Ch.11

Driving his car through the quiet, tree-lined road, Ain decided it was finally time to head home after a long day spent honing his abilities. Normally, this early retreat wouldn't be part of his routine—yesterday, for instance, he had stayed out much later, pushing the limits of his newfound strength. But with tomorrow being the day of his graduation test, Ain had no choice but to return.

Despite having already made up his mind to become an adventurer, Ain still had to complete his formal education. The graduation test, a symbolic hurdle for most students, involved exploring a dungeon.

In this world, dungeons were as common as rivers or hills—portals to otherworldly realms teeming with monsters, treasures, and dangers. And conveniently, one such dungeon portal lay right next to Ain's school. The upcoming test was nothing complicated, at least not for him: explore the dungeon, survive, and make it back in one piece.

The dungeon itself was rated only 1-star, which, in dungeon terms, meant that the strongest monsters inside were capped at apprentice level, around level 10 according to Ain's system. For the average student, this was still a challenge. They would need to exercise caution, coordinate their efforts, and hope that luck was on their side to avoid serious injuries or worse.

(Author Note: Peak Apprentice level is equal to 10-A)

But for Ain? This was a walk in the park. His strength had long surpassed anything the dungeon could throw at him. At his current level of power—pseudo-urban—he could obliterate buildings with a flick of his wrist. If anything, tomorrow's test would be more of a formality than an actual challenge.

The road through the forest remained quiet as he drove, the rhythmic hum of his car's engine almost soothing against the backdrop of rustling leaves and chirping insects. He was lost in thought, mentally preparing for the events of the next day, when suddenly, the road ahead was blocked.

Ain's eyes narrowed slightly as his car approached a makeshift checkpoint. Armed officers, dressed in the distinctive uniforms of the local law enforcement, stood in formation, their expressions serious. Judging by their tense stance and the scattering of patrol cars, something big had happened.

Slowing his vehicle to a stop, Ain watched as one of the officers stepped forward, clearly ready to question any passerby. However, the moment the officer's eyes fell on Ain, his expression shifted from one of suspicion to sheer awe. He blinked rapidly, as if trying to recalibrate his thoughts.

Ain was used to this reaction. His sharp, chiseled features, combined with his regal bearing, gave him an air of effortless elegance that often left people momentarily stunned. The officer, struggling to keep his professionalism intact, seemed to find it difficult to associate someone who looked like Ain with anything suspicious.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, the officer spoke, "Good evening, sir. Apologies for the inconvenience, but we're conducting a search in the area. There's been a plane crash nearby, and just beyond the site, we found an abandoned warehouse. We suspect… terrorist activity. We advise everyone to exercise caution while passing through this area."

Ain raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise at the news. Inside, however, the corner of his mouth twitched with amusement. The "terrorist activity" they were investigating? Well, that was actually his doing. Earlier that day, while testing his Arsenal, Ain might have caused a little more destruction than he intended.

Still, Ain kept his expression neutral. His eyes remained calm, his body language composed, as if the mention of terrorism hadn't fazed him in the slightest. "Thank you for the warning, officer," he said, his voice smooth and confident. "I'll make sure to be careful."

The officer nodded quickly, still a bit dazzled by Ain's princely demeanor. He offered a respectful salute before stepping back, allowing Ain to drive through.

As Ain resumed his drive, he couldn't help but smirk to himself. Terrorist activity? If only they knew what was really going on.

The officer's earlier awe had played perfectly in Ain's favor. Had it been anyone else in that car, they probably would've been grilled with questions, maybe even detained for further investigation. But not Ain. His striking appearance and poised attitude had made it impossible for the officer to even consider him a suspect.

One has to admit, that looks could get you out of almost anything.

--The Next Day--

Ain woke up from his sleep and went through his usual routine. After a quick trip to the bathroom, he moved to the kitchen and prepared a simple breakfast. It wasn't anything fancy, just enough to fuel him for the day ahead.

Once he finished eating, Ain pulled up his system interface and completed his daily sign-in.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for signing in! You have received Passive Skill: Space-Time Rupture.]

Ain's eyes widened as he read the notification. The skill name alone sounded impressive, almost too good to be true. Intrigued, he quickly opened the skill description, eager to see what this new ability had to offer.

[Passive Skill: Space-Time Rupture. This passive ability allows the user to enter a Space-Time Rupture state after successfully dodging or parrying an attack. While in this state, for 3 seconds, the user perceives time and space as being slowed to the absolute minimum.]

"Wait, isn't this the passive from Honkai Impact 3?" Ain muttered to himself, recalling the similar mechanic from the game. Seeing the description, a grin spread across his face. He wasn't disappointed—this passive skill had incredible potential, especially when combined with his [Sense Augmentation]. With his heightened senses, Ain could dodge attacks effortlessly and trigger the Space-Time Rupture. Once activated, the world around him would slow to a crawl, allowing him to launch devastating counterattacks.

"If I time this right, I could enter an overkill state with ease," Ain mused. Even without relying on his firearms, he now had the ability to dismantle groups of monsters with his fists alone, thanks to the lethal combination of enhanced senses and the new passive skill. His combat potential had just skyrocketed.

Ain finished his breakfast, still mulling over his new skill, and headed out to school. Today was the day of the graduation test, and although Ain already knew it wouldn't be much of a challenge, he had to go through with it if he wanted to formally complete his education.

Arriving at school, he entered the large classroom filled with students buzzing with excitement and anxiety about the test. The teacher, an older man with a sharp gaze and a calm demeanor, walked in and called the class to attention. After doing a quick roll call to ensure all students were present, the teacher cleared his throat and began explaining the details of the graduation test.

"Alright, everyone, as you're aware, today's test will take place in the dungeon beneath the school. Each of you will have the option to form teams or go solo. Remember, the choice is yours, but be aware that teamwork can have its advantages. Regardless of your choice, your results will be judged by us teachers, who will be observing everything through the mini cameras you'll be given before entering the dungeon."

At that, the teacher raised a small, sleek device—a body camera that would be fastened to each student. "These cameras will record your actions, so be mindful of how you conduct yourselves."

Ain leaned back in his chair, listening halfheartedly. The concept of being observed didn't bother him.

The teacher continued, pulling down a projection screen to reveal the grading criteria for the test. "Now, let's talk about how your scores will be calculated. The key factors include teamwork, problem-solving, and of course, combat."

Ain's ears perked up slightly at the mention of combat.

The teacher's tone became more serious. "One important thing to note—using guns or firearms will significantly lower your score. While I understand some of you may rely on them for safety, this is a test to measure your combat ability and adaptability. Guns make it far too easy to clear the dungeon, and thus, you'll be penalized heavily for relying on them. If you want to score well, you'll need to demonstrate skill with weapons, magic, or hand-to-hand combat."

Several students groaned at the announcement, realizing that their usual crutch—their guns—wouldn't be the ace up their sleeve this time.

Ain smirked to himself. 'So, using guns lowers the score? That's fine by me'.

His raw physical strength, combined with the Space-Time Rupture and his Sense Augmentation, made him more than capable of handling whatever the dungeon had to throw at him without pulling the trigger.

"As you enter the dungeon, keep in mind that this test isn't just about survival. It's about showing your growth, resourcefulness, and tactical thinking. Use the environment, understand your enemies, and work with your team if you choose to form one. Those who succeed will have truly earned their place as graduates."

With that, the teacher handed out the cameras, explaining how they worked. Each student would need to wear the device on their chest, ensuring that everything they did was captured on film. This would allow the teachers to assess their combat prowess and overall performance.

Ain accepted his camera with a neutral expression, though inside, he was already strategizing. If the dungeon creatures were capped at the peak apprentice, it wouldn't be much of a challenge. The real test, at least for him, would be holding back enough to avoid drawing too much attention.

For him, this is the greatest challenge, After all, it's harder to control yourself to step on ants without crushing them than actually crushing them.

As the students gathered in groups, discussing strategies and forming teams, Ain remained silent. He had no intention of teaming up. It wasn't arrogance, Because Ain is a loner from the start, and with his current strength there is no need to do such a troublesome thing, after all, everyone hates trouble, right?

Once everyone had their cameras and instructions, the teacher looked over the class one last time. "You have one hour to prepare. After that, you'll enter the dungeon in the order of your assigned groups or you can choose to go solo. Good luck."

The classroom buzzed with activity as students began finalizing their plans.

(end of chapter)

[Name: Ain Richter

HP: 100% - MP: 100% - Stamina: 100%

Level: 24 (3000/75,000 XP)

Title: [Player - Fourth Natural Disaster (Equipped)]

Awakened Attribute: [Characteristic of Ant] [Wisdom Cube: Semi-Active]

Skills: [Extreme Computing Power—Lösen Algorithm] [Skill: Construct Arsenal] [Passive: Space-Time Rupture)

Combat Strength: Pseudo - Urban Level ]