Chapter 7: Golden Hour
The next morning, a sharp knock came from the door.
When Leonard opened it, he saw a man in his seventies with graying hair, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. One look made it clear this was a butler accustomed to serving the elite.
"Mister Leonard, I assume? I have come to deliver this." The butler handed him a white envelope sealed with golden wax.
Raising an eyebrow, Leonard read the contents.
It was an invitation to Gideon’s funeral, scheduled to take place three days from now in the Upper Sector of Eternia City.
"I have been invited to the funeral? Much less in the Upper Sector?" He asked with skepticism.
"Yes, all heirs are." The butler replied in a professional tone. "Although the end of the king’s life was... regrettable, we have chosen to overlook his severe crimes and instead remember him as the hero he was for most of his life. It would not be right if you, Mister Leonard, were excluded from the event merely because of your Common Bloodline."
Leonard nodded in understanding, though not fully convinced. He also didn’t miss that the butler knew about his officially awakened bloodline. By now, Headmistress Jennifer must have formally reported the results and had them recorded in his awakener’s profile.
Of course, he still suspected that Daniel had played a role regarding the assassin, considering that the timing had been too perfectly aligned.
"Farewell, Mister Leonard." The butler offered a small bow before he departed.
After the man left, Leonard glanced at the notification he had received on his phone.
"Reminder: the payment of this month’s rent is due in two days. Failure to pay the agreed amount will result in immediate eviction from the apartment. Additionally, we also wish to inform you that starting next month, the cost will be increased by 50%." He groaned, reading the message out loud.
Leonard glanced toward the kitchen, where Miranda was busy making breakfast.
"They raised the rent by 50%." He announced grimly.
Miranda’s head popped out.
"Again?"
She let out a bitter sigh. "So much for affordable housing. At this point, it feels like they’re trying to kick us out in the wasteland by pricing us out."
Leonard could only agree with her assessment. More and more people were becoming unable to afford living in the Middle Sector and were dropping into the Lower Sector, causing housing prices to soar.
However, Leonard refused to despair over his nearly empty bank account. With his Primordial Bloodline awakened, he set his sights on raiding a special dungeon meant for those who had yet to ascend.
Dungeons scattered across the planet provided opportunities for awakeners to level up, earn a living, and claim extraordinary rewards by fulfilling certain conditions. The most difficult of which was to seal the dungeon itself.
In Leonard’s case, the dungeon he had found was considered a novice dungeon. Officially named "Haunted Catacombs," it was classified as Grade 1, which physically repelled anyone above Level 10, preventing them from entering.
By selling the remains of the monsters he defeated there, he could cover their lack of funds, gain the necessary experience to level up, and familiarize himself with battle simultaneously.
After enjoying a delicious breakfast, he was about to leave... But not before Miranda offered a piece of advice.
"Promise me you won’t challenge the dungeon alone. Find at least one reliable teammate. Otherwise, you could be overwhelmed by the monsters. Even if they’re low-level, they can spawn endlessly, and inside a dungeon, help rarely arrives in time."
Miranda wanted to accompany him despite the consequences her mana oversensitivity would bring. Unfortunately, her level was well above the dungeon’s maximum threshold, making her ineligible to enter.
"I promise." Leonard said, easing her worries.
After stepping outside, he bought a new two-headed axe, the same model as his previous one with the last of his money, and headed for the dungeon.
The place was packed with hundreds of awakeners, all eagerly waiting. Most dungeons had a Golden Hour, a period that triggered an accelerated spawning of rare monsters and significantly increased the potential rewards.
Other than the improved rewards, it also served as the perfect opportunity for solo awakeners to form teams before venturing into the dungeon.
"Now it’s a matter of finding someone willing to team up with me." Leonard exclaimed. With his Level 1 and recorded Common Bloodline, he would barely register on anyone’s radar.
Everybody had a public record that displayed the Bloodline rank and the last reported Level. His had been set by Jennifer recently, putting him in a disadvantageous position.
Nevertheless, he had made a promise to Miranda, one he was determined to keep.
Sadly, his search was interrupted midway by a few arrogant voices from behind.
"Look! The bastard actually showed up here!"
"Pathetic. He’s probably just looking for someone to leech off, just like his mother did to his father!"
"I bet he’ll turn tail and run the moment he enters the dungeon!"
Keeping his expression composed, he turned around.
He saw a group clustered around Harley.
Harley’s mother was the owner of Velmura, a prestigious fashion brand. While Harley herself had once been his arranged fiancée... which, unsurprisingly, was broken off when he was deemed unfit.
She had blonde curly hair and emerald eyes, dressed in Velmura battle attire that cost more than anyone in the Lower Sector could reasonably afford.
When it came to dungeons located on the city’s border, everyone received equal access regardless of their Sector.
"It’s always unpleasant meeting you, Leonard." Harley remarked, lazily fanning herself.
"I see that, after relying on serum to awaken a Common Bloodline, you’re only now stepping into your first dungeon, while I am already close to Level 10 and ascension." She sneered in contempt.
"I can’t believe my mother ever thought arranging a marriage between us was a good political idea. We are simply from different worlds." Harley declared, lifting her chin slightly. "Poor thing... you must miss me so much that you have spent many sleepless nights dreaming about me."
Leonard remained unimpressed.
"No, I don’t think about you at all." He replied flatly.
"I’m sure you do. If you get on your knees, I just might—" Harley paused mid-sentence.
"Huh?!" Her eyes opened in disbelief.
"Are you insane? I am Harley, future heir of Velmura, and I possess an Epic Bloodline, two whole ranks above yours! No matter what, you will never catch up to me. Surrender to your fate and beg me to—"
Losing interest, Leonard stopped listening and walked away.
"Hey, come back! I wasn’t done talking—"
From his experience, people like Harley thrived on attention, so he didn’t give her any.
With time not on his side, he continued his search.
"Tch!" Harley clicked her tongue. "Why does a face so handsome have to be so presumptuous?"
She glared at those that followed her like obedient dogs... All of them flinched in fright.
"Come on, I need to kill some monsters to cool off."
As time passed, Leonard’s mood worsened. Nobody spared him a second glance after they learned his Bloodline rank.
Just as Golden Hour was about to arrive, destroying any chance of forming a team, he caught a ridicule from the side.
"Fatty, I’ve heard of tank builds, but this is ridiculous!"
Leonard saw a group of awakeners making fun of a man for his large physique.
Suddenly an idea came to mind.
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