Chapter 52: Aftermath
A hush fell over the crowd as all eyes fixated on the leaderboard, an array of emotions flickering within each gaze.
Shock, disbelief, disappointment, and anger danced across their faces.
1. Aeravat Indrath: 890 points...
2. Myung Joon: 759 points...
3. Takahashi Aoi: 750 points...
4. Karthik Trivedi: 740 points...
5. Kai Lee: 735 points...
6. Noah Grey: 730 points... Updated from novelbIn.(c)om
7. Ellie: 725 points...
8. Aurora Lewis: 725 points...
9. Emily Reed: 710points...
10. David Smith: 705 points...
11. ..
14. ...
15...
21 Spid Masiumph: 685
.
.
My pupils quivered as I stared at my ranking.
In that moment, the realization of my mistake came crashing down on me.
The toll of exhaustion, low mana, sleepless nights, the dirty jungle, constant discomfort of sweaty body, the dirt clinging to my skin and the unforgiving vision of the surrounding light all took their toll on me, clouding my mind.
In the midst of it all, I forgot a crucial detail about the dungeon trials. It was a very tiny detail. Important nonetheless. Perhaps this was just my way to cope or excuse myself for this mistake but that was all I could have given, it was now past and what was past was past.
'Whoever survives the dungeon trial until the very end is rewarded with additional fourty points, while those who are eliminated get a deduction of fourty points.' This important fact slipped my mind...
In the end, main cast like Emily were eliminated, while I stayed until the end.
My ranking went to heights far beyond what I had initially anticipated just because of those extra fourty points...but the given difference as huge as eighty points.
'Fuck me sideways,' I cursed in my mind
The thought of how others would react?
Particularly the main cast and the professors, weighed heavily on my mind.
"Yes, ma'am, that's correct," Aeravat reassured me, his voice devoid of deception.
Inhaling deeply, I let out a "huff",
taking a moment to gather my thoughts. "You may go."
As Aeravat left, the echo of the closing door resonated, leaving me behind, alone with my thoughts.
I shifted my focus to the file before me, containing Noah's personal information, only to find certainblank pages at the end.
'What are you hiding kid?'
The more I think, the stranger it seemed.
The clerk and administrator assured me that Central Union, had no available data on Noah's past.
Central union, the most powerful authority on this planet, had no background information? Absurd!
'This had to be a joke; someone was clearly attempting to hide something,' the frown on my face deepened as the possibility crossed my mind.
Grabbing my phone, I dialed a number, waiting for an answer.
After a brief pause, a distinctive —??????????! echoed through the speaker, followed by a gruff voice, ["????????? ?????????"]
"Hey, Juan, I was wondering if you could do me a small favor, if you're able to?" I requested.
["???????? ???? ?????? ?????????"]
Nervously, I twirled a strand of hair between my fingers, glancing at the files scattered across my desk.
"I'll send you the necessary details. Could you try to dig into the background of this guy for me?"
Pausing for a moment, I added, "Oh, and please keep it strictly confidential."
***
Noah's POV:
I gazed on my bank balance, which now displayed an astronomical sum of money.
Slowly, a devilish smile spread across my face.
"He... hehe...heuehueheueheuhaaaahahahaha!Haaaaaahaha! This is incredible!" Amusement controlled my brain before any rational response.
Gradually, I managed to regain my composure.
Taking a deep breath, I checked at my table, which was littered with various wires, gadgets, computers, and screens. Everything was interconnected.
Yes, at the moment, I was in my room.
I rubbed my head, deep in thought, but a sudden realization struck me, "Oh! Shouldn't it be just about time?"
The Genova incident was fast approaching, I didn't had many more months in my hand.
If everything went according to plan, there won't be any trouble.
It was also time to get my hands on the second Mystery, [Solaris Amulet].
Unlike the ill-fated protagonists in novels, I was fortunate enough to avoid the unwelcome knocks of trouble on my door.
?????? ?????? ??????!