Chapter 134: Entering the Second Floor
"The winner is Vlad Lumberjack!" Sophia announced, her voice filled with excitement. "Congratulations to our junior for officially entering the top fifty."
A ripple of cheers erupted, Vlad’s name echoing through the arena.
On the ground below, two staff members arrived and carried Marcus out on a stretcher. As for Vlad, he didn’t seem to be celebrating his victory. He stood still, his eyes fixed on the system screen, visible only to him.
[Congratulations! You have completed sub-quest #2: Quest Hunter!]
[Sub-quest #3: Debut of Rising Star is unlocked!]
[You have received the key to enter the second floor of Ascension Dungeon!
{Click to claim}]
---
"Junior Vlad, now that you have entered the top fifty, you may challenge anyone in the ten ranks above you," Sophia explained from the commentary booth, shifting Vlad’s focus back from the screen. "Whom would you challenge next?"
Everyone was eager to know that. How far was Vlad really going to rise in his debut in the arena?
"I shall stop here," Vlad said, picking his sword up from the ground.
Without any further explanation, he went back into the tunnel from where he had entered, leaving everyone silent for a moment.
What followed next was the disappointed booing of the spectators.
"Tch, he backed off after reaching the border," one of them muttered. "So annoying."
"Must be scared to face the real competitors," another added. "He’s just all show."
Surprisingly, for the first time, someone even spoke in Vlad’s support.
"I wonder what rank you’d have to be to call Vlad all show," a girl demanded, her eyes narrowed at the gossiping group. "Must be top twenty, since you’re a senior as well."
No response came. He just lowered his eyes in shame and annoyance. Already eliminated by Vlad in the preliminaries, how could he even respond to the girl’s remark.
"Instead of ignoring the fact that he reached the top fifty in his debut, you jealous people are just trying to find a reason to criticize him. Get a life!" another girl added.
Several other girls joined them in Vlad’s support as well. No one criticized Vlad in the arena after that.
---
Later that evening...
"Only twenty days remain until the deadline Sera gave me to attain eligibility for S-Ranked quests," Vlad murmured, sitting at his usual spot on the stone roof of the dormitory. "I need to finish ten A-Ranked quests, defeat one of the top ten, and become a Sentinel Knight in this time. Honestly, what was Seraphina thinking, that this is attainable in less than a month? Even for an S-Ranked, it’s not a possible task."
After a brief pause, he released a sigh. "Forget it. I just need to give it my all."
With that decision, he pressed the claim button on the system screen before him.
With a mild flicker of blue lightning, a rusty metallic key pushed out from the holographic display, falling into Vlad’s hand.
Ding...
[The Ascension Dungeon is now available!
{Click to enter}
Note:
1. You will not be able to leave the dungeon until you reach the checkpoint.
2. Time flows quickly in the dungeon relative to the real world.]
"This time, I’ve already packed six months’ worth of food and plenty of books in my ring," Vlad chuckled to himself, his voice filled with excitement. He took his phone out and texted Chloe about his so-called training with his benefactor before entering the dungeon.
As soon as he pressed the button, the reality around his finger fractured, the cracks spreading outward. In the next moment, it shattered like glass, revealing a dark dimension with its edges flickering with bolts of lightning.
He hadn’t even pulled his finger back when he was suddenly sucked into the dimension.
His body moved past countless streaks of different colored light before hitting the cold floor of a dark hall.
Naturally, the vomiting followed immediately afterward, the hall filling with his coughs.
"H-here I am again," Vlad muttered, wiping his lips as he rose to his feet. The stone-tiled floor was broken in several places. At the center of the hall lay a broken pillar, sliced perfectly in half, with two hemispheres between them.
"So it turned into a pile of rocks," Vlad said, kneeling before a pile of rock debris spread across the floor, which had once been a massive rock golem.
After a quick glance at the fallen figure of his first monster opponent, he checked the adjoining room attached to the hall, the one from which the golem had entered.
It was smaller in size and darker, with no source of light. If not for a bracelet glowing at the center of the floor, Vlad wouldn’t have seen a thing inside.
Taking cautious steps, Vlad moved closer to the silver bracelet and picked it up. Several runic symbols were etched onto it.
Ding...
[You have received the Bracelet of Eternity!]
[Description: A mysterious artifact capable of regenerating any wound, so long as its wielder remains alive. Only works inside the Ascension Dungeon.]
"Infinite regeneration?" Vlad exclaimed, his voice echoing through the empty room. "It’s a pity that I can only use it inside the dungeon."
He put on the bracelet as he moved out of the room, muttering, "Tch, what use will it be to me here? It’s not like I’m going to have some life-and-death battle here."
He took the rusty key out of his pocket and inserted it into the keyhole of the massive iron door in front of him.
Followed by a reverberating sound of gears rotating, the door opened with a groan, revealing another large hall.
Glowing stones were embedded in the ceiling, filling the room with a luminous light.
On the walls to either side of him, a door was set into each wall. One had a keyhole, and the other was completely plain, just like the doors in the previous room.
A ripple of chills surged through Vlad’s body as his gaze fell upon the thing at the center, leaving him with parted lips.
"Wh-what in the world is this?" he murmured, completely bewildered.