SSS Ranked Reincarnation: Dark Dragon Legacy

When Silva appeared in the main hall of the tower, he realized he wasn’t alone. The place was bustling, filled with dozens of people who had also completed the Arcane Examination.

There was never a fixed time for the trials to end, but it seemed that now, most participants had finally finished.

Silva’s sharp eyes swept across the wide marble hall until they landed on two familiar figures, Lily and Drake.

The moment they noticed him, both hurried over.

“Master!” Drake called out. “We didn’t see you when we came out. Did it take you that long?”

Silva shook his head slightly. “Not really. I just had a little run-in with the Arcane Council.”

Both Lily and Drake froze for a second, their eyes widening.

“The Arcane Council?” Lily asked. “What did they want with you?”

Silva gave a short chuckle. “Apparently, I was showing off a bit too much.”

Drake blinked, uncertain whether to laugh or worry. “You… what?”

“Never mind it,” Silva said, waving it off. His gaze shifted to the center of the hall. “More importantly, how do we get our rankings?”

Lily looked around, frowning. “Yeah, I don’t see anyone giving out results or anything.”

“Neither do I,” Silva replied, scanning the crowd.

Then, before anyone could say another word, the air in the middle of the room began to shimmer.

A large projection appeared above the crowd. The chatter in the room died instantly. Every eye turned.

The projection took shape, an imposing figure cloaked from head to toe, face completely hidden beneath a deep hood. The voice that followed was cold, distorted, and commanding, echoing through the vast chamber.

“Congratulations to everyone who survived the examination,” the figure began. “Sadly, a great number of you did not. As you all know, the world you were transported into was a construct, a simulation crafted by the Arcane Council specifically for this test.”

Murmurs spread across the hall.

“The world’s name was Die Frost,” the voice continued. “Once, it was a thriving realm of ice and life. But it was consumed by endless war, war against the abyssal creatures that crawled up from the unknown. Eventually, the world fell.”

The figure’s tone didn’t shift, calm but chillingly impersonal.

“Your task was simple: to save that world.”

He paused briefly, as though studying the crowd through unseen eyes.

“At the beginning of the exam, we gave you misleading information, told you that you might meet others or find allies. It was deliberate. We wanted to test your adaptability without guidance, to see if you could create order from chaos. Some of you did. Some of you… watched your cities burn.”

A quiet stillness fell across the hall, broken only by soft, uneasy shuffling.

“Certain participants exceeded expectations,” the hooded man said. “And certain others drew… suspicion.”

At that word, Silva felt it, a weight. Like invisible eyes turning toward him from every corner of the room. He couldn’t see who, but he knew. The Council was watching.

“Your results will now be distributed,” the figure said. “Each of you will receive your identification card, showing your current rank. The ranks are fixed unless you earn sufficient credits to rise. The hierarchy begins with Silver, up to Diamond and beyond.”

The hood tilted slightly.

“Diamond cannot be achieved through the first examination. The requirements for those are far beyond what any of you could have accomplished this round.”

With that, the air above everyone shimmered. Dozens of glowing cards materialized out of thin air, floating for a heartbeat before descending gently into each participant’s hands.

Silva caught his. The card pulsed with light, five platinum stars glimmering across its surface.

He turned it over, frowning slightly. Around him, Lily and Drake examined their own, and both held the same card.

Five-star platinum.

The highest possible rank.

The room erupted in mixed emotion. Some cheered, laughing and embracing one another in triumph. Others cursed, shouted, or slumped in quiet frustration. The atmosphere was thick with envy, pride, and disbelief.

Silva held his card up, watching the way it caught the light. “Platinum,” he muttered. “They gave us the highest rank possible.”

“And isn’t that a good thing, Master?” Drake asked, grinning.

“Not necessarily,” Lily replied, her tone thoughtful. “Think about it. If they gave us this rank, it means they were watching everything we did. It also means our performance probably went beyond even this ranking, but they couldn’t give us more. Not yet.”

Silva glanced between them, his smile faint but knowing. “Exactly. Platinum isn’t a reward,” he said quietly. “It’s a label.”

He slid the card into his pocket and looked up toward where the hooded figure had been.

But the projection was already gone.

“So what do we do next, Master?” Drake asked.

“We head back. Dawn is waiting for us at the inn. After we settle everything, we can plan our next move and decide where to go,” Silva said casually, and walked toward the building’s door.

Then the sound of fighting erupted inside. Some people couldn’t contain their rage at losing; seeing others celebrate pushed them over the edge. Arguments snapped into blows, and fights broke out across the hall.

Someone spotted Silva walking for the door and stalked over. “Ah, you’re leaving already? Looks like you got something good. You’re happy with yourself, right? That’s why you’re leaving.” His rage showed on his face; veins bulged and his voice was rough as he drew a sword. “I’ll make sure you suffer, all of you, for daring to look down on those of us who failed,” he spat.

Silva frowned. “Are you dumb?” he asked. “If we passed and you failed, doesn’t that mean there’s a gap between us? How can you think to defeat the person who did what you couldn’t?” It didn’t make sense to him; the man was blinded by rage.

The Arcane Council’s ranks were the ticket off this planet for many, and now this man had lost his chance. He rushed forward, blade raised, but before he could strike, a figure stepped in, grabbed his face, and slammed him into the ground so hard the impact echoed, boom, across the entire hall. He didn’t die.

The figure who’d intervened was the same man who had helped them earlier with information about the eall, he hadn’t left after all.