The Combat Examination lasted a full twelve hours.
Throughout those twelve hours, the principals of the various schools and the head teachers of the participating classes were expected to remain at the examination site.
After all, the director of the Education Department was there as well.
No principal or teacher would dare leave halfway through the examination.
More importantly, the students’ examination results directly affected the allocation of educational funding for the following academic year.
Naturally, every principal and teacher was paying close attention to the rankings.
The military had prepared food and drinks for them, including lunch and dinner, since the examination would continue for an entire day.
By now, more than four hours had passed since the beginning of the examination.
It was already one o’clock in the afternoon.
Inside Grayridge Town, most candidates had begun eating their first nutrition bar.
Outside the examination area, the principals and teachers had also finished lunch in the military cafeteria and were making their way back toward the spectator stands.
“Rivergate First is as strong as ever.
Almost the entire top ten belongs to them.”
“They receive the most educational funding every year, and their student intake is also the best in the city.
It’s hardly surprising that their results are so good.”
“That’s true.
Still, our Rivergate Second is performing fairly well this year.
Eight students have already made it into the top fifty.
In previous years, getting five or six into the top fifty would have been considered a good result.”
“Unfortunately, Rivergate Third is having an even better year.
They actually have a student in the top ten.
That’s making things rather awkward for us.”
A group of teachers from Rivergate Second High School walked together, talking among themselves.
No one was surprised by Rivergate First High School’s performance.
Its educational resources, teachers, and student pool were simply too strong.
Instead, most of the discussion centered on their own school and the unexpectedly strong performance of Rivergate Third.
Then someone suddenly remembered another name.
“By the way, Mr.
Carter, what’s going on with Kael Veyron in your class?”
The speaker turned toward a middle-aged man wearing a dark suit.
His name was Samuel Reed, the head teacher of Rivergate Second High School’s elite class.
“How come none of us knew your class had a student like him?”
Samuel had a puzzled expression.
“Kael Veyron isn’t in my class.”
The moment he finished speaking, the surrounding teachers froze.
Samuel continued,
“I was actually going to ask the same thing.
Which class is he in?”
The teachers exchanged confused looks.
“Not in your class?”
“But if he isn’t from the elite class, which ordinary class produced someone this strong?”
“Exactly.
How did we never hear about him?”
After their students awakened their abilities, every high school usually reorganized its classes.
Students with outstanding abilities, high potential, and strong combat talent were transferred into elite classes.
Rivergate Second High School was no exception.
As a result, the students who usually performed well in the Combat Examination almost always came from the elite class.
It was extremely rare for a student from an ordinary class to suddenly appear near the top of the rankings.
And yet…
Kael Veyron had done exactly that.
At the back of the group, Daniel Carter remained silent.
He had already guessed where this conversation was heading.
Before anyone could ask him directly, a bearded middle-aged teacher approached.
He was Brian Miller, the head teacher of Class Four, the class next to Daniel’s.
Brian walked over with a confident smile.
“Daniel, how are your students doing?”
Before Daniel could answer, Brian continued proudly,
“Our class is doing pretty well.
Our highest-ranked student has already made it into the top hundred.”
The best students in Rivergate Second High School were concentrated in the elite class.
Because of that, getting an ordinary-class student into the top hundred was already considered an excellent achievement.
Daniel glanced at him.
“That’s pretty good.”
His tone was surprisingly indifferent.
Brian’s smile widened.
He and Daniel had never gotten along.
Several years earlier, the two had clashed over a school matter.
The disagreement had never truly been resolved.
Since then, Brian had repeatedly competed with Daniel, both openly and behind the scenes.
The two teachers had practically become rivals.
Seeing Daniel’s indifferent reaction, Brian felt a little dissatisfied.
“It’s just that this year’s examination bonus might be a little higher for me than for you.”
The bonuses for the head teachers were directly connected to their students’ examination results.
If a student from their class entered the city’s top hundred, the teacher could receive a bonus of more than ten thousand credits.
For teachers whose monthly salaries were not particularly high, that was a considerable amount.
Brian was already imagining Daniel’s frustrated expression.
He’s probably furious inside.
But Daniel’s next words instantly shattered that satisfaction.
“Is that so?”
Daniel looked at him calmly.
“Then I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”
Brian’s smile disappeared.
Daniel continued,
“Our class is doing pretty well too.
One of our students has already entered the top fifty.”
“Top fifty?”
Brian’s expression immediately changed.
“Daniel, don’t joke around.
The top fifty are practically all students from the elite class.
How could someone from your class get that high?”
Then he suddenly stopped.
His eyes widened.
“Wait.”
He stared at Daniel.
“Could that student be Kael Veyron?”
Daniel simply nodded.
“Yes.”
Brian stood there in disbelief.
“Kael Veyron is from your class?”
“Class Five.”
Brian’s expression became increasingly complicated.
Then another question occurred to him.
“If Kael is from your class, why didn’t you say anything when everyone was asking which class he belonged to?”
Daniel looked at him with an innocent expression.
“Really?
I must not have heard them.”
Brian’s face twitched.
You didn’t hear them?
You were standing right there!
You obviously heard everything!
He finally understood.
Daniel had deliberately kept quiet.
He had been waiting for someone to ask him directly.
This guy has been waiting for this moment.
Brian wanted nothing more than to punch him.
But before he could say anything, Daniel casually added,
“Kael only made it into the top fifty.
It’s nothing particularly special.”
Brian almost choked.
Only the top fifty?
The bonus for a top-fifty student was already more than twenty thousand credits!
And this was an ordinary class.
The elite class had taken nearly all of the school’s strongest students.
Yet Daniel’s Class Five had somehow produced a student who had broken into the top fifty.
Brian’s expression became even darker.
For years, the best student he had ever taught had only reached sixty-fourth place.
Now Daniel had casually produced someone even stronger.
Brian took several deep breaths before forcing a smile.
“It seems you’ve cultivated an exceptional student, Daniel.”
Daniel waved his hand modestly.
“Not really.
Kael worked hard himself.
I didn’t do much.”
His expression was humble.
But inside…
He was practically celebrating.
Serves you right.
For years, Brian had always managed to stay one step ahead of him.
This time, however, Daniel had finally turned the tables.
And he intended to enjoy every second of it.
The surrounding teachers had also heard the conversation.
“So Kael Veyron is from Class Five?”
“Mr.
Carter really does have a talent for teaching.”
“Among all the ordinary classes, yours is the only one with a student in the top fifty.”
“When the next academic year begins, you should give us a lecture about your teaching methods.”
The teachers congratulated Daniel one after another.
Even Samuel Reed, the head teacher of the elite class, smiled at him.
The school’s strongest students had already been transferred into Samuel’s class.
For Daniel to develop a student this powerful in an ordinary class was genuinely impressive.
Daniel smiled modestly.
But his attention had already shifted toward the examination rankings.
Soon, the entire group returned to the spectator stands.
After taking his seat, Daniel immediately looked toward the enormous virtual ranking board suspended in the air.
He searched through the list.
Then…
He found the name he was looking for.
32nd Place: Kael Veyron — 328 Points
Rivergate Second High School
Daniel blinked.
“Thirty-second?”
He remembered Kael being ranked forty-sixth before lunch.
How had he climbed fourteen places in such a short time?
What happened while we were eating?
Daniel was still trying to understand the situation when something even more shocking happened.
Kael’s name suddenly moved.
The ranking system refreshed.
25th Place: Kael Veyron — 372 Points
Rivergate Second High School
Daniel’s eyes widened.
“What…?”
He stared at the screen.
“Twenty-fifth?”
His voice was filled with disbelief.
“How did his score increase so quickly?”
The teachers around him also noticed the sudden change.
The ranking board continued updating.
And somewhere inside Grayridge Town, completely unaware of the commotion he was causing…
Kael Veyron was still hunting.
Still fighting.
Still killing.
And still accumulating Ability Points.
His score was climbing at a terrifying rate.
The question was no longer whether Kael could enter the top fifty.
He had already done that.
Now everyone was beginning to wonder…
Just how high could this mysterious E-rank Awakener climb?