The moment Alex stepped out of the principal's office, the smile on his face gradually faded.
The conversation had gone far better than he had expected. Yet instead of feeling relieved, an uncomfortable weight lingered in his chest. Elena had chosen to trust him despite knowing how dangerous the outside world had become.
That trust only made what he was about to do feel even heavier. Letting out a quiet breath, Alex took out his phone and sent a short message to Sherry.
It wasn't long before Alex arrived at Sherry's research lab, where she was already waiting for him.
As always, the pink-haired girl held a book in her hands. However, from the way she kept glancing toward the door every few moments, it was obvious she hadn't read a single page since receiving the message.
The moment she noticed Alex approaching, she immediately closed the book and stood up.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Sherry shook her head almost immediately.
"I-I only just got here..."
Alex smiled, choosing not to point out that she was an exceptionally poor liar.
After exchanging a few casual greetings, the atmosphere gradually became more serious as he informed her that they could finally set off to search for her parents.
For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.
She had dreamed of this day for years. Ever since learning that her parents had disappeared inside the ancient ruin three years ago, she had searched for every piece of information she could find.
She had made countless preparations, gathered supplies little by little, and mentally prepared herself for the journey long before there was anyone to accompany her.
"I've been thinking about how we should leave." Alex continued. "I don't think it's a good idea for us to travel together from the academy."
Sherry looked at him curiously.
"Why?"
Alex raised two fingers. "There are two reasons."
"First, Principal Elena already knows about your parents' situation. If we're seen leaving together, it won't be difficult for her to guess what I'm really planning."
Sherry slowly nodded. That much made sense.
"And second," Alex said, his expression growing more serious, "if word gets out that I've left the academy, there's a chance someone may decide to follow me."
The attention surrounding him after the tournament was unlike anything either of them had anticipated.
"If that happens, I don't want you getting caught up in it."
Sherry instinctively tightened her grip on the book she was holding.
"So... we'll leave separately?"
Alex nodded.
"You'll leave first. We'll meet at the agreed location."
Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, he added reassuringly, "Don't worry. I'll catch up before long."
Sherry tilted her head slightly.
"But... isn't the ancient ruin several days away?"
"Normally, yes."
Traveling there through conventional routes required multiple transfers between cities, and depending on various circumstances, the journey could easily stretch to four or even five days.
"But I have another way."
With Alicia's VIP card, he could make use of teleportation gates that were normally unavailable to ordinary travelers, drastically shortening what would otherwise be a long and tedious journey.
"So even if you leave first," he said with a reassuring smile, "I'll have no trouble catching up."
Relief visibly spread across Sherry's face.
"Okay."
With everything settled, Alex and Sherry spent a little longer discussing the finer details of their plan before eventually parting ways.
To avoid attracting unnecessary attention, Sherry would leave the academy first thing the following morning. Alex, on the other hand, would remain behind for a while before setting off separately.
Their destination was the same, but by traveling independently and rendezvousing at a predetermined location, the chances of anyone connecting the two of them would be greatly reduced.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
After that, Alex returned to the Central Building. For the time being, he would continue staying in the guest room there, and the training facilities were far superior to those available to ordinary students.
Without a doubt, it was the best place to prepare before venturing into the ancient ruin.
No one knew what awaited them inside. Ancient ruins were infamous for their unpredictability.
Some were little more than abandoned remnants of forgotten civilizations, containing nothing more than crumbling structures and ancient relics. Others, however, were filled with monsters, deadly traps, and ancient magical constructs that had continued operating long after their creators had vanished.
The information Sherry possessed only confirmed the location of the entrance. Beyond that, the only thing they knew was that the ancient ruin lay within a secret realm said to contain the remnants and treasures of an ancient civilization.
It was the promise of those untold discoveries that had led a team of explorers and researchers—including Sherry's parents—to risk venturing inside. Yet more than three years had passed since then, and not a single one of them had returned, leaving behind little more than speculation about what truly lay within.
At present, the only tangible lead they possessed was the mysterious key Sherry had found. Whether it was merely the key to the entrance or something far more significant, neither of them knew.
Ordinarily, Alex would have hesitated before venturing into a place shrouded in so many unknowns.
However, the moment he had learned about the ancient ruin, the System had immediately issued a Special Quest.
It didn't mean the journey would be safe. If anything, it was likely to be the exact opposite.
The System had never guided him toward anything meaningless. If it deemed the ancient ruin important enough to issue a Special Quest, then there had to be something of immense value waiting within.
That alone was enough for Alex to believe the risk was worth taking.
'The stronger I am before entering... the better.'
Since the training room belonged to Elena personally, no one would disturb him while he was there.
Alex found a quiet place to sit, took a slow breath to calm his mind, and opened his Status Panel.
----------------------------------------------------
[Status]
[Host: Alex Blanc]
[Title: Territory Boss Exterminator]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 16]
[Rank: B+]
[Magic Affinity: Dark(SS), Ice(A)]
[MP: 105000/105000]
[HP: 10000/10000]
[Experience: 42285600/50000000]
[System Points: 3958158]
----------------------------------------------------
The first thing that caught his attention was his mana capacity.
During his battle against Evelyne, he had spent one hundred thousand System Points to increase it directly. Without that sudden boost, he would never have possessed enough mana to cast the Tier-7 spell that ultimately secured his victory.
Now, his mana capacity had surpassed the one hundred thousand mark.
Alex stared at the number in mild surprise before a faint smile appeared on his face.
'Not bad.'
For most people, improving their strength was a slow and painstaking process that required a long time of relentless training or rare opportunities that many would never encounter in their entire lives.
Alex, however, possessed an advantage no one else in the world had.
His own efforts certainly mattered, but with System Points, many aspects of his status could be enhanced directly through the System Shop, allowing him to bypass years of gradual growth in an instant—as long as he had enough points.
Alex reached out and opened the System Shop. Without wasting any time, he brought up the two sections that interested him the most—Magic and Physical—displaying them side by side before him.
----------------------------------------------------
[Magic]
-Awaken Random Magic Affinity: 5000 SP
-Improve Magic Affinity: ?
-Increase Mana Capacity: 2500000 SP
-Increase Magic Power: 200000 SP
-Increase Mana Regeneration: 50000 SP
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
[Physical]
-Increase Strength: 250000 SP
-Increase Stamina: 250000 SP
-Increase Agility: 250000 SP
-Increase Vitality: 750000 SP
-Increase Health Regeneration: 100000 SP
----------------------------------------------------
His eyes swept across the list of upgrades and their corresponding prices.
With nearly four million System Points at his disposal, he could comfortably afford every option currently available.
Whether it was further increasing his mana capacity or enhancing his physical attributes, none of the prices were beyond what he could now pay.
His gaze eventually settled on the cheapest option.
A slow smile spread across his face.
Previously, the System Points had never been the problem. It was the consequences that came after the purchase that had kept him from making the decision.
Now, however, things were different. He no longer had to worry about those consequences and could finally purchase it without hesitation.