Chapter 98: Lumberjack In His Natural Habitat
Once the time arrived, the scholars headed toward the wilderness bordering the city under the professors’ supervision.
Unlike the previous exercises, the Intermediate, Advanced, and Elite grades would participate together.
As for the Novice grade, it had already been disbanded, with its members either advancing to the Intermediate grade or being expelled from the academy altogether.
"I don’t miss being in the Lower Sector one bit." Leonard mused out loud.
He hadn’t spent that much time in the Upper Sector, where the academy was located, yet now that he had returned to the border of the city, he was met with the familiar polluted air and a depressing atmosphere.
"You aren’t the only one, bro..." Winston said dejectedly.
"However, my parents and my dog still live in the Lower Sector, where our bakery is... I must work hard and earn enough money to provide them with the opportunity to follow me to the Upper Sector!" He declared with unwavering determination.
The rest of the party didn’t know how to comfort them.
Harley, William, Samantha, and Cassie had all resided in the Upper Sector of the city for most of their lives.
They couldn’t imagine the struggles the two must have gone through to earn their place in the Elite grade.
"Line up!" Professor Hartman shouted, his voice echoing across the wide plaza.
Startled, the scholars hurried to gather into formation.
The day was particularly sunny, which lit up his bald head like a lightbulb.
"Listen up, maggots! Don’t think this will be like last time. We have made sure that no Void Believers will be interfering... Though rest assured, what awaits you will be much more horrible than anything they could do to you." Hartman declared, a wide smile spreading across his face.
"Professor Hartman, your military background is starting to slip out." Albert remarked tactfully.
"Oh, excuse me. Please, take it from here." Hartman chuckled, stepping to the side.
"What my colleague wanted to say was that you don’t have to worry about outside interference." Albert explained.
"We are not in the Void, but on our native land. The entire perimeter is currently being observed by the Gradeless Units."
Upon the mention of the strongest Dungeon Response Unit, the scholars began to gossip among themselves.
"What makes the Gradeless Units so special?"
"When a Dungeon Response Unit is formed, they are given a Grade, which is assigned according to the dungeons they can handle. The Gradeless stand at the top because they are the only ones who can regularly accept missions in the Void!"
"Y—You mean such legendary figures would be watching our every move?!"
Albert smiled faintly.
"The smarter of you might have already realized it... This is your first debut as an awakener!"
The scholars held their breath in anticipation.
"From the start to the very end of the monster wave, you will be evaluated on every move and judged according to your performance. To those who are serious about making a living as awakeners, now is the time to capture the attention of those who stand at the top. Who knows? The most talented of you may even secure a spot among their ranks!"
"J—Joining a Gradeless Unit?!"
"Perfect! I have been itching to show what I am capable of!"
With a wave of his wand, Albert gave every scholar a teleportation ring. Everybody was familiar with them by now, though these ones hadn’t been tempered with.
"One last thing, before you begin!" Albert spoke more forcefully than before.
"Because your safety in times of crisis is all but assured, you are discouraged from forming teams! The point of this exercise is to witness your individual capabilities, not your teamwork or leadership skills!"
"?!"
Understandably, the news shocked the scholars to the core.
Didn’t that basically put Healers and other Classes that didn’t work well alone at a disadvantage, since they needed teammates to showcase their full potential?!
"But, Professor—" One Elite scholar raised his voice in protest.
"Enough!" Albert put an end to all discussion.
"These aren’t orders from me nor Headmistress Jennifer, but from the acting King Owen! His words are not to be questioned!"
Leonard’s eyes grew cold at the mention of his grandfather.
After Gideon’s execution, Owen had been the one to take the throne while searching for the next successor.
Leonard had wondered what his grandfather had been doing all this time, yet apparently, he hadn’t been sitting idle.
"Remember, speaking or working together with your classmates will deduct points from your score! Good luck!"
"..."
The atmosphere altered in the blink of an eye. The scholars gazed at each other. The plans they had spent so long meticulously crafting on how to shape their parties had just gone down the drain.
Only the distant thudding of footsteps over the horizon broke the stillness as the monsters steadily approached.
[Grade 1 Monster Wave is approaching!]
The system notification snapped the awakeners out of their daze.
Thanks to the lectures at the academy, they knew monster waves tended to start easy and gradually increase in intensity.
By the end, the danger level would surely climb to Grade 2, maybe even Grade 3. If that were to happen, the Gradeless Units would surely intervene.
"Marvelous! This arrangement works in my favor!" Russell bellowed as he unsheathed his sword and strode forward.
"Make sure to watch me well! I will show you the potential of the Heavenly Bloodline!"
Although his words were arrogant, they stirred many of the scholars. One after another, they stepped forward, eager to clash with the wave.
’Strange... Why insist that we work separately? I thought my grandfather didn’t expect much from me... Could this be some kind of test? It feels like I’m missing something... Or maybe I’m just overthinking it.’ Leonard glanced up at the sky.
He wasn’t sure if Miranda was here or still at the academy. Regardless, even if she was, Leonard could not ask her for her opinion.
It was almost like they were treating this like a game.
Leonard had gotten far, yet he still had no clue why his father was falsely convicted and executed or what the true purpose of the pendant his mother left him was.
"Fine then..."
The years he had spent in the Lower Sector hadn’t been for nothing. He knew the wilderness that bordered it like the back of his hand. To him, it was practically his natural habitat.
Slowly his golden eyes grew cold as he stared into the approaching monster wave, his fingers gripped Titanic Oath so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"Let me show you what I can do."