The next morning, Kyle was still snoozing away when someone started knocking on the door. Not wanting to be bothered, Kyle buried his head under the blanket and tried to ignore the persistent knocking.
But then, the knocking abruptly stopped, only to be replaced by Nine's booming voice, jolting Kyle awake.
Kyle let out a groan and squinted at the bright light streaming in through the window. He really wanted to catch a few more winks of sleep, but he mustered up the energy to wrap the blanket around himself and crawl out of bed. With heavy steps, he made his way toward the door.
Still half-asleep, he opened the door, only to have Nine kick it and barge into the room.
"You're still sleeping? Did you forget that we have to check our results today? Get a move on and change your clothes so we can go together."
Nine gave him a quick once-over, and Kyle, still trying to process what was happening, stood there dumbfounded as Nine snatched the blanket from him and flung it onto the bed before shoving him towards the bathroom.
"Hurry up!"
Kyle nodded drowsily and shuffled towards the bathroom to freshen up. As he disappear into the bathroom, Nine let out a sigh. He had wanted to check the results alone, but his nerves got the best of him.
Nine initially joined the academy just because he wanted to check out their entrance test, but he quickly discovered that it was actually fun. He made some friends, but they were always busy. On the other hand, Kyle was strong, and strangely enough, Nine felt comfortable around him. That's why they became friends easily.
After getting to know Kyle for a while, Nine wasn't sure about other things, but there were a few things he noticed during the ranking assessment. First, Kyle was a little lazy because, during the assessment, they took more than three breaks, which could have earned them a lot of points!
Also, Kyle would always get excited and determined at the smallest advantage, but his excitement wouldn't last long, and he would lose determination easily. At first, Nine was surprised by the burning flame in Kyle's eyes, but soon those flames extinguished like they never existed.
Lost in thought, Nine looked around the small room, which was mostly empty. He easily spotted a small egg sitting on top of the neatly folded sheets on the table by the bed. Nine walked toward the egg and looked at it curiously.
There was nothing special about the egg, but its vibrant red color was captivating. Nine wanted to touch it, but before he could, he heard Kyle coming out after changing his clothes. Nine turned around and saw him wearing a sleek blackish-silver long-sleeved casual top with black pants.
Kyle glanced at him before leaving the dorm.
"What are you doing? Let's go."
As he left, Nine quickly followed suit, leaving the egg behind, which trembled slightly in their absence.
Soon, they began walking towards the main hall at a leisurely pace. Nine was talking non-stop, a mix of excitement and nerves filling the air.
Kyle listened attentively, nodding and responding from time to time. After the talent test, he didn't particularly enjoy making friends since most of them had abandoned him due to someone. But now, talking to Nine, he realized that having friends wasn't so bad after all.
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out Kyle's name from behind. He turned around to see Alec and Carcel walking towards them.
Alec waved at Kyle and Nine, signaling for them to stop.
Kyle wore a puzzled expression, wondering why Alec was calling out to him. They had spoken inside the 'Goblin Cave,' but hadn't interacted much since then.
Alec smiled as he approached the duo.
"Are you both heading to the main hall to check the results?"
"Yes."
Nine replied enthusiastically, while Kyle nodded to confirm their destination.
Alec suggested going together, and Nine immediately agreed. He was happy to accompany Alec and Carcel. Both of them were well-known in class - one for his rare (SSS+)-Rank talent, and the other as the second prince of the Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Kyle glanced at Alec from head to toe before turning to Carcel, who nodded in greeting.
Kyle had a question in his mind. He wasn't close with any of them, so why were they asking to go together? And seeing Nine's surprised expression, Kyle was sure he wasn't close with them either.
Nevertheless, he didn't think too much about it and agreed.
They all started walking toward the main hall together. Instantly, Nine and Alec both started discussing the results with enthusiasm. On the other hand, Kyle and Carcel simply listened.
Soon, they arrived in front of a large hall where students were continuously entering and exiting. As they entered, they were greeted by a huge crowd. All the first-year students seemed to be gathered around a big board in the center of the hall. Some second and third-year students were also present, eager to see the top-ranking first-year students.
As Alec and Carcel entered the hall, many students looked at them with envy and respect. The crowd whispered among themselves, making way for them. Alec and Carcel paid no mind to the large crowd and approached the big board, where a slim old man in instructor clothes stood.
Lara, Mia, and some other students stood behind the old instructor, all looking curiously at the four newcomers.
Nine and Kyle followed behind Alec and Carcel, but since the students were mostly focused on Alec and Carcel, not many noticed them.
Once they reached the board, Alec was the first one to notice his name. After that, he noticed Carcel, Kyle, and Nine's names as well.
_______
Ranking:
Rank 1_ Alec (Points 878)
Rank 2_ Carcel (Points 845)
Rank 3_ Mia (Points 750)
Rank 4_ Lara (Points 745)
Rank 5_ Jake (Points 680)
Rank 6_ Lily (Points 677)
Rank 7_ Kyle (Points 670)
Rank 8_ Nine (Points 654)
.....
_______
Kyle also checked his ranking and felt satisfied with the result. However, seeing the significant difference of over 200 points between himself and Alec made him feel a pang of disappointment.
As they were still looking at their results, the old man standing in front of the board turned his gaze towards Alec.
"I believe the four of you are also in the top ten?"
Upon hearing his deep yet calm voice, Alec nodded immediately.
The old man let out a hum.
"The four of you are the last ones to appear. First, show me your identification tokens, and then all of you can follow me to receive your reward."
After checking the tokens of the new arrivals and confirming their identities, the old man gestured for the top ten students to follow him.