CHAPTER 49: RANK C

Lucian stepped into his room and let the door slide shut behind him. The quiet clicked into place like a weight settling on his shoulders. Everything inside was neat and cold — standard issue: one bed, a desk, a charging panel, and a high-res screen embedded into the wall. Nothing fancy. Nothing personal.

He dropped his duffel bag to the floor and sat down on the edge of the bed. The hum of the vents above was the only sound.

"System," he said under his breath.

There was no flash, no sound cue. Just a screen that quietly bloomed into view before him.

[Welcome, Lucian Black.]

[Status: D Rank (Level 3)]

[Sp: ∞]

[Current Assets: Unrestricted Access]

[Query: ?]

"Is there a way to increase the rank of my teammates?" he asked, his voice low.

[Confirmed. Rank Advancement Modules are available. Core Infusion Type.]

[E → D: 500 Sp / D → C: 2,000 Sp]

[Core Modules can be installed externally or implanted via proximity pulse.]

[Target consent not required.]

Lucian leaned back a bit, staring at the flickering panel.

They weren’t weak — that wasn’t the problem. But he was starting to see the shape of what Zenith Week really was. It wasn’t just duels or challenges. It was exposure. Ranking. Influence. Survival.

And dragging others through with dead weight wasn’t gonna work.

He didn’t think they were dead weight.

But they were still E Rank.

Silas had talent. Reia had awareness. Vyn was a silent killer. Evelyn was a wildcard now. But that was all potential — and potential didn’t win matches. Power did.

"Buy four C Rank Advancement Cores," Lucian said calmly.

[Processing...]

[E → D Rank: Complete.]

[D → C Rank: Complete.]

[Cores available: 4]

[Deploy method?]

"Proximity pulse," he replied. "Set delivery for midnight, inject while asleep. Stealth protocol."

[Confirmed.]

He shut the system down with a flick and exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

This was the real beginning.

Everything before now was training.

This was the stage where names got carved into stone.

He didn’t want to be the only one standing when it was over.

The next morning, Silas was the first to notice something was off.

He rubbed his wrist like it itched. "Anyone else feel... weirdly awake?"

Evelyn stretched. "Yeah... like my body’s humming. I thought it was just adrenaline."

Reia didn’t say a word. But her fingers flexed slightly like something had clicked into place inside her muscles.

Vyn was staring at her hand like she’d just realized it wasn’t the same weight as before.

Lucian was leaning against a pillar, arms crossed.

Silas narrowed his eyes at him. "Okay. What did you do?"

Lucian gave him a slow look. "What makes you think I did anything?"

"Because you’re smug as hell right now and you’re not the smug type."

Evelyn tilted her head. "Did you drug us?"

Lucian scoffed. "No."

"Then what?" Reia finally asked, eyes narrowed.

Lucian shrugged. "I hunt monsters at midnight. Got some things."

"That’s not an answer," Silas said.

"It’s the only one you’re getting."

They stared at him for a beat, then at each other.

Reia tilted her head. "...You’re a weirdo."

Lucian smirked. "And now you’re all stronger."

Silas opened his system and blinked. "Wait. I’m C Rank?"

Evelyn checked hers. Her jaw dropped. "No way... how—?"

"Shhh," Lucian cut in. "We’ve got a tournament to focus on. Don’t get distracted."

The arena buzzed that morning.

Everyone lined up in tight rows as the names for the first team matchups were flicked across the air screens like cards being shuffled.

There was a distinct change in how the others looked at Class Zero.

Something was different.

The vibe had shifted.

People couldn’t put their finger on it, but their eyes lingered longer now.

Something had changed.

Even Eliana Blaze, watching from the upper level, tilted her head slightly at the new stat readings.

"Those four weren’t C Rank yesterday," she murmured.

Koji sipped her drink. "Someone pulled some strings."

Eliana just kept watching the boy with the black coat and sharper-than-average silence.

Back at the prep zone, Evelyn rolled her shoulders.

Her body felt new.

Smoother. Faster. Like her muscles remembered something she hadn’t learned yet.

"Okay," she muttered. "This is insane."

"You’re welcome," Lucian said, walking past.

"Still not saying where you got it from?" she called out.

He threw her a glance. "Midnight raids. Old habit."

Reia stood beside Vyn, her gaze sharp as always.

She didn’t ask anything.

But she looked at Lucian just a second too long.

He didn’t blink.

Inside the dome, the lights dimmed. A single pillar of blue light flared up at the center stage.

The voice of the announcer cracked through the space like lightning.

"Round One. Commence."

Lucian took a breath.

No tension.

No nerves.

This was his rhythm.

His game.

His world.

He wasn’t worried about himself anymore.

He’d made sure they could stand too.

And now the world was gonna see all of them—Class Zero, powered up, sharp, and finally ready.

The deep end wasn’t deep anymore.

It was just water.

And Lucian?

He’d learned to swim in something worse.

The fight in the arena kicked off like a spark catching oil. Two squads clashed in a blur of energy and footwork, ability flashes lighting up the dome in streaks of blue, red, and gold. The crowd leaned forward, every cheer louder than the last. But Evelyn wasn’t watching the show for the spectacle.

She stood near the back, quiet, eyes half-lidded, arms crossed.

Something was wrong.

No—different.

She could feel it in her skin. Like static crawling under her fingertips.

One of the students on the field swung his arm, and a jet of wind blasted out. Evelyn blinked. Just for a second, her body... copied it. Not fully. But the motion was there. The force. The feel.

And then the student leapt—his entire body coated in ice armor.

Evelyn’s breath hitched.

Again.

Her fingers tingled. Her arms flexed.

The ice responded. Not from effort. Not from focus. Just presence.

"What the hell..." she muttered.

Reia glanced her way but said nothing.

Evelyn wasn’t paying attention to the battle anymore. Her attention was internal. She could feel the way her core—her ability—had shifted. This wasn’t how it used to work.

Before, she needed eye contact. Physical touch. Time.

Now?

She just had to be close.

That’s not all, she thought.

The wind user clashed with the ice wielder. Sparks flew. Ice shattered. Wind roared.

Both powers bled into her. And for the first time, Evelyn didn’t just copy them—

She combined them.

A small pulse of energy swirled in her hand. Cold, but fast. Sharp, but fluid. Not wind. Not ice. Something new. Something more.

A jagged stream of frozen air coiled between her fingers like it had been waiting to exist. As if her body had known how to form it long before her mind had.

She closed her hand slowly. It vanished.

"...Lucian," she whispered under her breath.

She turned her head slightly, and there he was—watching the same fight, arms folded, face calm.

Like he knew.

Like he’d planned for this.

Evelyn’s jaw clenched. When did you figure this out?

She didn’t ask aloud.

Instead, she stepped forward a little, letting herself soak in the aura of everyone around her—abilities sparking off like embers, traces of magic, ki, whatever flavor their gifts took.

They were all open to her now.

Merge... she thought, closing her eyes for a second.

A fusion of stone and light formed briefly in her palm. Dense, radiant. Like a star inside a gem.

She opened her eyes again. It faded.

The fight ended.

Cheers erupted.

But Evelyn didn’t move. She just smiled quietly to herself.

It wasn’t about copying anymore.

She was evolving.

And somehow, Lucian had unlocked that in her.

Whether on purpose or by accident—she didn’t care.

All that mattered now was what she could do with it.