Chapter 27: Evolution Requirements Complete
Outside the gate, several elite-rank awakeners were positioned in the shadows of nearby buildings, their location allowing them to observe everyone who entered or left the gate camp without being detected themselves.
One of the awakeners, a younger man with dark hair and cold eyes, turned toward his colleague with obvious irritation. "Why are we here? The kid is obviously dead. We are awakeners who reached the elite-rank! We could be doing something more beneficial than waiting for a bastard child to leave that gate alive, when we both know he won’t."
His colleague, a man with a scar on his cheek and greying hair, sighed heavily before responding. "We are nothing but workers for Lady Vivienne. Elite-rank or not, we have to do our job. The pay is too good to refuse, and crossing the Von Ashblade family would be... unwise."
He paused, glancing toward the gate entrance. "Still, what you said is correct. That kid is definitely dea—"
His words died in his throat as his eyes spotted a familiar figure emerging from the camp. His face transformed dramatically, as if he had seen a ghost walking among the living.
The older awakener immediately nudged his colleague, who had closed his eyes in irritation.
"Look," he whispered urgently before nudging him. "Look at the gate."
The younger man opened his eyes and followed his partner’s gaze. His expression changed from annoyance to shock as he saw Draco Von Ashblade walking out of the Swift Gate, very much alive despite being covered in blood and moving with obvious exhaustion.
"That’s... impossible," the younger awakener muttered. "He’s been in there for over four hours. Solo students don’t survive that long in common-rank gates."
"Lady Vivienne is not going to be pleased with this development," his colleague observed grimly. "She was expecting very different news."
Both elite awakeners watched in stunned silence as Draco made his way through the camp, clearly battered but undeniably alive and victorious.
"Should we... intervene?" the younger man asked quietly.
"Absolutely not. Our orders were to observe and report, nothing more. Lady Vivienne will decide how to handle this... complication."
The younger awakener nodded before a dismissive expression crossed his face. "He was probably hiding throughout that entire time in the gate. It seems like we thought too highly of him, a bastard will remain a bastard."
His colleague grunted in agreement. "Four hours cowering behind rocks and trees, most likely. Probably ran into his first fox, got his ego shattered, and spent the rest of the time hiding or running towards the entrance.
Now that I think about it, it makes sense. We thought too highly of him, because he awakened a talent."
"The blood is probably from a single weak fox that caught him off guard before he ran away."
They both chuckled darkly at their words, their initial surprise fading into contempt.
"Lady Vivienne will be disappointed, but not surprised. The boy’s cowardice is exactly what she expected from bastard blood."
...
Walking out of the gate camp, Draco made his way toward the guard station. The same official who had processed his entry looked up with genuine surprise as he approached.
"Well, I’ll be damned. Didn’t expect to see you walking out of there, kid," the guard said, genuine relief evident in his voice. "When those hunting parties kept coming and going without seeing you, I figured..."
He trailed off, not wanting to voice what everyone had assumed.
"What took you so long in there?" the guard couldn’t help but ask, curiosity getting the better of him.
Draco, exhausted and wanting to avoid drawing attention to his actual plans, replied simply, "I was just scouting around, getting familiar with gate environments. Didn’t really fight much except for one fox that got too close."
The guard nodded in understanding, his expression showing relief rather than suspicion. "That makes sense. Smart approach for a first-timer, better to play it safe and learn the terrain than rush in and get yourself killed. Most students your age would’ve charged in trying to prove something."
"You look tired, son. Get yourself some rest and maybe think twice before going solo next time. Gates are dangerous even when you’re being careful."
"I will. Thank you," Draco replied, eager to return home.
...
In the Ashblade estate, Lady Vivienne sat in her private study, a porcelain teacup in her hands as she gazed out the window overlooking the estate grounds.
By her calculations, it had been nearly five hours since Draco had entered the Swift Gate. No student, especially not a bastard with delusions of grandeur, survived that long in a common-rank dungeon without a team.
By now, there should be nothing left but scattered remains.
A soft knock at her study door interrupted her contemplation. "Enter," she called, not bothering to turn from the window.
Her personal servant stepped inside, his expression carefully neutral as always. "My lady, you have visitors. The servants you were expecting."
"Ah, perfect timing. Send them in."
Two figures entered the study, the same elite-rank awakeners who had been stationed to observe the gate camp.
"Well?" Lady Vivienne asked, finally turning from the window with anticipation evident in her green eyes. "I trust the matter has resolved itself as expected?"
The younger awakener cleared his throat uncomfortably. "My lady, the bastard... he emerged from the gate."
Lady Vivienne’s teacup paused halfway to her lips. "Emerged?"
"Alive, my lady. He exited the gate approximately thirty minutes ago."
Her expression remained composed as she set the teacup on a nearby table.
"Explain." She said, her tone so cold it sent chills down the two servant’s spines.
The older awakener gulped before explaining what they saw. "The boy appeared largely uninjured except for some blood on his clothes. We think that he spent most of his time hiding rather than fighting."
What the awakeners didn’t know, was that Draco had prepared himself for scenarios where his clothes would tear, and he had brought with him some change. And it proved effective as the elite fox had tore up his sleeve beyond help.
Lady Vivienne’s eyes fixed both men with an intense stare as they explained their observation. After they finished, she said. "You may leave,"
Both awakeners nodded before leaving hurriedly, her stare was making their back sweat buckets.
Alone in her study, Vivienne had a large frown on her face. It was either the bastard had truly been there hiding, or he was practising.
The former theory didn’t make sense. Why would he enter a gate, spend golden coins just to hide and run from the creatures inside.
...
The next day, inside his house, Draco was finishing his last task with Zephyr.
Daily Mission:
100 Press-ups ☑️
100 Sit-ups ☑️
100 Pull-ups ☑️
10 km run ☑️
15 minutes of cultivation with a contracted Beast ☑️
Practice basic communication exercises with Zephyr ☑️
[You have received +2 EXP.]
[You have received 1 Stat point.]
-----
After the fight with the fox, Draco realised his constitution was too weak. One attack from the fox had left him heavily injured and a second or third strike might’ve taken his life. Hence, he decided to place his stat point into constitution.
Draco Von Ashblade [Awakened] EXP: 37/100
Title: None
Talent: Dragon Lord (SSS-Rank)
Strength: 14(+3) / Agility: 21 (+3) / Constitution: 14 / Mana: 51
Beastmaster Manual: Common-Rank [0/2 EXP]
Skills: Stone Heart(Uncommon, Lvl.1)
Stat points: 0
Requirements for D-Rank talent Evolution:
1x Common-Rank Beast Core
► Status: [Obtained ☑️]
1x Four-Petal Swiftleaf
► Status: [Obtained ☑️]
Daily usage of Micro-Vision and Super-Sonic for 7 consecutive days
► Progress: [Obtained ☑️]