Beyond the Rank

As Seung-ho moved, his movements were deliberate, his steady gaze unwavering, and his posture relaxed. He placed his hand on the round blue crystal, the device that would display both his skill and the rank of that skill.

The moment his palm made contact, the ball emitted a bright white light, so intense it nearly blinded the other participants. Then, without warning, the crystal ball shattered into pieces.

A stunned silence filled the room. Seung-ho, his voice smooth and barely above a whisper, spoke without rush, his expression unreadable. "What happened? Is this thing faulty?" He turned to the instructor, who still seemed too shocked to respond.

The proctor, Guo Mei, swallowed dryly, as though her throat had suddenly gone parched. She muttered to herself in disbelief, "He's an S-rank mage… No wonder the Mages recommended him. This kid is truly a prodigy." Steadying herself, she straightened her posture, trying to appear composed.

Still receiving no response from the proctor, Seung-ho moved toward the red crystal, the one that measured mana levels. The instant he touched it, the crystal vibrated violently, spinning at an alarming rate. Then, text appeared on its surface:

[Mana level exceeds measurable limits.]

Gasps rippled through the arena. The candidates were left in awe, unable to fathom what they had just witnessed.

---

At the Director's Office

The director sat in his office, his white shirt sleeves rolled up, a cup of coffee in hand as he watched the ranking assessments on a large monitor. Seeing Seung-ho's test results, he smirked.

"This white-haired kid from the Mages is something else," he mused, sipping his coffee. "But damn… that ball was expensive."

---

Back in the arena, the assessment continued. The proctor finally recovered from her shock and announced in a clear voice, "Seung-ho, you have qualified for the combat trial. You will be assigned to a group once all assessments are complete. You may now leave the arena." She then summoned another crystal into her hand with a flick of her wrist.

Seung-ho, still slightly amused by the situation, turned to Guo Mei. "You were the one who teleported me here. I have no idea where I am. How do you expect me to find my way after leaving the arena?"

Guo Mei sighed, raising her hand. The space around Seung-ho blurred, distorting momentarily before he vanished, teleported back to the main hall.

---

The next candidate stepped forward. Rin clenched his fists tightly, trying to maintain his composure as he approached the assessment station. He placed his hand on the blue crystal, waiting for his skill to be displayed.

A long moment of silence followed. The crystal remained dull. Nothing happened.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, the screen finally displayed a message:

[No active skill found for the user.]

Murmurs of disappointment filled the arena. The other candidates whispered among themselves, unable to believe that someone who had topped the entrance examination could be without an active skill.

"He's… talentless?" one student whispered.

Another scoffed, "He must've just gotten lucky on the entrance test."

But among the whispers, one particular comment reached the ears of Min-Soo, Rin's closest friend.

"The guy is just a weakling," a girl said mockingly. "A burden on the academy. They should've listened to the short guy with glasses in the hall."

The words came from Princess Deokan, her expression smug as she watched Rin's apparent failure.

Min-Soo's expression darkened, his voice firm and commanding as he turned toward her. "Take your words back."

Princess Deokan smirked, clearly enjoying the moment. "Why should I? Isn't your friend weak?"

Min-Soo's jaw clenched, his tone now sharp. "He's not weak just because he doesn't have a skill. He's one of the strongest people I know." His eyes burned with conviction as he recalled their how hard he was training. "And I promise you—one day, you'll regret saying that and I will make you take back your word."

The princess chuckled. "Let me see you try." She turned away, dismissing him with a flick of her hair.

---

Meanwhile, Guo Mei carefully examined the crystal, ensuring it wasn't malfunctioning. After several checks, she sighed.

"Rin," she said gently, "it seems you truly do not have an active skill. Given this, I will need to discuss your situation with the director to determine if you qualify for the combat trial."

Rin swallowed his frustration and nodded. He hated the uncertainty, but he had no choice but to accept it.

The space around him distorted again as he was teleported back to the hall.

As soon as he arrived, his eyes stung with unshed tears. The humiliation of the moment weighed on him, but he refused to let it break him. Crying wouldn't solve anything.

Instead, he drew his sword.

Determined to prove himself, he walked to the courtyard near the hall, unsheathed his blade, and began training. Swing after swing, he pushed himself harder, determined to surpass his limits—even without a skill.

---

Min-Soo sat on a bench in front of the training grounds, watching the arena from a distance. He noticed Rin's relentless training and raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

After observing for a while, he stood up and approached.

As Rin continued swinging his sword, Min-Soo spoke in a calm, casual tone. "Hey. Sorry to interrupt. Just finished my assessment would you be interested in a training partner because I see you are training alone."

Rin halted his swings, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Oh, you can join me I have been expecting you to come out since"

Min-Soo chuckled. "Sorry, it was that princess Deokan which also broke the skill assessment crystal and the academy stated that they didn't have any other crystal available so I had to wait till they brought another one which I also broke"

Realising why Min-Soo was late and his rank Rin congratuled him pumping his hand in his fist as he high fived his friend Min-Soo you really deserved it.

With a sigh, they both left the arena. Finding a nearby bench, he sat down and ran a hand through his hair. "We can train together if you want."

Min-Soo grinned. "Sounds good."

With that, the two walked toward the training courtyard, where Rin would soon face off against the one of the strongest applicants yet.