**The Rank Games**

Back on Earth, Art had noticed that every academy novel or game had a specific arc where students would be teleported—usually into a virtual space—to fight without restraint. At the end, the survivors or those with the highest points would be ranked at the top of the student list.

The Rank Games were no exception, and even though "Abyssal Chronicles" wasn't a full novel, it still had that arc.

In their particular arc, all the first-years—including those from the magic course—would be stuffed into an isolated battlefield divided into four districts. Each district had a special zone called the Retirement Zone, and the main objective of the games was for students to gain a point and enter said zone.

To gain a point, one had to eliminate another student, with each student costing one point. Entering the Retirement Zone without a point would count as being rankless, just like ending the games with zero points.

In essence, the game sought to allow students to face real combat scenarios. Those who fought and won would be rewarded, while those who failed not only suffered a crushing defeat but also gained a low rank or became rankless.

As for those who managed to reach the Retirement Zone, they would come across a gatekeeper—usually one of the teachers. As a gatekeeper, they had to test students to see if they could bypass them. This could be done through certain conditions.

For instance, during last year's Rank Games—which Art had observed online—Professor Levi had chosen combat, restraining himself and giving his opponents two options: either defeat him or bypass him using trickery. Many had managed to outmaneuver him, but a few, chasing the bonus of successfully defeating a gatekeeper, failed.

There was also Professor Grim, who gave the condition that any student who managed to gain more than three points could bypass her without any problem.

Frankly speaking, the Rank Games shouldn't have been of much importance to Art, with the exception of Valarie and Trish's duel, which he was sure would happen. So yeah, he was getting ready to sit that one out and prepare his refreshments for said cinematic battle—until he was called to the principal's office one Friday afternoon.

He was nervous and full of anxiety; after all, this was going to be his first official meeting with the Headmistress. He had always seen her on the sidelines but never interacted with her. But that was all about to change as he took a step forward and knocked on her door.

*Knock! Knock!*

"Come in."

The voice on the other side of the door was casual, as if inviting a friend in, which only made Art more anxious.

He knew the principal had been keeping an eye on him through various teachers and cameras around the school, and because of that, he was a bit scared of her.

A single mess-up had gotten Grim to mistrust him a while back, and if that was anything to go by, it wouldn't be wrong to say the principal would also be suspicious of him. After all, he had come out of nowhere and was already making waves in the academy.

*"Man up, Art! You got this."*

Whispering some motivational words to build his confidence, he twisted the doorknob slightly so it wouldn't break from his ever-growing strength. Then, once the door was open, he pushed it back to make a way for himself to enter.

"Welcome."

As the interior of the humble office came into view, he saw a beautiful auburn-haired woman seated at the desk ahead.

Seeing him, she crossed her long, elegant legs adorned in jet-black tight jeans, then—using her hands gripping the edges of the desk as support—leaned forward. Her deep red lips curved into a smile while her dark green eyes sparkled with curiosity, like a child being handed a new toy.

She was beautiful—so beautiful that Art couldn't help but feel his heart pound and his cheeks heat up.

"It's our first time meeting face to face. Why not come closer?"

Leaning back, she gestured for him to come closer, and Art gulped but nodded nonetheless.

His thoughts were undoubtedly impure, causing his face to grow redder by the second, but he had to move forward so he didn't disappoint.

"Come closer. I won't bite."

Originally, he had only taken two steps forward, but the principal, unsatisfied, gestured for him to come even closer. Soon, he found himself subjected to her warm breath as she ran her hands through his cheek.

"Hmm... you're human, all right."

Her eyes glowed momentarily as she added her other hand and began cupping his face.

"You seem older than you look, but you are definitely human. Strange."

For a moment, Art's heart skipped a beat, but he was already so flustered that the principal didn't pay him any attention—just stretching his cheeks playfully with a childlike laugh.

"You definitely are different, but I can't pinpoint how?"

Her eyes gleamed with uncertainty, as if observing a complicated puzzle—one she lacked the understanding to solve.

"...but you're not dangerous!"

Shifting from uncertainty to relief, she let go of Art's cheeks, leaving the flustered young man rubbing the area of contact in pain.

Now somewhat back to his senses, Art tried to mask his emotions, stepping back a bit and placing his hands behind him.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Headmistress?"

She knew he was weird. He knew he was weird. So, continuing the matter would only complicate things—especially since every second he spent with her was crushing.

This was his first time standing before a true powerhouse, someone so strong he felt as if he had the weight of a star on his shoulders. If Villier's presence was akin to an ocean, then the principal's presence was that of something greater... something more horrifying—something so enormous that just describing it would cause him to shiver.

"Of course, why I called you."

Pursing her lips, she clasped both her hands together, her bangs crackling with intense golden lightning.

"I want you to be a Gatekeeper!"

A/N: I still haven't updated the next ten chapters so I would pleased advice you wait till much later in the day or tomorrow to continue.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.