I WAS The Rank–1 Hero

"Rika, don't overeat," said the silver-haired girl with a sigh, casting a side glance at the blonde currently inhaling her fourth plate of pasta. "We've got training this afternoon."

Rika looked over at her with wide, innocent eyes. "But Emily, I only ate four plates."

"That's exactly why I'm telling you to stop," Emily replied, dabbing cream from her lips with a napkin.

"Oh, come on, Emily!" Rika whined dramatically. "Life is meant to be lived deliciously! What's the point if I can't eat what I want?"

"No means no."

Emily reached out and snatched the fifth plate straight from Rika's hands.

"Uwwwaaa! You're being so mean to little ol' me!" Rika puffed up her cheeks like a child denied candy.

I watched the entire scene unfold while calmly savoring a strawberry pastry.

"Hey," came Anna's voice from my left.

"You picking up Aria's cake obsession or what? That's your seventh slice."

Oh, trust me. I know.

It wasn't like I wanted to eat this much cake. I had no choice. There was a certain ghost living inside me who just wouldn't shut up.

'Try the vanilla one next!' Sera's voice rang excitedly in my head.

Without even thinking, my hand reached out and grabbed the vanilla cake. I forcefully shoved a bite into my mouth.

"Ugh…" Anna narrowed her eyes at me.

"You look like you're about to die. Your face is pale—you okay? You sure does loves cake huh?"

Right now, the four of us—me, Anna, Rika, and Emily were seated in one of open dining areas. With our training session starting in about an hour, we figured grabbing breakfast made sense.

Not that we knew what the training involved. Nova had a habit of keeping these things hush-hush.

Still, with how tight their security had become, I wasn't surprised.

Especially after what happened during the Teleportation Incident.

"So," Rika piped up, eyes bouncing between me and Anna, "I bet we're going to fight some kind of monster."

Rika Lehart—Class 1F, Rank 21. A cheerful commoner who specialized in Earth Essence and fought with a short saber.

Her energy was… infectious, in a dangerous way.

"You might be right," Emily cut in. "I think we will be shipped to an island."

Anna looked up, interested.

"How'd you hear that?"

"I saw some massive ships docked off Mira Beach this morning," Emily replied. "They were marked with Nova's crest."

"That sounds amazing!" Rika nearly bounced in her seat. "I've never even been on a ship before!"

In contrast to Rika's boundless enthusiasm, Emily was composed, well she was a noble-born.

Despite her mid-tier noble rank, Emily was the Rank 5 of the first-year class. Wind Essence user. Customized firearm.

In other words… I was seriously outnumbered. Three girls, zero guys, and a mouth full of cake I didn't even want to eat.

"God help me," I muttered.

'They already did,' Sera teased.

***

After breakfast, our team made our way to the designated training ground.

Along the way, I spotted Julius with his own group. He gave me a brief nod but, surprisingly, didn't ask much about my sudden appearance.

Good. Less explaining, less trouble.

Once we confirmed our team assignments with Professor Monica, we were told to board a massive cruise ship that would take us to the training island.

"Wow~" Rika gasped, eyes shining.

She leaned over the railing like an overexcited child.

"This is huge!"

"Rika, careful," Emily said, grabbing her collar and pulling her back. "You're going to fall over."

Rika only giggled and turned to Anna.

"It's going to take an hour to reach the island, right? We should check out our rooms."

Anna nodded. "Agreed."

I followed quietly behind the three of them through the corridor, hands tucked in my coat pockets.

As we passed other students, I noticed the stares.

More like glares.

Specifically from the male students.

Alright, guys. I get it. You're jealous. But it's not like I asked to be grouped with three girls.

From the looks of it, every other team had an even split, two girls at most. I was the only outlier.

The three girls stopped in front of one of the cabin doors.

Emily pulled out a keycard, swiped it, and the lock clicked open.

Anna and Rika stepped inside casually.

I just stood there at the threshold.

Anna turned around, raising a brow.

"What? You're not coming in?"

"It's not that." I shook my head, my voice calm.

"Then what?" She leaned closer, peeking down the hallway.

Then, as if noticing the obvious, her lips curled into a grin.

"Ohh… I get it. You're embarrassed."

I glanced to the side.

She wasn't wrong. The students passing by were shooting daggers at me with their eyes. The moment I stepped inside, I could already hear their imaginary death threats.

"I'm not embarrassed," I said.

"Really?" Anna tilted her head. "Since when do you care what others think?"

She crossed her arms. "Come on. We need to talk about the training session."

Her words hit harder than I expected.

Since when did I care?

It's not like I had anything to hide. I wasn't the one who arranged this team. And it's not like being around three girls was a crime.

So… why was I hesitating?

The answer came before I could finish the thought.

I was scared of someone.

Not the boys glaring at me. Not my teammates.

Her.

My girlfriend.

She wouldn't be angry.

At most, she'd pout, puff her cheeks, and maybe scold me a little with that slightly exaggerated glare she always used.

The thought made me smile.

And with that, I stepped inside.

The interior of the room was totally unexpected.

A small living area greeted me, furnished neatly.

On the right side stood a large glass table with four black briefcases neatly placed on top.

"This place is cramped," Anna muttered, eyeing the corners.

Emily glanced around the space before giving instructions.

"According to Miss Monica, we're supposed to change into our new uniforms and head to the deck. She'll brief us there about the training session."

"The uniforms must be in those briefcases," Rika added, pointing toward them.

Nova had given us specific instructions not to use our regular uniforms or weapons.

Everything for this week-long training session in Aquadore would be provided.

And from the looks of it, those briefcases held both the uniforms and the new weapons.

I couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity.

From the glances the others exchanged, it was clear they were just as eager to see what was inside.

Without wasting time, we each moved toward our respective briefcases.

Zane Skylark — Class 1A, Rank 190.

My name was printed clearly on one of them.

I tapped the button on the front.

Click—

A wave of Essence rushed out the moment it unlocked, and I couldn't help but gasp.

"Wow."

"What… what are these?" Anna stood beside me, eyes wide.

I reached inside and pulled out the item that immediately caught my attention, a black obsidian katana with a white handle. At first glance, it looked simple—too simple—but the moment I held it, I could feel the power humming beneath the surface.

The blade radiated Water Elemental. Every inch of it, from tip to hilt, vibrated in perfect harmony with the water elemental.

Not just the katana, but every piece of equipment inside the briefcase seemed meticulously crafted.

"This feels weird to hold…" Rika murmured, inspecting her short saber.

"It's beautiful," Emily whispered, genuinely impressed.

Activating my [Elemental View], I took a closer look at the weapon's inner workings.

'Its structure… was still in the experimental stage.'

From what I could gather, this weapon was designed to forcefully allow the wielder to absorb Water Essence—even if they weren't a water-element user.

A grin tugged at the corner of my lips.

Humanity had just reached a new turning point.

I don't know whether to cry or laugh.

Now anyone can use water elemental.