"Aiko, tell me what happened while I was gone. Anything important I need to know about?"
Damian asked his Admin AI assistant as he approached the Academy's main entrance, still covered in dried blood and dirt from his forest training.
"While you were absent from campus, Micheal Thorne officially sent you a ranking challenge request through the proper channels."
Aiko's mature female voice resonated from his watch, calm and professional.
"However, since you failed to respond within the mandatory one-week period, he was automatically promoted to first rank by default. You have been demoted to second rank."
"..."
Damian's expression went completely cold. His jaw tightened, but he said nothing for several long seconds.
Then he asked in a carefully controlled voice, "How long was I training in that forest?"
"Approximately two months total."
'Seriously? That long? Felt like maybe three weeks at most…'
