[ Congratulations, you have acquired an Assorted Box of Potions (T1 - T2) ]
'Oh?' Zed checked the box's details.
[ Assorted Box of Potions ]
Contains the following items:
Vigor Boost Potion (T1) x 3
Healing Potion (T2) x 10
Lumen Boost Potion (T1) x 3
Omni-Defense Potion (T2) x 5
'Guess this will be helpful in the Playground.'
[ Yes. The Novices from strong families already have potions. Several are at peak and strong, guaranteed to be selected. Just like you, my lord. ]
Zed smiled.
He proceeded to use the third ticket.
1 x Ticket Spin!
[ Congratulations, you have acquired an S-rank Cultivation Manual Selector Box. ]
'What?!' Zed's eyes widened.
[ This is very good, my lord. ]
Zed eagerly opened the box in his mind and saw three options.
Firebloom Veil Manual (S) / Ki-based
Wooden Spurt Kingdom Manual (S) / Spirit-based
Ice Palace Dominion Manual (S) / Ki-based
'Mhmm… We can form two cores, right? One spirit-based and one ki-based?'
[ Yes, my lord. ]
Zed made his choice.
If his Ki suddenly showed fire, it would attract unwanted attention, which he didn't want yet.
What he must do is make himself appear as a prodigy they could nurture and control while getting stronger without letting them know.
He would leave his Ki-path open and secretly cultivate his Spirit-path.
[ Good idea, my lord. You can use spirit for the secret identity in various tasks your open identity can't do, separating both personas to infiltrate big players of this planet. ]
'Yep.' Zed used the 4th ticket after picking the Wooden Spurt Kingdom Manual.
[ Congratulations, you have acquired a Tier-2 Assorted Box of Elemental Resources. ]
'Oh?' Zed blinked.
[ This is a very good reward, my lord. It should have an Ice-attribute resource, which you can use to form Ice Palace Dominion's Core. Its power will make you unbeatable in Novice-rank. ]
'Is there anyone else with an S-rank manual here?'
[ The Playgrounds should have given people S-rank Manuals of all ranks, but I don't see any Novice here with that. However, that middle-aged person testing the students has an S-rank manual's core. ]
Zed glanced at the man. 'And its power is gravity?'
[ Among other powers, yes. This academy headmaster is a powerful Lord-rank Player. And he is paying attention to you. That teacher Liu must have told him about you. ]
'Then we might meet soon.' Zed internally chuckled.
'For now, let's see what's in the last ticket.'
1 x Ticket Spin!
[ Congratulations, you have acquired a Tier-3 item—Ring of Harkel. ]
'Tier-3, eh? So it's better than the dagger.'
[ Ring of Harkel ]
Rank: Tier-3 / Peak
Attribute: Earth, Blood, Wind
Effect:
—> Prickly Skin (Passive): Reduces Ki-based damage on you by 20% and inflicts sharp pain on the attacker.
—> Shell-Shocked (Active): At the cost of 1000 or more Spirit, you can conjure a barrier that will block both Ki and Spirit attacks. Each hit on the barrier will produce a shockwave in the surroundings, pushing and damaging those struck. The strength of the barrier depends on the Spirit consumed when activating it.
[ This ring is a whole realm better than the dagger, yes. This item will be suppressed to Tier-1, like the dagger, once you enter the Tier-1 Playground, but it will still prove to be useful. ]
'Wait, so the things get suppressed?'
[ Of course, my lord. Tier-1 Playground's limit is Tier-1. Only Novice-rank players can enter, and even if they bring higher-tiered items, those items will be suppressed. ]
'Got it.'
Zed looked at the watch he wore and saw he still had two minutes, so he started making the formation of the Wooden Spurt Kingdom Manual.
In exactly one minute and forty-six seconds, Zed finished the formation.
'Both formations are ready, and I also have resources. All I need is a place to sit and form the two cores.'
[ You should be able to do that in the Playground. ]
Zed looked around. Many kids were no longer standing as the gravitational pressure had increased significantly.
Several fell in the last ten seconds, frustration and disappointment plastered on their faces as they lay down under the pressure.
Lina and Katy were barely holding on, but Amelia and Izara had fallen.
[ Congratulations to the forty-seven of you for passing the first round. Head to the bamboo forest and receive your reward. One hour later, the second round will start. ]
Hearing the word 'reward,' the eyes of students who passed lit up.
Katy arrived grinning and sweating buckets. "I wonder what they'll give us as a reward."
"I hope it's something that can increase your Vigor and my Lumen," Lina said with a wry smile. "Because judging by the competition, we might not go past the second round if we don't get stronger."
Katy looked around and saw some of them without any sweat. "Those elite class students who have Players as their parents sure have it easy."
"Their parents can give them resources from the Playgrounds they go to, but we'll have our chance," Lina said, clenching her fists. "We'll get strong."
"Zed, you also look like the first round was nothing." Katy blinked at Zed.
"Come on, let's get the reward." Zed smiled. "And I assure you, you will pass the second round."
Amelia and Izara arrived, completely exhausted. "Good luck. We're going to rest and then eat."
"Better luck next time," Zed winked at them, and soon the trio left.
As the students arrived in the bamboo forest, Sarah was there, giving the students potions from the tray in her hand. One was blue, and one was red.
As Zed and the others approached, Sarah smiled. "All the best for the second round. What are your paths? The blue potion will increase your Lumen, and the red potion will increase your Vigor. But don't drink them just yet. This is a new product and must be ingested with instructions."
"Ki."
"Spirit."
"Ki."
Zed, Lina, and Katy answered and got their potions.
"Sit inside. The headmaster will come soon and instruct the students."
The trio followed the path and arrived at a class-ground.
"I want to sit. I'm a bit tired." Katy sat down nearby after entering. "Come here."
Zed sat down, and Lina sat beside him.
"Zed, why did you assure us that we'll pass the second round?" Katy nudged Zed as their shoulders brushed, and she looked at him.
Zed stretched his hands, balled them into fists, and pressed one to Lina and one to Katy. "Inside are four candies. When I open my hands, take them and eat quickly. Got it?"
Lina and Katy looked at each other before glancing back at Zed's smiling face in the middle.
Zed opened his fists. "And don't tell anyone about it."
Both of them took the candies and popped them into their mouths.
"It just melted in my mouth and disappeared." Katy tilted her head. "What does it d—"
Her eyes widened.
Lina was also shocked.
Both of them could clearly feel themselves getting stronger!
"T-This…" Katy looked at her hands. There was nothing on the outside, but she could feel a rush of energy coursing through every part of her body and making her stronger.
And it felt good and comfortable — like being washed by a cool, gentle current of wind.
"Wh-What was that, Zed?" Lina stammered, looking at him in shock. "This is unreal. I think I'm close to peak in Spirit… maybe eighty or eighty-five already. It was barely above forty-five before!"
"Yeah, what the hell?" Katy was dumbfounded.
"Magic." Zed smiled.
Suddenly, the talk among the students died down as the headmaster arrived.
The students who were sitting stood up.
The headmaster cleared his throat, giving a few seconds to the students to get up before he began speaking. "You all must have a potion in your hands. It was developed by distilling the blood of high-ranking monsters we encountered in Playgrounds. If you can digest it, your parameters will increase. The increase depends on the digestion efficiency of individuals."
"Now, listen carefully and follow my instructions."