A week had passed since the evaluation exams, and all the newly appointed mythical fighters were to assemble for the mythical rankings. The mythical rankings involved the participants fighting mythical beasts in a low-level abyss, and their newbie ranks were determined by their performance in the mythical rankings.
Although Harden wasn't appointed by the examiner Quinton, he was an exception due to the fact that he could perform the skills of the martial arts class. On the day of the mythical rankings, Harden wore a black track suit with white patterns and equipped himself with two nunchuks. He could have easily acquired high-quality equipment for himself, but he didn't really want to rely on his family's influence for his strength and development.
On reaching the exam site, Harden found his friend Raizo, who wore a white T-shirt, a pair of blue joggers, and a pair of sneakers with his katana sword around his waist. They both located Amy, who was waving at them amidst the crowd.
As Harden passed some people, he could hear them whispering to each other, "Isn't that the guy who couldn't even get a class?" A man who wore a golden armor with white designs whispered to his partner, who wore a plain silver armor with his longsword around his waist, "Now that you mention it, I think he's the one whose mythical force didn't match the crystal."
"I thought the mythical rankings were for strong newbies. What's a guy like him doing here?" the man with the silver armor asked.
"Maybe their standards have fallen, or he was an exception because of his family's influence," said the man with the golden armor.
"He must be the black sheep in his family. After all, his father is a legend, and his brother, Hawkins, is a prodigy."
The two men continued to whisper, and as Harden passed more people, he noticed that the men weren't the only ones who felt that way.
"I'll prove all these bastards wrong and become the strongest," Harden thought to himself as he strengthened his resolve.
"What's got you looking so gloomy?" Amy asked as she walked up to Harden and Raizo, who were still trying to navigate through the crowd.
"Nothing," Harden replied.
"Come on, you know you can tell us anything—"
"Hey, there, diamonds in the rough," Amy was interrupted by their examiner for the mythical rankings, a man named Ray Clove. He was tall, with gelled-back black hair, and wore a pair of black trousers and a white long-sleeve shirt.
"You are all here because you've somehow been deemed worthy to take the mythical rankings. As you all know, from here on out, things get real, they get nasty, they get unpredictable, and most of you will die."
"I'll give you guys a personal advice: don't get attached to your comrades in this line of work. You'll only end up losing them."
"Now, I'm not trying to discourage you from becoming the mythical fighters you aspire to be. I'm just preparing you for what's up ahead. If you don't want to be a mythical fighter, there's no shame in it. It's understandable to not want to die for others that may not even appreciate you."
"If you feel you're not up to the task of being a mythical fighter, you can excuse us. After all, only insane people will aspire to become mythical fighters."
As Ray concluded, a few people left the gathering. However, if after all that talk and advice you still want to become a mythical fighter, I won't stop you.
"You all have been handed a contract that states that our organization will not be responsible for whatever happens to you in battle."
"On that note, I'll now explain how you can accumulate points in the mythical rankings. With my innate ability, I'm able to see what happens in the abyss."
"In the abyss that you're all about to enter, there's about 130 mythical beasts, and points will be awarded based on how many you kill, how well you were able to coordinate with others, how well you could support your teammates, and your overall contribution to the fight."
"With that being said, you may proceed into the abyss."
"For some reason, I don't feel scared or nervous at all. I'm just feeling excited. I can't stop shaking."
"You're excited too, aren't you?" Raizo asked.
"Yeah," Harden replied.
"Alright, let's do this," Amy commented.
"Let's see what this abyss has to offer."