Chapter 153: Fraud

"Huh... I see. So this is the outcome."

A gloomy young man stood in front of the large notice board, his dark eyes scanning the names with an almost detached expression.

"After everything I did..."

His gaze landed on his name.

Damon Grey.

There it was, right at the top of the rankings. Number one.

It was undeniable now—his dominance over the mid-semester evaluation had been absolute. No one could dispute his victory. No one could claim it was luck. Yet, despite this, Damon didn't smile. There was no rush of joy, no satisfaction. Just a quiet weight lifting off his shoulders. He had secured his place at the academy. No more probationary status. No more risk of expulsion.

He had risked everything for this one chance, pushing himself beyond his limits. But life was funny that way—just when he thought he had cleared a major obstacle, a thousand more loomed ahead.