Chapter 10 - The Freshman Ranking Tournament
The morning sun rose over the Imperial Beast Awakening Academy.
Unlike previous days, the campus buzzed with excitement.
Thousands of students filled the Grand Arena, a massive circular stadium carved from white stone. Banners bearing the academy's crest fluttered in the wind, while instructors occupied the upper platforms.
Today would determine the rankings of every first-year student.
For many noble families, these rankings meant honour.
For others...
It meant survival.
---
Kai adjusted his simple academy uniform as he entered the arena.
His small silver fox sat quietly on his shoulder, looking no different from the day it had awakened.
Students immediately noticed him.
"The weakest guy is here."
"I hope he doesn't cry after the first match."
"I heard his fox can't even break a wooden dummy."
Laughter echoed through the stands.
Kai ignored every word.
His focus remained on the arena.
---
High above, Headmaster Aldric addressed the students.
"The Freshman Ranking Tournament consists of three stages."
A magical screen appeared in the sky.
Stage One: Beast Trial
Students would fight magical training beasts.
The faster they defeated them, the higher their score.
Stage Two: Survival Trial
Contestants would enter the Mirror Forest, where strategy and teamwork mattered more than brute strength.
Stage Three: Elimination Matches
The highest-scoring students would battle one another.
"The top ten students," Aldric announced, "will earn the right to enter the Imperial Beast Vault."
Gasps erupted.
The Beast Vault contained rare cultivation resources unavailable anywhere else in the academy.
Kai's eyes narrowed.
"I need those resources."
---
An instructor stepped forward with a crystal box.
Inside were hundreds of numbered tokens.
"Draw your number."
Kai reached into the box.
Number 88.
A few moments later, another voice rang out.
"Contestant Number 88..."
"Prepare for the Beast Trial."
---
Kai stepped into the testing arena.
A transparent barrier rose around him.
Across the arena stood a magical construct resembling a wolf made entirely of stone.
A loud voice echoed.
"Training Beast."
"Grade: Common."
"Begin!"
The stone wolf charged.
Students in the audience laughed.
"This won't take long."
"For the wolf."
Kai remained calm.
He whispered to the fox.
"Remember."
"Only enough strength to win."
The fox nodded.
As the wolf leapt...
It vanished.
The audience gasped.
The little fox reappeared behind the stone wolf with astonishing speed.
Instead of using Flame Claw, it simply struck a crack beneath the wolf's shoulder.
Crack.
The construct froze.
A second later...
It collapsed into rubble.
Silence filled the arena.
The instructors exchanged surprised glances.
"That was..."
"A perfect weak point attack."
"No wasted movement."
The time crystal flashed.
Completion Time: 8.7 seconds.
Not the fastest.
But far faster than anyone expected from Class F.
Kai bowed politely and left the arena.
The whispers followed him.
"Maybe it was luck."
"No..."
"He studied the construct."
"That wasn't a random attack."
---
Backstage, Lucien Ashcroft watched the results with narrowed eyes.
"So..."
"The stray learned a trick."
He clenched his fists.
"It won't matter."
"When we meet..."
"I'll crush him myself."
---
As the trials continued, Kai observed every participant.
One student relied entirely on overwhelming strength.
Another possessed exceptional speed but poor control.
A noble girl commanded twin Wind Lynxes with flawless teamwork.
Kai silently memorised every fighting style.
The Book of Infinite Beasts shimmered within his soul.
A new page appeared.
Beast Talent Analysis Activated
Each opponent's strengths and weaknesses slowly revealed themselves.
Kai smiled faintly.
"Knowledge..."
"...is the greatest weapon."
---
By sunset, the first stage had ended.
The rankings appeared in the sky.
1. Lucien Ashcroft
2. Elena Frost
3. Rowan Ashford
...
...
27. Kai Dragonbane
The entire arena erupted in surprise.
"The weakest student reached the top thirty?"
"Impossible!"
Lucien looked down at Kai from the highest platform.
For the first time...
He no longer smiled.
---
That night, while the rankings dominated conversations across the academy, another meeting took place beneath the city.
Inside a cathedral lit by black candles, hooded figures knelt before a towering statue with six wings.
One messenger stepped forward.
"The academy has produced an unusual student."
The figure seated upon the black throne spoke calmly.
"Name?"
"Kai Dragonbane."
A long silence followed.
Then the figure slowly opened crimson eyes.
"Watch him."
"If he truly carries the destiny we fear..."
"Do not allow him to leave the academy alive."
Far above, unaware of the shadow gathering against him, Kai sat beneath the old oak tree with his fox.
Tomorrow...
The Survival Trial would begin.
And for the first time, students would enter a real battlefield where failure meant more than losing points.