The Ranking Board, System Glitches, and One Step Toward Chaos

The morning sky above Nova Academy was far too sunny for something called a "major announcement." Usually, important news came with clouds, lightning, or at least birds stopping mid-chirp. But today? Clear, warm, and annoying.

I — Deren Arkwright, lowest-ranked student in this entire academy — was lying under the Ether tree in the back garden, on a sacred mission: taking a nap earlier than usual.

It was quiet here. Cool. Far from the over-serious senior cadet patrol routes. The branches above shielded me from the sun, and the grass was soft enough to replace a pillow. I even had instant noodles ready in a vacuum flask. A true luxury, simple-living style.

But, as always, the world had other plans.

"DEREN! YOUR NAME'S ON THE RANKING BOARD!!!"

That voice. Loud. Dramatic. Shaking the sky, the ground, and my nearly peaceful soul. Of course it was Kael.

I opened one eye. Kael stood in the morning sunlight, looking like he'd just discovered I was the lost prince of Core Etherion or something.

"Ranking board? You mean… the exam list?" I asked lazily.

"Yeah! And your name's on the promotion test list!"

I blinked. "I didn't sign up."

"That's what's weird! But you're on there! And get this… you're listed as a Special Observation Candidate! What even is that?!"

I sighed. Not out of panic—just frustration that the breeze was now too loud for an ideal nap. This sunny day was suddenly feeling like solar torture.

The Ranking Structure

Nova Academy uses a standard rank system for cadets. Everyone starts at Rank F. Then they move up to E, D, C, B, A, and eventually S — if they're lucky, crazy, or ridiculously talented.

Rank-ups aren't just about grades or strength. It's a mix of physical performance, teamwork, technical skill, and personality evaluation. Basically: a system designed to reject people like me.

Me? Still F. Not because I'm dumb, but because I've never taken a promotion test. Not once. Not interested. No plans to. I even skip most physical training.

The higher your rank, the more attention, missions, and responsibility you get. And those three things go directly against my life goals: sleep well, live quietly, and eat three good meals a day.

Kael pulled my arm. "Come on! Let's check it out! This is a big deal!"

"Why are you more excited than me?"

"Because if you join, I might get to team up with you! You're a secret genius!"

I shook my head. "Secret, yes. Genius? Not so much."

"Say what you want. We're still going!"

Announcement Board

A crowd of cadets gathered in front of the digital board in the main hall. Whispers started the moment I showed up. The vibe shifted. Like my presence was more shocking than the announcement itself.

And sure enough, there it was:

Deren Arkwright – Rank F – Status: Special Observation

"You know what that means, right?" whispered Ryn, suddenly beside me. Calm voice, but his expression was cautious. His eyes scanned the screen carefully.

"It means I'll be tested harder, watched more closely, and probably assumed to have hidden potential I don't actually have," I replied flatly.

Kael laughed. "See?! You said 'hidden potential'!"

"No, Kael. That was sarcasm."

"But seriously, Der, if you're a Special Observation Candidate, the evaluators are gonna be really focused on you. That's wild."

I didn't respond. My thoughts had shifted to something else — who registered me? Or more importantly… what kind of system could put my name on the list without me knowing?

Message from Clarice

My comm buzzed silently. A message from Clarice popped up. Just one line:

"The academy's old system still uses CoreTrack-V3 kernel. That's your code. Might've flagged your ID automatically. I'll handle it. Don't make a scene."

I stared at the screen.So... it was that old debug script I messed with for fun?

Life's irony.Another reminder to stop "casually fixing" other people's systems.Or at least start labeling my modules: NOT FOR PUBLIC USE.

Tessan & The Briefing

An hour later, I was called to the instructor's office. Tessan was already there, smiling way too politely to not be suspicious. His desk was covered in real paper. Yes. Actual paper.

"You've been selected for the Rank Advancement Exam. We want to see how far you can go."

I stared at him. "I didn't sign up."

"We know. But the database recognized your tech profile. Some of the training field systems showed patterns compatible with your design style. That caught the researchers' attention."

I blinked slowly.

"Wait… are you saying the academy's exam tech… is based on something I made?"

"Similar to, or perhaps inspired by. We'll be investigating further," he said with a smile fit for a motivational poster.

And that's when I knew... things were about to get complicated.

Seeds of a New Mess

As I left the room, questions spun in my head.If their test tech really was based on my design…

...who leaked the blueprint?Even Clarice said it hadn't been approved for anything yet.

I opened my comm and typed:

"Clarice. We need to talk.I think there's been a design leak."

But before she could reply, I glanced toward the garden.

My nap spot was still there. Leaves swaying gently in the breeze.Mocking me.

One hour to go. The exam was coming.

Nap… officially postponed.