So… that just happened, Lev giggled to himself while staring at the white moon unblinkingly. He was lying on the rough stone ground surrounding the lake, still in disbelief.

  A Goddess. An actual fucking Goddess. Why is this not common knowledge?

  There were bound to be a million reasons, but still… Lev couldn't imagine the harm in following a being that seemed so kind and benevolent. The impressions he got were of peace and harmony, though he doubted they would be upheld entirely.

  Actually, Lev continued in his head, remembering all the wars and genocides from his past life. Let us not risk a Goddess' wrath like that.

  In hindsight, the reasoning was obvious. Humanity was probably going to erupt in an uproar after learning of Her existence, so it was better off keeping them in the dark.

  Quite funny, given how Her element was supposed to be the light during the darkness.

  "What are you doing?" a familiar voice reached him.

  Lev didn't get up, only tilting his head as far back as he could. Hakim stood there, confusion evident in his rigid posture.

  "Are you a believer?" Lev questioned back with a grin.

  A sigh sounded through the empty area. Hakim looked up, eyes visibly pained. Lev's gaze turned flat.

  "Hey, I'm not that bad."

  "Tell me, then," Hakim began, now smiling slightly. "Back when you faced that core guardian, why didn't you ask someone to accompany you into the mistcrawler dungeon?"

  "I…" Lev started but paused. Because Drakys had once accompanied him to a dungeon and Hakim had later dismissed his doubts about that affecting the dungeoneer title, Lev's first move should've been to ask for help in the next delve.

  The risks were too great, and having someone capable at his back would've negated the risk almost completely. Not receiving any assistance would've ensured that his title progressed much the same. Yet Lev had simply rushed into it again after healing and resting.

  "Point taken," Lev pouted. He had just been lectured in front of a Goddess. She could most probably observe him anywhere on Monarch, but still.

  "Rest," Hakim simply advised and stepped forward. Faster than Lev could blink or turn his head, the guildmaster was standing amidst a pillar of silver in the middle of the lake before instantly vanishing.

  ****

  Lev woke up and stretched with a grin, excited to finally receive the rewards from both the Monster Hunt and the Solo Combat events.

  Showering and the rest only took ten minutes before he was off. The streets were crowded with thousands of people making their way to the arena. Lev was did not go unnoticed this time.

  Project confidence and indifference, he repeated to himself for the fifth time. Nobody will block my way if I seem too distant to be interested in any form of conversation.

  Surprisingly, that worked. Lev wasn't stopped even once when he reached the arena, and the attendant at the back gate immediately took notice of him.

  "Hunter Lev? Can you please show your identification papers?" Lev handed the woman his hunters badge and the tournament identification. She scanned them for a long time before nodding, motioning for Lev to follow her.

  Inside, they walked through the hallways leading up to the royal booth. Two-thirds of the way through, they took a different turn, arriving at a small hall. It was already occupied by quite a few familiar figures.

  Isabella sat in a corner, lazily sipping some red juice. Elias and his team were also present, merrily talking away. Daniel and his team, along with Maro, Lillia, Aryan, and a few others, were also there, actually conversing instead of making the room feel stuffed.

  Lev scanned the hall once before finding an unoccupied corner, summoning a bowl of soup and a fresh loaf of bread.

  "Is that all you have in that ring of yours?" Isabella called out from across the hall, unimpressed. In response, Lev waved around a roasted chicken leg, getting a bout of laughter in return.

  Breakfast continued without interruption before the first person walked up to him. All previous casualness vanished when Elias stopped a few meters away from him. Getting the hint, Lev stood up and slowly sauntered to Isabella, with Elias following him.

  "Can I get that sound ward of yours?" Lev politely asked.

  She rolled her eyes and summoned it, though her insistence on staying inside by not leaving made Lev give her a look. She still didn't budge.

  "So," Lev grabbed a chair and slid it over to the swordsman. Taking another for himself, he sat down. "What's up?"

  Elias just stared. "What's up? That's what you're gonna initiate the conversation with?"

  "It worked, didn't it?" Lev grinned, liking the more exasperated Elias as opposed to the serious one. Then his eyes turned mischievous. "Did you get any time to reflect, or did Rena-"

  "Stop," Elias held up a hand. "There aren't any such relationships in the team."

  "Alright."

  "Self-reflection… I did think a lot."

  "Couldn't be me," Lev muttered.

  "Be serious."

  "Sorry."

  Isabella just quietly watched them go back and forth.

  "You know who I was influenced by, right?"

  Lev exhaled and straightened, staring directly into the swordsman's eyes. "Do you have what I have?"

  "I don't but-"

  "Then, do you have even greater advantages?"

  That caused both Elias and Isabella to pause in muted shock. Lev hadn't just admitted to having something greater than a Wisdom Boost, but he had also confirmed having two or more of them.

  Neither of them spoke for quite some time. Eventually, Elias broke the silence.

  "Will I ever be able to catch up to you?"

  Lev should have hesitated to answer, but he didn't. "No. Nobody ever will."

  "This is what I'm talking about," Elias sighed. "You said that with so much confidence; how can I not try to be the same?"

  "Elias," Lev smiled, though his eyes told a very different story as he let the swordsman see a glimpse of his fears. "Please, cherish the choice you have. All you have managed so far is because of your own efforts and talent.

  "But me? I literally can't stop. Not with this monstrous Status always shadowing me, never letting me forget just what I am and will be capable of. The mere thought of slowing down makes my very bones itch and robs me of my sleep."

  Lev stood up, giving Elias a stern glance. "Be reasonable and don't throw away your life. Many await your success, just like they do for me. Let's make sure we both return alive every time, yeah?"

  Elias stared at the hand, waiting for him to clasp it, with tired eyes and a resigned expression. In the end, he vigorously shook his head and firmly grabbed Lev's palm while standing up.

  "Yeah. Let's make sure to do that."

  ****

  Elias left quietly after that. Lev had given him a lot to think about, and frankly, he also didn't want to talk more about that topic. It reminded him of things that he always kept bottled up.

  "You alright?" Isabella asked, concerned.

  Lev snorted. "Trust me, I would've never made it this far if I didn't want all of this. So yeah, I'm quite fine."

  "If you say so," she replied, believing him for this once. "Look for me if you need something, alright?"

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  Lev gave her a genuine smile. "Coming from the daughter of the duke, that's one hell of an offer. I appreciate it. We might be working together in the future soon enough, so I will. The same goes for you as well. If something needs killing, call for me."

  Further conversation was cut off when Lillia made her way to them and entered the sound ward. Lev knew she was up to no good just by looking at her eyes.

  Without hesitation, she marched up to Lev and stopped just in front of him.

  "You," she jabbed a finger to his face, expression as serious as she could seemingly manage.

  "Me?" Lev questioned back, confused and slightly intimidated.

  "Let me just get this off my chest. Your very existence is unfair, and I am extremely envious of those blue eyes that match my element perfectly."

  Then she smiled widely. "I was pretty mad about losing to you at first, but after seeing you fight later on? You best put those rewards to good use, mister. I'll be waiting to hear about your exploits."

  Lev secretly let out a relieved breath and sent her a playful smirk. "I don't need anyone to tell me what to do. My exploits will reach you whether you like it or not, and you will listen to them until your ears bleed."

  "I'll hold you to that," she voiced before moving back to her spot, done with the conversation.

  "… That just happened," Lev chuckled when she left the sound ward. "Good to know I somehow keep avoiding the assholes."

  "Most are like her," Isabella chimed in. "Many aren't allowed to be an asshole simply because of the damage their ego can end up causing. I'm sure either of us would take great offense to anyone endangering lives by throwing their weight around."

  Lev simply nodded, for there was no need for anything else. He would raze all the offenders before letting their pointless ego or pride come in the way of saving innocent lives.

  When the suns were near their zenith, an attendant came to fetch them. All of them were made to form an ordered line with Lev at the last. Elias was next to him, and Aryan was judged to be third based on his performance. Isabella was the fourth, though it was still an impressive position considering the three behind her.

  Several minutes of walking later, they were brought to a new arena entrance, this one leading to a huge stage present right under the royal booth. The arena itself had been repurposed a little to only seating in front of the stage.

  "Listen to me," The attendant clapped once loudly, shushing all conversation. "There are numbers placed on the stage that are only visible to you. Going by that order, go stand on them. The first on the 1st spot, and last on the 15th. Wait for you to be called."

  That's convenient, Lev thought and focused on the commentator who got a signal from the attendant.

  "PLEASE WELCOME THE WINNERS OF THE MONSTER HUNT ON THE STAGE!"

  Under the warm cheers and applause of the huge populace spectating them, they slowly walked onto the massive stage. Lev was suddenly very conscious of the number of eyes on him. His legs threatened to wobble, which could not be allowed.

  Don't look at them, Lev reminded himself, looking for his spot. Unfortunately, it was at the very forefront of them all, requiring him to stand slightly ahead of everyone and face the crowd.

  With a mental sigh, he took a deep breath, quickly made his way to the 15th marker, and looked straight ahead. Tens of thousands stared back, rendering his throat dry.

  His hands shook, so he clasped them behind his back. His knees wobbled, so he formed a barrier under his clothes to keep them steady and straight. Wide eyes still were not something he should be displaying in public, so he tuned out the latter.

  Focusing entirely on his expression, it took a few seconds to bring it to a good enough state. When he refocused on the crowd, it was with a neutral face reminiscent of what Drakys and Sherron had in public.

  Much better, Lev mused, satisfied. Even if the stage fright hadn't just melted away, it somehow felt considerably less daunting.

  "For the 15th spot, we have Nina. She and her team performed admirably by also securing the 5th and 13th spots, raking in enough points to rank in the top 5 of the previous tournament. Give them a big hand!"

  With the crowd's approval, they gathered around the commentator, who proudly handed them a storage ring.

  "As was promised, the reward is made to suit the participants! Go on, show the waiting crowds what you got."

  The next few minutes passed with people proudly showing off their rewards. Most interestingly for Lev, Isabella got a large bracer that passively produced fire mana for her to utilize with her class skills. Aryan also got a unique reward of two daggers that were difficult to focus on. If the hunter's expression was any indication, it was all he ever wanted and more.

  One by one, the rewards were patiently distributed before it was Lev's turn.

  "For the winner of the hunt…. there are no rewards."

  Lev just stared ahead, face and mind both entirely blank. The commentator continued heedless of the silenced crowds and their confusion.

  "That is to say, there are no rewards YET! For those who are unaware, let me enlighten you with a little bit of history. A few months ago, the Runic Warlord heard of the exploits of a young silver hunter in Runespires. Interested, he approached Lev and offered to train him for a month. Based on that, Hunter Lev's rewards have been combined into a single one that is best suited for a combat crafter!

  "He's neither a part of a team that would benefit greatly from an assortment of equipment pieces, nor does he desire any such rewards. To that end, let us get to his actual prize by beginning the next phase!"

  Everyone except the top four participants of the solo rounds was quickly guided off stage, leaving Lev at the front of an even more impressive lineup. To make matters worse, four spotlights illuminated the winners, further amplifying his nervousness.

  I am never participating in any official events again, Lev lamented, most of his mind focused on steadying his breathing.

  "In the fourth place, we have Isabella Bladeheart! I'm sure you all have heard enough about her from me already, so I will spare you the introductions," some of the people chuckled. "Her reward is quite extraordinary. Lord Drakys believed that any more equipment would be detrimental for her, so instead, he proposed something that would benefit her for as long as she used fire."

  The commentator went silent after that, letting the anticipation build up for a few long seconds.

  "Isabella Bladeheart, after careful consideration of your element and its usage, you have been granted six months of training under the supervision of Orianna Ethen, The Flame Legion!"

  Lev turned his head, not wanting to miss the fire princess' reaction. Her face lit up like she had been given the greatest gift of all time. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes that smiled just as widely as her lips, and the roaring approval from the crowds showed that they were just as happy for her.

  I'll be damned, Lev exhaled deeply with a smile. That is one way to start a reward ceremony.

  It wasn't hard to guess why she had been granted the training opportunity. From what Lev knew, Orianna's class abilities were geared toward supporting her soldiers, which included whips like the ones Isabella used. The dots of inspiration weren't hard to connect.

  "For the third place, Aryan shocked the world with his incredible prowess in, chosen by the very people in front of me, the most exciting round of the tournament!"

  The same round in which I lost a limb for the first time. How exciting.

  "To further enhance your speed and stealth, your reward is an Epic rarity body armor!"

  As if summoned by the words, an armor stand appeared beside Aryan. Slowly, a black armor came into being, stepping out of invisibility in a dramatic yet graceful display. With wide eyes and a dropped jaw, the rogue carefully stepped in front of it, taking in the sleek yet durable design.

  The body armor was similar to Lev's skinsuit, except it covered the entire body from head to toe. Mainly, it was far, far, more intricately enchanted in comparison and was built like an armor instead of something to be worn underneath clothes. With how the arms and legs of the armor looked nearly solid, it reminded him of professional military people from Earth. The raid teams and the like, but far less bulky.

  Identify failed to discern anything about it. Lev would've been rather disappointed if they missed such a basic scanning skill in an Epic rarity armor. No explanations were offered by the commentator either, which made sense. Nobody wanted their abilities to be shouted about in public.

  "I hope the armor serves you well, Hunter Aryan. We will be counting on your strength in the upcoming days."

  Aryan gave the crowd a serious nod and stored the armor before returning to his spot.

  "In the second place, we have Elias! Being a part of a radiant team and a dual wielder, his capabilities were never in doubt to begin with. Yet, time and time again, he has proven that he's more than just his team and rose all the way to the second spot in one relentless charge!

  "Lord Drakys commends your drive and efforts. Your reward has been personally enchanted by him, so make sure to put the powered armor to good use!"

  Elias went stock still, as did Lev. The spectators too, went silent for a brief instant, before erputing in a cheers again. Powered armors were reserved for Masters with a high degree of control over their willpower. If Elias was being awarded one as a gold hunter, it meant that the armor would be useable both before and after the evolution.

  In short, the reward was a masterpiece personally crafted by an Exalted.

  Unlike Aryan's reward, Elias' armor appeared in a grand burst of mist, shrouding most of the stage in white. Next to Elias, a shimmering armor was gradually revealed as the mist fell away. The powered armor was continuously changing color, cycling through a broad range of them before settling on a bright golden, matching the swordsman's hair.

  Curiously, Elias's eyes were unfocused and glazed over, something that only happened when looking at the Status. In this case, Lev could recognize that Drakys was probably addressing him through a telepathic link.

  The commentator gave them time. Only when Elias nodded and straightened back into his spot did he speak again.

  "Finally, for the winner of both the Monster Hunt and the Solo Combat events, Lord Drakys himself will present the hunter with the rewards!"

  Without any pomp or showy movements, Drakys simply appeared on stage next to Lev. As one, everyone on the stage and in the arena seats bowed to the Exalted.

  "We greet the Exalted!"

  "Rise," Drakys commanded after a second of silence. The commentator took over immediately after that.

  "For the combat crafter who utterly demolished all previous records in the Monster Hunt and Triumphed over the greatest of his generation, Lord Drakys has proclaimed him worthy of being rewarded by a personal collection of runes and formations, all of them best suited for the barrier mage!"

  Lev's mind went utterly blank when the words registered. By his side, a thick, huge leather tome appeared in the hands of the Exalted.

  Mechanically, Lev turned with the help of barriers underneath his clothes to guide him. With a few careful steps, he stopped in front of Drakys and grabbed the tome with shaking hands, oblivious to the deafening crowd.

  Don't blink.

  With a deep breath, Lev looked up only to be met with a gentle smile. Drakys eventually let go of the tome, and Lev almost dropped it, not expecting it to be so heavy. Then again, there were hundreds of pages, if not more than a thousand.

  Do not blink.

  Taking another deep breath, Lev straightened. The commentator was still saying something, but the words couldn't be heard over his wildly beating heart. His mind too, was clouded with too many thoughts and considerations, before a mental message cut through them all.

  "Lev."

  Lev looked at Drakys with wide eyes on the brink of crying.

  "Well done."

  A chuckle burst out before Lev could stop it. With tears now falling freely, he clutched the tome close to his heart and bowed again, more grateful than ever at finding such amazing people in this terrible new world.

  He wasn't blind to what had just transpired. Getting mentored by an Exalted was one thing, but receiving a portion of his vast accumulated power in front of so many people? By all metrics, that was just shy of being chosen as the successor of the Exalted.

  Lev was going to make him proud, no matter what it took. He was going to become strong enough to share his hopes and burdens and eventually find the lost queen and reclaim their lands. That, he promised to all who had helped him along.

  It was the least he could do.