Ten people arrived at the dungeon where the outbreak had just occurred.
"Didn't they say there was a dungeon outbreak here? Why is the place intact?"
"Let's go deeper into the dungeon," another man suggested.
The ten were from the [Knight Association] of the Dungeon Clearing Bureau. They didn't kill monsters but were responsible for clearing corpses, cleaning the area, and making sure everything looked the same as before.
But this was the first time they had seen an area so clean even after a dungeon break. A dungeon break isn't a small invasion of monsters—at least a hundred or more rush out of the dungeon.
Even ten E-rank [Knights] aren't enough to contain an F-rank dungeon break.
"Guys…" A man called his colleague. "Why is there not a single corpse?"
There wasn't a single monster or human corpse.
"Was the information wrong?"
"No. The information is correct."
"Then who the hell took away the corpses?!"
Corpses were property of the [Knight Association] as they conducted experiments and utilized them for various purposes.
Even other [Knights] and [Hunters] sold corpses to the association, as leaving them to disappear in the dungeon was a pure waste.
"Find the person who took away the corpses and learn their purpose."
The officers began searching for the perpetrator of the corpse theft.
The perpetrator of the monster corpse theft had reached the entrance of a huge building.
The skyscraper was covered in thick glass windows that gave it a modern look. Such buildings were rare due to the lack of resources.
The path to the entrance was paved and beautifully decorated. There was a wide courtyard, a small garden with colorful flowers, and even a fountain in the middle.
Benches were placed all over, and people of varying ages walked in groups.
Beautiful girls, mature women, and even young children were present. Boys, from children to middle-aged men, could be seen wandering around the building's perimeter.
The stone-paved ground was smooth and comfortable to walk on. He was noticed by various people, but they only gave him a curious glance due to his outfit.
His clothes were tattered and old. Having just come from a dungeon, he was covered in dust, his clothes torn in various places, and he looked like a beggar.
But since this academy even accepted beggars, with the only prerequisite being [Awakened], nobody stopped him.
"Where should I go for registration?" He wandered for a moment, then decided to ask a passerby.
A little girl who seemed to be around 11 or 12 passed by him.
"Hey!" He called out.
The little girl stopped and turned her head. "Hmm? Did you just call me?" she asked, pointing to herself.
"Yes." Anvil nodded. "I'm new here. I need to fill out my admission form. Can you show me the office?"
"Ah, so you're new. Ehehheh." She suddenly smiled, puffing out her chest. "Sure. As your senior, I will help my little junior. Follow me."
"Huh?" Anvil blinked, unsure how to respond. "Whatever." He didn't care much and followed the little girl.
"I'm Lotus. What's your name?"
"My name is Anvil. So… little senior, how old are you?"
"Little… senior?" She stopped in her tracks. "Hey, you can't use 'little' and 'senior' in the same sentence!" She then began shouting. "As a junior, you should respect your seniors! Also, call me Senior Lotus, not little! And it's rude to ask a girl her age."
Anvil stared at her with eyes that said, What is this pesky creature talking about? but didn't have the energy to argue.
"Senior… Lo-Lo… puff!" Anvil couldn't keep a straight face.
Calling a child 'senior' and seeing her smug expression made him burst into laughter. "Ahem." He coughed and bit his lip to control himself. "Se-Senior Lotus… Please lead the way."
"That's my junior!" She slapped his back while tiptoeing and walked ahead with a smug look.
"Pfft…" Anvil covered his mouth and laughed quietly.
They entered the building, which was constructed from smooth stone and marble.
Grand chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and smooth ceiling lights lined both the walls and ceiling.
Every spot was pristine.
All students wore different attire. Some had expensive, high-quality outfits while others wore simple, ordinary clothes. Some walked with arrogance, while many kept their heads lowered.
The atmosphere in the academy was strange. There seemed to be a hierarchy.
Anvil didn't care much. He was only here for a month.
"The academy is beautiful, right?! I thought so too when I first came. Look at the floor—they're so clean and white you can see your face in them! The air here is fresh, and the teachers are all professionals. I'm sure you'll love this place," Lotus said enthusiastically.
"Maybe. This place is nice," Anvil replied.
"The admission office is on the 3rd floor. The first three floors are administrative. All teachers' offices are here too. The 4th, 5th, and 6th floors are for entertainment—there's a cafeteria, movie hall, game room, swimming pool, and common rooms. Above that, the next ten floors are classrooms. The final ten floors have gardens, the headmaster's office, and other rooms students can't visit."
"Oh."
"Also, I haven't told you about the massive training ground at the back."
"Can we first get to the admission room?" Anvil was a little annoyed by how much she talked.
"Ah, right. I forgot. Ehehe." She smiled sheepishly and led him to the elevator.
The elevator was grand, and in seconds they were on the third floor.
"The academy's energy is supplied by solar power and [Mana]. Thousands of [Mana Cores] are imported daily. Students and teachers alike provide [Mana] every day," she explained.
Anvil noted the details that seemed useful.
"You seem to know a lot," Anvil said.
"Of course. I've been here longer than you. There's nothing I don't know—you can ask me anything," she said proudly, patting her chest.
"Uh… first let me get admitted here. Then I'll think of questions to ask you."
"Sure!" Her eyes gleamed. "Then… we can be friends, right?" She looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"Sure." Anvil couldn't say no to that pure, innocent face.
"Yay!" She exclaimed in joy. "Ah, time went so fast. We're already at the office. This is the admission office. Let's go in."
Without knocking, she barged in.
"Wait—" Anvil tried to stop her, but it was too late.
"Who is it?! Can't you knock before entering?! Who is this rude?!" a man complained loudly.
"It's me, Lotus." She raised her hand. "Is there a problem?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Ah, it's our sweet Lotus." The man's face changed instantly.
He jumped from his chair. "How come you're here at this time? Come, sit! Does our little miss want anything—tea, cold drinks, or sweets?" He began speaking politely, even offering his seat.
Anvil stood there dumbfounded. Who is this girl? He kept a poker face and entered.
"I want cola and cake. Chocolate cake. As for Anvil, what do you want? Order anything," she asked.
"Uh…" Anvil looked at her, speechless. "I don't need anything, thanks for the offer."
"No way!" she protested. "He'll take what I ordered too." She instructed the man and sat like she owned the place.
The middle-aged man, with a beer belly, nearly bald head, and greasy look, bowed and glanced at Anvil with open disdain.
But in front of the girl, he said nothing and took out his phone to place the order.
"So, why did the little miss come here?"
"My friend Anvil is joining the academy today. I'm just accompanying him. He needs to fill out the form," Lotus explained.
"Oh, you're Mr. Anvil. I have your information. You were expected to join soon, but I didn't expect you today." He smiled, hiding his distaste.
"Please fill out this form. You can join class tomorrow. Your abilities will also be examined and tested then, so be prepared." He handed over a form with only a few fields.
"Also, you can receive a watch and ID from the Item Store for free after filling it out."
Anvil wrote his name, background, and other basic information.
"Done." He handed it back.
"Thank you. You can also get a free academy uniform at the store. Better uniforms can be purchased if you prefer."
"Okay. Thank you, teacher," Anvil said politely.
"Oh, my bad. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Richard, a history teacher here. I only teach once a week, so I expect you not to skip class, Mr. Anvil."
Anvil nodded.
"Have you finished?" Lotus asked. "Where's the food?"
"It's coming soon," Richard replied.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. A beautiful girl entered with a tray.
Chocolate cake and cola were on the cart.
"Let's eat!" Without any manners, Lotus took the cake and began eating.
Anvil awkwardly took one and tasted it. "Mmm!" His eyes lit up.
The cake was delicious—sweet and creamy. The drink was refreshing.
Anvil had never eaten cake or had soft drinks in his life, so the taste was entirely new to him.
"It's delicious, right?!" Lotus grinned. "They're my favorite." She nodded in satisfaction at his reaction.
"Let me take you to the Item Store too. Let's go."
As soon as they were done, Lotus said this and left the room.
Anvil politely said goodbye to the teacher and followed.
The little girl was energetic—and clearly had an impressive background.