The Academys main hall was really quiet. You could feel how tense everyone was. It was like the tension was something you could touch. The Head Instructor was standing on the podium looking at all the students with an expression. Behind him a huge screen turned on showing a map of a D-Rank Dungeon.
"Be quiet!" the Instructor said loudly. "This is not a normal test to help you get better. This is a competition, between our school, the Academy and the Hunter Association. When we finish this challenge the student who kills the monsters and gets the most points and the team that helps defeat the big bad guy, the Boss will get a very special prize called the Grand Sovereigns Reward.
People started whispering to each other quietly and quickly. The screen changed to show the prizes:
500,000 Gold Coins.
A Grade-B Mana Healing Stone (Permanently increases the host's Mana capacity).
Personal Training Session with a National-level S-Rank Hunter.
Ryans eyes sparkled with a lot of desire. He said "A Mana Healing Stone is what I need. If I get this stone I will be the student for sure." Then he looked at me with a smile on his face. "Hey Jin-woo just because you are now at Level 12 does not mean you are as good as me. Do not forget that you are still at the bottom. You are not even close to being as good as the top students, like me, Ryan who has a Mana Healing Stone will be the best."
I ignored him. My eyes were fixed on the Mana Healing Stone. The thing is, my Spectral Blade class is really powerful but it uses up a lot of mana when I use the skills. The Mana Healing Stone is what I need to keep using my Spectral Blade class at its best. I really need the Mana Healing Stone to keep my mana from running out.
Two hours later we were standing in front of the D-Rank Dungeon called The Black Forest. It was a swirling vortex. The Instructor told us one thing: "There are guards from the Hunter Association inside The Black Forest but they will only help if your lives are really in danger. If they have to intervene you will be disqualified from The Black Forest. So form your teams, for The Black Forest. Get started!"
Soo-yun walked up to me. Her armor was shining really nicely under the light in the dungeon. Soo-yun said "Jin-woo do you want to be, on my team? I think if we work together my team and I can get the number one spot. Soo-yun thinks that with you Jin-woo we can really do it and be the best."
Before I could say anything Ryan pushed his way between us. "Soo-yun, why bother with this guy? He just got lucky with a levels. Come with me. My power rating is the best, in the E-Rank group!"
Soo-yun gave him a cold stare. She said "I was talking to Jin-woo, not you."
I looked at Soo-yun. Shook my head a little. "Thanks Soo-yun, but I am going to do this by myself this time. I need to see what I can really do I need to test my limits, with Soo-yun not being to help me I need to test my limits.
The entire class was really surprised. "Solo? In a -Rank dungeon?" Ryan started laughing loudly. "Let the idiot go to the D-Rank dungeon by himself! That is one person for us to worry about in the D-Rank dungeon. The idiot will be screaming for the guards, in the D-Rank dungeon within ten minutes in the D-Rank dungeon.
As I walked through the portal the smell of earth and rotting plants filled my nose. My Tactical Eye started working away and it put blue lines all over the dark forest.
[ Dungeon Analysis: ]
Type: D-Rank (Shadow & Poison Affinity)
Threat Level: Low (Insignificant compared to your true Level 28 stats)
Our main goal is to kill the Poison Spider Queen. We need to focus on defeating the Poison Spider Queen. The thing we must do is get rid of the Poison Spider Queen.
I did not stick to the path like the other students. Instead I used Shadow Step to vanish into the part of the woods. The other students, like Ryan and the others were busy fighting Goblins for small points.. I was doing something different. I was hunting the predators the Shadow Step was helping me to do that. I was using Shadow Step to get to them.
Something strange just happened. A group of Dark Venom Wolves they were between level 18 and 22 came falling down from the trees. For students this would be a really bad situation. They would probably get hurt badly.. For me the Dark Venom Wolves were just things that stood in my way. The Dark Venom Wolves were not a deal, to me.
"I do not have time to play " I said, drawing my blade.
[ Skill Activation: Spectral Wave — Compressed Mode ]
I swung my sword in a circle from side to side. A thin line of energy shot out it was really sharp. This blue energy line got bigger and bigger. In one beat of my heart it cut through ten wolves. They just disappeared into air turning into black smoke. My sword did all the work it was really cool. The blue energy, from my sword was what cut through the wolves.
I got five hundred points. This means I have a total of five hundred points that I just gained. The points gained are five hundred.
[ Current Ranking: 1st Place ]
Outside the dungeon the teachers who were keeping an eye on the scoreboard just stopped moving. One of them said "Sir you have to see this. One student is getting points really fast the system is having a hard time keeping up with the students points."
The Head Instructor asked "Who is it? Is it Soo-yun?". He leaned forward.
No sir. It is Jin-woo. Jin-woo is going into the high danger zone by himself.
I was really deep in the forest when I felt the ground start to shake. My Tactical Eye thing started flashing red which meant something was not right. Then I saw this big red portal opening up, in the middle of the woods. I knew it was a Hidden Boss.
"The rewards just got better," I said, a cold smile playing on my lips as I gripped my sword.