Rebirth of the Ruined Noble



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<Royal Museum Visit>

I, Lyra Shadowvale, the principal of the Freljord Academy, am thrilled to announce an extraordinary event that awaits us in the coming month. Prepare yourselves, for we have obtained an extraordinary opportunity—an exclusive visit to the illustrious royal museum of the Mauryan Empire. The grandeur and treasures that lie within its walls are unparalleled, and I assure you, this will be an experience of a lifetime.

Professor Loyld Frontera, with his remarkable persuasive skills, has managed to secure our access to this prestigious museum. The officials of the Mauryan Empire have graciously granted us this privilege. However, it pains me to inform you that due to limited capacity, only a hundred students will be able to participate in this extraordinary event.

Now, my dear students, you may wonder how these hundred fortunate souls shall be chosen. Traditionally, we would have selected the top 100 rankers. However, upon careful consideration, I have decided to alter the criteria for participation. I have witnessed your incredible potential, and it has led me to believe that greatness lies within each one of you. Hence, for this month only, the ranking battles shall take place in the first week instead of the last. This change grants all of you an opportunity to strive for the top 100 ranks and claim your place in the royal museum visit.

Obtaining an exclusive pass is imperative to enter the royal museum. Without it, one cannot partake in this remarkable journey through history, art, and culture. Moreover, my dear students, I must share an additional incentive. Among the top hundred participants, one individual will be specially chosen based on their performance and granted a reward from yours truly—a token of recognition for their exceptional dedication.

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I stood, still in awe, reading the notification projected before me while clad in nothing but a towel. The words filled me with both excitement and bewilderment.

The unexpected change in the selection criteria for the royal museum visit event had caught me off guard.

"What? This never happened in my past life," I muttered to myself, standing beside the bed in my dorm.

"The future has changed!!"

The words in the projection filled me with both excitement and bewilderment. In my previous life, such an opportunity never existed. The future had indeed changed, and somehow, my actions had played a part in shaping it.

But this is a good thing!

I was originally planning to beg professor Joshua to talk to professor Loyld and somehow grant me a position in the hundred students that would visit the royal museum, which had a success rate of 0.5%. 

But now, I had a chance to participate in the event without relying on anyone's help.

"Entering the top 100... Not an easy feat," I muttered, fully aware of the challenges that lay ahead. Despite achieving the pseudo 3-star realm, climbing up the ranks would not be a walk in the park. 

Currently sitting at a meager 508th place, I could only challenge opponents with a rank 258 or lower, as an individual is only allowed to challenge someone within a 250 rank difference.

Without a choice, my first opponent has to be someone with 250 ranks higher than me, that is the one who will be ranked, 258, and securing victory against them was vital.

But even triumphing over my initial opponent would only mark the beginning. To solidify my position among the top hundred, I had to overcome someone already within that elite group. 

The hundredth spot posed great peril, for even if I emerged victorious, as a subsequent defeat could easily knock me down the ladder.

Therefore, my goal was clear—I must secure a ranking within the 90s. However, guaranteeing such a position would be far from simple. I was not alone in yearning for this opportunity; countless others, including the research maniacs in Brahman class, would be vying for a spot.

Normally those research maniacs would ignore the ranking stuff, since they are not interested in it but everything changed with the mention of the royal museum.

In my previous life, they had initiated a strike due to their exclusion from the event, but this time, the prospect of the royal museum had changed everything. All those research maniacs will try their best to be ranked within the top 100.

As if this was not enough, the principal has announced a reward for someone in the top 100, who will perform well in the royal museum event.

A shiver ran down my spine as I contemplated the significance of the principal's announcement. Lyra Shadowvale, the enigmatic 9-star Zomancer, held the position of Freljord Academy's principal. Her identity remained shrouded in mystery, known only to the academy instructors and the emperor himself. Few had witnessed her powers firsthand, and even fewer knew her true age and nature. It was said that she stood on equal footing with the emperor, propelling her to become one of the four supreme stars.

Her powers, personality, age and even if she is a human, everything was clouded in mystery.

To the students, the opportunity to meet Principal Shadowvale was nothing short of a dream come true. The chance to establish a connection with one of the four supreme stars was a tantalizing prospect, particularly for the noble-born students who sought influence and connections.

"Things just got uselessly complex," I sighed, realizing the intricate web of aspirations and motivations that would now shape the rankings. 

"The rankings are going to become a mess…"

The order would undoubtedly be disrupted, causing chaos among the lower ranks. The top 25 would likely remain unchanged, but beyond that, a fierce scramble awaited.

"Maybe they will give up if I reveal what is going to happen there…"

The rebel army is going to launch a terrorist attack on the royal museum on the exact day the academy students would be visiting the museum.

Although it was said that Professor Lyold tried his best, seven students of the Freljord academy were killed in the incident, which drew the wrath of principal Lyra Shadowvale.

Lyra Shadowvale, in a fit of rage, had obliterated the rebels' base overnight, leaving no survivors. 

Alas, even if I say that, no one is going to believe me anyway. So it is better to do something about it myself. However all these concerns are useless if I am not selected to go to the event with the academy.

First, I needed to secure my place among the chosen few.

"There are 12 days till the announced date for the next ranking battle."

There were few ways I could try to increase my powers in such a short amount of time.

Following Professor Joshua's training without an absence is currently a good way to increase my stats although it would only be a meager increase, I couldn't complain when I was in need of any boost in power that I could get.

Next, I could try to increase the proficiency of my newly acquired skills, although I don't know what will happen if I increase their proficiency, it would at least make it easier to use them in real battles.

But all these couldn't guarantee my position in the top 100.

At most these could increase my powers by a bit but what I needed was a definite way to get in one hundred ranks.

And I could only think of one way to achieve it.

"I need to learn Aura."

***

A cat was peacefully slumbering on the red-tiled roof of the prestigious academy, basking in the golden rays of the morning sun. Its sleek fur shimmered as the gentle breeze rustled through nearby trees, carrying with it the scent of fresh dew and blooming flowers.

As the cat luxuriated in its tranquil spot, the silence was shattered by an ear-splitting shriek that pierced the air.

"Principalllll!" The sudden outburst echoed throughout the academy grounds, sending birds fluttering from their perches and squirrels scurrying up the trees.

The disturbance came from none other than Professor Iris, who swiftly floated above the cat, her long robes billowing in the wind. Her presence disrupted the peacefulness of Startled awake by the professor's shrill cry, the cat blinked its mesmerizing green eyes and stretched its graceful body. With a dainty paw, it delicately scratched its own face, its tiny pink tongue darting out to lick its palm before continuing to groom itself.

"Why are you screaming like this in the morning, Iris?" the cat inquired, its voice surprisingly articulate and filled with curiosity. It regarded the professor with a hint of amusement, as if aware of the chaos she had caused.

Unfazed by the cat's inquiry, Professor Iris's expression turned grave, and her hands trembled as she reached out to hold the feline tightly. A mixture of worry and urgency filled her eyes as she shook the cat gently, attempting to convey the gravity of the situation.

"What the hell have you done?", she seethed in rage showing a projection to the cat.

"oh....that....I don't know...."

As if sensing the professor's anger, the cat's emerald eyes widened momentarily, a flicker of mischief dancing within them. It made an ill-fated attempt to escape, darting towards the edge of the rooftop, only to be thwarted by the relentless grip of the professor's eldritch powers.

The moment hung heavy in the frosty air, as the realization dawned upon the principle of the Freljord Academy. 

That day the poor cat was shaken to the core till it apologized to Professor Iris.

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