Chapter 157: The Return of the Top-Ranked Student

Kael woke up the next morning to the sound of his alarm.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling.

Then he remembered what had happened the previous day.

Lilith.

Charlotte.

Zion.

His reputation.

Kael slowly pulled the blanket over his face.

I don’t want to get up.

Unfortunately, today was the general assembly.

The academy held one at the beginning of each semester, usually to welcome students back from the holidays, remind everyone of the academy’s rules, and deliver a series of motivational speeches.

There was also another tradition.

The staff would casually remind the students that they could, at any point during the semester, die.

Apparently, the academy considered that motivational.

Kael finally dragged himself out of bed.

After washing up, he put on his academy uniform and carefully attached his badge. He stood in front of the mirror and inspected himself.

Unlike a few months ago, he no longer looked like someone who had been dragged through a mountain, beaten unconscious, and thrown into a dungeon.

He actually looked presentable.

Kael smiled.

"At the very least, I don’t look as haggard as I did when I was training with Xavier."

He adjusted his collar.

His hair was slightly messy, but he didn’t care enough to fix it.

He looked healthy.

Strong.

And, most importantly, alive.

That was enough.

Kael grabbed the door handle and walked out of his room.

His eyes immediately landed on the massive portrait hanging in the living room.

Xavier.

The old man’s smug expression seemed to follow him wherever he went.

Kael’s smile disappeared.

"This guy is seriously annoying."

He walked past the portrait without another glance.

As he reached the hallway, he glanced toward Zion’s door.

It was already closed.

Kael tilted his head.

"It seems like Zion has already gone to the assembly."

He shrugged.

"Good for him."

Kael began walking through the academy.

The streets were unusually empty.

Normally, the academy’s pathways were crowded with students heading toward their respective buildings.

Today, however, there wasn’t a single person around.

Kael looked around.

"Hmm..."

He put his hands into his pockets.

"It seems like everyone is already at the assembly hall."

He continued walking at a relaxed pace.

"That’s good, I guess."

A few seconds passed.

Kael stopped.

His eyes widened.

He slowly turned his head toward the assembly hall in the distance.

Then his brain finally caught up with what he had just said.

"Wait a minute."

His expression changed.

"That means I’m late."

His eyes widened further.

"And I’m the first-year top-ranked student!"

Kael immediately broke into a sprint.

"Why didn’t I set another alarm?!"

His footsteps echoed through the empty academy streets.

Inside the assembly hall, hundreds of students stood in organized rows.

The first years occupied the front section, followed by the upperclassmen.

Teachers and academy officials stood on the elevated platform at the front.

The principal was currently delivering his speech.

"As another semester begins, I hope every student remembers why you came to this academy..."

The students listened quietly.

Some looked interested.

Others looked half-asleep.

A few were clearly wondering how long the speech would last.

Among the teachers stood Stella.

She had her arms folded and maintained a professional expression.

Beside her, Lyra occasionally glanced toward the entrance.

Then the principal continued.

"Over the coming semester, you will have numerous opportunities to test yourselves. Competitions, practical examinations, dungeon exercises, and—"

The doors suddenly slammed open.

BANG!

The entire hall went silent.

Every student turned toward the entrance.

Kael stood there.

Breathing heavily.

His hair was slightly disheveled from running, and his uniform was no longer nearly as neat as it had been when he left his dorm.

For a moment, nobody said anything.

Kael looked across the enormous hall.

Hundreds of eyes stared back at him.

He swallowed.

Oh.

This is bad.

Stella immediately facepalmed.

Lyra, on the other hand, had a smug grin on her face.

She looked almost as if she had been expecting this.

The principal slowly turned toward Kael.

There was a faint smile on his face.

"It seems the top-ranked student of the first years has decided to join us."

Kael awkwardly scratched his cheek.

"Good morning?"

Nobody responded.

Kael felt his soul leave his body.

Why did I say that?

The principal simply coughed.

"Please take your place, Mr. Draven."

"Yes, sir."

Kael quickly walked toward the first-year section.

Every step felt like a punishment.

As he passed the students, he could feel their gazes following him.

Some whispered.

Others openly stared.

Kael tried his best to ignore them.

Just keep walking.

Don’t make eye contact.

Maybe they’ll forget this happened.

He finally reached his place.

Then he noticed someone staring at him.

Auriella Voss.

She stood among the first years with her usual composed expression.

Except there was one obvious difference.

She was glaring at him.

Kael’s face stiffened.

Oh, right.

He had forgotten about her.

Auriella had been waiting for their rematch before he suddenly disappeared from the academy.

Kael had been gone for months.

From her perspective, he had simply vanished after agreeing to fight her again.

Her expression made it clear that she hadn’t forgotten.

Kael quietly looked away.

I’ll deal with that later.

Zion stood beside him.

The moment Kael reached his position, Zion snickered.

Kael immediately stepped on his foot.

"Ow!"

Zion’s expression twisted.

Kael smiled without looking at him.

"Why didn’t you wake me up?"

Zion stared at him.

"We are neighbors!"

"Exactly."

"You should have knocked on my door."

"Why?"

Kael turned toward him.

"You knew I was supposed to attend the assembly."

Zion shrugged.

"Well, you had two girls with you."

Kael froze.

Several students nearby suddenly looked toward them.

Kael’s eye twitched.

"Don’t say it like that."

Zion continued.

"So I expected them to wake you up."

He paused.

"And you should be thanking me for not telling our other neighbor that you had arrived."

Kael frowned.

"Other neighbor?"

Zion didn’t answer.

Instead, he subtly turned his head toward Auriella.

Kael followed his gaze.

Auriella happened to be standing nearby.

The moment she noticed them looking at her, she turned toward them.

Her eyes met Kael’s.

Her normally emotionless face immediately developed a deep frown.

Kael’s stomach dropped.

She quickly turned away.

Kael sighed.

Zion looked at him.

"Don’t tell me you’ve already made me her target too."

Zion stepped on Kael’s foot.

"Ouch!"

Kael glared at him.

"Why are you attacking me?"

"Because somehow everything becomes my problem when you’re involved."

Before Kael could respond, he noticed something.

The assembly had gone quiet again.

He slowly looked toward the platform.

The principal had stopped speaking.

The vice principal was staring directly at them.

Her expression was anything but amused.

"I guess Mr. Kael is finally back with us."

Kael sighed.

"Just great."

He turned his attention toward the platform.

The vice principal continued speaking, but Kael barely listened.

His eyes wandered across the crowd.

He noticed several familiar faces.

Then his gaze landed on the twins.

They were holding Cairo in place.

Cairo looked furious.

His expression alone seemed to say that he wanted to attack Kael immediately.

Kael simply sighed.

Of course.

Apparently, returning to the academy meant immediately becoming everyone’s problem again.

He quietly stood there and waited for the assembly to finish.

The principal eventually resumed his speech.

He discussed the upcoming semester, the various academic evaluations, the academy’s rules, and several upcoming events.

Then came the part everyone had been waiting for.

The safety warning.

"As always," the principal said, "students are reminded that practical training carries inherent risks."

Kael raised an eyebrow.

Here we go.

"Some training exercises may involve combat against monsters, dangerous environments, or other unpredictable situations."

Several students looked uncomfortable.

"The academy will take every reasonable precaution. However, students must understand that accidents can happen."

The principal paused.

"And in extreme circumstances, fatalities are possible."

Kael stared blankly.

There it is.

The yearly death announcement.

A few students swallowed nervously.

Others seemed completely unfazed.

Kael couldn’t help but wonder whether the academy realized how insane that sounded.

Welcome back from holiday.

Please study hard.

Also, you might die.

Have a wonderful semester.

The speech continued for several more minutes.

Eventually, the principal concluded.

"I hope each of you will make the most of this semester."

The students applauded.

Kael clapped along.

Finally.

He had survived the assembly.

At least, he thought he had.

After the assembly ended, the students began returning to their respective classrooms.

Kael walked with the other first years.

However, something felt different.

People were staring at him.

Not just Auriella.

Not just Zion.

Almost everyone.

Whispers followed him through the hallway.

"Is that really Kael Draven?"

"He’s the top-ranked first year, right?"

"Yeah."

"I heard he ran away from a fight last semester."

"Why was he late to the assembly?"

"I heard he came back yesterday."

"Wait, didn’t he have two girls with him?"

Kael stopped walking.

His eye twitched.

Please stop talking.

Another group whispered nearby.

"I heard one of them was Charlotte."

"No way."

"Then who was the other one?"

"I don’t know."

Kael slowly continued walking.

My reputation.

He lowered his head.

It’s getting worse.

By the time he reached his classroom, his expression had become genuinely worried.

He entered.

More students turned toward him.

The whispering continued.

Kael walked to his seat and dropped into it.

He placed his head against the desk.

"My reputation is in shambles."

Zion walked past him.

He stopped briefly.

Then casually patted Kael on the shoulder.

"Well..."

Zion gave him a sympathetic smile.

"It’s your fault."

He continued walking.

Kael slowly lifted his head.

He stared at Zion’s back.

His expression became hollow.

"You’re supposed to comfort me."

Zion didn’t turn around.

"Why would I comfort you?"

Kael dropped his head back onto the desk.

"This academy is terrible."

From across the classroom, Auriella glanced toward him.

Her expression remained cold.

But she didn’t say anything.

Kael sighed.

The semester had barely begun.

And somehow, his problems had already multiplied.