Into The Wilds
Ink stood amidst the dim cavern, his sword dripping with the green blood of fallen goblins.
The goblin scout that had fled earlier lay motionless at his feet, along with a few other goblins.
The dungeon was clear.
No more enemies.
What he could do now was leave and wait three hours for the next reset.
The dungeon had a cooldown period before it refreshed with new monsters.
But Ink had no intention of wasting time.
The higher his level, the slower his progress became.
This dungeon was no longer enough.
His goal was far beyond just reaching level 12 for the test.
He wanted to go to the wilds.
Ink had spent nine hours inside this dungeon.
His body felt fine.
Not even fatigued, thanks to Revenant's Stamina.
His gaze flicked to his stats.
[Character Status][Level:] 7 (98%)
[Vitality:] 130
[Strength:] 60
[Agility:] 60
[Constitution:] 60
[Skills:]
Dusk Crescent Slash (Level 1): A sweeping sword slash that releases a crescent-shaped dark energy wave that travels forward, cutting through enemies.
Death Coil (Level 1): Unleashes a twisting coil of necrotic energy that travels in a straight line, dealing shadow damage to enemies.
[Passives:]
Wraithguard (Level 1): Reduces all physical and magic damage taken by 15%.
Revenant's Stamina (Level 1): Reduces stamina consumption by 70%.
Almost level 8... But it was getting slower.
Ink turned, heading toward the portal.
The courtyard outside the dungeon was still lively.
Several second-year students were resting, eating, and chatting.
Principal Edwards sat nearby, arms crossed, watching the glowing portal.
A few instructors stood around, waiting for students to return.
So far, no one had come out.
Typically, it took around 13 hours to fully clear this dungeon.
Then, most would rest for the three-hour cooldown before going back in for another round.
The portal shimmered.
A figure stepped out.
"Ink?"
Everyone's heads turned.
The murmurs began immediately.
"Wait… already?"
"He was solo, right?"
"How did he come back so soon?"
Ink walked forward, his face calm, his clothes stained with goblin blood.
In his right hand, his sword hung loosely at his side—but it was barely a sword anymore.
The bronze-level weapon, issued by the college, was chipped, cracked, and near its breaking point.
The principal's was startled.
Above Ink's head, a status window appeared.
[Ink Ashborne, Level 7, Death Knight]
Some students gasped and even the instructors looked surprised.
Level 7 ? this early?
Most students would be lucky to reach level 4 or 5 on their first run.
Principal Edwards narrowed his eyes.
Ink had always been a troublemaker, a student who messed around, joked too much, and caused headaches for teachers.
But his grades were always good.
More importantly, he was the calmest and steadiest student.
Unlike others who panicked during practice battles or exams, Ink never lost focus.
And after awakening, that composure seemed to have only grown stronger.
Principal Edwards' gaze lingered on him for a moment longer.
"Ink, very good! you are the first to return. " he called out, his deep voice cutting through the murmurs.
"Thank you, Principal! I want to go to the wilds," Ink replied.
The murmurs exploded.
"The wilds?!"
"He's insane!"
"That's not normal for first-years…"
Even some of the instructors looked surprised
The wilderness outside Isowil City was nothing like the controlled dungeon.
It was chaotic, filled with monsters, rogues, assassins, bandits, and hidden dungeons.
Some even camped outside dungeon entrances, waiting to ambush and loot.
Principal Edwards studied Ink for a long moment.
Then—
He reached into his coat, pulled out a small golden emblem, and tossed it to Ink.
Ink caught it effortlessly.
"A certification," Edwards said. "You'll need it to pass the city gates."
"I believe in your decision, I won't say much nonsense, be careful."
Then, with a glance toward one of the instructors, he added, "Before you go, rest here for a bit. I'll have someone bring you a new bronze sword."
Bronze swords were priced at 3500 gold coins, he was given one for free, and now another one... Edwards really has a heart.
He nodded towards him and sat cross legged.
Not long after, an instructor returned, handing him a brand-new bronze sword.
Ink accepted it, testing its weight in his hand before nodding in satisfaction.
"Thank you," he said, glancing at Principal Edwards.
The old man simply waved him off.
Without wasting more time, Ink turned and left.
By the time he reached the city gates, the sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky.
The guards stationed at the entrance looked surprised to see him.
Ink was not hiding his status, nor did he have a reason to hide it.
[Ink Ashborne, Level 7, DeathKnight]
Ink didn't say anything, simply pulling out the certification and handing it over.
One of the guards examined it, his brows furrowing.
"You're sure about this?"
Ink nodded.
With a sigh, the guard waved him through.
Meanwhile, back at Hugnelts School
The dungeon portal shimmered again, and another figure stepped out.
Rose.
She took a deep breath, brushing strands of silver-white hair from her face.
[Rose Bligh, Level 7, Archer]
Her clothes were neat, barely stained with blood.
Her quiver still had arrows left.
She had used fewer than expected.
Glancing around, she noticed some of the instructors watching her.
Her level caused a stir, Even more than Ink's
A non-rare profession reaching level 7 this quickly?
One of them approached.
"You're the second one to come out," he informed her.
Rose blinked.
"...Second? who was first?"
It seems this was her first sentence since the awakening ceremony.
"Hahaha, It was Ink, he sure gave us all a surprise, but you are not bad yourself you are not a rare profession but you beat almost everyone else."
Her blue eyes flickered slightly.
Without another word, she found a quiet corner, sat cross-legged, and closed her eyes to rest.
Two more hours passed.
Slowly, the dungeon portal began to shimmer more frequently.
Groups of students finally started emerging, one after another.
Some were injured.
Some were exhausted.
Some looked miserable.
Especially Harry.
[Harry Elmond, Level 4, Monk]
Same Level for his party members.
They didn't finish the dungeon and left.
His once-round face looked slightly thinner, as if he had lost weight in the past few hours.
His hair was completely disheveled, sticking out in every possible direction, making him look like he had been dragged through a battlefield.
His face was gloomy staring at his 'teammates'.
The first group to come out was Anya's group.
Anya Winter's team.
The so-called elite group.
Anya walked out first, her face still holding its usual arrogance, but there was a noticeable tiredness in her eyes.
Her robe was slightly tattered, a few small tears from goblin weapons visible on the fabric. Her normally pristine blonde hair was damp with sweat, sticking slightly to her forehead.
Behind her, her teammates followed—each one looking rough but not completely miserable.
Their levels appeared above their heads:
[Anya Winter, Level 5, Elemental Mage]
[Marcus Grey, Level 5, Swordsman]
[Elena Vale, Level 5, Cleric]
[Damon Crest, Level 5, Spearman]
[Rick Sable, Level 5, Assassin]
Not bad.
But considering how much she had bragged about her team being the strongest in school, it wasn't as impressive as she had made it seem.
"They really hyped themselves up, huh?"
"They barely look better than the other groups."
"Still, level 5 isn't bad…"
"Compared to Ink, it's far off..."
"Ink?"
Anya's brows furrowed.
"Yes, he was first to come out, and he was already level 7," one of the instructors said with a small chuckle.
For a second, Anya was speechless.
Then, her hand clenched into a fist.
She hated losing.
Her teammates noticed her expression and wisely said nothing.
Meanwhile, the students who had returned began settling down, resting, and eating.
Some immediately collapsed onto the grass, arms spread wide, too tired to move.
Even those who had struggled were waiting for the dungeon refresh—knowing they'd have to go back in three hours to keep leveling.
No one wanted to fall behind.