CHAPTER 70: THE SECOND MOST SENIOR

"The rune contains a dagger-wielding technique," the figure explained. "And these daggers are your reward for your achievements. I’ll be waiting to see how else you stir ripples within the tower."

With that, the figure began to fade away.

"Wait!" Derek called out, wanting to ask more, but the figure had already vanished.

Derek stared at the daggers and the rune that fell to the ground the moment the figure had vanished completely.

He slowly walked forward and picked them up.

The twin daggers gleamed under the sunlight, their silver edges glinting like the eyes of a predator. Just by the look and feel, Derek could tell they were made from an incredibly durable material. Most likely, the scales of the serpent he had just defeated.

He gave one of them a light swing — it sliced through the air with a sharp whistle.

A satisfied smile curved his lips. "At least I got something good out of this. Now it makes sense... maybe the tower made the challenges extra hard just so it could justify giving me a better reward if I passed."

His gaze then shifted to the rune in his palm. "I understand the daggers... but what am I supposed to do with this thing? He said it holds a dagger-wielding technique, but how do I learn it? Am I supposed to... swallow it or something?"

Countless questions swirled through his head. "Whatever. I’ll just ask instructor Meridith once I get out of here," he muttered.

Just then, another rift shimmered into existence before him, its vortex swirling with faint blue light.

"I guess that’s the portal to the fourth floor," Derek thought aloud. "But I don’t think I can take any more for today. Judging by how tough the previous floors were, I should probably get stronger before moving on."

He hesitated, then frowned. "Wait... how do I even go back? Only the rift to the next floor appeared. There’s no exit, no other gate." He looked around, scanning the surroundings, but found nothing.

Then, just as he focused entirely on the thought of leaving, another rift appeared — this one opposite the first.

"Is this the way out?" Derek wondered, stepping closer with cautious curiosity.

"Well, I’ll find out once I go. I haven’t heard of anyone dying or disappearing inside the tower anyway," Derek muttered before stepping into the rift.

The next moment, he reappeared outside the tower gate — where not only Meridith but many others had gathered.

Most of them were students, though two instructors stood beside Meridith. One was Yami, the housemaster of the Raging Bulls, and the other was a man in his fifties wearing blue robes — the very same man who had crossed Derek’s name off the elite class list earlier.

The man approached Derek, his sharp gaze sweeping over him from head to toe. "You managed to enter the tower today, so you’re clearly from the academy. But how come I don’t remember a talented student like you? What’s your name, kid? And which year are you from?"

Derek was about to answer when he caught Meridith’s subtle glance — a silent signal telling him not to reveal his identity.

He hesitated for a moment, then looked at the man before him and replied calmly, "Sir, if I wanted others to know who I am, I wouldn’t be wearing a mask."

"How dare you talk to me like that? Do you even know who I am?!" the man snapped, his tone dripping with arrogance. "I’m Nicholas, the housemaster of Lion’s Heart and the second most senior instructor in this academy. With a single word, I can have you expelled!"

Derek was momentarily speechless. He wasn’t afraid of being kicked out, but after seeing what this academy offered, he truly wanted to stay. And besides, he hadn’t done anything wrong, so why was this man threatening him?

Nicholas’s fury only grew when Derek didn’t respond. He mistook the silence for insolence and was about to lash out again when another voice interrupted.

"Calm down, sir. He’s from my house," Yami said lazily, taking the cigar from his lips and exhaling a puff of smoke. "And I’d rather no one find out about him. You got a problem with that?"

Nicholas turned sharply toward Yami, his expression darkening. "So what if he’s from your house? As the second most senior, I have every right to know who the students of this academy are, what they’re capable of, and where their weaknesses lie. Don’t forget who you’re talking to, Yami. We may both be housemasters, but don’t let that make you think you can talk down to me."

"Give it a rest, sir. You want to know which students are strong and which are weak? Then, go back to the academy and ask around as much as you want. But the tower allows participants to hide their names — and so does the Headmistress. If you’ve still got a problem with that, feel free to take it up with her."

Yami addressed him respectfully as sir, but his tone carried not an ounce of submission.

"Oh, is that so?" Nicholas sneered. "Fine, Yami. I’ll remember this." Gritting his teeth, he turned and stormed off.

Yami exhaled a long stream of smoke and walked toward Derek. "You should head back to the house and wait for me in my chamber. We’ve got a lot to talk about." Then he glanced at Meridith. "You too."

"Y.. yes, Master," Meridith replied quickly.

The two left together, with Yami following soon after.

Meanwhile, the old man sitting at the registration table, along with all the students nearby, stared at Derek’s retreating figure in shock.

"Who the hell was that guy?" one student finally blurted out in disbelief once the three were out of sight.

"Yeah, who was he? He cleared three floors in a row! That’s equal to clearing the fortieth floor! And in the past few centuries, the highest anyone’s ever reached is the fifty-seventh! That means he’s only seventeen floors away from breaking the record!"

A wave of murmurs erupted through the crowd.