Six months had passed.
Six whole months.
At first…
Everyone thought it was just another whim of Celine Arctis.
The Aura professor notorious for never following the rules.
The woman who, ten years ago, entered the Resonance Test alone…
And walked out with a Rank that no one could explain.
And now…
She had chosen a student.
A student whose name was at the bottom of every list.
Sami Kō.
Rank D.
The student who failed to control his Aura.
The student to whom the crystal barely responded.
The student of whom everyone said: “He has no future.” But…
After six months…
Everything had changed.
Autumn had arrived at the Resonance Academy.
The trees surrounding the academy had lost their green color.
Golden leaves fell onto the ancient stone walkways.
But the students…
They were no longer the same students.
The first-year class that used to laugh at Sami…
Was now talking about him in hushed voices.
Because during those six months…
They had seen things they couldn’t explain.
In the morning.
The Eastern Training Grounds.
Two students were talking.
“Did you see him yesterday?” “Who?” “Sami.” The other paused.
“Don’t tell me you mean that guy…” “Yes.” “I heard he completed Celine’s daily training.” “Impossible.” “I heard he stayed inside her pressure field for three hours.” The student went silent.
“Three hours?” “Yes.” “That field makes Rank B students lose consciousness after ten minutes.” And somewhere else…
There was another rumor.
That Celine wasn’t just training him.
But that she was testing something.
Something she hadn’t told anyone.
Today…
It was the day of the Rank Re-evaluation.
The day that determined every student’s place.
Rank D becomes C.
Rank C becomes B.
True talents emerge.
And illusions disappear.
The Hall of Imperial Measurement It was the oldest hall in the academy.
Even the walls were different.
Not stone.
But an unknown material that resembled black glass.
It is said the hall existed 300 years before the academy was founded.
And in its center…
Stood the thing every student feared.
The Imperial Resonance Core.
A giant crystal rising several meters high.
Transparent.
But inside, something was moving.
As if silver smoke were trapped within it.
It didn’t just measure power.
But…
The soul.
The intent.
The potential.
Some students even said: “The crystal doesn’t read what you are.” “It reads what you could become.”
Headmaster Aurelius Vane stood before it.
And behind him, all the professors.
Each student stood beside their mentor.
Kaelin entered first.
One of the best students in the year.
A golden Pulse aura filled the room.
The students whispered: “As usual.” “He’s a monster.” “He’ll reach Rank S next year.” Then…
Celine entered.
And beside her…
Sami.
The moment they entered…
The atmosphere changed.
Not because Sami did anything.
But because everyone felt something.
Something uncomfortable.
As if the hall itself… This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Had noticed him.
The whispers began.
“That’s him?” “Celine’s student?” “That Rank D?” “He doesn’t look different.” “Did she spend six months wasting her time?” Kaelin smiled.
He looked at Sami.
“Six months.” Then he laughed.
“Even if you trained with a monster…” “A stone won’t turn into gold.” Sami looked at him.
Then said: “Are you done?” Everyone went silent for a moment.
Then they laughed.
Because Sami…
Hadn’t changed.
The same lazy face.
The same blank expression.
As if he didn’t care about anything.
Only Celine…
Smiled.
But she wasn’t looking at the students.
She was looking at the crystal.
Because she knew.
Something was about to happen.
The first student.
Entered.
Placed their hand.
The crystal glowed.
Rank C+ Applause.
The second student.
Rank B More applause.
Then a student from the elite.
Her aura filled the hall.
Rank A Everyone applauded.
Then came the turn everyone was waiting for.
“Kaelin Voss.” Kaelin entered.
With confidence.
His spear behind his back.
“Show me the result.” He placed his hand.
Suddenly…
His aura exploded.
Gold.
Pure.
Powerful.
The crystal glowed completely.
Numbers appeared.
Previous Rank: A Updating…
A second.
Rank A+ The hall erupted in applause.
The Headmaster nodded.
“As I expected.” Kaelin smiled.
And looked at Sami.
Not with a look of challenge.
But the look of a person waiting for their opponent’s downfall.
“Next.” Everyone went silent.
“Sami Kō.” No one applauded.
Sami walked.
A step.
Then a step.
No aura.
No showboating.
No confidence.
Just…
Calm.
He stood before the crystal.
Some students smiled.
“This is going to be embarrassing.” He placed his hand.
Nothing.
A second.
Two seconds.
Five seconds.
The crystal didn’t move.
A student laughed.
“Even the crystal rejected him.” Laughter.
Then more laughter.
Kaelin closed his eyes in mockery.
“I told you.” But…
Celine didn’t move.
Because she saw something.
Inside the crystal…
It wasn’t empty.
There was something trying to emerge.
Something that hadn’t appeared for centuries.
Suddenly… This story is hosted at g.com.
A sound.
Not a real sound.
But a sensation.
It reached Celine’s mind.
“Found it…” Her eyes widened.
“What?” Then…
The crystal shook.
Not a normal vibration.
But as if the hall itself started to fear.
The laughter stopped.
The screens around the hall began to turn off.
A single word appeared.
Previous Record Everyone waited.
Rank D The laughter began again.
But…
The word disappeared.
Updating…
Silence.
Then: Rank C The students froze.
Updating…
Rank B The professors stepped closer.
“Impossible…” Then: Rank A The silence became heavier.
Kaelin was no longer smiling.
Then: Rank A+ One of the professors stepped back.
“This isn’t a normal rise…” But the crystal didn’t stop.
It began to emit a sound.
A cracking sound.
As if it were trying to calculate something…
And couldn’t.
Then the color changed.
From blue…
To gold.
To white.
Then…
Crimson red.
A color that hadn’t appeared in the academy’s records.
Even the Headmaster stood up.
New words appeared.
Compatibility Analysis Everyone didn’t understand.
Then: Existence Stability Then: Unknown Silence.
The crystal couldn’t identify him.
And finally…
The last word appeared.
FINAL RANK No one breathed.
Then: S But the strange thing…
Wasn’t the rank.
But the message that appeared beneath it.
WARNING Rank exceeds normal progression.
No one spoke.
Even the students who were laughing…
Couldn’t look at him.
Because they understood one thing.
Sami hadn’t just risen from Rank D to Rank S.
But…
The crystal itself admitted that it didn’t know what he was.
Celine stepped forward.
Her smile was calm.
But her eyes were filled with pride.
“Six months ago…” She looked at the professors.
“You laughed.” Silence.
“You said I chose a failure.” She looked at Sami.
“You said he had no future.” Then she turned back to them.
“But you were wrong about one thing.” She paused.
“You tried to measure him by the old rules.” “But…” She smiled.
“Perhaps it is the rules that need a re-evaluation.” No one replied.
Kaelin trembled with rage.
He slammed his spear into the ground.
“This is impossible!” He looked at Sami.
“Come.” The hall went silent.
“If you are truly Rank S…” He raised his spear.
“Prove it.” The Headmaster looked at Celine.
But she didn’t stop him.
Instead, she smiled.
She looked at Sami.
And said: “Go.” Then she leaned in slightly and whispered: “But…” A small, crazy smile appeared.
“Don’t kill him.”