Weeks later…The noise about the leaderboard had finally begun to fade. Fewer whispers followed Jiwoo through the halls now—though sometimes he still caught a glance, a half-smile, a quiet whisper of "that's the E-rank brother."

He didn't care much anymore.

His focus was back where it belonged: training.

The morning light cut across the Combat Field, where the first-years gathered for their weekly combat exercise.

Instructor Baek stood at the edge of the field, his expression unusually ...