Rise of the Nightmare Crestmaster

Aldrich waited for a good minute before he continued on his way to the base. He wasn't going to repeat his mistake from last time he wasn't about to enter a losing fight for no reason. He had a successful hunt this night and he wasn't going to throw it away for a few more orbs.

Aldrich returned back to the base and willed his body not to fall apart. He took another coin pouch and filled it with ten silver coins, he needed money more than ever these days and his expenses were only going to increase.

Name: Aldrich

Age: 15.5

Strength: 3+

Agility: 3+

Endurance: 3+

Vitality: 3+

Intelligence: 3+

Spirit (black): 4

Essence: 40

Ether: 2

Abilities: eyes of insight Lv.1

Condition: blood of ######

This was the greatest amount of essence orbs he had ever held at any one instance. Looking at that number certainly made him forget about the crushing pain all over his body.

The chance to upgrade spirit to level five was almost irresistible to him right at this moment. But Aldrich had his reasons for choosing to upgrade intelligence first.

Aldrich predicted that the price of each upgrade doubles so to go from four to five he would need thirty two orbs which was a manageable amount for him currently.

Furthermore he didn't know just how high he would have to upgrade his spirit attribute for him to be able to ignite his first symbol. Maybe it would happen at level five or maybe at seven.

Even so the priority should definitely be spirit over intelligence. But there were three recent issues that made Aldrich pause his investment in the spirit attribute for now.

The first being, the guild's entrance exam. Although nobody had mentioned anything about it directly to him, he was able to infer that the examination criteria for initiates and true Crestmasters were different.

That was obvious, the difference in ability was reason enough.

Ayemon didn't tell him about this because Ayemon simply didn't or rather couldn't possibly believe that Aldrich could become a Crestmaster in such an impossibly short amount of time. So logically there was no need to tell him about it.

Second it would make Ayemon loose any trust in him if Aldrich couldn't explain how he was able to become a Crestmaster all on his own without even meditating once.

He needed to wait so can also attend the academy for at least the entire month, graduates and non-graduates were differently treated.

He needed to go through the motions at the very least, after all most people attended for at least four years. The background of the academy was absolutely vital for him.

Aldrich needed Ayemon's help for his future plans, its not like becoming a Crestmaster will suddenly solve all his problems. In fact becoming one under such suspicious circumstances will be disadvantageous in the long term.

Third and lastly, it was regarding the time question marks of the only condition in his panel.

The only way to get a decent understanding of it, as far as he knew currently, was to either upgrade intelligence or the eyes of insight skill.

Upgrading the skill seems to be quite the difficult matter because even now with forty essence orbs he couldn't see the plus sign behind it.

How much essence did it really require? Was it even worth it?

Anyhow these were the reasons that made it problematic to become a Crestmaster now. Not that he was sure to become one were he to upgrade his spirit further but at the moment each increase was a gamble.

So Aldrich made the difficult but correct choice to upgrade intelligence to level four. But wait. Something wasn't right.

Name: Aldrich

Age: 15.5

Strength: 3+

Agility: 3+

Endurance: 3+

Vitality: 3+

Intelligence: 3+

Spirit (black): 4

Essence: 40

Ether: 2

Abilities: eyes of insight Lv.1

Condition: blood of ######

Aldrich took a second look at his attributes and wanted to face palm himself. How did he not notice that there was no plus sign after spirit? And he wasted so much time pondering and deliberating...

But this wasn't his fault, he had not suspected that even with forty essence orbs that wouldn't be enough to upgrade spirit. From level one to four, each upgrade took double the previous level. However that rule seems to have been finally broken.

Aldrich was upset, he wasn't going to upgrade his spirit anyway but that was different, choice and inability were in stark contrast to one another.

He still upgraded intelligence and he also decided on agility too. After that he grabbed his coin pouch and used eight orbs to return to the real world. Six for the coins and two for himself. By the end of the night he was left with zero orbs.

Aldrich woke back up in the real world. He nonchalantly took the coin pouch and placed it on a nearby table. He wasn't as surprised anymore by the sensation of bringing things to the real world.

More importantly he felt around his body and had to admire the aftereffects of using essence orbs to improve himself. The feeling was truly spectacular, the greater the improvement the greater the gratification.

Aldrich tried to see the explanation of the blood condition but unfortunately there was no change, all he saw was question marks.

This reminded him of that voice that talked to him during the crystal rain incident.

It said that he could get answers if he went to some chapel. How could he find it anyway? There was no clue besides that mysterious voice. Its not like he could ask for directions, the husks didn't seem very friendly.

Despite his carefree thoughts, in fact even if he found the way to the chapel he still had his apprehensions regarding listening to some unknown voice in his head under these suspicious circumstances.

Then again he was running out of time, this is an unmistakable feeling deep in his guts.

The upgraded intelligence attribute was far from useless, however, even at this very moment Aldrich could feel his mind going over his entire battle history and reviewing his experiences.

The techniques and footwork that seemed to elude him, now unraveled in his mind.

This is especially the case regarding the swordsmanship that he picked up from the swordsmen husks.

Aldrich could feel that he almost grasped something, it was like a fog that was right in front of him but his hands couldn't grasp it.

Aldrich felt a devouring thirst all of a sudden. He recalled his brief encounter with the armored husk. There was something there.

It would not increase any of his attributes but he knew that if he were to grasp it his power would skyrocket.

He lacked a very crucial part, something essential. One more step. Aldrich could only curse his bad luck. Before this he was doing fine but now he was tortured by an itch that he couldn't scratch. And yet it taunted him so.

Aldrich turned off the moss lamp lest he waste anymore time. He had a very long and packed day tomorrow so he would rather make the best use of this time.

****

Aldrich woke up at sunrise as usual and followed his morning routine. After his morning wash he made himself some boiled egg sandwiches.

Right after, he took out his notebooks and carried them in a study bad that he hung on his left shoulder.

Today, he had a class in the academy. It was a class about dungeons, it was one of the classes that he had to attend.

Aldrich made his way to the public carriage stop and was glad that he lived so close to the academy otherwise his trip would take more time.

Aldrich got down at the main entrance to the academy. The various giant statues that lined the path to the gate were especially awe inspiring. There were even some motivational quotes carved on stone slates beneath the statues.

Aldrich didn't have all day so he only gave a quick look at the surroundings as he made his way to the building mentioned in the schedule that Aldrich gave him.

The number of rushing students darting from building to building was less than he expected. Perhaps it was the grandness of everything that trivialized the students.

Aldrich wasn't able to follow the instructions on the schedule so he asked for directions without stubbornly insisting on going on his own.

The lecture hall, as it was aptly named was an oval and wide chamber. The seating arrangement was in a half circle that made the professor in the center and simultaneously gave good view all around.

It looks like he was late despite his best effort as the professor, a man in his sixties, was already talking and writing on a green chalkboard behind him. The class had a little more than twenty people in attendance.

Aldrich didn't say much as he took his seat as quietly as possible without disturbing the ongoing class. The title written on top of the chalkboard was; intermediate dungeons.

Aldrich looked around and was surprised to find some young-looking kids taking the class.

"——so if we were to say that dungeons are not necessarily unnatural, then we would fall into a typical confusion. We are not forced to lump all dungeons into a single definition to understand dungeons.