Two days had passed since the end of the exam.
During those two days, thousands of people who failed to secure one of the top four hundred positions left the Temple Gate.
As for those who proved themselves worthy of staying, they were busy with formal procedures and paying the first year's fees.
Naturally, none of that concerned me.I had taken first place.
Yes… I won.But did I really win?
I recalled the final battle with Elliot, how all I could do was defend clumsily.
I knew he was stronger than me and possessed a set of powerful abilities, but I hadn't expected the gap between us to be that wide.
What if he had gone all out from the very beginning?What if he had wanted first place as badly as I did?
I would have lost.
Even at the end, when he delivered that final strike,I couldn't block it.
My shield activated, and I was forcibly transported away…
Luckily, the time limit ended before I was completely removed from the arena, so the system declared me the winner.
But if it had been a real battle…
I would have died.
I sighed and stared at the white ceiling of the room I was in.
I was inside a medical center. When the exam ended, my body had been in a miserable state, so I was placed under intensive care.
However, I had already recovered on the first day. Even without using my regeneration ability, this body still healed at an insane speed, especially with the medication they provided.
I turned my head and looked out the window beside the bed, which overlooked the academy's entrance.
From here, I had watched people leave in tears over the past few days… and to be honest, I enjoyed it a little.Seeing those scenes helped improve my mood.
Was I being an asshole?
Of course not… well, maybe just a little.
"Maybe I should take a quick shower," I muttered.
I got off the bed, my bare feet touching the cold floor, and walked toward the bathroom door.
I pushed it open, stepped inside, and closed it behind me.
I took off the hospital clothes and tossed them into a nearby basket, then stepped under the shower and turned on the water.
Hot water flowed over my skin. I closed my eyes and relaxed, a single thought occupying my mind:
I need to become stronger… and fast.
Unfortunately, there were no shortcuts, no broken items that could instantly boost one's power.
In this world, there were eight ranks.Each rank was fundamentally different from the others, and the higher you climbed, the greater the gap between them became.
Each rank was also divided into three sub-ranks: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
Advancing between sub-ranks was relatively easy.
It could be done through training—pushing your body to its limits while using essence until your reserves were completely depleted. Repeating this process improved the flow of essence within the body. With each cycle of depletion and recovery, the essence reserve gradually expanded until it reached a certain threshold, which differed from person to person. Once surpassed, you would advance to the next sub-rank.
There were two other methods that were faster and more efficient.
The first was hunting monsters. Every monster possessed a certain amount of essence within its body, and upon death, that essence would begin to disperse. At that moment, you could absorb it and push yourself to the next stage.
However, many people avoided this method, as it was dangerous and required killing a large number of monsters of the same rank or higher.
The second method could be considered exclusive to the wealthy—those with deep pockets.
That was the use of Essence Stones, condensed essence crystals that naturally formed in certain regions of this world. You could absorb the essence contained within them instead of relying on monster essence.
The problem was that these stones were outrageously expensive…In any case, let's not think about money.
As for advancing in rank, that required talent—lots of it.
Rank 1: Absorption.This was the stage where Awakened first began sensing essence and storing it within their bodies, though it was impure and unstable.
To advance to Rank 2: Purification, one had to refine that essence and increase its quantity.It was the easiest stage of the entire progression.
To reach Rank 3: Extraction, one had to learn how to extract essence outside the body and control it, just as I did during the exam. However, since I was still only Rank 2, my control was unstable, and I couldn't maintain essence outside my body for long before it naturally dissipated.
Rank 4 was Fusion.
At this stage, essence became part of the body itself, no longer just a power residing within it, granting a massive boost in strength.This was where the first qualitative change occurred, allowing one to surpass human limits. The body would rely on essence instead of food and water as its primary source of sustenance.
As for the higher ranks, I didn't fully understand them.
Rank 5: Transcendence.
Rank 6: Manifestation.
Rank 7: King.
As for Rank 8, I didn't know its name, and no living human had ever reached it.
It was closer to a legend than a real level of power, to the point that some people even doubted the existence of a rank beyond King.
But I knew better.
Rank 8 existed…
Even if it lay beyond this world.
I turned off the water, grabbed the towel hanging nearby, and dried myself.
Then I pulled out some clothes I had bought before coming here from the storage ring on my finger and put them on.
They were nothing special—just dark-colored loose sports pants and a shirt. After that, I left the bathroom and put on a simple pair of shoes.
I glanced at the room I had stayed in for the past two days before heading out. I had been told to go to a specific office after recovering to receive my academy card, which would grant me access to facilities, training centers, and many other things.
But the moment I reached the door and opened it, I found someone wearing a doctor's coat standing in front of me.
To be honest, it reminded me of the laboratory I had been in before, and I felt slightly uncomfortable during my stay here.
The doctor in charge of me over the past few days looked at me in surprise before asking,"What are you doing?"
I raised my hand casually."As you can see, I've fully recovered, so there's no need for me to stay here any longer."
His expression changed several times—from shock, to refusal, and finally acceptance.It was a reasonable reaction, especially after witnessing my recovery speed over the past few days.
The doctor sighed."Fine, you can leave. But follow me—there are some documents you need to sign."
…
After signing a few discharge papers at the medical center,I walked under the beautiful morning sun, heading to collect my card.
The office wasn't far, so it only took a few minutes to reach it.
I found myself walking down a corridor, searching for a specific number among the doors.
"Office number 12," I muttered as I stopped in front of one.
Without hesitation, I knocked.A man's voice came from inside.
"Come in."
I opened the door and stepped inside.
There, behind a luxurious desk, sat a man who appeared to be in his forties. He smiled warmly when he saw me.
"Finally, we meet, little monster… I've been waiting for you."