The morning sun painted Silver Vale in shades of copper and gold, but the examination plaza had transformed from a place of waiting into something more urgent. Ten thousand awakeners filled the massive chamber, and Ciel could feel the difference in the air—this wasn't nervous anticipation anymore. This was focused readiness from people who'd already proven themselves once and were preparing to do it again.

  Two days had passed since Phase One ended. Two days of rest, recovery, and planning for whatever came next.

  Now, standing among the crowd with Sora and Veldora beside him, Ciel watched as the central platform blazed with projected light. Professor Thorne stepped forward, the same senior examiner who'd explained Phase One's rules. Her silver hair caught the morning sun as she looked out over the assembled candidates.

  "Phase Two," she began, her voice carrying across the entire plaza through projection magic, "will test you in ways the combat evaluation couldn't measure. You'll face sequential dungeon clearances—real dungeons, the same kind you've been training in. This tests sustained performance, resource management, and whether you can maintain quality across multiple consecutive challenges."

  Holographic displays appeared throughout the space, showing dungeon symbols arranged in neat rows. Ciel studied them carefully, noting how they organized by level range.

  "Each candidate will access dungeons appropriate to their current level," Thorne continued. The symbols rearranged themselves into clear columns:

  Level 1-10

  Level 5-15

  Level 10-20

  Level 15-25

  Level 20-30

  Level 25-35

  Level 30-40

  Level 35-45

  Level 40-50

  Level 45-55

  Level 50-60

  "You must clear dungeons in sequential order within your accessible range," Thorne said, her tone making it clear this rule was absolute. "You start at your lowest available range and work your way up. Failure to complete any dungeon ends your run immediately—no second chances, no retries."

  A murmur rippled through the crowd. Sequential meant no skipping the hard ones. Every dungeon had to be cleared.

  "Your scoring," Thorne continued, "is based on multiple factors." New text appeared beside the dungeon listings:

  Completion Time

  Difficulty Level Selected

  Clear Rank Achieved

  Dungeons Cleared

  "Faster clears at higher difficulties will boost your ranking significantly," she explained. "The System tracks everything—how quickly you finish, how well you clear, whether you maintain quality under pressure."

  Ciel could see the calculations running behind people's eyes. The math was simple but demanding—you needed to excel across all factors at once.

  "You may attempt these dungeons solo," Thorne said, and Ciel noticed several candidates straighten hopefully. "Or you can form parties of up to five members."

  The hope grew more visible—people who'd barely scraped through Phase One suddenly seeing a lifeline.

  "However," Thorne's voice carried sharp emphasis, "if you form a party, all points earned are divided equally among team members. A five-person team will each receive one-fifth the points that a solo clear would grant."

  The hope dimmed fast. Team formation meant safety, but it also meant sacrificing most of your scoring potential. For anyone wanting to place in the top rankings, parties were basically a non-option.

  Thorne's eyes swept across the plaza. "At the conclusion of Phase Two, only the top one thousand and twenty-four candidates will advance to Phase Three."

  The number hit like a physical weight. Ten percent of current qualifiers. Ninety percent would be eliminated.

  "Those who don't qualify," Thorne finished calmly, "will be removed from the examination. But that doesn't mean you've failed completely—many academies recruit from candidates who perform well in Phase Two despite not advancing. Your scores will be reviewed by institutions with different admission standards."

  The holographic displays faded, leaving just the dungeon ranges visible.

  "You have one hour to prepare," Thorne announced. "After that, the gates open and Phase Two begins. Once you start, there are no breaks, no pauses, no time to reconsider. You advance until you qualify, fail until you're eliminated, or withdraw voluntarily."

  The projection magic cut off, leaving ten thousand candidates to process what they'd just learned.

  Ciel stood with Sora and Veldora in a less crowded section of the plaza. Around them, the energy had shifted—people were forming teams, making plans, deciding whether to play it safe or take risks.

  "Multiple sequential dungeons," Sora said quietly, her mind clearly working through the implications. "They're testing whether we can maintain performance quality across extended operations. One bad run and you're done—no recovery possible."

  "Four dungeons for us," Veldora calculated, looking at the level ranges displayed in the air. "Ten-twenty through thirty-forty. Probably takes most people several days if they're being careful about it."

  Ciel had noticed something the professor hadn't explicitly stated. The level ranges weren't assigned by examiners—they were natural System restrictions based on your level. His range started lower than his teammates' because he was Level twenty while they were twenty-six and twenty-seven.

  "Five for me," he said. "Five-fifteen through thirty-forty. Being Level twenty means I can access one additional low-tier range."

  Sora's eyebrows rose. "Extra dungeon means extra scoring opportunity if you clear it fast. But also means more time, more effort, more chances for something to go wrong."

  "Or more chances to demonstrate capability," Ciel pointed out. "The scoring rewards comprehensive excellence. An additional high-quality clear could provide significant advantage."

  Veldora nodded slowly, thinking it through. "True. And your five-fifteen access means you can warm up before hitting the ranges we'll be attempting. Get comfortable with the examination format before facing genuinely challenging content."

  The crowd around them grew louder as more candidates finalized their strategies. Ciel could see patterns emerging—weaker performers forming teams, stronger ones staying solo. The math made it obvious which choice made sense for whom.

  "Solo runs," Ciel said, making their decision explicit. "Our capabilities are good enough for our level ranges, and the point division makes teams a bad strategic choice unless we were uncertain about succeeding alone."

  "Agreed," Sora confirmed immediately. "I'd rather show what I can actually do than have my score cut in half for safety. My five-star completion earned me stats worth demonstrating—party format would just hide that."

  Veldora looked thoughtful for a moment. The Knight's Oath bond between him and Ciel meant he'd feel if either of them got into real danger. But after considering, he nodded.

  "Same logic applies," he said. "The oath stays active regardless—I'll know if Ciel faces serious trouble. But for evaluation purposes, solo makes sense. While we've not trained for exactly this kind of test we are still able to do it."

  Decision made. Three separate dungeon runs, three independent demonstrations of what they could do.

  Ciel glanced across the plaza toward the northern section, where Leon Avalon stood with relaxed confidence. Third Stage meant he'd be accessing dungeons through the fifty-sixty range. His stats would make that content trivial unless the System imposed some kind of artificial difficulty scaling.

  Interesting, but not relevant to Ciel's immediate concerns.

  "One hour until the gates open," Sora said. "Should we review individual strategies? Make sure we're all clear on approaches before we separate?"

  "Good idea," Veldora agreed. "Even running solo, coordinated planning helps. We can spot potential problems now instead of discovering them mid-clearance."

  They found a quieter spot where the crowd had thinned. Other candidates had similar ideas—small groups scattered around the plaza, conversations intense as people finalized their preparations.

  "My approach is straightforward," Veldora began. "Shield defense to weather early encounters, observe dungeon mechanics carefully, then optimize speed once I understand the patterns. The oath enhancement should help with sustained combat, and my General-tier stats mean I can handle mid-thirties dungeon without too much difficulty."

  "Standard progression," Sora confirmed. "Start cautious, speed up once comfortable." Her expression shifted to more focused. "I'll emphasize offensive pressure—chaos magic works better against real monsters than those automated puppets. My concern is mana efficiency across multiple consecutive clears. Can't burn through reserves too fast early on."

  Both looked at Ciel. He thought about what to share, keeping certain details private.

  "Spatial manipulation advantages," he said. "Shift gives me positioning control that dungeon monsters typically can't counter. Combined with my stats, I should clear my ranges without excessive difficulty. The five-fifteen dungeon will serve as calibration—establish baseline before tackling higher-tier challenges."

  True, though he wasn't mentioning King of Realm's multiplication effects, his Ultimate Skill, or the full extent of what his seven-star completion had granted. Better to demonstrate than discuss—especially in an examination where too much capability might draw unwanted attention.

  "Cody?" Veldora asked, noticing the young dragon on Ciel's shoulder with alert golden eyes.

  "He'll participate when appropriate," Ciel replied. Through their soul bond, he could feel the dragon's eager anticipation—Cody wanted to actually fight after days of just watching. "But mainly as support rather than primary combatant. The evaluation is measuring my capabilities, not our combined effectiveness."

  "Makes sense." Veldora checked his equipment with practiced efficiency—shield secure, sword properly maintained, armor enchantments fully charged. "We're as ready as we can be."

  The hour passed quickly, filled with final preparations and equipment checks. Around them, the plaza's energy continued building as candidates finished planning and began moving toward the massive gates leading to the dungeon facility.

  When the Coordinator's voice finally announced gate activation, ten thousand awakeners started flowing toward their next challenge with organized purpose.

  "This is it," Sora said, her voice mixing anticipation with focus. "Four dungeons between us and Phase Three. Maybe three will be enough but to be sure we will go for four."

  "We've trained for the exams," Veldora replied. "Trust the preparation, execute with confidence, adapt when necessary."

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Ciel nodded and began moving toward the gates with the crowd. Sora and Veldora walked beside him, three awakeners heading toward challenges that would either prove their capabilities or reveal their limits.

  The massive doors stood open, leading to a wide corridor stretching toward the dungeon facility. The air here was thicker with mana—concentrated power from the access gates creating pressure that made every breath tingle with energy.

  The facility itself was enormous. The structure sprawled across several square kilometers, designed specifically to support massive simultaneous dungeon access. Hundreds of portal gates lined the walls in organized rows, each calibrated for specific level ranges and difficulty tiers.

  Guild personnel directed the flow with practiced efficiency, channeling awakeners toward appropriate sections based on their accessible ranges. The organization was smooth, systematic, refined through centuries of continental examinations.

  Ciel, Sora, and Veldora reached a natural separation point. Sora and Veldora needed the ten-twenty section while Ciel would start in five-fifteen territory.

  "See you on the other side," Sora said, extending her hand. "Try not to break any records—we want to advance together, not have you waiting around because you finished early."

  "I'll pace myself," Ciel assured her, returning the gesture before repeating it with Veldora.

  Veldora said quietly. "If you need anything—genuinely dangerous situation, unexpected complications. Don't hesitate to withdraw if necessary."

  "Same applies to both of you," Ciel replied. "Advancement isn't worth dying for."

  They separated with final nods, each heading toward their respective gates. Ciel navigated through the crowd toward the five-fifteen section, watching the organized chaos of thousands of candidates beginning their runs.

  The portal gate for five-fifteen Hard Mode stood against the facility's eastern wall, its surface shimmering with blue-white energy. A guild attendant verified his badge and cleared him for entry without complication.

  "Standard rules apply—death means death, withdrawal is permanent but allows you to keep your life, timer starts at entry and ends at boss defeat." The attendant gestured toward the portal. "You're cleared. Good luck."

  Ciel stepped through without hesitation.

  The transition was familiar after so many dungeon runs—reality twisting as dimensional barriers parted, the facility's clean air giving way to something damper and earthier. When the world resolved, he found himself in a cavern whose walls gleamed with moisture. Dim blue-green light came from bioluminescent fungi growing in patches across the stone.

  [Dungeon Notification]

  [Welcome to the Sunken Grotto – Hard Mode]

  [Monster Levels: 5-15]

  [Objective: Defeat the Dungeon Boss]

  Ciel's eyes adjusted to the dimmer light as he looked around. The cavern stretched about forty meters in each direction, with multiple passages leading deeper. The floor was wet stone that would make footing tricky. Stalactites hung from the ceiling at varying heights, some low enough to be hazards during combat.

  Movement in the dimmer passages—shapes shifting just visible enough to suggest multiple threats waiting deeper in the grotto.

  Cody chirped from his shoulder, golden eyes tracking the distant movement with predatory interest. Through their bond, Ciel felt eager anticipation mixed with barely restrained excitement—his companion wanted to fight, wanted to show what weeks of growth in realm had developed.

  "You want to play?" Ciel asked quietly, scratching behind the dragon's horns. "Handle the small ones while I deal with the bosses?"

  Cody's enthusiastic trill confirmed agreement. The young dragon launched from Ciel's shoulder immediately, wings beating with coordination that had improved dramatically since hatching. His flight was still somewhat clumsy—he was young, still learning—but functional enough for what Ciel had in mind.

  The first group of monsters emerged from a side passage—five creatures about a meter tall. Amphibious humanoids with webbed hands ending in sharp claws and eyes adapted for darkness. They moved with fluid grace natural to creatures from underwater environments.

  [Grotto Lurker – Level 8] ×5

  Cody didn't wait for them to get organized. The dragon dove toward the nearest Lurker with frost-breath building in his tiny throat. The mist that came out wasn't dramatic—nowhere near what adult dragons could do—but enough to make the creature recoil with startled hisses.

  Ciel watched with interest as his companion engaged the pack. Cody had grown since hatching—not much in size, but substantially in combat ability. His movements showed instinctive understanding of aerial advantage, using height and mobility to compensate for being relatively fragile.

  The first Lurker fell when Cody's claws raked across its eyes, the creature stumbling backward into one of its companions. The second died moments later as frost-breath caught it mid-leap, the sudden cold disrupting its coordination enough that it crashed into the wet stone hard enough to break bones.

  The remaining three tried to adapt, spreading out to make aerial assault harder. But Cody had learned from his time in the trial—he didn't commit to attacks that would leave him vulnerable, instead using hit-and-run tactics the Lurkers' ground-based movement couldn't effectively counter.

  Two minutes later, all five creatures lay dissolving into dispersing mana. Cody returned to Ciel's shoulder with triumphant chirps, clearly satisfied with his performance.

  "Good work," Ciel said, genuine approval in his tone. "You're getting better at reading enemy patterns."

  Through their bond, pride mixed with renewed eagerness. Cody wanted more—wanted to show that his growth had real value.

  They moved deeper into the grotto system, encountering groups of Lurkers at regular intervals. Ciel let Cody handle each fight while he mapped the dungeon's structure in his head, noting passages and potential ambush sites.

  The pattern continued through multiple chambers. Cody eliminated packs of five to eight Lurkers with improving efficiency, his tactics becoming more refined with each encounter. The young dragon was learning fast—adapting based on what worked versus what left him vulnerable.

  After about fifteen minutes, they'd cleared roughly thirty Lurkers without Ciel personally fighting any of them. His mana was still full, his stamina completely untouched. This was letting Cody develop rather than rushing through for examination efficiency.

  The mini-boss chamber announced itself through environmental changes—the passage widening into a larger cavern with ceiling disappearing into darkness above. A shallow pool dominated the chamber's center, its surface perfectly still despite moisture dripping from unseen heights.

  Ciel could feel movement beneath that surface—something large, patient, waiting for prey to approach the water's edge.

  [Mini-Boss Detected – Grotto Matriarch – Level 12]

  "My turn," Ciel said quietly to Cody. The dragon chirped understanding, settling onto his shoulder with alert eyes tracking the still water.

  Ciel's mana blade formed with practiced ease, azure glow adding to the chamber's illumination. He approached the pool cautiously, tracking the creature beneath the surface through subtle water displacement patterns.

  When the Matriarch struck, it came with explosive force—erupting from the pool in a spray of water that would have blinded normal vision. But Ciel had been tracking its approach, his body already moving before the attack fully developed.

  Shift carried him ten meters left, making him seem to flicker out of existence. The Matriarch's claws swept through empty air where he'd been standing, momentum carrying it past the pool's edge.

  Ciel's blade found its exposed flank before it could recover—enhanced Strength driving the weapon through amphibious hide with surgical precision. The Matriarch shrieked, pain mixing with rage as it spun to face prey that had somehow avoided its ambush.

  What followed was systematic elimination. The creature was stronger than its Lurker subordinates, movements carrying more power and coordination. But against Ciel's enhanced stats and spatial manipulation, size became a disadvantage—the Matriarch's attacks were easier to track, its recovery positions more predictable.

  His blade carved through its defenses with controlled precision, each strike targeting vulnerabilities he could see clearly. The creature tried to retreat to the pool where aquatic advantage might help, but Ciel's second Shift put him between the Matriarch and its escape route.

  The finishing blow pierced the creature's chest, finding the core that animated it. The Matriarch collapsed with a splash that sent water across the chamber floor, its body dissolving into motes of blue-green light.

  [Mini-Boss Defeated – Grotto Matriarch]

  [Experience Gained]

  Ciel dismissed his blade, checking his resources. Mana at ninety-eight percent after two Shift uses and blade construction. The mini-boss had been stronger than standard Lurkers but not threatening enough to require Domain or extended combat.

  They continued deeper, Cody resuming his role as primary fighter against regular Lurkers while Ciel mapped the remaining grotto system. The path led steadily downward, passages becoming narrower as they approached what must be the boss chamber.

  The final passage opened into a cavern that made previous spaces look modest. Roughly eighty meters across, with a deep pool dominating the center that suggested underwater passages connecting to other sections. Bioluminescent fungi grew in dense clusters, providing enough light to see clearly despite the chamber's size.

  And rising from that central pool—the boss.

  [Boss Monster Detected – Ancient Grotto Lord – Level 15]

  The creature was massive—easily twelve meters from head to tail, with serpentine body covered in scales that gleamed like wet obsidian. Its head was distinctly draconic despite being amphibian in nature, with eyes burning with predatory intelligence far exceeding the Lurkers' cunning.

  The Lord looked at Ciel with those burning eyes, apparently deciding whether this intruder was threat or merely snack. When it opened its mouth, the sound that came out was a deep rumble that made the entire chamber vibrate.

  "Stay back," Ciel said to Cody. Through their bond, he felt the dragon's disappointment mixing with understanding—this opponent was beyond what a young dragon could handle safely.

  The Lord struck without warning, its massive body coiling and launching forward with speed that shouldn't have been possible for something so large. The attack came from an unexpected angle—not straight forward but spiraling through three-dimensional space that used the chamber's full volume.

  Ciel tracked the movement, his enhanced Agility allowing response that matched the creature's speed. Shift carried him upward, reality bending to place him near the ceiling where a particularly large stalactite formation provided stable footing.

  His blade formed mid-displacement, already swinging as he reappeared. The strike caught the boss's flank as it passed beneath him, enhanced Strength carving through scales that would have turned normal weapons.

  The creature shrieked, the sound deafening in the enclosed space. It twisted with serpentine flexibility, trying to catch this prey that had somehow damaged it from above. But Ciel was already moving again, Shift taking him to a different stalactite before the counterattack could connect.

  What followed was aerial combat that showed why spatial manipulation made conventional dungeon bosses manageable despite stat advantages. The boss's size and power were formidable, its attacks carrying force that would have been instantly fatal. But size became disadvantage when your opponent could teleport instantly, appearing in positions the creature's momentum couldn't reverse to defend.

  Ciel's blade found gaps in the Lord's scale coverage through systematic observation—he identified vulnerable points while his combat execution exploited them with surgical precision. Each strike carved deeper, damage accumulating toward critical thresholds despite the creature's massive vitality.

  The boss tried different tactics—diving into the pool to use aquatic advantage, emerging from unexpected angles, even attempting to collapse stalactites by ramming them. But spatial displacement made position irrelevant, and Ciel's enhanced senses meant surprise attacks were identified before they fully developed.

  Five minutes into the fight, accumulated damage reached critical mass. The Lord's movements had slowed, coordination degrading as blood loss and system damage took their toll. When Ciel's blade finally pierced its skull—driving through reinforced bone to reach the brain—the creature's death came almost as relief after prolonged struggle.

  The massive body collapsed into the pool with a splash that sent water across the entire chamber. Blue-green light erupted from multiple wounds, spreading through the boss's form as it dissolved into dispersing mana.

  [Boss Defeated – Ancient Grotto Lord]

  [Dungeon Cleared – Sunken Grotto (Hard Mode)]

  [Clear Time: 1 hour 32 minutes, 17 seconds]

  [Clear Rank: A]

  [Base Reward: 10 Light Green Mana Stones]

  [Additional Reward: Lord's Scale Bracer]

  The notifications appeared as Ciel descended from his elevated position, landing on wet stone with practiced balance.

  Through the chamber's far exit, a portal home shimmered with familiar blue-white light marking successful completion. But Ciel didn't approach it immediately. Instead, he checked the examination interface.

  [Phase Two Progress]

  [Dungeons Cleared: 1/5]

  [Current Ranking: Calculating...]

  [Next Available Instance: Level 10-20]

  One down. Four remaining. Based on the clear time and rank achieved, his scoring should be favorable—one hour thirty-two minutes for A-rank completion would place him well above candidates who'd taken more time or achieved lower ranks.

  But the real challenge would come in higher-tier dungeons where monsters approached his actual capabilities rather than being safely below them. The twenty-thirty range would test whether his tactical approach remained efficient against threats closer to his statistical foundation.

  "Ready for the next one?" Ciel asked Cody.

  The dragon chirped enthusiastic agreement, apparently energized rather than exhausted by the extended combat.

  "Good. Let's see how the difficulty scales."

  Ciel stepped through the portal, reality twisting one final time to deposit him back in the dungeon facility. The transition was seamless, dimensional boundaries parting to allow passage between spaces.

  The attendant at the five-fifteen gate looked up as he emerged, professional assessment flickering across his features. "One hour thirty-two minutes. That's efficient for Hard Mode. Ready for the next instance?"

  "Please," Ciel confirmed. "Ten-twenty range, Hard Mode."

  The attendant's eyebrows rose slightly, but he processed the request without comment. "Gate seventeen, section B. You're cleared for immediate entry."

  Ciel navigated through the facility's organized chaos toward the indicated gate. Around him, other candidates were emerging from their own attempts—some with expressions of triumph, others with barely concealed disappointment. The filtering had already begun, failures accumulating as weaker performers discovered that Phase Two's sustained demands exceeded their capabilities.

  Gate seventeen stood ready, its portal surface rippling with anticipation. Ciel stepped through without hesitation, already focusing on whatever challenges the ten-twenty range would present.

  Reality twisted again.

  And the next dungeon materialized around him, ready to test whether his efficient performance in lower-tier dungeons could be sustained when the stakes increased.

  patreon to read up to two weeks ahead.