Chapter 477:Won.

Chapter 477: 477:Won.

Silver detected the approaching signatures and raised his handgun.

He activated Spatial Sense.

[Spatial Sense Lv3 Activated.]

The building unfolded around him.

He exhaled.

He couldn’t allow Gareth to reach the control room, not while the final score remained so close.

He activated Short-Step.

[Short-Step Lv3 Activated.]

His figure disappeared, and reappeared on the lower staircase.

Gareth looked up, then grinned.

"Ruddington!"

Silver smiled.

"Holler."

Gareth raised his weapon.

"You’ve been very annoying," he said.

"So I’ve heard."

"Move."

Silver shook his head.

"Can’t."

Gareth laughed.

"Then let’s see how strong you really are!"

He charged.

Silver activated Primal Strength.

[Primal Strength Lv3 Activated.]

[Iron Bones Lv3 Activated.]

The two collided.

Gareth’s weapon struck Silver’s raised sword, the impact shaking the staircase.

Silver gritted his teeth, his muscles tightening as he redirected the force.

Gareth staggered, then immediately attacked again.

He activated Spatial Distortion.

[Spatial Distortion Lv2 Activated.]

The weapon struck the angled barrier and its trajectory shifted. Silver stepped sideways, then activated Space Slash.

[Space Slash Lv3 Activated.]

A thin spatial blade flashed toward Gareth. The large student raised his reinforced weapon before the attack struck. A deep cut appeared along the protective coating.

His eyes widened.

Silver smiled.

"Better?"

He laughed.

"Much!"

Then he swung again just as enthusiastic.

The impact forced Silver backward, his boots scrapinh across the floor.

His energy surged and suddenly... Something inside him tightened.

Silver froze for a fraction of a second. The energy circulating through his body compressed sharply. His Rank Two foundation felt impossibly dense, almost solid.

The system appeared.

[Rank 2 Development Saturation: 100%.]

[Current Development Stage: Peak Rank 2.]

[Rank 3 Breakthrough Threshold Reached.]

Silver’s eyes widened.

He forced the energy to remain stable.

Gareth attacked at that one second blip. Silver raised his sword and their weapons collided.

The staircase shook.

At that second, Ravenna appeared behind Gareth.

"Silver!"

He looked toward her.

She smiled.

"Move!"

He immediately activated Short-Step and disappeared.

Her sword ignited.

[Burning Arc Lv2 Activated.]

A controlled wave of fire swept through the staircase.

Gareth raised his weapon and impact Reinforcement surged. He blocked it but the attack forced him backward.

Caleb followed.

His hammer struck Gareth’s shoulder and the large student staggered.

Silver reappeared beside them, raised his handgun and fired three shots.

Gareth’s protective barrier flashed yellow... orange... then red.

[Participant Eliminated.]

For a moment, nobody moved.

Gareth stared at his identification sensor, then slowly lowered his weapon. There was a short silence before he burst laughter.

"Well."

Caleb exhaled.

"Finally!"

Ravenna lowered her sword.

Silver smiled.

Gareth looked between them.

"Three against one?"

Silver shrugged.

"You were difficult."

Gareth laughed harder.

"I should mark this day."

He stepped aside.

His elimination marker activated, preventing further participation.

Silver looked toward the competition timer. There were six minutes remaining.

Helena’s voice came through.

"Silver! We need you at the western checkpoint!"

Silver froze.

Another emergency.

He looked toward Ravenna who looked back at him and shook her head.

"Don’t."

His eyes widened.

"What?" He asked incredulously.

She smiled.

"Let them handle it."

He hesitated, then looked toward the map. Helena had already assigned reinforcements. Mina was moving towards the location, Elias had a clear firing position and Rowan was reinforcing the checkpoint.

They didn’t need him.

He exhaled before smiling.

"Right."

He activated his communicator.

"Helena, I can’t leave the terminal. Western group will have to hold."

Her response came immediately.

"Understood. Stay there."

He lowered his wrist.

Ravenna smiled.

"See?"

He laughed.

"Apparently I can learn."

She stepped closer, then kissed his cheek quickly.

"I knew you can."

Caleb groaned.

"Seriously? Right now?"

She looked at him.

"Jealous?"

He sighed.

"Very," he admitted.

Silver laughed.

The final minutes passed painfully slowly. Class Six launched one last coordinated assault against the western checkpoint.

Their remaining students attacked from two directions, attempting to overwhelm the defenders before the timer expired.

Mina detected the movement early. Elias eliminated one opponent from his rooftop position. Rowan reinforced the checkpoint’s damaged entrance. Helena raised a barrier across the central approach.

Caleb remained near the command structure with Silver and Ravenna, protecting the terminal against any last-minute infiltration.

Shirley continued patrolling the side passages under Light Refraction. Every student still active had a role since every position mattered.

Silver watched the territory map.

The score difference remained narrow between the two classes and the numbers shifted slightly as checkpoints changed hands before stabilizing.

Class Four remained ahead.

The timer reached one minute.

Silver exhaled.

Ravenna stood beside him, her sword lowered. Her breathing had finally slowed.

She looked toward him.

"Think we’ll win?"

He studied the map, then smiled.

"If Helena holds."

She nodded.

"She will."

Thirty seconds in, the western checkpoint flashed yellow.

Contested.

His expression tightened.

Twenty seconds.

Still contested.

Ten... Nine... Eight.

A warning appeared.

[Western Checkpoint Defense Successful.]

He smiled.

Seven... Six... Five... Four... Three... Two... One.

[Competition Complete.]

[Final Territory Scores Calculating.]

For several seconds, nobody spoke, then the screen changed.

[CLASS FOUR: 1,485 POINTS]

[CLASS SIX: 1,462 POINTS]

[WINNER: CLASS FOUR]

Silver eyes widened.

Twenty-three points, that was all.

Then Caleb roared, his voice echoing in the whole building.

"WE WON!"

Ravenna laughed.

Silver smiled.

Across the communication channel, students began cheering. Mina shouted something incomprehensible. Elias laughed out loud.

Rowan sounded as though he’d collapsed onto the ground. Helena exhaled so loudly that everyone heard it.

Silver looked toward Ravenna who was smiling, a beautiful, exhausted smile. She then stepped forward and threw her arms around him.

He laughed and caught her.

"We won!"

He smiled.

"Apparently."

She briefly kissed him before pulling back. Silver looked toward the territory map with everything they had had the victory had been decided by twenty-three points.

He smiled.

They’d done it, they’d finally learned how to fight together without overlapping each other.

A familiar notification appeared a few minutes later.

[Competition Performance Recorded.]

[Class Four Victory Confirmed.]

[Individual Contribution Analysis Pending.]

[Rank Development Milestone Achieved.]

[Current Rank: Peak Rank 2.]

[Rank 3 Breakthrough Conditions Satisfied.]

[Warning: Breakthrough Has Not Been Initiated.]

Silver smiled and closed the interface.

Ravenna noticed his expression.

"What?"

He looked toward her and his smile widened.

"I have something to tell you."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Good or bad?"

"Very good."

Her eyes brightened.

He leaned closer.

"I’m ready."

She looked at him completely confused.

"For what?"

He smiled.

"Rank Three."

Ger expression slowly changed in a beautiful smile.

"Silver..."

He laughed softly.

"Not yet."

She nodded.

"I know."

He looked toward the enormous competition territory, then toward the distant academy buildings.

His next breakthrough was waiting but for now, he wanted to enjoy the victory. Because Class Four had earned it and so had he.