[Calculating rewards…]

'Finally.'

Some messages popped up. Three to be exact.

[For making it into the top 20 cadets, you have been granted residency in the Ascension dorms. Tap here for more information.]

This much was within my expectations. The Ascension dorms were the peak of all the luxury Bastion had to offer.

While I hadn't seen them yet, just from looking at the quality of a standard cadet's bedroom and remembering what I'd written in the novel, I knew they had to be pretty damn good.

I moved on to the next one.

[For making it into the top 10 cadets, you have been granted 500 credit points, as well as the ability to select any heartblood of your choosing for the purposes of advancement. All costs shall be covered by the Academy. Tap here for more information.]

I really couldn't stop myself from smiling as I saw the message. This had been my main goal from the start.

The reason I'd used a favor from Song. The reason I spent all that time thoroughly strategizing, lying, and bullshitting my way into killing the predator.

It finally lay before me.

Credit points were currency in the Academy. They were mainly used to purchase things the school didn't cover. Like restaurants, specialized training facilities, and higher ranked martial art manuals.

The Academy typically gave students monthly stipends of a measly 10 points. But even that was enough to regularly use most of the Academy's facilities.

However, credit points were worth far more than just those. They could also be used to buy heartblood, vitae injections, and even artifacts. Unfortunately, with even the lowest ranked artifacts costing above 400 points, that monthly stipend wouldn't get anyone very far.

The only reliable way of earning points would be by taking on missions, and sadly first years were restricted from those.

Of course, there were still some other ways of earning points, but that's besides the point.

Those 500 points were very important to me, and perhaps even more important than them was the choice of selecting my own heartblood.

Naturally, all students in the Academy required heartblood to advance. If one couldn't source it from outside, which I definitely couldn't, the school would be willing to cover the cost for you.

But it wouldn't be free, and they wouldn't give you a choice in the matter. Whatever trashy heartblood they had in inventory, or whatever they thought was best for you, was what you'd be getting.

Meaning whatever ability or physique you got would be completely out of your control.

But not me, not when I had this reward. There were so many possible paths a gift like Error could take, and I sure as hell wouldn't be allowing someone else to make that choice for me.

Ever since I came up with a plan of hunting that Beast down, I'd already had a monster and a possible physique in mind.

But I didn't act on those thoughts yet, as I glanced over the third and final message.

[For achieving the impossible, and coordinating the glorious hunt of a beast nearly 2 ranks above you. You have been granted the right to select one D-rank artifact of your choice.]

'Wuh?'

I stared dumbfoundedly at the notification, still unsure of whether I was seeing it clearly. Rubbing my eyes, the notification remained floating before me.

"I-it's still there…. Ah… Ahaha! YES! That's Wha-"

Right when I was about to jump off my bed in celebration, the room door slammed open, a worried looking nurse rushing in.

"Are you alright, Cadet Victor?"

I paused, glancing at my raised fist, before clearing my throat awkwardly and bringing it down.

"Uh… I just stubbed my toe."

"On a hospital bed."

"Crazy right? What do they even put in this stuff?"

"Foam. It's made out of foam."

"I'll stop talking now."

The woman gave the room a once-over, giving me a last glance, before finally closing the door.

'Well, that could have gone better.'

Still, I wasn't of the mind to care right now, as all my thoughts remained focused on the last message.

'A D-rank artifact.'

That was at least 5,000 points by Academy standards. The only reason I'd even been able to lay a hand on one so far was due to Song's family being rich as hell.

Nobles like them could easily afford sending artifacts like that to their heirs.

But for someone like me? A piss-poor orphan? It was basically godsent.

Just having a proper artifact of that rank allowed us to take down a beast as terrifying as the predator.

Although I wouldn't be able to use it effectively due to the immense essence cost on a lower-ranked hunter like myself, that problem would effectively disappear the moment I advance.

And with my frankly absurd potential, that was only a matter of time.

It would put me on more equal footing with noble heirs in the coming midterms too.

All in all, it was almost completely worth being dismembered in the simulation.

Almost.

I let out a shaky sigh, before resting my back against the bed frame.

Looking out the window, it simulated a darkening orange sky outside, with the gentle chirping of birds playing in the background. I felt strangely irritated at the sight.

Still, it was evening now. Meaning I had now and the entirety of tomorrow to prepare for the shitstorm that would be brewing when classes finally resumed.

Firstly, that damnable Skinwalker would start making its moves. Although I knew the identity of its host, exposing the monster wouldn't be easy.

Those parasites became much better at hiding and escaping detection the stronger they got. They also grew annoyingly paranoid.

Just knowing its main host wouldn't allow me catch it this time. Not if it was a Terror ranked beast.

Even disregarding the veritable nightmare hiding within the Academy, there was still the student council fiasco coming up.

It had been a pretty bad time in the novel as well, given the crazy power struggle that had occurred between Varic and Racheal's camps. It'd only served to further fuel their enmity toward each other.

I'd have to find a way to deal with that as well. House Aurelius and Solaris could wipe themselves out for all I cared, but the cadets had to be united.

Else, this world was completely doomed.

I rubbed my forehead in frustration.

'Just one task, after another.'

Alas, there was nothing I could do about it besides growing stronger.

With that in mind, I opened the interface once again. Selecting the heartblood of my choice, as well as a suitable artifact from the catalog there.

[Your items will be delivered to the Ascension dorms tomorrow.]

'Pretty quick. I guess they have it in stock.'

Yawning, I closed the screen, before snuggling into my blanket.

Although I just woke up, I still felt pretty tired… and hungry. But sleep came first, I could always feed myself later.

I closed my eyes, and was whisked away into a cold, desolate dreamscape.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.