Chapter 145: Mysterious Rewards, Points Assessment
Starlight Calendar Year 1257, Xia Long Moon (June).
Flash City, Dragonheart Knight Academy.
The weather was hot, accompanied by a gentle breeze that stirred the air. The academy was filled with a fiery anticipation, as today marked the first-ever Graduation Exam for the fourth-year students of Dragonheart Knight Academy.
Early that morning, many soon-to-graduate students gathered at the training grounds, animatedly discussing the upcoming Graduation Exam.
"I wonder what form the Graduation Exam will take."
"The academy is being really secretive, insisting on waiting until we reach the assessment location to tell us the specific details."
"No matter what it is, since the assessment location is in the Underworld, the difficulty won't be low."
"I heard the Underworld is very dangerous, with monsters lurking everywhere. I hope the academy doesn't make the assessment too difficult."
The students huddled in small groups, their voices buzzing with excitement and anxiety.
"Xi En!"
Finally managing to squeeze through the throng of younger students and enter the training grounds, Xi En was searching for his friends when a familiar voice called out to him.
Turning to his left, he saw Lu Ge and Suo La Nuo waving.
"Why are you so late?" Lu Ge exclaimed as Xi En approached, playfully punching him on the shoulder.
Xi En scratched his cheek and laughed, "The Dean called me over to talk about something."
Lu Ge's eyes sparkled with intrigue. He wrapped an arm around Xi En's shoulder and lowered his voice conspiratorially, "Did the Dean share any information about the Graduation Exam? You have to tell me; we're brothers!"
Xi En shook his head, saying, "Don't get your hopes up. You know how strict the academy's rules are. The Dean wouldn’t break them; he just encouraged me a little."
Lu Ge’s expression fell in disappointment.
"What the heck? The Dean is too rigid. You're the top student of the fourth year; what's the harm in sharing a bit of information?"
"It’s because Xi En is the top student in the fourth year that the dean believes he can achieve good results, so he won’t break the rules and help him privately." Suo La Nuo smiled, revealing two shallow dimples, and turned to Xi En. "Xi En, how are your preparations going?"
"No problem!"
Xi En raised his right hand, confidently flexing his muscles.
"I'm definitely going to take first place this time!"
Lu Ge said enviously, "I heard that the top five students in the assessment will receive a Tier 3 Dragon Blood Fruit and a mysterious prize."
The higher the level of Dragon Blood Fruit, the stronger its effects.
The lowest grade, Tier 1 Dragon Blood Fruit, is exclusively for trainee Knights to consume.
First and second-year students at the Academy, as well as some third-year students who have not yet advanced to Knights, usually consume Tier 1 Dragon Blood Fruit.
Tier 2 Dragon Blood Fruit is exclusively for Knights.
Only students who have advanced to become Knights are qualified to consume this level of Dragon Blood Fruit.
As for Tier 3 Dragon Blood Fruit, it is said that it can enable an intermediate Knight to break through and become an Advanced Knight.
Among this year’s graduates, including Xi En, there are a total of eighteen intermediate Knights.
If they could obtain a Tier 3 Dragon Blood Fruit, they could immediately break through and become Advanced Knights.
How could that not be enviable?
"That's great! I want a Tier 3 Dragon Blood Fruit too," Lu Ge said, his face full of envy.
Suo La Nuo chuckled, "The top five will definitely be taken by the intermediate Knight students. We should aim for the top fifty instead. The top fifty can also get a Tier 2 Dragon Blood Fruit."
"Tier 2 Dragon Blood Fruit's effects are much weaker, though," Lu Ge muttered.
But this guy was an optimist and quickly brushed it off, instead bringing up the topic of the mysterious prize.
"What do you think the so-called mysterious prize is?"
"I bet it’s mostly some items from the Base," Suo La Nuo said, a hint of longing in his eyes. "I heard there are many magical items there, and Dragon Blood Fruits come from there too."
"Could it be the legendary Magic Item?"
"Unlikely. I heard that Magic Items can only be used by Wizards; Knights can't use them."
"Then could it be a Potion?"
Lu Ge and Suo La Nuo continued their enthusiastic discussion, while Xi En remained silent on the side, a somewhat strange expression on his face.
The Dean had called him over earlier, and besides offering words of encouragement, he had revealed the true nature of the so-called mysterious prize.
It was exactly as Lu Ge had described; it was a type of Magic Item. Its name was “Magic Pattern Construct," a powerful Magic Item that even an Advanced Knight could wield. The Dean mentioned that all graduates would receive a set of First Level Magic Rune Constructs, but the top five students would be awarded a set of even more powerful Second Level Magic Rune Constructs.
It was said that once an Advanced Knight equipped a Second Level Magic Rune Construct, they would instantly possess the combat power of a Grand Knight! Xi En had felt somewhat dazed when he heard this.
For an Advanced Knight to become as formidable as a Grand Knight simply by equipping it—the effectiveness of this Magic Pattern Construct was astonishing! If it hadn’t come from the Dean himself, he would never have believed it.
“They say that the Magic Items created by Wizards are incredibly powerful and magical. I didn't fully appreciate it before, but now it seems the rumors are indeed true,” Xi En marveled inwardly.
He thought about how, after joining the Knight Guard following the Graduation Exam, he would be able to team up with a legendary Wizard. A surge of excitement washed over him as if an entirely new world was beckoning.
“Xi En, what are you daydreaming about?”
Lu Ge suddenly waved his hand in front of Xi En's face, interrupting his thoughts.
“Nothing much,” Xi En replied vaguely, turning his gaze to the entrance of the training grounds. “The Dean and the others are here.”
The lower-grade students at the entrance to the training grounds were quickly dispersed, and Moritz walked in with a group of instructors. After a brief speech, the group left the Academy and headed straight for the outskirts of the city.
Soon, Xi En discovered their destination for the day. Many people were aware of the heavily guarded forest near Flash City. It was said to house a mining area, with large amounts of ore being transported out every day.
Xi En had previously wondered why a mining area required military protection, but now he finally understood. It turned out that the forest was not only home to a mining site but also contained an entrance to the Underworld.
As they passed through the cordon surrounding the edge of the forest, the group quickly arrived at Camp 1.
"When they saw the hundreds of Clay Golems moving back and forth, carrying ore in the camp, all the students couldn’t help but widen their eyes.
'What is that?'
'It looks like a Clay Golem. I heard they’re made from clay.'
'Clay? That’s amazing!'
'Wizards are truly powerful!'
Exclamations of awe rose and fell.
Some students couldn’t resist reaching out to touch a Clay Golem as it passed by. It was the first time they had ever seen humanoid clay figures that could walk.
Moritz and the nearby instructors didn’t stop them; they merely shook their heads and chuckled. They, too, had been filled with wonder the first time they had encountered a Clay Golem.
As they passed through the camp, the group then entered the Cave.
Upon seeing the Stone Golems stationed along the way, the students gasped in awe once again.
Afterward, the group exited the Stalactite Cave and rode Manta Rays across a serene lake, landing on an island in the middle.
Sphinxes were already waiting on the lakeshore and led them to the location for the assessment.
Throughout the whole process, the students remained in a daze, constantly marveling at everything they saw. It all seemed so strange and novel, unlike anything they had experienced before.
'So this is the Underworld,' Suo La Nuo murmured softly, her pretty face filled with surprise.
Xi En and Lu Ge were likewise looking around in amazement. It was the first time in their lives that they had encountered such a bizarre place and peculiar creatures.
Everything before them made them feel as if they had stepped into a strange new world.
No, that wasn’t quite right. Compared to the surface world, the Underworld was indeed a completely different realm.
Soon, led by the Sphinxes, the group arrived at a Cave entrance.
The entrance was enormous, over ten meters tall, easily accommodating more than twenty people walking side-by-side.
Numerous Fluorites were embedded in the top of the Cave, emitting a faint glow that illuminated the area near the entrance.
Deeper inside was pitch black, appearing somewhat eerie.
'Alright, we’ve arrived.'
Moritz raised a hand to signal the group to stop, then turned to look around. His expression became serious as he said:"
"The location of the assessment is this cave," Moritz said, opening his palm to reveal the Crystal Ball nestled within. "Inside are complex tunnels, much like a maze, and your task is to find the Crystal Ball hidden within them."
The Crystal Ball, roughly the size of a chicken egg, was completely round and emitted a semi-transparent light blue hue, with three bright, glittering star points inside.
"Each Crystal Ball has a different score. For instance, the one in my hand signifies three points due to its three points of light."
"The final score for each student will be the sum of the points from the Crystal Ball they obtain, which will determine your final score for this Graduation Exam."
"The assessment will last for ten hours. Once the time is up, everyone must leave immediately and is prohibited from collecting any additional Crystal Balls. Additionally, it is forbidden to snatch Crystal Balls from others. Be warned, there are Red-eyed crows assigned to oversee the assessment within the cave, so do not attempt to violate the rules."
"Moreover, monsters guard the areas where the Crystal Balls are located. The higher the score of the Crystal Ball, the stronger the guarding monster will be. Everyone, please act within your capabilities."
"Now, take a Photosensitive potion, rest for ten minutes, and then the assessment will begin."
Moritz waved his hand, and instructors advanced to distribute the Photosensitive potions to everyone.
After consuming the potion, the students immediately felt their vision sharpen, no longer clouded as it had been before.
"This is incredible!"
"Is this really the Wizard Potion? Amazing!"
"Finally, I can clearly see my surroundings."
Many students gasped in surprise, while others began preparing for battle.
Xi En also took the opportunity to check his weapons and equipment, making sure he was ready.
Though he was confident in his abilities, there were many talented fourth-year students among them, and formidable opponents existed. He would not take them lightly.
Ten minutes passed quickly.
As Moritz announced the start of the assessment, the students entered the cave one by one.
"Good luck!"
"You too!"
After exchanging words of encouragement, Xi En, Lu Ge, and Suo La Nuo parted ways at the fork in the road near the entrance, each entering different tunnels.
As they descended further, they encountered more and more forks in the path, and soon the students began to disperse.
Before long, those surrounding Xi En had vanished, leaving him alone.
In the dim underground passage, silence reigned, broken only by the faint echo of footsteps.
Xi En cautiously observed his surroundings, subconsciously tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword.
The air was cold and damp, carrying a piercing chill that made Xi En, entering the Underworld for the first time, particularly uncomfortable.
Fortunately, he had taken a Photosensitive Potion beforehand, so he didn’t have to worry about seeing his surroundings clearly.
After walking for a while, Xi En keenly noticed that, at regular intervals, a crow hung upside down from the cave’s ceiling, its eyes a rare blood-red and its body covered with a layer of hard scales.
"Are these the Red-eyed Crows that the Dean spoke of?"
Xi En carefully probed a few times, and when he found that the Red-eyed Crows were motionless, merely staring at him, he confirmed his guess and ignored them, passing directly beneath.
After walking over a hundred meters, he reached a fork in the path, with three tunnels before him.
From the leftmost tunnel came a strange rustling sound.
Xi En hesitated but ultimately chose the leftmost tunnel.
Where there were monsters, the chances of the Crystal Ball appearing were greater.
He hadn’t walked far when countless tiny, blood-red dots suddenly emerged from the darkness ahead.
Upon closer inspection, he realized they were pairs of cold, reddish animal eyes.
Squeak, squeak, squeak!
Accompanied by sharp cries, a swarm of rats suddenly rushed out from the darkness, charging toward Xi En with the ferocity of wild beasts.
Xi En’s expression tightened, but he didn’t panic. He quickly retreated to a corner, pressing his back against the rock wall, preparing to fight.
The Dragonheart Knight Academy didn’t just teach cultivation techniques; it also taught combat skills.
In addition to daily sparring sessions between students, practical courses involving battles against wild beasts were quite common.
In terms of combat, Xi En was no longer a novice just starting out.
After slicing one rat in half with his sword, Xi En shoulder-checked another rat that tried to sneak up on him, and the blade of his sword vibrated violently, tearing through the air as he powerfully slashed forward.
Ripple Slash!
Buzz!
A low hum immediately resonated in the void.
A powerful force suddenly erupted, tearing apart and pulverizing over a dozen rats in front of him, instantly creating a noticeable gap in the dense swarm.
Such a tremendous attack caused the onslaught of the frenzied rats to momentarily halt.
Seizing this opportunity, Xi En quickly adjusted his breathing and swung his sword, slaying two more rats.
He realized that these monsters were not much stronger than ordinary people; their only advantage lay in their numbers. As long as one avoided being surrounded, any Knight could easily handle them.
After a short while, Xi En successfully exterminated the rat swarm.
Stepping over the thick carpet of rat corpses, he hurried toward the direction from which the rats had emerged. Soon, he spotted a stone pillar standing in the center of the tunnel, with a crystal ball resting on top.
Inside, three points of light shimmered.
"Three points acquired!"
Xi En picked up the crystal ball, and excitement spread across his face.
Taking a deep breath, he continued to move forward.
With this success, he felt an even greater surge of energy.
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