The SSS-Rank System: From Outcast To Overlord
Chapter 25: So Close, So Tired.

Chapter 25: So Close, So Tired.

Ace was appalled.

And it was evident by the way he walked into Reyy’s class, slamming a palm and a cellphone against his desk.

"Explain why you’re saying nothing about this!" He gritted his teeth at the King.

Reyy’s reply was a carefree look, he glanced at the cellphone, his brain recapturing the very final stance of Elvis before he was defeated.

"It’s none of my business." Reyy admitted. "It’s the hierarchy, a tussle for power. And he was fairly taken out of his position."

"You cold blooded bastard!" Ren grabbed his collar. "What if he was? He still is your family."

"So what? Elvis took responsibility to fend him for himself when he assumed the position of Jack." Reyy explained. "My eyes are blinded to whatever he does in this school, as long as it doesn’t compromise the policies."

"Whatever you say!" Ren threw him off and turned to leave. "I’m gonna find out who did this and make him regret it."

"Michael Alastair."

Ren turned, issuing a questioning look at him. "What did you say?"

"No doubt, you always let your anger overshadow the obvious." Reyy sighed and nodded dissaprovingly.

"I thought you showed him his place?" Ren stormed towards the King.

"Except that... He’s way out of that league now. He’s after me now because I didn’t let him have his easy way to becoming king." Reyy smirked. "My guess? He’s starting a one man Coup’ Academia."

A coup’ Academia? That was a popular term that meant to take over power in a school through force and coercion. It was a scheme usually ran within a small group of oppressed students, and it was done in secrecy.

But Michael? How did he intend to pull that off alone?

"I won’t let him." Ren clenched his fists, and a spark could have been heard from a mile away.

"Who knows?" Reyy shrugged. "We can always let him have his fun, after all I was starting to get bored of the less-confident students here."

"I won’t let him become Ace." Ren’s voice was now guttural.

"Alright then... Suit yourself." Reyy sighed and picked up a magazine from the desk. "But you can as well try, if he was able to best Elvis, then he is now way stronger than before."

"Don’t underestimate me Reyy." Ren growled, his lips curling up with a smirk. "In the first place, Elvis strength was never even close to mine."

With that, he stormed off.

* * *

Michael was expecting it all.

The tension that mystery seeped along the blood of every curious student. The incessant gossips and rumors that was only now a normality. The expectation that someone who knew about him was about to storm through his class door and angrily grab his collar.

The latter would be quite delighting.

"So, someone seriously did beat Jack?" A student said after a class period.

"Yeah! The video is all over the school community." Another said, her attention all issued into her cellphone.

"Guys, have you seen the Top.1 headline? It says, "Wisteria’s New Jack.""

Michael wanted to smile at that last statement. The idea of him possessing a powerful title as the Jack sounded quite satisfying.

But that wasn’t his goal. Infact, he had drifted so much apart from the hierarchical goal, the system had offered him a better promise.

A type of domain expansion power, something he could finally use to exercise his SSS Rank ability. It was only a matter of time, his single stone was bound to hit a couple of birds.

"Uh...I’m not sure why you’re smirking, but it makes me think you had something to do with all these." Lucian interrupted his thoughts, making him grab mental purchase to notice he had been smirking in his soliloquy.

"I don’t know what you’re talking about." Michael said, but the expression in his eyes didn’t allign with his denial.

"So it was you huh? Of course, you used my telekinesis." Lucian eyes widened in fear on realization. "It’s only a matter of time before i become a prime suspect."

"Relax, you’re not the only telekinetic in this school. Anyone could have made that attack." Michael sighed in exasperation.

"Yeah, but I know it’s you Michael!" Lucian argued. "Ever since your fight with Steven, you’ve... Changed."

Michael rolled his eyes. "It’s not like you knew me before then."

"I know what I’m saying. I can see aura you know?" Lucian challenged. "The aura you had back then on the ring was way stronger than what I saw when Steven beat you up the other day. And what’s funny is that it gets stronger each day, like some multiplying disaster.

What happened to you after that evening on the street Michael? Why did you try to defeat King? What are you not telling me?"

Michael’s pen dropped, irritated by Lucian’s last statement. I mean, why did he care so much? They had only barely known each other a few weeks, and he was persistently asking questions, reminding him of the mom he never had.

Michael sighed again, this time in surrender. He looked around in suspicion, trying to make sure there was no one listening.

"Okay, you can’t tell anyone about this but..." Michael paused. "I reawakened with a pushover system."

"A System? What’s that?" Lucian’s expression was void of an idea.

How in the world had he not heard of a system? Not to talk of reading about them.

"It’s a new world anomaly I thought only existed in fantasies, it’s kind of a–" He wanted to say another word but someone intercepted their conversation.

"It’s shocking how you still have the guts to be here after what you did." Ren stood straight up before his desk, shooting an imminent scowl at Michael.

"It’s Ace."

"Why is he here?"

"To what do I deserve this noble visit from the Ace himself?" Michael teased with a smirk, but Reyy did not hesitate. He grabbed Michael by his collar, snarling anger into his eyes. A lightning spark rattled across his eyes, and he raised his fist, slamming a punch across Michael’s face.

Crashing into a few desk, Michael crumpled down to the ground.

"I should’ve known from the moment you challenged king. You’re a false ranker, aren’t you?"

False rankers; short for the strong people acting weak. As far as Michael knew it, he wasn’t yet overpowered, and there had not been an incident where he had acted weak and got beaten on his own willing.

Remind me?

"I wish." Michael chuckled, wiping off his cheek. "What about you? Was that your real strength just now or was that you holding back?"

Ren snarled. His hands now charged with a surge of lightning, his anger was freshly renewed, and what emboldened the appalled look in his eyes was an intention of death.

"Fine, I did not plan to make you play for long anyways." The Ace was about to fire at him when Lucian slid in between them, his hands spread wide open as if to defend Michael.

"You can’t... School violence was... Abolished!" Lucian yelled in panic.

"So? I made that rule." Ren scowled him.

"Well..." Lucian was looking around his head for a new plan. "If you want to beat him so bad, then you’d have to go through me."

The Ace’s reply was a questioning look, but his resolve seemed to have replaced almost immediately. "Alright then, gladly."

Ren raised his hands towards Lucian, but it was caught again in the another’s grip.

"You’ve done enough." Reyy’s calm voice echoed throughout the class.

"Reyy?" Ren’s eyes widened in both anger and surprise. "Why are you interfering."

"You’re right, I shouldn’t. But you have broken school rules." Reyy pointed out, gesturing a nod towards Michael whose cheek still showed evidence of his punch.

"So? It’s not like you did anything while Elvis got beaten!" Ren barked.

"Are you using that as an excuse to make your own stains?"

"I’m only doing what you refused to do, making corrections!"

"You want to make corrections so bad? Then you have to challenge my authority for it." Reyy turned, leaving everyone else startled. "I’ll see you in the arena Ren."

With that, he left.

"King is challenging Ace?" A student gasped.

"What the hell is happening?"

Not that Michael needed the answers, for this was an opportunity.

His opportunity.

* * *

NAME: REN ROBERT

TALENT: ELEMENTAL (LIGHTNING)

RANK: A

STRENGTH: 205 SPEED: 200 STAMINA: 150 SKILL: 298