novelraw Chapter 48: Back to School
Chapter 48: Back to School
Daniel dragged himself forward, his fingers clawing at the rift’s energy as he pulled his broken body ahead, inch by inch.
He had spent twenty-five days in the Purgatory Realm. To anyone else, it might have sounded like a short time, but for Daniel, it had been a lifetime of red dust and endless fights.
He was just a human there, so he had bled, broken bones, and starved. However, as his hand broke through the other side of the portal, something changed.
He fell forward onto the hard, smooth floor of the Vanguard Academy. Then, the feeling hit him.
It started in his chest as a small spark that turned into a raging fire. His body, covered in pain and scars, started to heal as the cuts on his arms closed up.
The deep bruises that colored his ribs faded away into nothing, and the rough white lines of old wounds smoothed out until his skin was clean and whole.
Daniel gasped, his back arching as the power rushed back in because it was violent and intoxicating.
For weeks, he had been empty, but now, the System reconnected with a blast.
[Realm Restriction Lifted.]
[Connection Established.]
[Talent Unsealed: SSS-Rank Soul Assimilation ]
The energy surged through his veins like a flood after a drought. His heart hammered against his ribs, pumping mana and strength into every cell while he felt his muscles knit together, becoming denser and stronger than they were before he left.
Another notification flashed on his Databand, bright and blue.
[All Skills and Stats Restored.]
[Purgatory Survival Bonus Applied.]
[Gain: Physique +50]
Daniel lay on the floor, breathing heavily as he stared at his hands. A moment ago, they were weak and trembling, but now, they felt like they could crush stone.
The bonus was massive because fifty points to his physique meant his body was now tougher than before.
He slowly pushed himself up, but he didn’t struggle or wobble. He stood up at once.
He looked around, expecting noise or the chaotic crowd of thousands of aspirants preparing for the next stage. He expected shouting, the clanging of weapons, and the rush of preparation, but instead, there was silence.
The Vanguard Academy was unnervingly quiet while the massive training grounds were empty.
The wind blew through the empty obstacle courses, carrying a few stray leaves across the grey concrete, making the place feel like a ghost town.
"Where is everyone?" Daniel whispered, his voice sounding loud in the empty space. He took a step forward, and the sound of his boot hitting the ground echoed off the walls.
Then, he saw movement near the main gate where a figure was walking toward him. It was a junior instructor, a young man probably not much older than the students, holding a datapad.
As the instructor got closer, he slowed down and stopped about ten feet away from Daniel.
To the instructor, Daniel didn’t look like a student, he looked like a wild creature. Normal people didn’t survive the Purgatory Realm, let alone make it back in three weeks+.
"Rivers?" the instructor stammered as his voice shook. "You... you’re back." The man took a small step back, his hand twitching toward the stun baton on his belt.
Daniel frowned and said, "Yes, I am back. Where are the others?" The instructor swallowed hard, refusing to meet Daniel’s gaze directly.
"Come with me," he replied. "Chief Instructor Baldwin has ordered your immediate presence. She has been waiting."
The instructor turned and walked away quickly, as if he wanted to get as far away from Daniel as possible, so Daniel followed him.
They walked through the silent hallways where the classrooms were empty and the mess hall was dark.
It felt awkward, almost as if the Academy had been abandoned.
Eventually, they reached the administrative wing. The instructor led him to a heavy metal door at the end of the corridor, swiped his keycard, and the door slid open.
"She is inside," the instructor said, but he didn’t enter. He just stood by the door, gesturing for Daniel to go in.
Daniel stepped into the office, where the air smelled of antiseptic and stale coffee. The room was plain, with metal filing cabinets and a big desk full of screens.
Chief Instructor Baldwin stood by the window with her back to the room. She was looking out at the empty training courtyard, her hands clasped behind her back.
"You survived," she said, her voice devoid of warmth. She turned around slowly, and while her face was unreadable and she looked tired.
"Not many do," Baldwin continued as she walked over to her desk and picked up a file. "Certainly not in twenty-five days, and certainly not with a perfect record of ten straight wins in the Blood Arena. You broke a record, Rivers."
Daniel ignored the praise because he didn’t care about records. He cared about the silence outside.
"Where is everyone?" Daniel asked, his patience wearing thin. "Where are the other aspirants?"
Baldwin looked at him, then dropped the file onto the desk with a heavy thud.
"The six-month sentence wasn’t negotiable, Rivers," she said. "The Academy acts on a schedule, not on individuals," Baldwin stated. She paused, letting the silence hang in the air for a moment before dropping the bombshell.
"Phase Two started three weeks ago."
Daniel froze.
"While you were fighting in the Purgatory Realm," Baldwin explained, "the other awakened completed their recovery. They restocked their gear, formed their teams, and entered the Astral Verge."
Three weeks. He had lost three weeks. In the world of the Awakened, time was power, and three weeks was enough time to clear dungeons, to gain levels, and to find rare items.
A chill ran down Daniel’s spine as the reality set in.
"You’re saying I’m being eliminated?" Daniel asked, his voice low. "Because I was punished, I am out?" Baldwin shook her head.
"Not eliminated. Severely handicapped." She walked around the desk and leaned against it, crossing her arms while her eyes narrowed as she assessed him. She looked at his torn clothes and his wild hair.
"You are currently three weeks behind your peers, Rivers. Do you understand what that means?"
Daniel didn’t answer.
"Most aspirants are already Level 4," Baldwin said. "The top performers, the ones you aim to beat, like Sansa and John are pushing Level 6 or even Level 7. They have new skills, and they have better weapons."
She leaned forward and said, "If you fail to meet the Phase 2 objectives by the time the main cohort finishes, you will be expelled permanently. There is no extra time allotted for you because the clock did not stop while you were in prison."
Daniel clenched his fists until he could feel his nails digging into his palms because the difference was huge.
He was Level 3, but they were Level 6. In a fight, a three-level gap was massive because it meant they were faster, stronger, and harder to kill. And the monsters in the Astral Verge would be scaled for them, not for him.
"I need time," Daniel said. "I need time to recover. I need to resupply because I have credits." "I need..."
"No, you don’t have time," Baldwin cut him off with a sharp gesture of her hand. She checked her watch with a dismissive motion.
"The portal to the Astral Verge opens for you in exactly six hours."
"Six hours?" Daniel repeated. "That’s impossible."
"It is necessary," Baldwin replied coldly. "Every hour you delay, the power gap widens. Every hour you sit here arguing with me, the others are getting stronger while they are clearing the zones and taking the best loot."
She stood up and walked to the door, holding it open for him.
"Get medical treatment," she ordered. "Restock your gear and prepare yourself because Phase 2 isn’t like Phase 1. The Aurora Vale was a playground, but the Astral Verge is a war zone."
She looked him dead in the eye.
"If you enter unprepared, Rivers, you won’t just be expelled, you will be dead."
Daniel looked at her, wanting to scream and rage at the unfairness of it all. He had fought harder than anyone, survived the impossible, and his reward was a steeper mountain to climb. But he swallowed his anger because anger wouldn’t help him now, only action would.
"Six hours," Daniel said. "I’ll be ready." He turned and walked out of the office without looking back. As he stepped into the hallway, his mind began to race.
He had 1,000 Vanguard Coins from the ranking, his A-Grade Celestial Voidpocket, and his skills. He needed to fix his armor, buy potions, and get arrows for the Skyreaver bow. He started to run, moving with the speed of a Divine Warrior as the wind rushed past his ears.
He had a lot to do, and the clock was already ticking. He ran toward the medical bay first because he needed to make sure his body was at 100%, and then, he would hit the armory.