Chapter 199 - 199: How dare you?!

Words : 1562 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

"Also, the students who participated in this raid will be rewarded with stars and ranking advancements. So, let's begin," Lucian announced with a warm smile. At those words, Amir stepped forward, descending from the balcony with Lucian following behind him. Together, they walked toward the high platform at the front of the grand hall. A table stood before them, adorned with gleaming badges, certificates, and polished ornaments that shimmered under the enchanted lights above. "Firstly," Amir began, his voice steady yet vibrant, "we will reward each squad with twenty stars for completing this mission." Grey and his teammates exchanged wide-eyed glances, their faces lighting up with excitement at the announcement. 'Twenty stars?!' Arthur thought, barely able to contain his grin. 'With this, we're so much closer to reaching the gold rank! No more constant worrying about promotions. We already have twenty-two stars, and now, with these additional twenty, we'll have forty-two!' "And that's not the end of it," Amir continued, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "If it were, such a grand ceremony wouldn't be necessary. As you all know, we have not only squad rankings but individual student rankings." The hall quieted down, everyone leaning forward slightly, their curiosity piqued. "For squad rankings, we divide them into three tiers: Junior, Intermediate, and Advanced. First years belong to the Junior tier, second years to Intermediate, and third years to Advanced, corresponding with the iron, bronze, and silver ranks, respectively," Amir explained, his hand slicing through the air to emphasize each point. "However, for individual rankings, we have ten levels—starting from Iron, then Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Elite, Master, Grandmaster, and finally, Supreme rank." Gasps rippled across the room at the reminder of the prestigious hierarchy. "Normally, advancement through the ranks requires collecting stars via missions. But, on special occasions like today, ranks can be awarded based on exceptional contributions and achievements," Amir concluded, his words hanging heavily in the room. The students sat up straighter, a low murmur of excitement rising among them. "So," Amir said, a glint in his eyes, "having rewarded the squads, it's now time to honor the individuals who gave their all during the dungeon raid—those whose efforts led us to success." The room buzzed with anticipation. "First up, Scarlet Trevor!" Amir called. A confident Scarlet strode forward, her fiery-red hair catching the light, matching the flame of pride burning in her gaze. "With her fire magic, she decimated countless ant beasts, fought fiercely against the dungeon boss, and defended her comrades with unwavering resolve." Scarlet stood before Amir and Lucian, back straight, hands clenched at her sides. "Congratulations," Lucian said, pinning a new badge onto her robe. "You have been promoted from Bronze rank to High Silver rank." A wave of applause swept the hall as Scarlet saluted crisply and returned to her seat, her steps proud and composed. "Next," Amir announced, "Charlotte Valtos!" Charlotte emerged from the crowd, her expression calm yet determined. "She displayed immense bravery, battling through the ant beasts and facing the dungeon boss without faltering." Lucian smiled warmly as he pinned her badge. "Congratulations, you have been promoted from Gold rank to Low Platinum rank." The crowd clapped and cheered, many whispering about Charlotte's steady rise. "We also have Dante!" Amir said, his tone deepening. The atmosphere shifted. Everyone knew Dante had given more than just effort—he had lost a friend. Dante approached, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles whitened. His jaw was set, eyes hollow yet burning with a silent rage. "He fought the hardest against the dungeon boss, pouring everything he had into the battle," Amir said with a note of respect. Searᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. "Congratulations," Lucian said, pinning a shining platinum badge to Dante's robe. "You have been promoted from High Gold rank to High Platinum rank." The hall filled with murmurs. "Wow! He's definitely surpassed all the second years!" "Yeah, he's getting closer to the third years." "I'm honestly jealous—that's a massive leap!" Dante saluted, his chest heaving slightly, and then turned away, a storm of emotions whirling inside him. 'I was holding myself back so hard from exploding…' Amir's voice rose once more. "Last but not least, the first-year student, Grey Dawn!" A stunned silence fell over the room. "This young man set a new academy record—eliminating thirty ant beasts singlehandedly and taking down a level 7 dungeon boss on his own." A collective gasp echoed across the hall, quickly followed by hushed whispers. "It has to be a lie, right?" "A first year defeating a level 7 beast? That's absurd." "And a dungeon boss at that!" "I refuse to believe it. He must've coerced others into saying that." "But… threaten Dante? No way. Dante's one of the strongest second years." "Maybe it was blackmail?" "But has anyone ever heard of 'Dawn' among the noble families?" "No… he must be a commoner." "Just a peasant, after all." Unfazed by the growing clamor, Grey rose smoothly, straightened his robe, and walked forward with measured, almost lazy steps. His face was a mask of calm indifference, radiating an undeniable aura of dominance. 'Grey Dawn, huh?' Lucian thought, narrowing his eyes. 'That name sounds familiar…' "Congratulations, Grey Dawn," Lucian said, his voice steady. "You have been promoted from Bronze rank to Low Platinum rank." The hall exploded. "Platinum?! Just because of a rumor?!" a second-year student shouted, face flushed with anger. Amir's gaze snapped to him, hard and cold. "Who gave you the right to question the academy's judgment?" he demanded, his voice slicing through the uproar. "Do you think we would award ranks without thorough investigation?!" The second-year shrank in his seat under Amir's glare. "I… I apologize, sir." Still glowering, the second-year muttered darkly under his breath as Grey received his badge and turned away, his expression as unreadable as ever. "That concludes the award ceremony," Lucian declared. "Eat, rest, and celebrate. A banquet has been prepared for you all." With a curt nod, Lucian strode briskly out of the hall, his mind occupied, while Amir lingered a moment longer, overseeing the trays of steaming food now being rolled in by the staff. "You all should eat up. I'll return shortly," Amir said, before exiting the hall as well. Students rushed to their tables, plates and cups clinking together as the feast began. Grey found himself immediately surrounded by his friends. "Woah! You got Platinum rank?!" Arthur exclaimed, clapping Grey on the back. "That's insane!" "Yeah," Grey replied with a small shrug. "Yeah?! That's all you have to say?" Raze barked. "Do you even understand what this means? You're almost standing shoulder to shoulder with the third years—the academy's elite!" Grey just shrugged again, his usual nonchalant air irritating Raze to no end. "Hey, Vince!" a voice called. They all turned to see Dave, Vince's older brother, striding over with a mocking grin plastered on his face. "Dave…" Vince muttered under his breath, stiffening. "I can't believe you were so useless you couldn't even get recognized," Dave sneered. "Imagine… a peasant outshining you. How pathetic." Vince's fists trembled at his sides, but then, taking a deep breath, he looked up calmly. "Just because I didn't get recognized this time doesn't make me pathetic," he said, his voice steady. "Remind me, Dave… how many achievements have you earned since you set foot in the academy?" The words cut deep. Dave's face turned crimson. "You—how dare you speak to me like that, you worthless fool?!" Dave roared, his magic flaring wildly. The hall went deathly silent. Conversations froze mid-sentence. Plates clattered onto tables. "I think it's time I reminded you of your place!" Dave snarled, summoning a massive metal sword, its blade gleaming menacingly as it hovered before him. "Maybe a little bloodshed will teach you to respect your betters," he spat, and with a snap of his fingers, sent the deadly weapon hurtling towards Vince. Vince froze, panic etched across his face. The sword screamed through the air—until a deafening bang rocked the hall. In the next instant, standing protectively before Vince, was Grey. His fists were clad in crackling lightning gauntlets, arcs of electricity dancing around him like angry serpents. His grip crushed the flying sword mid-air, invisible flames burning in his narrowed eyes. "How dare you try to harm one of my friends?!" Grey roared. A colossal wave of mana erupted from him, surging like a hurricane. Winds howled through the grand hall, causing those who had ignored the earlier commotion to now whip their heads around, eyes wide with shock. All attention locked onto Grey—an unmovable force, a rising storm they hadn't seen coming. ___ {A/N} Alright guys! If you have sticked this far, then prepare for the ride of your lives not coz of this fight, but something else that's brewing under the surface. So eager right? Well, if you can't wait no more, we got a mass release goals that when hit, extra chapters will be released. 100 Power stones= 2 extra chapters. 50 Golden tickets= 2 extra chapters. Magic castle= 5 Chapters. Spacecraft= 10 Chapters. Golden Gachapon= 15 Chapters.

Chapter 199 - 199: How dare you?!

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