Chapter 30: Breaking Through to Tier 2!
"There will be a Super Powerhouse."
"Perhaps." Principal Higgins simply shook his head.
A Super Powerhouse... if it were that easy, one would have appeared in the last 300 years.
Higgins patted Alex's shoulder again, instructing earnestly, "Kid, when you get to the Capital Warrior Academy, be careful. That place is a gathering of prodigies, and none of them are easy to deal with!"
In a small city, you could be called a prodigy, but in a metropolis, you were just one among many.
However, he had a feeling this strange kid Alex might just suppress the entire crowd.
"I know. Better safe than sorry. But I am actually looking forward to fighting those prodigies."
To restore the glory of the Darkness Class, he would start by defeating the other geniuses at the Capital Warrior Academy!
"Good lad! I like that spirit! I look forward to your great achievements!"
Alex bowed slightly. "Then I'll go back and prepare. Goodbye, Principal Higgins."
Higgins waved his hand, a trace of reluctance in his eyes. "Goodbye..."
Watching Alex's retreating figure, he sighed again, muttering to himself, "Another season of farewells."
Outside the Principal's Office.
Just as Alex stepped out the door, he saw Sia waiting there.
She had her hands on her hips, her beautiful eyes glaring at Alex, a hint of arrogance on her face.
"Why are you here?"
Sia raised her chin. "Can't I be here?"
"Sure. Let's go. Walk and talk."
The two walked side by side down the stairs, their footsteps echoing in the empty corridor.
"Which Awakener Academy did you choose?" Sia broke the silence first.
"Capital Warrior Academy. You? Where are you planning to go?"
Sia frowned slightly. "I'm going to the Capital too, obviously."
Compared to other places, having Alex—an acquaintance—in the Capital made her feel more secure.
"Can you even get in? The Capital's minimum requirement is a B-Rank Ability!" Alex raised an eyebrow, teasing her deliberately.
Sia bristled instantly. "Who are you looking down on? I have an A-Rank Ability, Phantom Spirit Cat! Getting into the Capital Warrior Academy is easy peasy!"
"Oh right, almost forgot. Fine, when we get there, big brother will carry you to victory!"
"Hmph! More like I'll carry you!" Sia crossed her arms, turning her head away proudly.
Bickering and bantering, the two made their way noisily to the school gate.
At the gate, they saw Elara Vance talking to representatives from other Awakener Academies.
A moment later, the conversation ended.
"Isn't that Victor Vance's daughter? Why isn't she wearing glasses to hide her shame?" Sia's tone was full of mockery.
Elara slowly raised her eyes. Her gaze lingered on Alex for a moment before she walked silently toward him.
"Which Academy?"
Her voice was cold, devoid of any emotion.
"Capital," Alex answered briefly.
"Hey, hey, hey! Are you treating me like I don't exist? You ungrateful woman, if you didn't cherish him before, stay away now!"
Sia rushed in front of Alex, spreading her arms wide. She hated this kind of woman the most—someone who didn't cherish what she had when it was easy to keep!
Elara frowned slightly. She looked at Sia, then at Alex, and softly uttered one word: "Goodbye."
With that, she turned and walked away, her back looking somewhat lonely.
Sia turned to Alex, a hint of threat in her eyes. "You aren't allowed to interact with her in the future, hear me?"
"Who are you to me? Not listening."
"You, you, you! Anyway, you have to listen to me! No interacting with her."
Sia stomped her foot, her face flushed with anger. She hated Elara's icy demeanor. Having a face as cold as a block of ice all day long was truly annoying!
"Alright, alright. I'll listen to you, okay?"
"Hehe, that's more like it! As a reward, big sister will treat you to a luxury feast! Also, you were really handsome in the arena just now!!"
Sia instantly broke into a smile, grabbing Alex's arm and chattering like a happy bird all the way.
Seven Days Later.
After dinner, Alex said goodbye to Sia and returned home.
Lying on his bed, he opened his phone. The headlines of Riverdale City popped up.
[BREAKING! The Treacherous Vance Clan!]
[SHOCKING! The Vance Family: Ungrateful and Faithless! Now Rats Crossing the Street!]
Looking at the news, Alex's expression was calm, his eyes rippleless.
This was all Victor's own doing.
He checked the time and prepared to sleep.
The biggest knot in his heart was finally untied. He needed a good sleep to recharge his energy.
The next seven days would be the golden period for hunting beasts!
Day of the Martial Exam.
On this day, countless students participating in the Martial Exam rushed to the testing sites early in the morning. Their faces carried nervousness and anticipation. Today was the day that would decide their fate.
A good Awakener Academy versus a bad one meant a world of difference in resources. That difference could affect their entire lives!
At 10:00 AM, Alex finally woke up. He stretched lazily, yawned, and muttered, "Sigh, what serious person participates in the Martial Exam anyway?"
This week had exhausted him.
By day, he slaughtered beasts in the monster-infested mountains.
By night, he dragged his tired body back to his apartment to cultivate and temper his bones.
However, hard work eventually paid off!!
[Slaughter Points: 21,400]
Looking at the number of Slaughter Points on the System interface, Alex shed tears of relief.
"Do you know how I lived through this week??"
Fortunately, today he could finally spend points to his heart's content and upgrade his strength!
Although he hadn't added points during the week, his nightly cultivation had successfully raised his realm from Tier 1, Rank 6 to Tier 1, Rank 7, and his bone tempering had completed the 4th Round. Though the gains weren't massive, they were better than nothing.
"System, calculate for me. How many Slaughter Points to upgrade from Tier 1, Rank 7 to Tier 2, Rank 1?"
[800 + 1200 + 2000 + 4000. Total required: 8000 Slaughter Points.] The System's voice rang in Alex's mind.
Alex frowned slightly, feeling a pinch in his heart. Just upgrading four small ranks cost 8,000 points!
The further he went, the more insufficient the points seemed.
But to become stronger, he gritted his teeth and steeled his heart. "Upgrade!!"
With his command, Alex felt a powerful force surging within his body. His realm began to skyrocket.
Tier 1, Rank 8!
Tier 1, Rank 9!
Tier 1, Rank 10!
Tier 2, Rank 1!
BOOM!
In an instant, 8,000 Slaughter Points vanished, and Alex successfully reached Tier 2, Rank 1!
He felt the endless power within him. The fatigue from continuous hunting was swept away!
"One-click upgrade... so satisfying!!"
"System, upgrade all four combat skills to Advanced first!"
[Consumed 7,400 Slaughter Points. All four combat skills have reached Advanced level.] The System notified.
Looking at the 7,400 points disappearing instantly, Alex froze. "Holy crap, upgrading Tier 3 skills to Advanced costs 2,500 each? That's exaggerated! It doubled directly?"
However, he knew the benefits were inevitable.
Phantom Flash: Originally dashing a few meters, now he could dash dozens of meters instantly. His speed was elusive and ghost-like.
Abyssal Swamp: Control was more stable, and the range was larger.
Shadow Claw: Power increased drastically.
It could only be said: You get what you pay for!
Finally, looking at the remaining 6,000 Slaughter Points, Alex hesitated for a moment before choosing to upgrade his Bone Tempering!
"System, how much to add 5 rounds of tempering?" Alex asked.
[Only 500 points per round for the early stages.] The System replied.
Alex paused, surprised. "That little? Then why not go straight to the 10th Round Golden Bone? After all, Tier 2 starts the Blood Condensation phase, which is also troublesome!"
"System, upgrade Bone Tempering directly to the 10th Round!" Alex ordered decisively.
[Host has insufficient Slaughter Points. Consumed 3,500 Slaughter Points. Bone Tempering has reached the 9th Round.]
Crack... Pop... Snap!
As the notification fell, Alex felt his entire skeleton emitting cracking sounds, as if countless tiny hammers were forging his bones.
Furthermore, his bones began to emit a faint golden glow, looking indestructible!
Alex clenched his fist. "Now, if a small car hits me, the car will be the one getting a fracture!"
Alex asked again, "How many Slaughter Points for the 10th Round?"
[Not much. Only 20,000 Slaughter Points.]
Alex froze again.
Good lord.
The sum of the previous nine rounds wasn't even one-fifth of the cost for the 10th Round!!
This meant the benefits brought by the Perfect Golden Bone would definitely exceed the sum of the previous nine rounds combined!
He checked his remaining balance: 2,500 points.
"Still a long way to go..."
But feeling the immense power of a Tier 2 Awakener flowing through his veins, Alex smiled.
He was ready for the Capital.