Chapter 123: Reaching B-Rank

Aster continued cooking while Shani was about to close her eyes for a quick rest, when a notification pinged in her ears.

[Host, the restructuring of your energy pool is complete!]

Despite feeling elated, Shani was far too exhausted to even open her eyes.

’Eight hundred energy took thirty-two days, so the restructuring expands the pool capacity by twenty-five energy per day?’ Shani analyzed mentally.

’But the restructuring duration depends on the energy pool’s durability. System, what about Aster?’ Shani felt a pang of concern.

She knew her own energy pool had exceptionally high durability. Now that Aster was officially a Cashback Target, she hoped the System could check his condition as well.

[Host, Target Aster Myrazel’s restructuring progress is 15 energy/day. As of now, his energy pool is in good condition.]

Shani let out a quiet sigh of relief. Although the gap in their restructuring speed was fairly wide, at least she hadn’t given him an excessive dose of potions the first time around.

’Last week I gave Aster potions totaling 800 energy, which means it will take him... 53 or 54 days? Almost two whole months?!’

Shani had only needed thirty-two days. The larger the total energy, the wider that gap would become.

Then she realized something. Her expression turned sour.

’System! When I asked about my own restructuring duration, you ignored me. But when I ask about Aster, you answer right away. What’s with the favoritism?!’

Shani felt a surge of petty irritation, venting over all the times the System had played mute despite her practically screaming for an answer.

True to form, the System ignored her once again.

Shani could only tut inwardly before shifting her focus to calculating how many potions she wanted to buy next.

’System, I want to buy 5 Rare-Grade Energy Potions!’

[Cashback Shop Activated! Purchase successful: 5x Rare-Grade Energy Potion for 12,500 Credits. Remaining Cashback Balance: 2,009,100 Credits.]

Shani could never hold back a grin whenever she saw that two million Credits sitting comfortably in her balance.

She pushed herself up from the sofa, walked over to grab a glass, and filled it a quarter of the way with water to pretend she was just thirsty, making casual conversation with Aster as she did so.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

"Just waiting for the soup to boil, about ten more minutes. You just rest," Aster replied, giving her the exact answer she had been hoping for.

Without pushing the pleasantries any further, Shani unabashedly strode toward her room. "I’ll take a quick nap, then."

Behind her, Aster gave an understanding nod, sending an indulgent smile her way.

Inside her room, Shani retrieved five small vials from the system inventory, containing a combined total of 1,500 energy.

She downed the water in her glass, then emptied the contents of all five vials into it.

She could have easily chugged them straight from the vials one by one, but because she wanted to gulp them down all at once, she gave herself extra work.

As usual, there were no adverse side effects. Still, her total beast energy now sat at 2,970. She had officially broken into B-Rank!

’If measured at the academy, with my beast essence added in, my total current reaches 3,081. Does that make me an A-Rank? A-Rank?! A-RANK!’

Shani squealed in her head before letting out a silly giggle.

"The other students will think I’m on the same level as Ella and Garth Herrman, even though I’m still just B-Rank. They’ve been totally fooled."

What Shani failed to realize was that she was only thirty energy points away from actually reaching A-Rank, placing her firmly at the apex of upper B-Rank.

Among all the B-Rank students, there was likely no one higher than her.

...

The next day was the day of the club entrance test.

Shani had stayed overnight at the apartment since her resonance session hadn’t wrapped up until midnight. She returned to the academy at six in the morning.

The trials themselves wouldn’t begin until eight, but Shani still needed to train and take care of Reddy.

As for Nyx, she had already left the little panther in Jeryon’s care. Beyond saving herself some hassle, it was also meant to deepen the bond between father and baby beast.

This Sunday morning, the cafeteria and nearly the entire fourth floor of the Panther Building were bustling, unlike a typical quiet Sunday.

The crowd consisted of first-years preparing for their club test and second-years eagerly waiting to watch the underclassmen’s performances.

Test schedules varied depending on the individual club.

Kiran and Sonny hadn’t even returned to the academy yet, as their club trials weren’t scheduled until later in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Jeryon and Eric had already left early to set up for their trial performances.

Shani headed to the Tiger Building accompanied only by Noella and Garth. Yes, Garth Herrman. As it turned out, Garth had also signed up for the Sword Club alongside Noella.

Shani couldn’t help stealing a few glances at Garth. ’With a massive frame like that, he seems much better suited for a combat club that relies on brute force.’

Just then, Shani caught Garth sneaking glances of his own. Not at Shani, of course, but at Noella’s serene face.

Shani nearly choked. She had already suspected as much, but witnessing it firsthand still gave her goosebumps.

’I mean, if anyone were looking for the perfect match for Noella, Garth might just be the answer,’ Shani thought, trying to process the sight.

Still, whether in her past life or her current one, romance remained an utterly foreign concept to someone as inexperienced as Shani.

Upon reaching the second floor of the Tiger Building, Shani parted ways with the two of them and headed off to locate the Shooting Club room.

As she stepped inside, every eye in the room fell on her. Their gazes were a mixed bag, some hostile, some admiring, some curious, and others indifferent.

The faces of her fellow first-years were familiar to Shani, whether she actually knew them or not, they crossed paths regularly in their compulsory classes. Yet none of them had ever spoken to her before.

Without lingering, Shani quietly took a seat on an empty couch.

The club’s facilities could hardly be called a simple room, as the interior was divided into several distinct chambers.

The area where Shani and the other freshmen waited was a lounge furnished with sofas and low coffee tables. Mounted on the walls were display racks showcasing various handguns locked inside transparent cases.

Even from the reception lounge alone, Shani could tell the club intended to intimidate its visitors.

’Other clubs might display member photos or trophies and awards in their reception area. Looks like this club is run by tough-minded folks.’

Whatever their intentions, none of the dozen or so freshmen in the room dared to speak up, exchanging only nervous glances with one another.

Shani felt a tinge of nervousness as well. Though she felt thoroughly prepared, she refused to take the test lightly.

Ten minutes later, right on the dot at nine o’clock, several upperclassmen emerged from the back room.

"My, you’re all so diligent, arriving right on time," one upperclassman greeted them pleasantly.

The freshmen collectively exchanged looks, trying to figure out if the upperclassman’s words were genuine or sarcastic.

The club members didn’t leave the clueless first-years guessing for long, guiding them into a surprisingly spacious room in the back.

Inside were rows of desks and chairs spaced out like an examination hall.

"Your first trial is a written exam, a theory test," an upperclassman announced, confirming what the freshmen were already suspecting.

Shani walked over to an empty seat with a sense of relief. Written tests weren’t something she feared.

She was about to tune out the surrounding students when the boy seated to her right suddenly spoke up. "Good luck, Shani!" Holding up a small fist beside his face, he gave her a bright, encouraging nod.

Shani recognized him as one of Sonny’s friends from Class 2, technically her classmate now as well, though they had never interacted before today.

Shani gave an awkward nod, slightly startled by the sudden cheer.

Any remaining awkwardness vanished the moment the exam began. Holographic questions floated before the class, and the students keyed in their answers on panels built directly into their desks.

Most questions covered basic handgun classifications and internal components. For Shani, who habitually went above and beyond in her studies, the test proved far from difficult.

Since it was a multiple-choice format, the test wrapped up in just half an hour.

Each student received their personal score on their screen right away, but the system had not yet compiled the overall rankings.

"Only ten students will pass this first test to move on to the next," an upperclassman declared, sparking an uproar among the first-years.

It felt painfully unfair to be eliminated before they even got a chance to fire a single shot. Unfortunately, no matter how loudly they complained, rules were rules.

"Quiet down, everyone! I will now read the names of those advancing to the next trial."

...