Chapter 56: Eyes on the Summit
Second Year – Week Three
The morning sun filtered through the tall crystal panels of the Soul Academy's eastern library. Sunlight painted the wide chamber in golden hues as Karen, Jim, Marie, and Leslie sat around a levitating projection disc, its blue light casting outlines of students across the smooth black marble table. Dozens of profile windows flickered to life, each bearing a single name—each a force to be reckoned with.
"The Top 10," Marie said, voice low. "Where the air gets thin."
Leslie flipped her palm over the interface and pulled up the Ranking summary.
"Confirmed. All of them are 10th Spirit Cycle," she said. "Peak 4th-Years. No surprise there."
Jim leaned back, arms folded. "Doesn't matter how strong we think we are… these guys are already climbing toward Soulborne status."
Karen's gaze was locked on the highlighted trio at the top of the list. Each name shimmered with a silver-gold border—indicating Master Class designation.
> #1: Evelyn Ashborne
Daughter of Grand Councilor Damien Ashborne. Specializes in Spatial Severance and Reverse Flow Resonance. Described as the 'Queen of Quiet Execution.'
#2: Aleksei Ivanova
Son of Grand Councilor Silvia Ivanova. Known for Cryo-Domain Mastery and multi-layered Psychic Constructs. Battles are rarely seen—opponents usually surrender.
#3: Silas Cain
Heir of Bryce Cain. A brute-force genius with macro Soul Pressure and a flame-laced Martial Domain. Once collapsed an entire training hall in a duel.
"They swap places a lot," Karen noted. "But none of them stays at number one permanently."
"Which means," Leslie said, eyes narrowing, "they're pushing each other to improve. Which also means… they're still climbing."
Marie exhaled. "We'd be destroyed if we challenged them now. Their Spirit Cycle isn't the only gap—we haven't even stabilized our current levels yet."
Jim chuckled. "We'd be obliterated, Marie."
Karen nodded slowly. "Then we don't aim for the top ten. Not yet."
Jim tilted his head. "What are you thinking?"
Karen's eyes flashed with a steely glint. "We aim for the Top 50 first. Work our way up. Study the competition. Learn how they think. Move quietly."
"Top 50 means we'll start showing up on the radar," Leslie pointed out. "We'll attract duels. Challenges. Some people will hate that newcomers are rising too fast."
Karen met her gaze. "Good. Let them."
---
That afternoon, their group settled into a new pattern: study and observe.
They downloaded sparring footage, dissected battle transcripts, and even mapped the habitual routines of notable Rankers within the top 100. They discovered that Cassandra, now firmly holding position #34, had already turned down two invitation duels—and accepted one challenge. She'd won effortlessly.
"She's holding back," Jim muttered. "She could be top 20 if she tried."
"She doesn't want to be seen as ambitious," Marie added. "Probably staying low so she can pick her battles."
They also started scouting mid-tier Rankers in the #40–#60 range—powerful, but more grounded. They saw recognizable faces, some from their earlier classes and others from the Third-Year ranks.
That night, they gathered in the east dormitory's training annex. Karen summoned her scythe. Leslie formed a kinetic echo field. Marie extended golden threads from her fingertips, and Jim clenched his fists, already radiating charged resonance.
Karen stared at her teammates.
"No reckless leaps. No chasing shadows," she said. "We fight smart, climb together, and keep each other steady."
Leslie cracked her knuckles. "Agreed."
Marie smiled. "Let's make our names known."
Jim grinned. "Top 50's gonna feel us coming."
The light above flickered as the resonance within the room began to rise—steady, determined, and unrelenting.
The climb had begun.
And now, the mountain had a target.