CHAPTER 54: DISCIPLE CULTIVATION SYSTEM CH54 THE RANK GAMES.

Academia City was a bustling metropolis housing the four pillars of educational institutes.

There was the Legacy Academy, the most renowned of the four and home to numerous legendary figures, including two of the current Saints.

As a training institute, it focused primarily on two departments: the Knight (or Warrior) Program and the Mages Program.

Compared to the Excalibur Training Institute or the Arcane School of Magic Arts, which prided themselves in one expertise,Legacy taught both courses.

Of course, their experts paled in comparison to those of the aforementioned schools, but they weren’t lacking either.

To sum it all up, Legacy was a great school—and today, it was about to become greater as all the first-years were gathered in the assembly hall to officially begin the Rank Games, which would not only decide their rank but also crown the strongest first-year.

The large hall was packed to the brim with tens of thousands of students.

Each floor of the hall seated rows of students, all wearing identical rings housing their weapons of choice for the upcoming assessment.

The teachers—mostly the new appointees—stood guard at the various exits, while the senior members, with Headmistress Cassandra leading the charge, were stationed at the front to address the students.

While the headmistress was prepping for her speech, Art, at the far back, leaned against the wall, his gaze scanning through the crowd of students to identify familiar faces.

"Tense, right?"

Addressing him was his fellow colleague in both rank and year—Miss Kelly, a prim and proper lady with neatly trimmed black hair and hazel eyes. She nervously clutched one of her hands as she walked toward him.

Art offered her a silent nod and glanced at the katana strapped to his back.

"I hear you’re part of the Gatekeepers. I just wanted to say good luck."

"Thanks." Art smiled in gratitude before watching Kelly return to her post.

Wishing him luck against a bunch of students might have seemed far-fetched, but Art knew better than anyone how dangerous some of the students in the room were.

He didn’t just need good luck—he needed prayers, just so he wouldn’t be humiliated—especially since a certain woman was here.

"I can feel her presence, but I can’t find her."

By "her," he meant the current Sword Saint—Trish’s grandmother, who, like the loving family member she was, had abandoned her post at the Rift to come watch her granddaughter fight.

Only a few knew of her presence, since she was such a big deal—and among the few, Art wasn’t one of them. Hence, he couldn’t just ask the headmistress where the Saint was.

Of course, he could live without seeing the Saint today—but that didn’t stop him from envisioning a future where he actually would meet her.

"Gaining her attention should be relatively easy—but not now."

Taking in a short breath, he pushed that thought aside for now.

Right now, he had a job to do instead of being delusional.

The games were going to be troublesome, and depending on how Val would perform, he might have to take on her future spotlight until she was ready.

Before all of that, though, he had to keep his ears open for the headmistress’s speech.

---

Headmistress Cassie stood tall and firm on the platform. Removing the mic from the stand, she cracked a friendly smile and officially began:

"First-years of the esteemed Legacy Academy."

Her gentle voice was effortlessly carried throughout the hall with the aid of the speakers.

"Today, like most before you, marks your beginning—not just as students, but as Heroes."

She let her words hang, her lavish green eyes performing a quick sweep of the entire student body.

"Your decade-long predecessors now stand among us as Saints and magic kings. Like you, they too were once younglings—naive and weak. But now, they stand strong and experienced."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd as some aspiring students—hoping their tales would be spoken of decades from now—clenched their fists with fierce determination and excitement.

Cassandra’s lips harbored a proud smile as she continued.

"The Ranking Games aren’t just a test to measure strength, nor do they speak of one’s potential. They’re a trial to inlay experience among you younglings."

Gentleness shifted to sternness as her voice boomed throughout the chamber.

"Many will get undesirable ranks. Some will even go ahead and do the impossible—that is, failing."

Nervous chuckles followed her attempt at humor before dying out.

"But those who persist after all that—"

Channeling mana into her left fingertips, she pointed at the ceiling, which parted to reveal the morning sky.

She didn’t continue her statement—because she couldn’t envision the future for others.

Some would become Heroes—and others... things she couldn’t bear to imagine.

Her actions were left vague, to be interpreted as they wished.

It was a teacher’s duty to inform, and a student’s duty to use that information for their betterment.

Withdrawing her left hand, crackling with golden lightning, she smiled once again.

"Endure—and at the end, forge your own path."

The gap in the ceiling closed as the headmistress passed the mic to her vice principal.

As she resigned herself to the back, a round of applause was given to her for the inspirational speech she had delivered—before her vice, Miss Delilah, closed it off for her.

"In exactly one hour from now, you all will be teleported to an isolated dimension, where you will engage in a battle royale. Points are earned by eliminating other students—and the points of eliminated students do not, as I repeat, "do not" transfer to others after they are eliminated. It is the goal of every student to survive and make it to the safe zone before the timer runs out. Like the previous year, they are guarded by "Gatekeepers", and it is up to the students to use everything at hand to break past them and enter the safe zones. Defeating a Gatekeeper is not compulsory..."

Like always, the vice principal was as stiff as ever, causing some students to yawn as she droned on.

Art, reminded of his college days, groaned—even he wasn’t immune to the boredom.