[STT] Chapter 77: Not Interested (Patreon)

Making up his mind, he reached out and chose the last option from the list. He could sit here agonizing over perfect choices forever, but a whole new rift simply meant a whole new pile of loot.

And he really liked loot.

New notifications appeared in his vision as he chose his reward.

[Hidden Rift Key: Tier 2 Selected.]

[Generating item...]

Watching the screen, he noticed the other three rewards instantly dissolve into golden dust and fade away into nothingness. He winced a little at the loss of the blueprint and the memory shard, knowing he was probably throwing away a good power boost.

But the deed was done, and there was no time for regrets.

A small yet intricately made obsidian key materialized in the air and dropped into his open palm. It felt heavier than he thought it would be given its size, and upon closer inspection, seemed to have small runic symbols carved into it everywhere.

Looks pretty neat.

Closing his hand around the cold metal, he was startled when he felt it disappearing into obsidian mist that crawled up his arm and disappeared into his chest. He looked up at the two nobles and was a bit relieved when he noticed they didn't seem to be concerned about it.

He just assumed it was normal and that he could summon it at will, confirming that hypothesis a moment later when that thought spurred the key into appearing back into his hand again. He paused momentarily, then mentally ordered it to go back into his body.

The key disappeared.

"So. Where is the key? And what exactly is a hidden rift anyway?"

"The key is in your soul space. And as for the hidden rift…" Ethan smiled, waving a dismissive hand in the air. "Oh, you will find out on your own. It is honestly much better to experience it completely blind for the first time."

Alice nodded in agreement, leaning forward in her chair with a faint smile.

"He is right. The surprise is half the reward. But enough about the loot, Ben. What are your actual plans now that we're done with the rift?"

Plans?

Rubbing the back of his neck, he gave that a quick thought. He hadn't really looked past surviving the guardian fight, but now he actually had a future to think about.

"I'm going to advance. I've been sitting on enough essence to hit Tier 2 ever since I left the rift."

He just hadn't found the time to do so between getting his stomach ripped open by Marcus to everything else. Jumping a whole tier was going to be a massive boost to his survivability, pulling him entirely out of the novice ranks.

Ethan clapped his hands together, looking thoroughly impressed by the news.

"Tier 2 already! That is genuinely fantastic. So you are definitely aiming for Haven Academy then?"

Frowning, Ben looked between the two of them. Haven Academy was the entire reason this massive expedition even existed, and it was where basically every young noble in the western plains was currently heading.

Well, he assumed, at least. There ought to be other academies in this place.

Still… he wasn't a noble.

"Not really. I'm not in any huge rush to go to the academy right now. And I don't even know how a random commoner gets into a place like that anyway."

Alice tilted her head, her expression shifting into something completely serious.

"We could easily sponsor you. House Vane and House Lionheart both have more than enough pull to get you through the front gates as our official retainer."

Ethan crossed his arms, adding a quick warning to the offer.

"Though you should know that would instantly paint a massive target on your back."

Sighing, Ben pinched the bridge of his nose. It would, wouldn't it?

He had just publicly outscored most noble brat inside that rift. Half the expedition was already watching his every move, talking about the commoner who stole their glory.

Yeah, no.

They'd forget about him if he just disappeared for a bit. After all, it was far easier to dismiss him than acknowledge. And he wanted just that.

"I really just want to stay lowkey right now. Being your sponsored sounds like a fast track to getting stabbed in my sleep by some jealous rich kid. Is there really no other way in?"

Ethan and Alice exchanged a look before Ethan turned back to him.

"Well. There are the schools."

"Schools? You mean like the academy but for younger people?"

Alice shook her head, holding up three fingers.

"No. There are three exact paths into Haven. Sponsorship is obviously the easiest. We're all going sponsored by our own Houses, the expedition is mostly a farce where some of us gain 'experience' even though a lot of us have already been trained since young. The commoner exams are borderline impossible due to the amount of people participating alone. And then there is the third route."

Dropping her fingers as she talked, she started explaining the whole system in a way that actually made sense.

The schools were essentially independent training dojos scattered all around the major cities. They weren't tied to any Noble Houses, operating entirely on their own terms. And a lot of them actually acted as direct training and nurturing grounds for the big Adventurer Guilds.

You just signed up, trained under a master, and tried your best not to wash out.

"And the academy actually recruits from them?"

"Exactly. Haven reserves a very specific number of seats exclusively for the absolute best students from the independent schools."

Tapping his chin, Ethan took over the explanation.

"If you perform exceptionally well at a school, you earn the right to take a special entrance test for the academy. Pass that, and you are officially in as an independent student. Absolutely no noble sponsorship required."

Listening to them, Ben realized there was a big catch hiding in plain sight.

"You said a specific number of seats. How small are we talking?"

Alice grimaced, her shoulders dropping.

"Tiny. Which means the competition inside those schools is an absolute bloodbath. Everyone is fighting for the exact same limited tickets into Haven, and they will do literally anything to eliminate the competition before the tests."

So it was either paint a target on his back by rubbing shoulders with nobles, or paint a target on his back by joining a cutthroat dojo full of desperate people.

What a good time.

The simple days of just throwing [Mana Cannon] at monsters were already starting to feel like a distant, fond memory.

He had a lot to think about, and absolutely none of his options looked particularly safe.

###

He was finally going to advance. He was pretty excited about that. He desperately wanted that power boost. Sitting on a pile of unused essence was a bad idea. Spotting his tent up ahead, or Marcus's to be more specific, he quickened his pace. He wanted to be done with the last bit of surgery and advance. A figure stepped directly into his path and blocked his way.

Who is this guy?

Stopping short, Ben gave the stranger a quick look over. He was a bit older, dressed in clothes that didn't have a single speck of dirt on them. And he wore a very practiced, utterly fake smile.

"Ben! What an absolute pleasure to finally meet you. I am—"

"Not interested."

Cutting him off instantly, Ben didn't even bother letting him finish the introduction. He was quite literally moments away from hitting Tier 2, and this guy was nothing but a roadblock. So he really didn't have the patience for whatever this was supposed to be.

Blinking in surprise, he let out an awkward chuckle.

"I understand you are probably overwhelmed by all the recent attention. But my House is prepared to offer you an incredibly generous sponsorship. We are talking full academy tuition, monthly stipends, and premium gear access."

Taking a step closer, the guy lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.

"And all we ask in return is your loyalty."

"I said no."

He didn't know or care which House this guy belonged to. Because as Ethan and Alice had just warned him, accepting a sponsorship was just painting a giant target on his back.

"I'm not looking for a sponsorship right now. So have a good day."

Stepping around the guy, Ben caught a glimpse of his practiced smile tightening into a strained, thin line as he walked away.

Yeah, whatever.

Pushing into his tent, he walked inside. He had much better things to do.

Finally.

It was time to spend all that essence and pull himself out of Tier 1 once and for all.

Now where is Marcus?

So he could get the last bit of the glass shards removed before he advanced, as he didn't want any unforeseen side effects.

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