<h4>Chapter 6: Assigning Ranks</h4>


    The Professor''s voice echoed through the cavernous room. "Begin!"


    Ss and his fellow students sprang into action. Five identical obstacle courses stretched before them, each a mirror image of the others. Ss entered the leftmost course, his muscles tense with anticipation.


    Jace''s approach was a spectacle of multiplicity. Within seconds, twenty identical versions of himself stood at the starting line. They moved in perfect unison, leaping over and ducking under horizontal beams with practiced ease.


    At the chasm''s edge, chaos erupted. Several Jaces, caught off-guard by the sudden drop, tumbled over with startled yelps. Their cries echoed until they hit the soft bottom, realizing they were unharmed.


    The original Jace, assessing the gap, knew a simple jump wouldn''t suffice. He wasn''t out of shape, but he wasn''t exactly an athlete either. With a mischievous grin, he sprinted towards the edge, leapt, and began projecting duplicates backwards from his body. Each new copy propelled him further, using the physics of their creation to push him forward.


    Landing safely on the other side, Jace turned back to his fallen copies. With a gesture, they flew through the air towards him, reabsorbing into his body like reverse projectiles.


    The maze presented a new challenge. At each fork, Jace split himself, sending copies down every path. This trial-and-error approach quickly led him to the exit. As he emerged, his copies still in the maze pivoted, racing along the correct path at top speed, their shared consciousness guiding them effortlessly.


    The rope swing tested his grip strength, but he managed it solo. For the curved wall, Jace had an unconventional solution. He created a tower of copies, each standing on the shoulders of the one below. When the tower reached sufficient height, they collectively leaned forward. The structure crashed into the wall, but the topmost Jace made it over. With a satisfied smirk, he reabsorbed his copies and dashed for the exit.


    Nadia, in contrast, relied on her physical prowess. Her light magic, more suited forbat, offered little advantage here. She navigated the course with determination, her athletic build carrying her through each obstacle.


    Rowan''s approach was a blend of magic and strategy. He summoned a majestic ck horse, adorned with a mohawk of unicorn horns and vestigial wings. They cleared the horizontal bars with ease, the horse''s powerful legs propelling them over the chasm.


    At the maze entrance, Rowan dismissed his mount with a puff of smoke. In its ce, he conjured a group of flying imps. "Survey the maze from above," hemanded. "Guide me through."


    The imps'' bird''s-eye view proved invaluable, leading Rowan swiftly to the exit. He tackled the rope swing alone, nearly losing his bnce but recovering at thest moment. For the final wall, he summoned a winged demon, which flew him effortlessly to the top.


    Lyra''s solution was elegantly simple. With a wave of her hand, she opened a portal at the course''s start and another at its end. She stepped through,pleting the challenge in mere seconds.


    Ss relied on his enhanced abilities. He sprinted through the horizontal bars, his movements a blur of precision. At the chasm, heunched himself across, his enhanced muscles propelling him further than seemed possible. The maze walls posed no obstacle; he scaled them with ease, running along the tops and leaping gaps as if they were mere cracks in the pavement.


    Landing from the 15-foot drop sent a momentary jolt through his system, but he pushed through, his body adapting quickly. The rope swing was child''s y, his grip never faltering. At the curved wall, he didn''t bother with the intended method. Instead, he charged full speed, his momentum carrying him up and over in one fluid motion.


    As Ss burst through the exit, he found Lyra already there, a knowing smile on her face. Rowan arrived next, followed closely by Jace. Nadia brought up the rear, her face flushed with exertion but eyes burning with determination.


    Professor Vance surveyed the group, his expression inscrutable. "You''ve all demonstrated your potential today," he said, his tone firm but not unkind. "Remember, your affinities and tiers are not the sole measure of your worth as mages. It''s what you do with them that truly matters."


    He paused, his gaze sweeping over each student. "We have more tests scheduled, but I believe I''ve seen enough. I will now assign each of you a rank out of 10."


    Turning to Jace, he began, "Jace Sterling, based on the evaluation by the altar and your performance on the obstacle course, I assign you a rank of 5. Your creative use of your affinity was impressive."


    Jace''s chest puffed out slightly, a mix of pride and relief in his eyes.


    "Lyra Voidwalker," Vance continued, "your spatiomancy was used efficiently and effectively. I assign you the rank of 7."


    Lyra adjusted her sses, a small smile ying at the corners of her mouth.


    "Rowan Summers, your summoning abilities were put to good use. Despite a slight misstep at the rope swing, your overall performance was excellent. I assign you a rank of 6."


    Rowan''s brow furrowed slightly, but he gave a curt nod of acknowledgment.


    "Nadia Sinir, while your Lumomancy wasn''t directly applicable to this course, your physical abilities were noteworthy. I assign you a rank of 7."


    Nadia''s expression remained neutral, but her posture straightened almost imperceptibly.


    Finally, Vance turned to Ss. "Ss ckwood," he began, his tone shifting slightly, "your performance on the obstacle course was exceptional, far surpassing what I''d expect from someone of your current tier."


    Ss tensed, sensing the impending caveat.


    "However," Vance continued, his voice tinged with what might have been regret, "your current tier of 10 constrains the rank I can assign. Despite my desire to award you a higher rank, I''m bound by the system''s parameters. I assign you a rank of 9."


    Ss''s jaw clenched, frustration bubbling beneath his calm exterior. Eighteen years without being able to learn a single spell, and now this arbitrary system was holding him back again.


    Professor Vance distributed small pins bearing their assigned ranks. As he pressed the cool metal into Ss''s palm, he leaned in close, his voice low. "In six months, you''ll all be reassessed. Hard work and improvement can raise your rank. This isn''t a permanentbel, but a reflection of your current abilities. Use this time wisely."


    Ss stared at the pin in his hand, the white outline of the number 9 seeming to mock him. He knew that with his mother''s system and the leviathan mana core now part of him, he could quickly surpass this rank. But six months... it felt like an eternity.


    The implications of his low ranking weren''t lost on him. He''d be a target for bullies, seen as weak and exploitable. His hand closed around the pin, knuckles whitening. The frustration with this arbitrary system threatened to overwhelm him. But he knew he had to work within it, at least for now. He''d bide his time, gather strength and allies, and then... then he''d show them all.


    As the group dispersed, Lyra approached Ss, curiosity shining in her eyes. "Ss," she said softly, "I know we just met, but I want you to know that I''m here if you need someone to talk to or... help with anything."


    Ss met her gaze, surprised by the sincerity he found there. "Thanks, Lyra. I appreciate that."


    Lyra''s face brightened. "I have to admit, I''m fascinated by your affinities. Neuromancy, Biomancy, Essomancy... I''ve never heard of them. And a max tier of 00? That''s... well, unprecedented."


    Ss shifted his weight, ufortable with the scrutiny. "I''m still figuring it all out myself," he admitted. "But thanks for your interest."


    Jace, who''d been watching from nearby, sauntered over. "Hey, Ss! That was some ninja-level stuff on the course. One of my copies was keeping an eye on everyone, and man, you''ve got skills!"


    "Thanks, Jace. Your duplicate trick was pretty impressive too. Some of those moves were genius."


    Jace grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "I gotta be honest, when I first saw you, I thought, ''This guy''s either a secret genius or hriously inept.'' But either way, I knew it''d be fun to be your friend."


    His expression grew more serious. "There''s something special about you, Ss. I can feel it. We should stick together, you know? Watch each other''s backs." He struck an exaggerated ''secret agent'' pose, pressing his back against Ss''s.


    Ss couldn''t help butugh. "Jace, if I didn''t know better, I''d think you were from the non-magical society."


    Jace leaned in, whispering conspiratorially, "Nothing wrong with a little TV now and then."


    "Your secret''s safe with me," Ss replied, miming locking his lips and throwing away the key.


    Despite his instinct to push them away, born from a history of disappointment, Ss recognized the value of allies. And friends... well, that would be nice too.


    "I like what you said earlier," he said, his voice growing stronger. "I think we could make a good team."


    Lyra and Jace exchanged excited nces.


    "Definitely," Lyra said, her eyes sparkling. "We''re going to shake things up around here!"


    Ss and Jace pretended to be scandalized by her enthusiasm.


    Lyra caught their expressions. "Too much?"


    They held the act for a moment longer before bursting intoughter.


    "Lyra, you''re amazing," Jace chuckled.


    "Seriously, you''re a riot," Ss agreed, feeling a warmth he hadn''t experienced in years.


    Later, as Ss entered his empty dorm room, a folded piece of paper slipped from his pocket. He retrieved it, unfolding the crisp sheet to reveal a cryptic message:


    "I know what you are. Meet me at the alchemyb in 20 minutes and maybe I can help you."


    Ss''s mind raced. How did they know he wasn''t human? That seemed to be the implication. And how could they help? What did alchemy have to do with it?


    He nced at the clock. Three minutes to decide whether to trust this mysterious message or ignore it entirely. If there was even a chance this person could help... wouldn''t the risk be worth it?


    [New Quest: Meet with the mysterious stranger.]


    The system''s notification settled it for him. If it was like thest quest, he''d gain experience just forpleting it. And he needed to get stronger, fast.


    With a deep breath, Ss slipped out of his room and into thebyrinthine hallways of the university. He couldn''t shake the feeling that this meeting would change everything.