Annie suddenly grabbed Brenna's arm, leading her out of the room. "Give us a minute," she said to Draven, closing the door behind her.
Draven stared at the door for a moment before climbing out of the third-floor window. Using the building's protrusions and crevices, he scaled down to the ground with practiced ease.
Once outside, he exhaled deeply, the tension in his chest finally easing.
"One month to ascend to the next rank?" Draven muttered under his breath, his gaze distant and unfocused. "At this rate, news of death will stop fazing me altogether."
He shook his head, dispelling the haze in his mind. "I'd better get to work. No time to waste dawdling."
First, he transferred fifty thousand credit units for the tests to the account already in his transaction history. Then, he made his way to the Council Association Store and purchased a First Order Transient-rank armor, which cost a hundred thousand credit units.
The money from the Council Association was meant for both an attack and a defense gear, but Draven had already spent part of it. Now, he was left with only fifty thousand credit units.
Draven had planned to rest today, but it seemed like the concept of rest was incompatible with the guillotine of death hanging over him.
He decided to grab a decent meal before heading to the Council Association.
"Hello," Draven greeted the lady behind the desk again.
"Coollastname, any problems?" she asked with a professional smile.
"No, but I want to enter the Green House Plane. I was directed here since it's my first time," Draven replied politely.
"Why don't you wait until the Basic Academy enters the Plane in two weeks? It's safer with a partners," she suggested.
"Too late for that." Draven shrugged.
"Few people enter the Plane alone because it's dangerous. Besides, what is it with you newbies being so impatient? But if you're confident, go change into your gear in the dressing room on the left, summon your weapon and armor, and follow me," she said.
Following her instructions, Draven changed into his earth-brown armor, which clung tightly to his body, stopping at his neck. When he returned, the lady raised an eyebrow.
"Where's your weapon?"
Draven put on his best smile. "You see, I lost fifty thousand credit units from the money. So, if you don't mind, could you lend me some? I'll repay you with interest."
"Unserious," she clicked her tongue before walking deeper into the building.
"I figured," Draven mumbled, staring at her back.
"Are you coming?" she called out, and Draven quickly caught up.
She led him to a large room filled with people dressed in armors of various types and colors. They stood at the back of the sparse crowd as young men, women, and teenagers walked into a massive mirror that could barely fit six people. The mirror's surface rippled like liquid silver as each person stepped through.
"Wow…" Draven's eyes widened at the sight.
"Okay, you saw how it's done. Don't touch anything; just walk into it, and it will take you to the Rank 1 Plane—the Green House," the lady explained.
"Then why did you follow me if that's all I need to do?" Draven arched an eyebrow.
She gave him a pointed look. "You can never underestimate the stupidity of newbies, even to obvious answers, and past records have proven me right. Remember, for next time, all you need to do is enter the mirror. Don't touch or do anything to it, or you could get locked up."
Draven nodded. "So, you're the newbie helper. Any advice for someone like me?"
She stared at him for a moment, then spoke calmly. "It's advisable to ascend to the Second Order of the Transient rank before making your way to the Haven. It'll give you a better chance of survival. Besides, you need very little mana to ascend the first time." Her tone turned solemn as she locked eyes with him. "And don't get too greedy. In the Plane, the penalty for greed is death."
Draven nodded gravely, the curse flashing in his mind when he heard 'death'.
She patted his shoulder with a smile, lightening the mood. "Okay, it's your turn. Try not to die—you don't have a cool last name yet."
Draven shook his head and walked toward the mirror. He noticed the odd glances from others but paid them no mind. Summoning the Desolate Might, he felt the sharp increase in the raw strength in his right arm and nodded as he approached the rippling surface.
"What an impromptu decision," Draven muttered under his breath before stepping into the mirror.
He felt a brief weightlessness and darkness before finding himself in an open field dotted with scattered rock boulders and a few broken hills. His heart pounded as he scanned his surroundings with heightened vigilance. Seeing nothing immediately threatening, he closed his eyes to sense the Haven, as he'd been instructed. Surprisingly, he felt a pull to his left.
He didn't waste time and began moving in that direction. Just as he was about to pass a small boulder on his right, the top of it shifted and lunged at him—no, a monster camouflaged as the boulder leapt at him.
Draven spotted the massive creature hurtling toward him with blurry speed.
'Camouflage.'
Gritting his teeth, he dove to the left and swung his right arm upward, smashing it into the air. The creature let out a shriek and tumbled away.
Draven instinctively wanted to flee toward the Haven after regaining his footing, but the lady's words echoed in his mind.
'I don't know how far the Haven is, so I need to ascend first. I can't afford to die. It's only at the Second Order that I'll truly have a superhuman physique.'
As he regained his bearings, balling his trembling right hand into a fist, the creature was already scuttling toward him. It was a half-meter-long crab, its brown shell blending perfectly with the surroundings. It stopped a few meters away, raising its pincers and snapping them with jarring clicks.
'Intimidation?'
The crab closed in with deliberate steps, and Draven matched each one with a step back, his eyes locked on the creature.
'My right arm is my only weapon… and mental serration skill.'
Draven calculated his chances as the crab advanced. Suddenly, he stopped moving, focusing entirely on the creature. Adrenaline surged through his veins, and the sound of his heartbeat drowned out everything else.
The two stood still, locked in a tense standoff.
Draven suddenly feinted as if to run, and the crab lunged like a cannonball. He twisted his body to dodge and swung his right arm, landing a solid punch on the crab.
BOOM!
The crab was sent flying into a rock boulder, its impact cracking the stone and sending tiny shards flying in all directions. The creature let out a piercing shriek.
Draven ignored the pain in his arm and pounced on the trembling monster, raining punches with both fists. His left arm felt like it was about to snap, each blow against the crab's hard shell sending jolts of pain through his body. It was like punching solid rock, but he didn't stop.
After three relentless minutes, a notification appeared:
[First Order Transient killed: Earth Crab.]
[+1 Soul Vitalis.]
Draven finally stopped, panting heavily as he stood over the crab's cracked carapace leaking with blood.
'My right arm really did all the work,' he thought, flexing his wrist.
Suddenly, he heard loud footsteps from behind the hill.
He snapped his head toward the sound.
'Give me a break!'