The evaluation hall was too quiet for a building that large.
Thousands of students stood inside, yet the air swallowed their voices. Even whispers sounded wrong here , like the room itself was listening.
The ceiling stretched into darkness. No visible lights. Only floating rings of pale mana drifting overhead, orbiting slowly like artificial moons.
At the center of the hall stood a black pillar.
Not tall. Not grand.
Just..
Danny stared at it and felt something ancient staring back.
Not power.
Judgment.
A teacher stepped forward. Long coat. Expression tired, like someone who had repeated the same speech for decades and still didn't trust any of the listeners.
"Welcome to Ranking Evaluation."
His voice didn't echo.
It pressed.
"This pillar does not measure strength. It measures compatibility. Control. Potential. Flow."
A pause.
"And ego."
That last word earned a ripple of uneasy laughter.
The teacher didn't smile.
"Approach one by one. Channel mana into the pillar. No tricks. No amplification artifacts. No external assistance. If you cheat..!"
He tapped the pillar lightly.
The sound rang like a distant bell inside their bones.
"..the pillar cheats back."
Silence returned instantly.
Good.
They understood.
---
The first student marched forward like a hero in a parade. Noble crest pinned proudly to his chest. Chin lifted. Smirk ready.
He slammed his palm against the pillar.
Mana exploded.
Bright. Loud. Flashy.
The hall lit up in blue fire.
Students gasped.
The pillar responded by turning a dull gray.
A number appeared above it:
*Tier: 3*
The noble boy blinked.
"That's wrong."
The teacher didn't look at him.
"Next."
The laughter this time was louder.
Tier 3 wasn't weak.
But it wasn't legendary either.
The boy walked away stiffly, pride leaking out of his posture.
---
One by one, they stepped forward.
Some pillars glowed gold.
Some flickered weakly.
Some students walked back smiling.
Others looked like they'd just attended their own funeral.
A girl with silver hair approached quietly. No dramatic pose. No speech. She placed her hand gently on the pillar.
The pillar hummed.
Not loud.
Deep.
Like a heartbeat waking up.
The color shifted to pure white.
Students leaned forward.
The number appeared slowly.
*Tier: 6*
The hall erupted.
Tier 6 was rare.
Not genius rare.
But enough to guarantee attention.
The silver-haired girl stepped back calmly, as if she'd expected nothing less. Two girls near her grabbed her shoulders, half-celebrating, half-claiming association.
Danny watched the crowd instead of the pillar.
Envy spread faster than sound.
Eyes narrowed.
Smiles sharpened.
Humans were predictable.
Especially the demi-humans.
---
Then came the flexers.
Students trying too hard.
Shouting while channeling mana.
Dramatic stances.
One boy screamed so loudly the pillar didn't even react.
*Tier 1*
The hall laughed.
The teacher sighed.
"Mana is not volume."
•
When Danny's turn came, nobody noticed.
He stepped forward like a background character.
Placed his hand lightly.
Barely a pulse.
The pillar flickered once.
*Tier: 2*
Mediocre.
Forgettable.
Perfect.
He stepped away before anyone cared.
Except..
Someone did.
The silver haired girl glanced at him.
Not impressed.
Not dismissive.
Just..curious.
Danny pretended not to see.
---
The teacher raised his hand.
The hall quieted instantly.
"Remember this feeling," he said. "Pride. Shame. Relief. Jealousy."
His gaze swept across them.
"This academy doesn't erase those emotions."
"It feeds them."
A pause.
"And what grows.. is what defines you."
The floating rings above shifted color.
The test was over.
But the atmosphere hadn't relaxed.
If anything..
It had tightened.
Students looked at each other differently now.
Not classmates.
Competition.
Targets.
Threats.
Danny slipped his hands into his pockets and walked toward the exit with the rest.
Behind him, the pillar stood silent again.
Waiting.
Measuring.
Hungry for the next soul.