Exiting the first room, Zane stepped into a narrow corridor. He didn’t hesitate. The next room lay ahead—the second challenge.
Just as he approached its entrance, a familiar chime rang through his mental link.
[New Quest Unlocked!]
Objective: Reach the Registration Room within the stipulated time.
▸ Within 30 Minutes – Reward: +1 to all base stats
▸ Within 20 Minutes – Reward: +5 to all base stats
▸ Within 10 Minutes – Reward: +10 to all base stats
▸ Within 5 Minutes – Reward: +15 to all base stats
▸ Within 4 Minutes – Reward: +20 to all base stats
▸ Within 3 Minutes – Reward: +25 to all base stats
▸ Within 2 Minutes – Reward: +30 to all base stats
▸ Within 1 Minute – Reward: +50 to all base stats + [Random Special Key]
"Plus fifty to all base stats?!" he muttered, grin sharpening. His golden irises lit with resolve.
No point in holding back anymore.
[Countdown Initiated]
A virtual timer appeared before his vision, ticking down ruthlessly.
Without wasting another second, Zane activated Divine Radiance, instantly boosting all three base stats by +5. Then, he summoned Luminous Step, flooding his body with radiant speed. Agility soared by another +10.
Current Agility: 5 (Base) + 5 (Radiance) + 10 (Skill) = 20
White motes danced around him as his form blurred forward. His speed spiked, and with a few bounding strides, he adjusted to the momentum, surging down the corridor like a comet.
The second room loomed—filled with corrupted beasts.
Splat! Boom! Squelch!
The beasts didn’t even react in time. Their bodies erupted in blood and torn flesh as Zane passed, a white blur of destruction. The door burst open in response, and he flew through.
Then the third. The fourth. The fifth...
Room after room—he blitzed through twenty challenges in under a minute. Each door surrendered to his speed. Each enemy disintegrated before he could even see their features clearly.
Finally, he reached the Registration Room.
Ten seconds still remained on the clock.
Zane slowed to a halt, chest rising steadily. He glanced up as the system chimed again.
Bonus Applied: +50 to All Base Stats
Reward Received: Random Special Key Added to Inventory
Strength/Physical: 6 + 50 (Base) + 5 (Radiance) + 10 (Radiant Strike) = 71
Agility/Speed: 5 + 50 (Base) + 5 (Radiance) + 10 (Luminous Step) = 70
Magic/Intelligence: 9 + 50 (Base) + 5 (Radiance) + 10 (Sacred Barrier) = 74
Zane chuckled in satisfaction and collapsed into the mechanical chair at the room’s center. He already knew what came next.
Back at the Pre-Academy, he had studied the procedure carefully. Now, theory would meet practice.
A soft hum filled the air. The chair’s headrest lit up, and beams of multicolored light scanned across his body from head to toe.
Suddenly, the system inside him pinged rapidly—flashing multiple alerts.
[Warning! Unknown energy source detected.]
[Attempting to breach skin layer.]
[Permission required: Should the system intercept and block this action?]
Zane narrowed his eyes.
This must be the scanning protocol. Harmless... if what I studied is accurate.
"Deny." he said firmly.
The warnings ceased. The lights continued their analysis.
He leaned back calmly, unwavering in his trust in the Pre-Academy curriculum.
Then the AI spoke—a smooth mechanical voice, feminine yet cold.
"Scan complete. Data verified. Synchronization in progress..."
"Candidate Number 237—Zane Carter. Status: D-rank Awakener. Classification: Late Bloomer. Registration: In Progress."
"Father’s Name: Zorro Carter. Details redacted from the Hero Record."
"Mother’s Name: Jennifer Carter. Super Hero—A Rank. Status: Missing. Further details are redacted."
"Maternal Grandmother: Marley Queen. Only living relative of the applicant. Raised subject while running a vegetable stall in Whistler Town. Age: 67. Status: Unawakened."
Zane heard his mother’s name for the first time. His eyes welled with tears.
His grandmother had always refused to even mention her daughter’s name, keeping Zane away from the world of Awakeners and his parents’ past. But how could she stop someone as stubborn as he was—someone just as stubborn as her?
Against all odds, Zane enrolled in the Whistler Pre-Academy, enduring abuse from the townspeople—both verbal and, at times, physical—because of his father’s shadow.
But everything changed after a fateful encounter with a strange old man in a wine tavern.
Now, here he was—inside the secretive Registration Chamber of the Temple of Assassins.
He whispered the name of his mother under his breath, as though savoring something sacred.
A prompt from the AI snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Permission to draw a vial of your blood, Candidate Number 237—Zane Carter."
The blood was required to finalize the registration. Once registered, every Awakener received a set of standard equipment: a sidearm and a broadsword. These were bonded by blood—rendering them useless to anyone else. To others, the sword was dull, and the gun could not fire.
He understood the reasoning behind it.
Additionally, he would be given a high-grade Wrist Watch, also linked to his blood. It would connect him to the Arcane Hero Data Server—a powerful tool offering access to virtual learning environments, inter-Awakener matches, communication features, and upgrade paths. It was the ultimate link to the wider Awakener community.
Zane gave a firm nod. "Yes," he responded.
"Preparation complete. Extracting blood sample," the Artificial Intelligence chimed.
A thin metallic thread shot out from the chair and gently pierced his right arm.
He didn’t feel any pain—just a faint itch.
A minute later, the vial was filled. The thread retracted smoothly, leaving no mark.
"Registration successful. You may now collect your issued uniform, sidearm, and broadsword."
A white metallic platform rose from the floor with a soft hiss. Resting atop it was a neatly folded uniform.
Zane hurried forward, inspecting the outfit closely. Embroidered on the chest was the unmistakable emblem of the Hero Academy—a palm tree, a lion, a fish, and a cat.
"The signature logo of the Academy with three animals and a tree." His smile widened. "So this is what I’ll wear when I finally set foot on the academy grounds."
Next to the suit was a leather strap belt with a sleek sidearm holstered on it. Zane fastened the belt around his waist and drew the pistol, examining it with interest. He pulled the trigger—nothing happened.
"So this is the rumored pistol of the Academy," he muttered. "In Pre-Academy, it was only mentioned in theory. We never got to handle one ourselves."
As he turned his gaze, he noticed a small metallic sphere lying nearby. The moment he reached for it, the orb twitched. In a blur, it transformed into a crab-like creature that sprang onto his wrist. Within seconds, it coiled around his left arm and reshaped itself into a sleek, matte-black wristwatch.
He looked around. "Where’s my broadsword?" he asked.
"Processing. Please wait a few moments," the Artificial Intelligence responded calmly.
While he waited, Zane inspected the wristwatch. He tapped on the screen and scrolled through its interface.
"Still logged out," he muttered. Access to the Academy’s main server was restricted until enrollment was completed on campus.
With a shrug, he started gunslinging—drawing and holstering his sidearm with a flair he’d picked up from countless old Wild West vids. It wasn’t perfect, but he liked the motion.
"Your broadsword is ready," the AI finally announced.
"Weapon designation: Death Solace. The blade contains a dormant weapon spirit—currently weak, but capable of growth as you develop alongside it."
Zane raised an eyebrow. "Death Solace, huh? Sounds dramatic." Then, with curiosity piqued, he asked, "And who’s the curator?"
"The curator logged in under the Username: Ur_Big_Daddy. Now that you’re officially registered, you are free to exit the chamber."
Zane blinked. "...Ur_Big_Daddy?"
He couldn’t help but chuckle as he strapped the broadsword to his back. "Yeah... figures."