Chapter 48: Ranking

Ben continued watching the large screen.

The words [Overall Examination Results: Calculating] remained displayed for several more minutes.

Around him, the candidates waited anxiously. Some were discussing their performances, while others were trying to estimate their final scores.

The examination hall was not only filled with candidates. Many parents, guardians, and representatives from different families had also gathered in the observation area. They had come to watch the examination and support the young people they hoped to see admitted to Jupiter Academy.

For many of them, the final ranking was just as important as the admission itself.

After all, a high position could bring additional resources, better treatment, and opportunities that ordinary students might not receive.

Suddenly, the large screen flickered.

The previous message disappeared.

[Overall Examination Results]

[Final Ranking: 1 - 100]

A list of names began appearing on the screen.

The hall immediately became quiet.

Everyone looked up.

The first name appeared.

[Rank 1: Adrian Valcrest]

[Overall Score: 96.8]

A wave of discussion spread through the observation area.

"Adrian Valcrest? As expected!"

"He’s from the Valcrest Family, isn’t he?"

"I heard he reached the Silver Realm several months ago and is nearing the golden Realm. His combat ability is incredible."

"His family must be pleased."

The screen continued displaying the rankings.

[Rank 2: Serena Frost]

[Overall Score: 95.4]

[Rank 3: Kael Draven]

[Overall Score: 94.9]

[Rank 4: Evelyn Ashford]

[Overall Score: 93.7]

The candidates watched as more names appeared.

Most of the top-ranked participants belonged to well-known families. Some had already attracted attention during the examination, while others had kept their abilities hidden until the final test.

Then the fifth position appeared.

[Rank 5: Ben Parker]

[Overall Score: 92.6]

Ben stared at the screen.

"Fifth?"

He looked slightly confused.

He had expected to receive a good ranking after completing all five examinations, especially after activating the Central Beacon. However, he had not expected to place at just five.

He had deliberately concealed his White Ruination and avoided using his full strength during the tests.

Still, he did better than others so why is he only Ranked Fifth.

Maya looked at the screen and smiled.

"That’s amazing! You’re in the top five!"

Amanda, however, seemed less surprised.

She glanced at Ben.

"Fifth place, huh?"

Ben turned toward her.

"Why is my Ranking only 5th, I clearly saw myself completing all tests faster and better than others. So why?"

Amanda chuckled.

"It’s not only here the test was being conducted. The admission examination is being conducted across several regions. What you’re seeing is the final ranking calculated from all the examination sites."

Ben looked at her.

"So there are other candidates who performed better?"

"Of course. Jupiter Academy has several examination sites across the planet. The candidates from every region are evaluated together, and this is the final ranking."

Ben looked back at the screen.

He had thought the ranking only included the participants who had taken the examination at this location.

That explained why he had not recognized some of the names.

Amanda continued.

"Still, fifth place is an excellent result. Almost all the candidates in the top thirty usually come from powerful noble families. They have access to better resources, experienced instructors, and family techniques from a young age."

She paused and looked at Ben.

"This is actually the first time in several years that someone without the backing of a major family has entered the top five."

Ben raised an eyebrow.

"Is that supposed to be a good thing?"

Amanda chuckled again.

"Well, congratulations. You’ve managed to attract the attention of quite a few people."

For some reason, her smile gave Ben an uncomfortable feeling.

He looked toward the observation area.

Several people were already looking in his direction.

Some seemed curious, while others were whispering among themselves. A few were even using communication devices, presumably informing their families about the results.

Ben could not help but feel that something was wrong.

Maya seemed to understand his expression.

"What she means is that things might become difficult for you from now on."

Ben looked at her.

"Why?"

Maya gave him a helpless smile.

"Because many noble families won’t be happy about your ranking. Some of their children expected to enter the top five, but you took one of those positions."

She glanced toward the observation area.

"And since you don’t have a powerful family backing you, they might think you’re an easy target."

Ben looked at the screen again.

He had simply participated in an entrance examination and earned a good ranking.

He had not expected it to cause so much trouble.

Amanda folded her arms.

"Don’t worry too much. They can’t openly cause trouble for you inside Jupiter Academy. The academy has strict rules, and even the most influential families cannot ignore them."

She paused.

"However, outside the academy, things might be different. You should be careful about whom you trust."

Ben nodded.

He understood what she meant.

He had already decided to keep his White Ruination hidden. There was no reason to attract unnecessary attention before he had enough strength to protect himself.

The ranking continued to update.

[Rank 6: Marcus Veyron]

[Overall Score: 92.1]

[Rank 7: Liana Frost]

[Overall Score: 91.8]

[Rank 8: Darius Blackthorn]

[Overall Score: 91.2]

More names appeared until the entire list was displayed.

Ben glanced through the rankings.

He recognized a few candidates from the examination hall, but most of the names belonged to people he had never met.

Then he noticed Daniel’s name.

[Rank 43: Daniel Reed]

[Overall Score: 78.5]

Ben smiled faintly.

Daniel had managed to secure a position within the top fifty.

Considering his injury during the Survival Trial, it was a respectable result.

Maya noticed where he was looking.

"Do you know him?"

"I met him during the Survival Trial. He was trapped beneath a fallen tree, so I helped him escape."

"That’s nice of you."

Ben shrugged.

"It wasn’t anything special."

Amanda looked toward the screen.

"Regardless, you should remember that your ranking is only the beginning. Once you enter the academy, your actual progress will depend on your own efforts."

Ben nodded.

He was already thinking about what he would do after admission.

Jupiter Academy had access to countless cultivation resources, techniques, and training facilities. It was exactly the kind of place he needed.

The instructor stepped forward.

"Congratulations to everyone who passed the entrance examination. The candidates ranked within the top one hundred have secured admission to Jupiter Academy."

The candidates who had made the list began celebrating.

Some hugged their family members, while others immediately contacted people who were waiting for news.

The instructor raised his hand again.

"Those ranked within the top thirty will receive additional admission benefits. The top ten will also receive special rewards according to their final positions."

Ben’s attention returned to the instructor.

Special rewards?

That sounded interesting.

The instructor continued.

"The first-place candidate will receive a Legendary-rank Sword Art, along with additional cultivation resources. The remaining candidates in the top ten will also receive rewards based on their rankings."

Ben glanced at Amanda.

"Does that mean fifth place comes with a reward?"

"Of course," Amanda replied. "The academy won’t announce the rankings without providing the corresponding benefits."

Ben nodded.

He was looking forward to seeing what he would receive.

However, before the instructor could continue, several people in the observation area began moving toward the candidates.

Some approached the top-ranked participants with congratulations, while others were accompanied by representatives from powerful families.

Ben noticed a few people looking in his direction.

One of them was a middle-aged man wearing an expensive dark suit. He spoke briefly with another person before walking toward Ben.

Maya noticed him as well.

"Looks like someone is already interested in you."

Ben looked at the approaching man.

"Should I know him?"

Amanda shook her head.

"Probably not. But be polite. You don’t know what he wants yet."

The man stopped a short distance away.

His gaze moved from Amanda to Maya before settling on Ben.

"Are you Ben Parker?"

"Yes."

The man smiled.

"Congratulations on securing fifth place in the Jupiter Academy entrance examination. That is an impressive achievement, especially for someone so young."

"Thank you."

The man nodded.

"My name is Raymond. I represent the Silvercrest Family. Our family has a few young members joining the academy this year, and we are always interested in meeting talented individuals."

Ben listened without interrupting.

Raymond continued.

"If you are interested, perhaps we could arrange a meeting sometime. The Silvercrest Family is willing to offer support to promising young talents."

Ben understood what he was suggesting.

It was an invitation to associate himself with their family.

Before he could respond, Amanda spoke.

"Thank you for the offer, but Ben hasn’t even completed his admission process yet. He should have some time to settle into the academy before making such decisions."

Raymond looked at her.

"Of course. I didn’t intend to rush him."

He turned back toward Ben.

"Consider it an open invitation. I hope we can speak again."

With that, he handed Ben a small communication card before leaving.

Ben looked at the card.

Maya leaned closer.

"See? You’ve already attracted attention."

Ben looked at Amanda.

"Is this what you meant earlier?"

Amanda smiled.

"Just a small example."

Ben sighed.

He had only wanted to enter Jupiter Academy, gain access to its resources, and continue improving his cultivation.

It seemed that earning a high ranking had made things more complicated than he expected.

He put the communication card away.

’Well, I can deal with that later.’

For now, he was more interested in the rewards.

The instructor’s voice echoed through the hall again.

"Candidates ranked within the top ten, please remain here. The academy representatives will distribute your rewards shortly. The remaining successful candidates may proceed to the registration area to complete their admission."

Ben looked toward the front.

The reward ceremony was about to begin.