Chapter 37: The Void
Once Leonard and Miranda returned home, they spent the next two days resting.
Even though he had been healed by Bao, the friendly panda, Leonard had still cleared a Grade 1 dungeon almost entirely solo. To be on the safe side, he wanted to ensure his body had fully recovered before moving.
On the morning of the third day after the incident, he turned on the cheap TV and switched to the news channel.
"The unexpected dungeon outbreak in the Upper Sector caused quite the commotion. Fortunately, the efforts of the Dungeon Response Units and the brave awakeners present at the time have kept the casualty rate to a minimum." The reporter announced.
"Additionally, this year’s entrance exam for the academy is about to begin! Who are the rising stars that are most likely to enroll and lead us toward a brighter future? To answer this question, we have invited the expert—"
The power went out, cutting off the broadcast.
Leonard took it as his cue to depart for the academy’s entrance exam.
"Good luck, Young Master... And please be careful." Miranda bid him farewell. Although she was worried, she knew him well enough to believe that he would endure.
In order to prepare, he headed toward the Relic Exchange Agency first. His Dimensional Storage was overflowing with the corpses of the werewolf and the wolves, and it was time to clear up some space.
For that, he called Spencer. Unlike last time, he had to wait only a few minutes before the appraiser made his way over.
The dark circles beneath Spencer’s eyes were a testament to the increased workload he had been under since the dungeon outbreaks.
"Pleasure meeting you again, young man." He gave a greeting nod before starting to examine the loot.
Bringing the whole corpses, rather than just the most valuable parts, earned him their full value.
However, because the highest-level loot belonged to a Level 10 monster, which paled in comparison to the ring he had obtained from the Level 20 vampire last time, the total payout was understandably lower: 6,000 credits.
Nevertheless, Leonard was more than content. Next, he took out the wyvern’s scale and presented it for examination, eager to learn its worth.
Spencer’s eyes immediately widened. He took out the monster’s scale and closely studied it. His silver monocle didn’t miss a single detail.
"Goodness gracious!" He bellowed, utterly stunned. "A wyvern’s scale is a Legendary-ranked crafting item! This is simply extraordinary!"
"Since you are more knowledgeable on the matter, I wish to ask for your professional opinion on what to do with it." Leonard said.
Spencer stroked his exquisite mustache, deep in thought. Then, he handed the scale back to him.
"Keep it for now. Selling it for credits would be a waste." He advised. "Either sell it at the academy for merit points or even better find a blacksmith to craft you a piece of gear."
An appraiser’s job was not simply to look for profit at every opportunity. Experts like Spencer focused on strengthening the awakeners they worked with exclusively. To maximize long-term profit, it was in his best interest for Leonard to become as strong as possible.
Leonard thanked Spencer for the advice and went to spend a portion of his funds next.
Titanic Oath was an incredibly powerful weapon. However, he lacked proper protection. He needed to acquire armor.
In the end, he settled on a leather armor that covered his torso. It was the best he could currently afford and protected his vital organs well enough without limiting his flexibility or movement speed.
[Leather armor]
[Rank: Common]
[Basic leather armor that provides minor resistance to physical damage. Grants +2 Vitality when equipped.]
Fastening the armor onto himself made Leonard feel more reassured.
"I have done everything possible to prepare... It’s time for the academy’s entrance exam."
Eternia City was enormous, but despite its large population, it was like every other city on the planet. It had only a single academy with a limited number of spots.
Enrolling in the academy was an opportunity many awakeners were willing to kill for. That was why the entrance exam was deliberately designed to be grueling, weeding out the unworthy from the very start.
But surprisingly, the requirements to participate in the examination weren’t that strict.
All that was needed was for an awakener to have reached maturity, in other words, eighteen years of age, becoming a full-fledged adult, and pay the entrance fee.
Everyone who met these criteria was eligible to take the exam regardless of age or Bloodline rank, though the older a person was, the higher the fee became, preventing veterans from taking the spots of newcomers.
As a result, the vast majority of participants were below the age of twenty.
Yet in reality things weren’t that fair.
For awakeners like Leonard, who had awakened their Bloodline late, they were at a massive disadvantage against those who had awakened early in their lives.
Early bloomers not only possessed higher-ranked Bloodlines with higher ceilings, but they also had the chance to level up for longer and attain battle experience.
Those born into influential households had often undergone ascension and obtained a class before participating, tilting things in their favor.
It was a well-known scenario: a low-level awakener being pitted against a prodigy with a powerful Bloodline and a level already in the double digits.
Honestly, Leonard would have been screwed had it not been for his Primordial Bloodline.
According to what he had read, the examination was going to be held in the Void.
There were countless entrances to the Gradeless Dungeon, but Leonard headed toward the one specially meant for the test.
Unlike the portals he had seen until now, this one was tens of meters in height, its form crackling with dark energy.
Before entering the place, he went toward the guard to pay the fee.
"Oh? A Common Bloodline wishing to take part without even gaining a class?" With a smirk, the man accepted the fee and let Leonard inside.
The awakeners were forbidden from entering the Void until they were instructed otherwise.
Slowly, more awakeners gathered, and the place became cramped.
Those who came from the Upper Sector were easily distinguished from the rest. They carried an aura of superiority that set them apart.
Leonard spotted Harley, who had also come to take the test. A frown formed on his face when he noticed Martin as well.
He remembered how the man had pushed him toward the death zone and raised his vigilance even more.
Just then he heard a familiar voice call out to him from behind.
"Leonard!" Winston greeted him with a joyful smile.
"Winston! So you are taking the exam as well?" Leonard returned the greeting.
"Yes, I earned ten merit points after helping with a dungeon outbreak a while back and decided it was smartest to give the entrance exam a chance." Winston answered.
He felt immensely grateful that he had found at least one comrade he could rely on.
Leonard felt similarly glad. Their reunion was interrupted when a man popped out of the portal and bellowed.
"The examination shall proceed. Everybody, enter."
The gathered awakeners exchanged glances and eagerly rushed inside.
[You have entered the Gradeless Dungeon, Void.]
When Leonard found himself on the other side, he noted that the surroundings were darker than expected.
Suddenly, some of the awakeners erupted into screams.
"AAAAHHHH!"
"Help me! It hurts!"
A system notification appeared. Leonard’s eyes narrowed as he scanned it.
[Corruption 1%]
Comments