novelraw Chapter 85: Top Boy!
Chapter 85: Top Boy!
The students looked at each other, confused and awed. They looked back at Daniel, the ’myth’ the Director was talking about.
"As the... unequivocally top-ranked Aspirant of this set," Wexford said, pointing a hand toward Daniel, "Daniel Rivers, on behalf of Vanguard Academy, it is my honor to present you with these tokens of your exceptional... thoroughness."
Daniel felt a pull, then he stepped out of the crowd. The students parted for him instantly, creating a wide path leading straight to the stage.
He walked forward. His boots clicked on the floor. He walked up the stairs to the stage and stood before the Director.
Wexford clapped his hands once. The air beside the Director shimmered and distorted. A golden chest materialized from thin air.
It floated there, rotating slowly. It was the Apex Vanguard Cache. The chest opened with a soft hiss of escaping steam.
Several items appeared on a floating tray beside the Director, hovering in the air so everyone could see them.
The dramatic flair felt a bit unnecessary to Daniel, but he understood the game. The Academy wanted to show off.
First, there was a rack of sleek, metallic vials filled with shimmering liquids. The liquid inside moved on its own, swirling like living silver.
"Standard Nanite Infusion Vials," Wexford announced to the crowd. "These are meant to give a short-term surge in physical abilities. They can mend serious injuries or temporarily boost your strength. Use them wisely."
Daniel nodded, accepting the rack. He put it into his inventory. "Nanite potions, huh?" he thought to himself. "I wonder what happens if I try to use Soul Assimilation on them. That could be a fun experiment for later."
Next, the Director picked up two elaborately crafted chips. "A Grade-A Weapon Exchange Coupon and a Grade-A Skill Exchange Coupon," Wexford continued, his voice regaining some composure.
The crowd gasped. Grade-A items were treasures that most Vanguards worked years to obtain. Daniel had just been handed two of them for free.
"These allow you to obtain some of the Academy’s top-tier regular armaments and skill imprints," the Director explained. "Choose with care, Mr. Rivers, for these are resources many veterans would kill to possess."
Daniel took the chips.
Finally, the Director held up a single card. It was black, made of a strange matte metal that seemed to absorb the light. It had the Academy’s logo embossed in gold on the front.
" And finally," Wexford said, handing the card to Daniel. "The Sovereign Resource Allocation Token. Or as we call it, the Black Card."
He lowered his voice so only Daniel could hear clearly, though the microphone still caught it.
"This grants you absolute, unquestioned priority over Academy resources. You want a private training room? It’s yours. You want the best food? It’s yours. You want to skip the line at the Exchange Post? Show them this card."
Daniel took the card. He looked at it, feeling the potential power it represented.
A private notification flashed on his Databand, confirming everything he had just received.
Rewards Received:
[Apex Vanguard Cache (Opened)]
Item: Nanite Infusion Vials x5
Item: Grade-A Weapon Exchange Coupon Item: Grade-A Skill Exchange Coupon
Item: Priority Access Card (Rank SS)
The previous rewards for Vanguard’s ranking:
Currency: +3000 Vanguard Coins.
Stats: +20 Free Attribute Points
Skill Points: +3 Class Skill Points
Mentorship: Guaranteed selection of any High-Rank Vanguard.
The rewards were overwhelming. The 3,000 coins alone were a fortune. With his previous earnings, he was now rich.
Daniel pocketed the items. He didn’t smile nor cheer, he just nodded to the Director. "Thank you, sir," Daniel said quietly.
Director Wexford looked at him, impressed by his calm demeanor.
"Go, Daniel Rivers. Prepare for Phase Three. The world is watching you now." Daniel turned and walked off the stage.
As he walked back down the stairs, the atmosphere on Platform Alpha shifted irrevocably.
Before, the students had looked at him with confusion or fear. Now, they looked at him with reverence. He was no longer seen as a peer or a fellow student.
He was a god walking amongst them. "He got an SS-Rank card," a boy whispered, his eyes wide. "That means he can do whatever he wants."
"Did you see the coupons?" another girl said, her voice filled with envy. "Grade-A skills. I’m still using F-Grade trash."
Director Wexford raised a hand, stopping the murmurs that were starting to rise again. He looked at Daniel, then back at the crowd.
"There is one more thing," Wexford announced, his voice resonating through the hall. "A warrior of this caliber requires an environment suited for absolute focus and recovery. The crowded dormitories will not suffice."
He gestured toward a five-storey building visible through the glass dome of the hall.
"Effective immediately, Aspirant Rivers is granted permanent occupancy of the Alpha-One Penthouse in the Officer’s Quarter.
It is a private sanctuary equipped with its own training simulation room and nutritional fabricators."
A collective gasp swept through the hall. The Officer’s Quarter was legendary. It was where the high-ranking instructors lived. It was total luxury.
It was a world away from the cramped bunks the other students had to sleep in.
"Rest well, Mr. Rivers," Wexford said with a nod. "You have earned it." Then, the Director straightened his back. He looked at the rest of the envious crowd.
"Dismissed!" Director Wexford shouted from the stage, ending the assembly.
The crowd broke into chaos. Students rushed toward the exits, eager to get to the shops and spend their coins. Everyone wanted to upgrade their gear before the next phase.
Daniel didn’t rush because he didn’t have to. He slipped away from the main crowd and headed toward the Exchange Post.
It was crowded. There was a long line of students waiting to use the terminals. They were arguing and shouting, trying to get to the front.
Daniel walked past the line. He ignored the angry shouts of the students who had been waiting for some time.
"Hey! Wait your turn!" a big guy shouted, stepping in front of Daniel. "Who do you think you are?" Daniel didn’t say a word. He simply pulled out the black Priority Access Card.
The big guy froze. He looked at the card, then at Daniel’s face. He recognized him. The color drained from the student’s face.
"S-sorry," the student stammered. He stepped aside quickly, almost tripping over his own feet. "Go ahead. Please."