Visiting the General Library was very crucial. Without it, Darien would have overlooked some important autochthonous knowledge that would have ruined him otherwise in the case of ignorance.
'I have 135 Attribute Points untouched. It's a good thing I haven't applied them yet…'
He was indebted to his patience that had kept his hands off those AP in the meantime.
From what he had learned, his growth would have been crippled had he spent his attribute points earlier.
Everything boiled down to Ascension.
Many plainly understood Ascension as the process of becoming a Mortal, subsequently becoming Rank 1, and unlocking the path to true growth.
But it was really more than that, Darien had realized.
Ascension also marked the start of an individual's resonance with the Primordial Flow, forging a lifelong key to their progression.
There were also more narratives on it, but the most sobering truth was the individual's state before Ascension.
Before Ascending, each aspirant was expected to be impotent to the power of a Warrior. Handling too much physical strength or Energy would cause internal bleeding, nerve destruction, and other lethal cases, including death.
That is to say, Ascending also helps unlock the Flow Gate within the aspirant's body.
This allows the aspirant to grow physically by the boost of the Flow, and in the case of mages, allows Energy to be cultivated and circulated without harming them.
Both Knights and Mages require Ascension; Knights especially, because their entire vocation was banked on it.
Darien knew his attributes were already far above the average Unascended student. Furthermore, he had already begun absorbing Primordial Energy, placing yet another load on his unprepared Mortal body.
The warnings from the General Library were loud, advising him not to improve anything further.
He wouldn't allocate the massive number of attribute points, and he wouldn't absorb any Stable life cores until he Ascended.
Darien wasn't even certain how close he already was to the threshold of exertion, and this was what put some fear into him.
The book he absorbed stated coldly that the lethal conditions from overexertion would give no warning before striking, and by then, there would be no chance to undo the damage.
Endor, the seasoned tutor, had become pestered by Darien with his unyielding requests to undergo Ascension ahead of the others.
The boy claimed with unwavering confidence that he was more than ready to formally become a Knight.
The old instructor couldn't deny Darien's exceptional promise, his irreproachable weapon mastery, and general physical competence, but caution held him firm.
Ascension was crucible and was known to press one's body to its limits, a process that forged the soul and registered the aspirant's name to the gods, officially marking them as a Warrior.
Rushing it, no matter how gifted the aspirant, was a venture Endor refused to take lightly. But Darien was persistent, and he couldn't deny him his rights as a student of Queen's Reach Academy.
"Alright, Darien. Meet me at the dojo after lunch. And you'll need enough strength, so make sure you eat well, because the process drains."
Darien grinned with glee, his face vibrant and happy after the man's concession.
"Yes, ser! Thank you, Endor!"
When lunchtime came, Darien was among the first into the cafeteria.
He ordered a great deal of food, as Endor had requested.
As he moved away with his tray, he couldn't help but imagine how it might feel after Ascension.
The books claimed that Ascended Knights could devour massive meals and still remain lean because their bodies burned energy at a staggering pace.
That alone was enough to make him grin, his tray filled.
Besides, the Academy's policy offered a week of free meals before charging students for their meals.
Taking full advantage of the grace period was the best approach, especially since he was low on money.
"Hey, Darien!" x2
While Darien moved towards a fully empty seating arrangement, two young voices called out his name.
He looked up to see Jakob and Mirielle waddling side by side with their own meals on trays, too.
"Oh, hey, guys. What's up?"
Jakob and Mirielle stopped in their tracks when they approached Darien. The first place their eyes went was his tray.
Jakob's brows shot up to his hairline, while Mirielle's mouth was agape as if it was a dragon's head on the tray and not lunch.
"What the—?"
"Are you feeding the whole dorm…?"
"Surely, you can't eat all that, Darien!"
Darien smiled as he motioned them toward the empty table.
He let their questions hang in the air until they were all seated, then answered with a wide grin, scooping a hefty spoonful of stew.
"Tutor Endor finally agreed to let me Ascend right after lunch."
Both friends beamed with excitement.
"I knew you had it in you! I've been telling Endor to accept your requests!"
"You're going to crush it, Darien!"
"Thanks, guys."
"But, uh… won't you be overfilled for something that demanding?"
Darien chuckled at the question. Glancing down at his mound of food, he seemed proud of it.
"Hmm… this is enough to swell my belly a bit, but the dojo's not far from the cafeteria sector. I'll manage."
Jakob and Mirielle nodded, hoping that he wouldn't collapse.
After that, they settled into their seats and began eating together, blending in with others in the cafeteria.
All around them, the clatter of cutlery and the aroma of warm meals filled the atmosphere, accompanied by the low rumble caused by hundreds of conversations.
The academy's cafeteria had the same scrupulous arrangement as the library, but this order was shaped by the students themselves, not by design.
The space was divided into sections for each Year set. After these basic divisions, another unspoken line was drawn within: nobles to one side, commoners to the other.
This separation was most pronounced among the Year 1s because everyone was fresh, unfamiliar, and still clutching their social identities.
Darien noticed the clear difference in health and mannerisms between his side of the Year 1 section and the nobles' side.
They had finer genetics and etiquette, which showed in the way they held their cutlery and how they chewed.
He felt some disappointment when he learned that the hammer girl, Rutha, was among the nobles.
He thought he and his friends might build an easy rapport if she were otherwise, but Darien supposed anything was still possible.
Before long, he and his friends found their table filling up with more latecomers, familiar faces they'd come to recognize after spending a few days together as students.
"Haha. See? I'm not the only one piling my tray."
Darien sneered with a laugh when his friends pointed out that several others at the table had their food stacked just as high as his.
It seemed many were eyeing the dwindling grace period with the same greed!
"But how do we get some money to pay for our food if they don't let us outside the gate?"
"I have some ink to sell with me. Is there even any market here in Queen's Reach?"
"Would our seniors even buy from us? Or would they just laugh in our faces?"
"Do you think they'll let us work in the kitchens? I don't mind washing dishes if it means free bread."
Around the table, everyone was speculating about the reality that they could be starving from next week.
Some debated small trades or chores they could offer in exchange for money—anything to keep their stomachs filled as knights, once the academy's grace period ended and every bite came with a price.
"I think they'll start sending some of us on quests soon after we Ascend. Those always pay in coin, right?"
"Yeah, and once we join a guild, we'll have steady work. Guild missions are never free."
"Dungeon loot sells well too… that's if you survive to bring anything back."
"I still don't think there's a proper market in Queen's Reach… but the city's museum buys important things. That ink you've got? You could probably sell it there!"
Darien listened quietly to the chatter amongst his mates. He knew he, too, was running out of money after spending it all on that expensive portal transportation to Queen's Reach.
He was just as desperate as his colleagues, who were in search of solutions.
'I still have some loot I didn't sell back then. How am I going to reap their benefits now if this city has no true market…?'
Darien thought as he opened his Inventory to review his stash for himself, weighing the value of each item.
(Minor Beast Fang x3 (Lv.1) Stone Hide (Lv.2) Gravel Mole Claw (Lv.2) Energy Core (Lv.2) Blazewyrm Scales (Lv.2) Blazewyrm Fang (Lv.2) Furnace Boar Hide (Lv.2) Boar Meat (Lv.2) Energy Core (Lv.2))
As he studied each item, a faint whisper reached his ears from the group.
One of the boys was claiming that he knew a place in Queen's Reach where they could sell decayable items or things of lesser importance.
Everyone looked at him skeptically, doubting his claim. After all, who would trust a first-year with such knowledge?
But the boy's expression was compelling, like a rat spilling a secret he'd been warned to keep.
Darien listened carefully to the boy.
"They call it the Underbelly—literally under Queen's Reach. A maze of caverns, some said to stretch to other dukedoms.
The biggest one sits right below the academy, and that's the hub. Students, townsfolk, even outsiders show up there. Black markets, gambling, drinking, and fights where people smash each other for coin or pride."
Some in the group glared at the boy with disbelief and hints of fear, as if even speaking of this place was inviting trouble.
A few, however, leaned in with interest, whispering to each other and rallying behind the idea of venturing down there.
Darien saw that Jakob was among those enthusiastic, while Mirielle wasn't, clearly uninterested in the idea of going somewhere that dangerous.
The boy who suggested it smiled when he noticed it was just a handful that was eager.
He preferred it that way, because attracting attention at the Underbelly wasn't a good thing.
Leaning back, he lowered his voice.
"So… we'd be leaving by night…."