Chapter 6: Ranks.

Clémentine sighed as she saw Aurora’s interest.

She signaled for her to come over to a corner and, seeing that the others were resting, she murmured. “I think this is a test.”

Aurora raised her eyebrows at that quick response.

Looking at her, Clémentine explained. “We defeated two enemies, but each of them teleported away before we could seriously hurt him, making it seem like this is a game. The enemies we’re dealing with bring batons instead of swords or weapons lethal to students and don’t use their full strength.”

Pausing for a moment, she gave her a look and continued.

“Besides... Do you know who the Headmaster of the Academy is?” Clémentine asked carefully.

Aurora knew.

“Aaron Vincent, a Grand Archmage and... A mage well known for being an SS Rank.” Aurora commented carefully.

The strength of individuals was divided into different ranks, no matter if they were mages, fighters, swordsmen, or psionics.

SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, D, E.

The E-ranks were the lowest, and the SSS were the ones at the top... The director was known to be someone very close to that ‘top’ whose number was very low in the world.

That was one of the reasons why the Hero Academy was highly respected among the public.

“That kind of individual cannot be easily defeated,” Clémentine said with a tone filled with confidence.

Aurora could sense her confidence, but she also noticed a trace of consolation in those words.

“Don’t tell the others, I’m still not sure of my theory, and I don’t want them to let their guard down,” Clémentine said and, tapping Aurora’s shoulder comfortingly, she added. “Don’t worry about Alice; she’ll be fine.”

Aurora was sure that Clémentine was half sure about her theory. That’s why she attacked quickly earlier, not underestimating the enemy.

A normal student couldn’t stop the ‘emergency escape’ of those criminals. That’s why her confidence wasn’t absolute.

“Thank you,” Aurora said, understanding that she revealed her theory not to seek help and get it confirmed, but to comfort her for being divided from Alice.

Clémentine smiled.

“Okay, we need to move,” Clémentine ordered, approaching the group, looked at them carefully, and stated. “We need to find other students to help them and rescue them. The more, the merrier.”

They were simple words, but no one objected.

Numbers were a kind of strength... And they were what they needed right now.

They could hide until help arrived, but... They were heroes!

Not only that, but they had entered the Hero Academy to train as true heroes.

No matter whether they did it for money, reputation, glory, or simply out of their desire to help others... They were to face enemies and overcome them.

Although they were eighteen years old and looks like young women just out of high school, they were quite capable.

Clémentine did not press the group to follow her. She understood that some of them were nervous about this new situation that seemed completely unexpected.

Still taking the lead, she led the group, as they all agreed.

Aurora could notice how Clémentine used her psionic powers to explore the Academy.

Although she could not understand the method and process, she could understand the result.

Mental waves are capable of identifying other people.

The more she followed the group, the more Aurora increased her approval of the students.

Clémentine led and scouted simultaneously, and then, when they encountered an enemy group, she was the most devastating force.

The young fighter was named Nicole, and although she was nervous in battle, her strength intimidated the enemies, which allowed Erica, the ice mage, to prepare and cast her spells.

If the enemies were defeated, they moved on, but if they could defend themselves, Clémentine would enter the fray, achieving a group victory.

Aurora helped, but her help was minimal, and the other three girls, unfortunately, their abilities were not very useful in battle.

One had a skill focused on ‘Mastery’ of firearms, and the other was an archer.

The first did not have a firearm, and the second did not have her bow... Neither had brought weapons, as they feared the Academy would say something.

For her part, Joslyn, the young psionic girl, created barriers whenever they needed to rest in a safe place.

All the while, Aurora watched from the background, analyzing the movements and overall strength of both the group and the ‘enemies.’

Those enemies, Aurora believed to be upper-year students, were B-Rank fighters, mages, or psionics.

Experienced individuals who had superior strength could take on quite a few creatures in dangerous areas and effectively use their skills, spells, or talents.

Those enemies that could easily take down students were now being defeated by groups of students.

Of course, they were limiting themselves in both offense and defense and always patrolled like ‘robots’ in set routes and small groups, basically looking like idiots.

That allowed their group to advance quickly and defeat several enemies.

That, and the person leading, was a B-Rank psionic, just as capable and talented as the higher-level students.

Ranks were determined by the ability of the individuals their strength, experience, and control over their abilities.

It was not so easy to reach B-Rank.

That was the reason why the other members of the group were C-rank.

Considered by society to be ‘superhuman’ because of their control over their abilities, they lacked the practical experience and brute strength that the higher rank experts had.

Still, Aurora could tell that, of their small group, some could be classified as Rank B if they had more practice and experience.

Erica, the ice mage, had a large amount of magical energy, allowing her to cast several spells without exhausting herself. Still, she lacked the magical knowledge and versatility that a mage should have, only casting ‘Ice Spears.’

Nicole was a fighter capable of reinforcing her body with magical energy to overcome her limits, and her techniques were very well performed. However, she lacked the practical experience to face enemies, which made her get carried away by her nervousness, destroying all her effort.

Joslyn, the young psionic girl, could create barriers to help the group both in defense and concealment, but her problem was that she lacked the mental strength that would allow her to launch her barriers more frequently.

That was her biggest problem in achieving becoming B-Rank, also known as the ‘True Experts.’

Aurora didn’t think of them badly; nowadays, very few young people were like Clémentine, who had the ability, experience, and talent to cope with different situations.

That they had minor flaws before formally becoming B-Rank only upon entering the Academy made it clear that they had the potential to become a ‘hero.’

Aurora understood the test better, following the group of young women and watching them fight, helping her in other matters that were not about fighting, such as giving her meals or water that she always carried in her space ring.

It was not only a test of leadership, skill, or practice, but also character.

They had helped other groups, and among them were people who were fearful of the situation, but each of them went out of their way to help.

Those with born leadership like Clémentine would take a few students with them and split up to help more students and not draw the enemy’s attention due to the size of the group.

Those students had people with useful skills or just experience in that kind of situation, allowing them to advance faster and faster.

Even the least of the talent was used effectively.

One psionic user who lacked battle skills created a telepathy network with only the leaders, allowing her to communicate in case of emergency, supported by other psionic students.

Someone with technology-related talent contacted the one who had taken control of the Academy’s cameras, and together they had created a secure section within the Academy’s application, allowing them to organize the ‘resistance’ more skillfully.

They had a primary and secondary network to confirm the situation at the Academy.

Aurora had to admit that she had greatly underestimated the students.

Her five years in the ‘no man’s lands’ had disconnected her from the lower rungs of society, focusing her on the upper echelons in which she was interested.

Of course, Aurora was referring to talent.

She still believed that people could change, and all that talent could be wasted.

They could become prominent heroes... Or villains.

—You shouldn’t be so negative.

Aurora didn’t respond to her system’s words.

She had seen many ‘heroes’ get carried away by their power, money, or fame... Some of them for Aurora could be accepted if they didn’t go overboard with their actions, since, after all, some of them like money and fame.

But Aurora had known many heroes who were swallowed by their power to the point that they believed themselves superior to others, being swallowed by their money to the point that they didn’t care about the lives of others, or being devoured by their fame, becoming arrogant individuals whose ‘truths’ they believed were the ‘only one’.

Their system did not respond to the evidence of their superficial thoughts.