitting there!”

Mona shut his eyes, leaned against Elias and fell asleep right after.