"By the gods above… Did I hear that right?"
"The Headmaster himself managed to secure us a Novice Secret Realm?"
"But isn't access to novice realms scarce this year? I heard even the Royal Second Magus Academy couldn't get one!"
In the central plaza of Academy, hundreds of robed senior apprentices whispered in excitement, their blood boiling as if this blessing had fallen straight from the heavens.
Their frenzy wasn't without reason—Novice Secret Realms were rare treasures.
On this continent blessed by the gods, dungeons and secret realms were the lingering scars of the war between the divine and the fallen. Their forms were many, their dangers varied.
Dungeons were like eternal ruins scattered across the wilderness, persisting year after year.
Secret realms, however, were different—fleeting, mysterious, and could only be opened with divine relics or imperial sanction.
Compared to dungeons, the monsters within secret realms granted far richer experience, their loot far rarer. Moreover, each entrant was granted a one-time Divine Protection—a miraculous safeguard that could avert death in the most desperate moment.
And among them, the Novice Secret Realm was the dream of every fledgling awakener: a sacred training ground where no monster exceeded level ten, often used by top academies to ignite a student's fighting spirit.
In past years, even the Empire's First Combat Academy might not secure one every season.
Yet Lin Yuan Academy—a middling, unremarkable name among the Empire's schools—had somehow been granted access.
It was nothing short of a miracle.
…
Ten minutes later, the plaza had emptied of all but the senior classes; the lower grades were sent back to their lessons, leaving the veterans standing in neat ranks.
Inside the gymnasium, a floating white soul crystal was being carefully stored away by the imperial inspector on duty.
But as he turned, almost absentmindedly, to glance at the Godlink Pearl—
His entire body jolted. He staggered, nearly collapsing.
"This… this is impossible!"
His voice trembled, pupils dilating, as if the sight before him had shattered everything he thought he knew.
The God-etched Pearl—supposed to be silent and inert—suddenly erupted in a blaze of nine-colored divine radiance, as if the gods themselves had descended.
Above it, words appeared, each one sending a shiver through the soul:
[Name: Alex]
[Second Talent Rank: SSS]
[Talent Name: ??? (Information Missing)]
[Talent Attribute: Unique!]
Just three short lines—yet each one weighed like a mountain.
SSS—a pinnacle aptitude rarer than stars in the heavens.
Information Missing—even a divine inscription artifact could not discern its true name.
Unique—across the entire continent, there was none but him!
Clack!
The crystal recording plate slipped from the inspector's hands and shattered against the floor.
For a moment, he stood frozen. Then, as if struck by lightning, his expression transformed. He bolted like a gust of wind, heading straight for the academy's central plaza.
…
At that moment, in the plaza's heart, a three-meter-high rift of platinum inscriptions shimmered under the old Headmaster's guiding staff, its edges finally stabilizing.
The secret realm was moments from opening. The instructors of Lin Yuan Academy ushered students in by batches.
"Remember! You have only three hours inside!"
"The monsters within may be weak, but do not drop your guard—especially in the central region, where beasts of level ten may appear!"
"If your Divine Death Protection is triggered, withdraw immediately! Do not let pride kill you!"
In the crowd, Alex and Gregory waited in line.
"Alex… what the hell was that with the Godlink Pearl?" Gregory muttered under his breath. "I knew there was no way you were just some D-rank talent."
"I did awaken a second talent," Alex replied quietly. "SSS rank. And… it's Unique."
"Holy—" Gregory's eyes nearly popped from their sockets, his words tripping over themselves. "You—you're dual-talented?! And Unique on top of that?!"
"Shut up," Alex kicked him lightly. "I keep a low profile."
The two exchanged a grin and stepped through the secret realm's gate together.
The moment they vanished into the rift, the inspector burst into the plaza like a gale, panting heavily before the Headmaster.
"Headmaster! Bad news!"
The old man frowned. "What has you in such a state?"
"Alex—he's dual-talented! His second talent is SSS rank… with the Unique attribute!" the inspector blurted.
"What?!" The Headmaster's voice spiked. "Say that again!"
The inspector quickly relayed every word the Godlink Pearl had revealed.
"The secret realm—has it opened?" the Headmaster asked, his breath quickening.
"They just went in…" The inspector's face was full of regret. "I wanted to personally deliver him some equipment… and apologize in front of everyone—after what I said earlier…"
"Too late." The Headmaster waved his hand, his gaze complex as he looked toward the glowing gate of the realm. "But… perhaps it's for the best."
"Inside the secret realm, an SSS-ranked talent will trigger double growth in the monsters. If he can't overcome even that much of a challenge, then he's unworthy of such a gift."
"You should be thankful he has one chance at death immunity."
The inspector could only give a bitter smile.
The Headmaster turned away, his expression regaining its solemn authority, though he couldn't quite hide the tremor of excitement in his voice. "A Unique SSS talent… the heavens truly have blessed us."
"How has the Federation responded?" he asked.
The inspector immediately reported the latest message. "I've filed the report. The Federation has classified Alex as a Quasi-Sequence Candidate, his file encrypted at Dragon Level."
"They've also allocated special resources to be granted alongside his talent reward. In addition to the standard resource cards and trial quotas, they've bestowed an entire set of Mythic: Origin Gear—a unique-adaptive type."
The Headmaster was silent for a long moment before letting out a low sigh.
"Quasi-Sequence… an honor given to only fifty among five hundred billion."
"In the hundred-year history of here, we've never had a second Sequence Candidate. And now… a true dragon has finally appeared once more."
"The blood of Harley… truly extraordinary."