noffsinger Chapter 164 New Ranking
Chapter 164 New Ranking
Noise!
What is the shortest thing in the world?
For the students, the answers were basically the same.
holiday.
Sitting in the classroom, the students reunited after a week-long holiday, chatting about their holiday experiences before class began.
......
......
despair!
Suddenly, the conversation in the classroom stopped abruptly. The door was pushed open, and everyone's eyes turned to the person who entered.
"Look, it's him."
A student exclaimed in surprise as he saw the person enter.
Ethan Hartley, tall with sharp, light brown eyes, walked into the classroom. His imposing presence silenced the students' murmurs as he reached his seat.
Ethan doesn't usually attract much attention from the students, even though he's from the Hartley family; his ranking is low.
However, his outstanding performance in the midterm exams was posted on the school forum.
The students exchanged glances, and one of them whispered, "Isn't that Ethan Hartley? The rising star of this midterm?"
"It's him. I heard he did exceptionally well on this exam."
"Yes, I was there. He killed all the monsters like they were vegetables."
"After all, he's a member of the Hartley family, isn't he?"
For students, witnessing such rapid growth in a classmate is quite a shock. The person who only awakened to this before the start of the semester is actually so powerful.
And there was nothing they could do about it, after all, he came from one of the most famous families.
"Ah, Ethan, you've come." Just then, two students walked in.
Julia smiled at Ethan. "How was your vacation?"
Lucas playfully nudged Ethan. "Did anyone cause you any trouble during the holidays?"
Ethan was puzzled, not understanding what this meant. "Who is it?"
"..." Lucas's expression froze for a second, then he nodded. "As expected, no one can be more oblivious than you."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"nothing."
"..." Ethan was speechless and could only look away.
Amidst lighthearted banter, Julia changed the subject. "Speaking of which, Ethan, have you seen your midterm grades?"
Lucas interjected, "The whole college is talking about your grades; everyone's calling you the rising star of the midterms."
Ethan's lips twitched slightly. "It's just grades, nothing to make a fuss about."
Julia smiled, a hint of teasing in her eyes. "Come on, Ethan, don't be modest. You're the rising star of the academy now; we're just ordinary students next to you."
Lucas joined in the teasing. "Yeah, shouldn't we start calling you 'Supernova Ethan'?"
Ethan sighed, feigning helplessness. "Neither of you has changed at all."
boom!
The laughter was interrupted by a sudden "bang" as Julia slapped Ethan on the back with a loud sound.
"Hehe, how about we have a little competition after class?" Julia suggested with a mischievous smile. "I'd like to see if you're as good as your grades."
Lucas joined in, giving Ethan a provocative smile. "Come on, Supernova, let us see your strength. Or are you worried your performance won't hold up in a real fight?"
Seeing his friends laugh, a competitive glint flashed in Ethan's light brown eyes. Feigning composure, he replied, "Alright, if you insist, then come on. But don't blame me for not warning you."
The past week has not been easy for Ethan. Instead of resting after returning home, he has been honing his family's skills.
'Hehe, the time for revenge has finally come.'
Furthermore, he used resources to improve his attributes, and his strength is now close to the top 1000.
He hasn't fully absorbed its effects yet, which means he still has room for improvement.
Just as the three were joking around, the door opened again, and Irina walked in. Her energetic personality and fiery nature added an extra touch of excitement to the atmosphere.
"Yo!" Irina waved and walked over to Ethan and the twins. She pulled up a chair and sat down next to them, her eyes full of curiosity.
“What are you talking about so excitedly? Did I miss something?” she asked, looking at them one after the other.
Julia and Lucas exchanged amused glances, then began teasing Ethan about his grades.
"We're just talking about the supernova Ethan."
Irina smiled. "Supernova Ethan?"
Irina was freed from the oppression of her family and was finally able to freely express her thoughts.
"So? What did you do during your vacation?" Julia turned her attention to Irina, smiling as she looked at her.
Irina replied somewhat awkwardly, "Um... homework, I guess."
"Homework? Do we have homework?"
"Hmm? I don't remember."
Is it because you're a mage?
“…You could say that.” Irina felt a little awkward, so she changed the subject. “I heard that our new rankings will be announced today?”
Ethan nodded with an expectant smile. "That's right, the new rankings will be announced today. Let's see if there are any changes."
Squeak!
The door suddenly opened, and another important figure walked in. This young man was exceptionally handsome, exuding a unique aura that attracted everyone's attention.
“Hopefully someone can bring him down this time,” Julia said softly, looking at the newcomer. The newcomer was immediately surrounded by two henchmen.
Lucas laughed. "Bring Victor down? That won't be easy."
Julia grinned. "That's why I wanted to see."
Irina had been quietly observing her friends' jokes, but she couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable when Victor was mentioned.
Where did that guy go?
For some reason, Irina's gaze searched for someone in the classroom. He had disappeared after they got off the train, leaving her alone. Although he had no obligation to stay with her, but...
'At least he could have said goodbye.'
She knew she was wrong, but that guy wasn't much better...
Her gaze swept to the back row, but she didn't see him where he usually sat.
'Hmph, whatever.'
She snorted, turned her head away, and refocused on her friends' conversation.
Just then, the classroom door opened again, and Professor Eleanor walked in.
Quiet!
The classroom fell silent the moment Professor Eleanor entered. Her stern demeanor immediately drew a response from the students, who quickly returned to their seats, and the relaxed atmosphere vanished in an instant.
Eleanor scanned the entire classroom to make sure everyone was seated in their assigned places.
“Very good,” she said to herself. She had thought that a few students might not follow the rules after returning from the holidays, but it seemed that this was not the case.
The students knew Eleanor was known for her punctuality and for not allowing latecomers to the classroom. They glanced at the clock every now and then; there were still two minutes until class officially began.
"Um……"
Squeak!
The door opened again, and a student walked in. He was tall and burly, with short, military-style hair.
He nodded to Eleanor, said nothing, and went straight to his seat.
Carl, sitting behind Ethan, nodded to his other friends, who nodded in return. Carl's appearance and demeanor exuded an air of strict discipline.
'Where did that guy go? Is he planning to skip the first class?'
Irina thought to herself. She knew Professor Eleanor's temperament well and that she didn't allow any student to be late.
"Ok?"
However, when she looked back again, she was surprised to find...
When did he arrive?
The guy she'd been looking for was sitting in his usual spot, his head buried in the table. Even though his face was obscured, Irina recognized him immediately.
despair!
Just as she was thinking further, a noise came from the front of the classroom.
Professor Eleanor wasted no time. "Good morning, students. I'm sure you've had a relaxing holiday. Now, let's get down to business."
Professor Eleanor stood at the front of the classroom, taking a stack of documents from her bag. The classroom fell silent as she began to announce the new rankings. All eyes were on her, and a tense anticipation filled the air.
“In the midterm rankings, we’ve seen some significant changes compared to the past,” Eleanor said, her gaze sweeping across the classroom. “As expected, Cadet Victor remains at the top, demonstrating his exceptional abilities in both theory and combat. However, there’s a new face at the top.”
Eleanor paused, leaving the students with plenty of curiosity. Julia and Lucas exchanged a glance, both intrigued that someone was challenging Victor's dominance.
“Seraphine Winslet, a student from class HA217, has now joined the top spot as another number one.” Eleanor’s voice echoed in the classroom.
Click!
Suddenly, a sharp cracking sound shattered the silence. All eyes turned to Irina, who stood frozen, holding a broken pen. A look of surprise and frustration crossed her face as she realized the emotion she had inadvertently displayed.
“Look at me, Irina.” Eleanor’s stern voice echoed in the classroom, and Irina reluctantly met her gaze. “Control your emotions. This is a place of discipline and focus.”
The name Serafina stirred up some unpleasant emotions within Irina.
"Tsk."
She clicked her tongue softly, then quickly regained her composure.
“…Understood, Professor.”
“Very good.” Eleanor seemed quite satisfied with her answer. She knew Irina was the kind of straightforward, easily out-of-control student, so she paid extra attention to her reaction.
'She's much calmer than before, that's good,' Eleanor thought to herself.
“Now, I will begin announcing your new rankings,” she said, picking up the list from the table.
"2419th, Timothy Gray."
……
"Number 2256, Mia Anderson."
……
"2121st place, Oliver Parker."
The names were announced one by one, and the students' rankings were gradually revealed. The classroom was quiet for most of the time, with occasional whispers among the students discussing their classmates' rankings.
"1729th, Morse Scott."
When the name was mentioned, some students turned their attention to him.
"Isn't he at the bottom of the list?"
"Yes, he jumped 700 places?"
Few people are interested in low rankings, and it's common for students with low rankings to skip grades quickly. Generally, there are many students with low scores, and their scores are very close together.
"1555st place..."
"1401st place..."
Eleanor continued announcing the students' names.
"Number 970, Ethan Hartley."
A murmur finally broke out in the classroom when she mentioned Ethan's ranking.
"what?"
At that moment, the classroom fell into a brief silence, and no one reacted.