Outside the Ascension Bureau, I leaned against the wall, panting hard as I clutched my chest.
...!
"Uff… that was close. These panic attacks are getting worse."
Ever since Mom died, I'd gotten good at bottling everything up. It was one of the main reasons I kept to myself. And now, just one glimpse of my father's face had nearly made me lose it again.
I knew this wasn't sustainable. I knew ignoring it would only let the chaos in my head pile up. But I wasn't ready—not yet.
Shaking it off, I stepped into the street.
The Bureau was always boxed in by guild branches and crowded marketplaces.
It didn't take long before I caught sight of it—towering above the others, a skyscraper with glass that shimmered like molten gold. The emblem of the [Golden Sun Guild] glowed above the entrance like some kind of divine stamp.
Technically, I could've sold the [Cores] at the Bureau's market, but that would've pulled too many eyes. Not worth the risk.
I stepped into the lobby—bright, glossy, full of rotating holographic screens showing real-time data across all 110 floors. I barely glanced. I already knew where I needed to go—the first floor. The place where everything below D-Rank got processed.
A row of elevators lined the hallway. I walked into the nearest one and pressed the button for the first floor.
Ding.
The doors slid open—
I froze the next moment as what I almost made me doubt if I somehow had been accidentally transported into a street market
What stood before me wasn't just a floor—it was a damn underground market the size of a stadium. Dozens of vendors jammed into tight spaces, yelling over one another as they sold gear, potions, weapons. Low-ranked Awakeners moved in waves between the stalls, never stopping for long.
I made my way to one of the quieter shops and dropped my haul—148 F-Rank Cores, 11 Mana Cores, and a Skill Scroll.
I hunted over fifteen hundred Goblins for this…? Was I cursed at birth or something? No one's luck is this bad… right?
The shopkeeper—a broad-faced guy with golden hair and a belly like a cauldron—blinked at the pile. "Saints above… did you raid a Portal with an army? Or hire slaves? No, wait—"
I didn't respond. Just stood there as he tallied everything up.
I didn't care what if this fatty had doubts or dangerous thoughts about me or my abilities. Even if he did, I wasn't worried much as this was High City under the direct protection of the Council. Even an S-Ranker wouldn't dare pull anything funny here. Not even in the dark!
Because as the famous quote here : The Council's eyes are everywhere.
That quote existed for a reason.
"Alright, I'll need your Awakener License to send the funds. You got it, right?" The Fatty asked, eager to shoo me away.
This guy probably not the type to entertain gloomy kid like me.
I handed it over.
"Man of few words, huh...? Any A-Rankers in your family?" he asked, scanning it with a glowing rune.
I shook my head. If I'd had someone like that backing me... would Mom have died like that? To something as pathetic as an illness?
"Shame," he muttered. "If you did, the tax would've dropped to single digits. But now... it's a full 26%."
A second later, my balance ticked up to $140,900, after a staggering tax.
The funds went directly into my Awakener License—not a bank account. Convenient, yeah... but it still made me uneasy.
That tax hurt—but I couldn't do anything about it.
I pulled out my phone from back pocket and opened the Application that had already my License details, also my fund - [$140,950].
I bit my lips, watching this amount turn into $15,950.
Gone in an instant as I bought a C-Rank potential [Skill Scroll]—[Arcane Barrier], a defensive-type.
I already had a decent offense type skill, so I had gone for defense now. And also I made a small goal to buy a Space Ring next.
I couldn't keep walking around with a backpack like some wandering merchant forever.
I had no idea how many Portals I'd need to raid to actually reach my goal.
On the way out, I flagged a SkyCab with a lazy wave.
"[Helix Academy]," I told the driver.
It was nearly twenty kilometers out, and the ride set me back $200—but at this point, I didn't care anymore.
The SkyCab lifted into the air, and two minutes later, I was at the gates.
Of course, I tipped the guy generously—$2. Exactly 1% of the fare.
Still, he gave me a look, like he couldn't believe it. Made me wonder if the poor guy just didn't know basic math.
I pressed my palm against the scanner embedded into the gate to confirm my identity.
[Lucian Vale from Class 12A, Welcome Back!]
The door before me opened automatically as I stepped through and made my way across campus at a slow, aimless pace until I reached my dorm.
It looked just as bleak as I felt—but at least it was clean
I didn't have any roommates. That was on purpose. Still, the muffled voices of students talking and laughing filtered through the walls.
I took a cold shower, changed into the softest pajamas I owned. Feeling hungry, I pulled a tray of fruit from the fridge and ate it all without bothering to slice anything, like a cave man.
Once done, I collapsed into the bed!
My thoughts wouldn't shut up—frustration tangling with unease.
Sure, I had awakened a unique Class. But someone had stripped away my ability to grow on my own, locking my progress behind Missions. No matter how much I tried to be rational about it, some part of me still hated that.
I am just a glorified slave, right?
If someone else controlled my path... what would happen if they lost interest? Or worse—if this was all just a game to them?
Was I really that desperate to get stronger?
Was living a quiet, ordinary life really—
Sleep hit before I could finish the thought.