SSS-Ranked Awakening: I Can Only Summon Mythical Beasts

The great colosseum trembled with anticipation.

From the high stone towers encircling the arena, banners bearing the crests of ElderGlow, Crowgarth, Wyrmere, and Thornevale fluttered against the dusk breeze.

The sun had nearly set, casting a golden-red hue across the sky as the final warmth of the day kissed the stadium’s arches.

Then came the voice.

A loud, commanding voice from a man standing atop a stone platform elevated above the center of the arena—the announcer, robed in silver-trimmed black.

His voice echoed with magical amplification, reverberating through every seat and corner of the massive structure.

“Welcome, students, guardians, honored Deans of the various academies, and respected guests from all around! The long-awaited Inter-Institutional Contest of the Four Great Academies now begins!”

“Woaaaahhh!”

“Yesss!!”

Thunderous applause followed from the upper tiers where non-contestant spectators and academy staff had gathered to observe the games.

Inside the contestant sections, each academy had its own elevated observation platform directly above their respective preparation chambers.

These exclusive balconies were built in sharp, angular tiers—five rows for each year’s representatives, and one upper row for their guardians.

Damon sat in the third-row section alongside Anaya, Daveon, and Celeste, all of them leaning forward as the stage below prepared to host the very first event. Miss Leana sat above them, arms crossed, but her sharp eyes missed nothing.

From the corner of his mouth, Damon murmured, “Pay attention to how this unfolds. The Year Ones are basically our preview.”

Daveon smirked and nodded. “Always easier when someone else walks into the trap first.”

Below them, at the very heart of the colosseum, the Year One representatives of each school stood poised at the four corners of the broad stage. They were young, sharp-eyed, and each wore a clean uniform bearing their academy’s colors.

They had trained hard for this. But they were also nervous.

Sixteen students in total, four from each academy, arranged at exact intervals, facing the circular stage’s center.

The announcer’s voice thundered again.

“This year, as always, the contest will begin with the Year One students. Their efforts, strength, and teamwork shall open the games and set the tone for what’s to come!”

More cheers followed from the spectators seated high above.

The announcer continued, raising a hand as glowing runes formed behind him in the air—clear enough for everyone to read.

“There will be three distinct phases in this year’s evaluation of our Year One students.”

“Phase One: An individual trial. Each student will face the same challenge—a test of combat and courage. Their performance will be recorded, ranked, and compared. At the end, the academy with the most top-ranking Year One students will receive the highest points.”

“Phase Two: A team mission challenge. All four teams will attempt the same mission objective. The team that completes it in the shortest time with the least faults will claim victory.”

“Phase Three: A full team battle. One team against another, then the winners face off. Last team standing claims the final victory.”

Excitement rippled through the stadium. The structure around them began to shift—ancient mechanisms grinding beneath the floor, triggered by powerful enchantments.

The announcer raised his hand. “Now begins the first test.”

Suddenly, from the center of the arena floor, a stone pillar rose with a thunderous shake.

It was a single smooth cylinder about eight feet high, flat on top. At its summit sat a glowing blue orb, pulsing with rhythmic light.

From the left side of the stage, a massive gate slid open, stone scraping against stone.

Raaaaaaar!!

A roar echoed from within.

Emerging with heavy, bone-jarring steps was a Grade Seven mana beast—a creature that looked like a cross between a bear and a lizard.

Thick scales ran down its spine, and its claws dug deep furrows into the arena floor with every step. Its eyes gleamed with red malice.

“Each student will take turns,” the announcer declared. “You will face the beast alone. Defeat it, and retrieve the orb. Failing to retrieve the orb, or falling unconscious, will impact your ranking.”

The announcer stepped back.

The colosseum quieted. The only sound was the heavy breathing of the beast, and the rustling of uniforms as the Year Ones prepared themselves mentally.

The first student was called.

“From ElderGlow Academy… YARIN FELT. Step forward.”

A small murmur passed through the ElderGlow section. Yarin—a slender, silver-haired boy—exhaled and made his way down the steps.

Damon watched him closely.

“Didn’t see much of him during training,” he said.

Anaya nodded. “That’s because we trained at night, hidden from others. Hell, we only saw them once. On the day we were first called upon and selected by the dean.”

The boy reached the center, took a stance, and the arena pulsed to life. The beast snarled.

The fight began.

Yarin darted forward, wielding a twin-dagger style with quick footwork. He moved well, avoiding the initial charge from the beast and slicing at its legs.

Boooom!!

The creature roared and countered, slamming the ground and forcing Yarin to leap back.

But the boy didn’t panic. He waited. Lured the beast into overreaching. And finally, with a clean strike to the neck, brought it down.

Cheers erupted from the ElderGlow students.

He retrieved the orb and left the stage, breathing hard but victorious.

The next student was called.

“From Crowgarth Academy… TERRA LYN.”

The girl walked out confidently, dressed in light armor. Her fighting style was different. She conjured stone projectiles with earth magic and pummeled the beast from afar.

She won as well—but took longer.

Next came Wyrmere’s student—an archer with swift footwork and ice-tipped arrows. A clever strategy, but his attacks bounced off the beast’s scales. He barely retrieved the orb after blinding it temporarily.

Thornevale’s representative used fire affinity, overwhelming the beast early with powerful bursts—but burned too much essence. She retrieved the orb, but staggered out.

Four more students went. Some succeeded cleanly. Others failed.

A few were knocked unconscious and dragged out by academy healers.

By the time the twelfth student was called, Damon leaned forward.

“They’re dropping fast.”

Anaya nodded. “A third won’t make it.”

Celeste added, “That orb test isn’t just a test of power—it’s about control and instinct. That beast punishes hesitation.”

As the final few students were called, the announcer began marking results on the projected rune board overhead.

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A/N: Greetings, dear readers. I apologise for the lack of chapters during recent days. I have been mostly occupied with school activities.

I’m happy to say I’m done now and to make up for this, I’ll mass release for the next three days. Today being the first, I’ll release 4 chapters and subsequently do three each.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!