After another 2 hours passed by, Alex was at the last stretch of refining the final Soul orb he had gained from this mission.
His current progress was at 99.8%, so with this last orb, he should just barely be pushed over the 100% goal.
And just a few moments later, it was confirmed for him.
[Requirements met, soul core upgraded to D rank.]
In an instant, Alex felt an influx of energy and strength enter his body.
The feeling of ranking up still felt as mystical as every other time, only this time the effect was more substantial.
The higher his soul core reached in the ranks, the more substantial each upgrade would be.
The gap between each rank only widened the higher one went, which was even more notable after one reached B tier.
But that was something Alex had to consider in the future.
For now, he was focused on one thing, and one thing only.
'The Floodgate's activating again!'
He was forced to cut his rank up celebration short.
***
At the nearby military base, the atmosphere was jubilant.
Mercenaries and university students who had come to Ceres-9 to accept the mission were partaking in celebrations for overcoming the Floodgate event.
The bars were packed to the brim, filled with the sound of laughter and clinking glasses filling the air.
Exaggerated stories of bravery and close calls were exchanged, each one only becoming more and more exaggerated with each retelling.
A group of students sat around a table, their faces flushed with a mixture of excitement and alcohol.
Before anyone could answer though, a sudden boom echoed across from the distance.
Every bar and every tent in the military base went silent, as each mercenary, soldier and student looked in the direction the deafening sound just echoed from.
It came from the direction of the Floodgate.
"It can't be!" Someone exclaimed.
All of the students and mercenaries thought the same thing. They realised instantly why Alex was still in front of the Floodgate.
They were celebrating prematurely.
Greg was the first to break the silence. "Damn it all! We need to get back there. Now!"
Laura shook her head, her face pale. "If Alex stayed, he must have known something was wrong. Besides, he's by far the strongest person in this area. If we went over to help, we'd only be hindering him."
***
Back at the battlefield, Alex stood firm as the Floodgate began to shimmer and pulsate with energy once more. He could feel the surge of power emanating from it, and his instincts screamed at him to prepare for a tough battle.
'Variant class.' Alex thought, recognising that same pressure leaking from the Floodgate.
He felt the exact same oppression when he fought against the Variant class creature summoned by the Count back in the Primordial Expanse.
Only this aura was much, much stronger.
'It's at least C rank.'
Alex was unsure if he would even be able to handle it, as his strength could only theoretically reach Variant C- rank level when he went all out, with no disturbances or distractions to ruin his flow.
However, considering he had just ranked up, as well as the fact he had Phoenix flames at his disposal, he was willing to give it a shot.
And if he succeeded...
Then he would be one huge step closer to reaching Variant class himself!