The Hunter Academy's system was designed to promote visible talent. The Clan Elders, the Legendary figures who managed the Jade Feather Clan's operations and decided who received the best resources, were completely obsessed with the Illusion of Genius.
My rapid ascent through the F-Rank only confused them. They couldn't ignore my name in the mission logs, but they refused to acknowledge the underlying reason: absolute, computational efficiency.
The Clan Elders—particularly Elder Varen, the head of student assessment—showered their attention and the Clan's best resources on the two "geniuses":
Kael (The Arcane Genius): Favored for his inherent spiritual talent. Elder Varen would grant Kael access to private training chambers and unique C-Rank essence resources, believing Kael would one day ascend to Legendary status as a powerful mage.
Rork (The Kinetic Genius): Favored for his raw, kinetic potential and overwhelming force. Rork was given specialized combat gear and access to sparring sessions with Rank A guards, his path clearly paved for him to become a military asset.
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I, meanwhile, was treated with polite but absolute dismissal. Elder Varen, upon reviewing my profile, would simply sigh and move on. My records showed absurd mission volume and perfect compliance, but my skills were all Rank F.
"Ah, Jackal," Elder Varen murmured one afternoon, reviewing my logs in the presence of Kael and Rork. "Your diligence is commendable. You've completed more pest control than any ten novices combined. A model of hard work, truly."
He then dismissed me with a wave of his hand and turned to Kael. "But diligence is the coin of the common man. Talent is the currency of the Clan. Kael, show me that new Azure Falcon combination you've been working on."
The message was crystal clear and exactly what I wanted: Dax Jackal was talentless. I was categorized as a compliant grunt—a useful but ultimately disposable cog in the vast Clan machine. I was seen as having reached my ceiling: a persistent, hard worker who would eventually settle into a safe, mid-level clerical role, unable to wield true combat power.
This institutional dismissal was the single most valuable layer of my camouflage.
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The Elders' disdain guaranteed that every single resource they withheld, and every secret they kept, would be completely free of my energy signature. They never once thought to analyze the efficiency of my movements or the systemic flaws in their own matrix because my perceived lack of talent meant my success was statistically irrelevant.
While Kael received C-Rank essence for his Falcon, which he would clumsily integrate, risking backlash and weeks of recovery, I was secretly absorbing a thousand F-Rank essence fragments, stabilizing my core, and exponentially increasing my base kinetic density. My internal power climb was far more efficient than their highly publicized, risky surges.
While Rork received custom-made kinetic armor, which immediately showed up on the Clan's financial and tactical audit logs, my only acquisitions were cheap tools and the raw material for my Mana-Sensitive Dust. The Controller's power remained completely untracked and unmonitored.
The favor of the Elders was, paradoxically, the greatest obstacle to my infiltration. Their focus on Kael and Rork was a magnet, drawing all the attention and security resources away from the quiet F-Rank who was secretly preparing to dismantle the entire Ascendant City from within.
My only concern was my inevitable E-Rank promotion. That would force the Elders to finally look closer, signaling the end of the camouflage phase. I had to ensure that when I was finally forced into the spotlight, I had enough hidden power to make my next move decisive.