Chapter 46: Elite-rank
Time passed by steadily as Draco continued his exploitation of the lake area’s resources. His aggressive approach to both beast hunting and student encounters proved devastatingly effective, allowing him to accumulate cores at a rate that far exceeded his initial projections.
The shoreline had indeed attracted numerous creatures seeking water, just as he had predicted. Groups of Midnight Bears, smaller scavenger beasts, and even some aquatic creatures that ventured onto land provided a steady stream of hunting opportunities. His speed and Zephyr’s evolved capabilities made each encounter brief.
Every beast we encounter is another ten points. The efficiency is remarkable when you don’t waste time.
But the real acceleration in his core accumulation came from his encounters with other students. Word of his capabilities hadn’t spread widely enough to serve as an effective deterrent, meaning he continued to find teams and individuals who underestimated the threat he represented.
A small group of three C-Class students who had been successfully hunting fell to the same overwhelming speed and skill that had defeated the D-Class team earlier. Their protests about "unfair tactics" were ignored as efficiently as their attempts at resistance.
[Master, we’re getting really good at this!]
Another solo student, a B-Class earth manipulator who should have been more challenging, discovered that his defensive barriers were useless against Draco’s insane speed.
Each successful encounter added multiple cores to Draco’s collection while simultaneously eliminating potential competition for the remaining resources in the area. The strategy was creating a compounding advantage that grew stronger with each victory.
After a few hours, Draco’s total had reached an impressive milestone.
Sixty cores. Six hundred points, assuming no additional herbs or bonus objectives.
Standing at the edge of the lake, Draco took a moment to assess his position. Sixty cores represented a substantial achievement that would easily qualify as a passing grade for the examination. Most students would be thrilled with such results.
But that’s not what I’m looking for.
Draco wasn’t interested in merely passing or achieving respectable scores. His goal was to claim one of the top positions in the examination rankings, potentially even first place. Such recognition would bring valuable rewards.
Glade and his followers have probably accumulated significant numbers through their hunting. Selene Frost’s ice magic gives her area-of-effect advantages that allow rapid beast elimination. The top A-Class students likely have similar totals.
The examination doesn’t end until the sun sets.
[Master, what’s our next move? More hunting around the lake, or should we explore new areas?] Zephyr chirped.
"We’ll continue working this area," Draco decided, scanning the shoreline for additional opportunities. "The lake environment is too productive to abandon while it’s still yielding results. Besides, I’m sure others will also have the same inclination and we will meet more powerful students later on."
...
The water source is a natural convergence point. Eventually, the stronger students will come here to hunt.
After another hour of hunting around the lake’s perimeter, Draco had accumulated ten additional cores, bringing his total to seventy. However, he was beginning to notice a significant change in the hunting environment.
The beasts are becoming scarce. It’s not that I lack the strength to handle them, but there simply aren’t as many left in this area.
The intensive hunting by multiple student groups throughout the day had clearly depleted the local beast population. While new creatures might wander into the territory eventually, the immediate opportunities were becoming limited.
Time to focus on a different kind of advancement.
Draco stopped his core accumulation activities and turned his attention to something far more important than examination points – his daily mission completion and the milestone he had been anticipating since awakening.
He had just gotten the notification that it was available.
It’s time to reach Elite rank.
Finding a secluded area near the lake where he could complete his exercises without attracting unwanted attention, Draco began his daily routine. The familiar sequence of physical training felt almost meditative after weeks of consistent practice.
[Master, are you doing the daily training now? Should I keep watch?]
"Yes, keep an eye out for any approaching students or beasts. This is important."
Time passed as Draco worked through each component of his daily mission. His new physical capabilities made the exercises significantly easier than they had been weeks ago, but he maintained perfect form and full repetitions.
—
Daily Mission:
100 Press-ups ☑️
100 Sit-ups ☑️
100 Pull-ups ☑️
10 km run ☑️
15 minutes cultivation with a contracted Beast ☑️
Practice basic communication exercises with Zephyr ☑️
—
[You have received +2 EXP.]
[You have received 1 Stat point.]
Perfect. Now I’m at 99 out of 100 experience points needed for Elite rank.
Before completing the final step toward his advancement, Draco made a strategic decision that he hoped would maximize the benefits of his rank progression.
Upon entering Elite rank, a person’s power nearly double. I believe that would mean doubling my stat attributes, If I allocate my free stat points before the advancement, they should also be doubled along with my natural stats.
It was a theory based on his understanding of how the system worked, but the potential benefits were too significant to ignore. With eight accumulated stat points available, he could potentially gain sixteen points worth of enhancement if his assumption proved correct.
—
Draco Von Ashblade [Awakened] EXP: 99/100
Title: None
Talent: Dragon Lord (SSS-Rank)
Strength: 18(+3) / Agility: 22 (+3) / Constitution: 20 / Mana: 51
Manual: Uncommon-Rank [0/4 EXP]
Skills: Stone Heart(Uncommon, Lvl.1)
Stat points: 0
—
Three points to strength, five to constitution. That should provide a good enhancement that gets doubled upon advancement.
With his stat points allocated, Draco settled into cultivation position with Zephyr to complete the final experience point needed for his advancement.
The cultivation session proceeded smoothly, their advanced connection making the energy flow between them feel more natural and powerful than ever before. When the final experience point integrated into his system, Draco felt a fundamental shift beginning in his entire being.
[Congratulations! You have advanced to Elite Rank!]
[All base attributes have been doubled!]
Power flowed through Draco’s body as his enhanced physique underwent another qualitative leap in capability.
—
Draco Von Ashblade [Elite] EXP: 1/200
Title: None
Talent: Dragon Lord (SSS-Rank)
Strength: 36 (+3) / Agility: 44 (+3) / Constitution: 40 / Mana: 102
Beastmaster Manual: Uncommon-Rank [1/4 EXP]
Skills: Stone Heart (Uncommon, Lvl.1)
Stat points: 0
—
Draco smiled broadly as he absorbed his transformed status display. His gamble had paid off perfectly – the stat points he had allocated before advancement had indeed been doubled along with his natural attributes.
Incredible. My strength has more than doubled, my agility is approaching superhuman levels, and my mana pool has expanded dramatically, it’s double the stat of those in elite rank, no perhaps even more.