Chapter 107: The Global Gauntlet
Chapter 107: Chapter 107: The Global Gauntlet
Chapter 107: The Global Gauntlet
A full month had passed since the purge of Bastion Seven.
The autumn winds carried a crisp chill through the training courtyard of the Apex Villa. Draven sat cross-legged on the thick training mat. He held a glowing blue gemstone in his hand.
Astraxion sat obediently in front of him.
"Eat up," Draven commanded softly.
He tossed the glowing blue gemstone. Astraxion caught it midair and crushed it with a single bite. The dragon swallowed the crystal and let out a happy, vibrating purr.
Draven opened his System interface. He reviewed the notifications from the past four weeks. While the squad had been busy studying for their Midterms, Draven had been quietly reaping the benefits of his Epic Sign-In System.
[Weekly Sign-In 1: Celestial Amber Kibble]
[Description: A crystallized essence of pure mana. Serves as the ultimate nutrition for Spirit Beasts. Accelerates growth and hardens scales.]
[Weekly Sign-In 2: The Wyrm-King’s Crown]
[Description: A mythical accessory for the user’s tamed beast. It grants the Spirit Dragon absolute immunity to mental attacks and mind control.]
[Weekly Sign-In 3: The Eden Bracelet]
[Description: A spatial storage artifact bound to the user’s wrist. It contains a miniature dimensional pocket with a lush ecosystem perfectly suited for Spirit Beasts. The host may also enter the dimension physically.]
Draven tapped the sleek black metallic band on his left wrist.
"Return," Draven said.
Astraxion dissolved into a streak of silver light and was instantly absorbed into the Eden Bracelet. Draven could feel the dragon happily curling up to sleep inside the spatial dimension. It was a flawless tool. He no longer had to hide Astraxion in the Villa while he attended the Academy.
The heavy doors to the training courtyard suddenly burst open.
Aegon marched in. The Red Lion was practically vibrating with excitement. He held his Vanguard tablet high in the air. Lucien, Estella, Nyx, Bram, and Natalie followed closely behind him.
"Captain!" Aegon shouted.
"They just released the official format for the Midterm Exams!"
"Calm down, Aegon," Lucien sighed smoothly. He adjusted his silver cuffs.
"Though I admit, the format is quite intriguing."
Draven stood up and dusted off his coat. "Alright! Tell me more bout it."
"It is a synchronized Global Artificial Dungeon," Estella explained. She tapped her own tablet, projecting a holographic blueprint into the air.
"Every first-year student across all thirteen Bastions will enter the exact same dungeon simulation at the exact same time tomorrow morning. It will have the same layout. Same artificial monsters. Same Boss."
"It is a time-attack survival run," Nyx added quietly from the shadows.
"The global leaderboard has been completely unified and will show that the competition is not just limited to our Bastion but the whole Humanity. The Vanguard High Council will broadcast the top scores live to the entire world."
Natalie looked a bit nervous. She stood close to Bram, who looked like an unmovable mountain of calm confidence.
"The students in our class are in an uproar," Natalie said.
"The Academy has tuned the artificial monsters to Elite C-Rank. Most first-year squads will not even make it past the second floor before the time limit expires."
Aegon grinned fiercely.
"But the prize for the top rank is the Global Vanguard Travel Pass. It gives the winning squad clearance to use the armored trains. We could travel to the Capital!"
Draven listened to them quietly. He looked at the holographic blueprint of the dungeon.
For the past few months, he had played his role perfectly. He had acted as the weak, strategic background extra. Not so weak but weak enough to hide himself.
But the time for hiding was officially over. He now had enough power and he was close to unlock his Seed of Valor at Level 100. He was strong enough due to his Sign-In System providing him various rewards and items to make him stronger. Right now he had enough power to save his own life.
"Listen to me very closely," Draven spoke. His voice was not loud, but it carried a terrifying, heavy pressure.
The entire squad instantly fell silent.
"You have all grown tremendously over the past month," Draven said. He paced slowly in front of them. His pitch-black eyes locked onto each of his teammates.
"You have survived the Wildlands. Bram has claimed the Mythical legacy. You are no longer normal Academy students. Of Course, we need to get remaining Legacies from around the world for the rest of you as well."
Draven stopped walking. He crossed his arms over his chest. A terrifying, oppressive aura of pure kinetic energy began to leak from his body.
The air in the courtyard rippled. The gravity grew immensely heavy.
Aegon and Lucien widened their eyes. They could barely breathe under the sheer weight of Draven’s presence.
"Tomorrow, I am taking the gloves off," Draven declared coldly.
"I am going to use my real power. I am going to shatter this global leaderboard so violently that the High Council in the Capital will choke on their tea."
Estella smirked proudly. She had been waiting for this day.
"But I am giving you all a separate goal," Draven continued. The corners of his mouth twitched into a dangerous smile.
"Each and everyone of us is going to solo run the Dungeon. Your goal is me. All you have to do is get as close you can get to my time. So, basically I am asking you to get Rank #2 on the Global Leaderboard."
Bram blinked in shock.
"Rank #2? What if we defeat you, Captain?"
"Sure! You are free to try," Draven nodded.
"I will set the record. Whoever among you performs the best, whoever brings your clear time closest to my personal clear time, or even defeat my time, will receive a personal reward directly from me."
Aegon’s golden eyes ignited with pure competitive fire.
"Any reward?"
"Anything you desire," Draven challenged.
"But you will have to bleed for it. You all must have heard the rumors about the prodigies from the Capital right? Our goal for the competition is Absolute Domination. I want the Top 10 to be from the Bastion 7. Do you hear me?"
"YES SIR!!"
The squad roared in unison. The competitive fire in the courtyard was absolute.
Draven smiled. He turned away from his team and looked out over the walls of Bastion Seven.
Suddenly, a familiar blue translucent screen chimed softly in his vision.
[Monthly Sign-In Available.]
[Host has survived for another month. A Mythical-tier reward is ready to be claimed before the Global Exam begins.]
[Would you like to open the Monthly Vault?]