Lancet sat on the edge of his bed, the pain in his ribs throbbing in rhythm with his heartbeat.
Yes, he did have his work cut out for him, but he also had an advantage that no one else in the entire world of Awakener Supreme had.
He knew everything.
Lancet closed his eyes, accessing the vast library of knowledge stored in his editor's brain.
He knew the ins and outs of this world better than the people living in it, better than the people that built it. He knew the hidden mechanics, the glitches, and the shortcuts.
Summoning Astensia required Grace. 100 MP of Grace. To get Grace, he needed to absorb ambient magical energy.
But for a "Dull Rank" like him, trying to breathe in magical energy, especially the thin, dry magic of the Bronze Dorms, was like trying to drink a milkshake through a coffee stirrer.
It was inefficient and pathetic.
However, he knew of some short cuts that could help him get magical energy, and fast. He ran through the catalogue in his mind.
Apart from options like some hidden Relics and Dungeons he knew of, some simpler options included:
The Gold Dorm Infiltration. The Gold Dorm was built on the richest parts of the Academy's estate. The air there was so dense with energy you could practically chew it. But sneaking in there was a suicide mission.
The second was the Scavenger Route. In the Class Group-As and S's training grounds, the Awakeners often threw away their Magic Supplements when they were around 80-90% used.
They were wealthy and powerful enough to not have to drain the entire cylinder in order to absorb magical energy. Lancet could ransack their dustbins like a raccoon, sucking the dregs from their trash.
He grimaced at the thought of ut. 'Too much work. Too much risk. And frankly, beneath my dignity.'
There was a third option. A brutal one.
It was first used by Renan in the novel when he killed an Uprising 7-Star Monster in his very first Dungeon raid. The novel had called it the Vacuum Reward.
Lancet remembered it clearly. It was explained as follows:
The human body was designed to survive at all costs. When an Awakener's soul core is completely drained of Grace and energy, when they are in the verge of death, pushed to the absolute edge of collapse, the biological safety protocols would shatter.
The body would panic and it would forcefully tear open every single channel, desperate to suck in any energy source to keep the heart beating.
Right now, that was the quickest way for Lancet to absorb magical energy. He didn't have any Monsters to fight him till he lost all his energy and stamina, but there were other ways to that.
Suddenly, without a word, Lancet slid off the mattress and dropped to the floor.
He ignored the scream of protest from his battered torso. He planted his palms on the cold linoleum, gritted his teeth, and began to move.
Down. Up. Down. Up.
He was doing push-ups. The movement was jerky, fueled by spite more than strength.
"Lancet?" Kasto asked, his voice thick with pure confusion. "What are you doing?"
"Exercising," Lancet grunted, sweat already stinging his split lip.
"Why?" Kasto sat up, looking bewildered. "We're not Specialists. Muscles don't help Summoners."
Lancet ignored him. He didn't have the breath to explain the mechanics of desperation to an NPC.
He just kept pushing.
Fifteen. Sixteen.
From the top bunk, Luke leaned over. He had a cynical look on his face as he watched Lancet's trembling arms push him up.
"Do you think this is going to get you stronger in three days to face that Demon Binder?" Luke asked flatly.
Lancet didn't answer aloud. But inside his mind, the fire was raging.
'I already have an overpowered ability unlike anyone else in this world,' he told himself, forcing his chest off the floor again. 'If this—running myself out of energy—is the price I have to pay to pull the trigger... then I'll do it. No time wasted.'
Everyone knew how important Grace was. It was the currency of power. It was the reason Renan Falconhart was a god among men.
'Renan...'
The thought of the protagonist made Lancet push harder. Renan had the ultimate cheat: He was the Solar Vessel.
Renan didn't have to sweat on a dirty floor. He possessed Auto-Filtration. Grace entered him freely, filtered instantly by his divine constitution.
He was immune to Gloom, and his Grace Regeneration was infinite. He could sleep, eat, or breathe, and he would still grow stronger.
'Someone like him... even with my Character Creation skills, I'd have trouble matching him right now.'
And then there was Theo.
Demon Binders were dangerous because they weaponized the fundamental laws of magic. They used Grace to impose their will upon Demons. Since Demons were creatures of Gloom, a Binder was essentially using the order of Grace to unleash Chaos of Gloom.
'As a 2-Star, Theo must have a solid grip on that mechanic. He's efficient. He's trained.'
Lancet's arms shook violently. A drop of sweat from his lip hit the floor. 'I have to put in the work.'
Hours bled away.
The room grew quiet, save for the wet, ragged sound of Lancet's breathing. He had done pushups until his chest failed, then squats until his legs turned to jelly, and now he was back on the floor.
His roommates watched him with a mix of horror and confusion.
"Has he gone mad?" Kasto whispered to Anita. "Does he want to faint?"
Lancet couldn't hear them anymore. All he could see was the internal status bar in his mind.
⸢ Stamina: 5 / 100 ⸥
He was at the limit. His vision was tunneling.
'Why give up?' he snarled at his own weak flesh. 'I still have specks of energy left. I have to continue until it is zero!'
Everything hurt. His muscles strained against each other, veins grew on his arms and neck. A groan of pain and determination left him as he forced his body up one last time.
⸢ Stamina: 1 / 100 ⸥
He lowered himself. The muscles in his shoulders tore. Again. Again. More pushups. Two more. One more.
Not yet? "Ughhh! One… last… one!"
⸢ Stamina: 0 / 100 ⸥
He was finally wrung dry.
Lancet collapsed, slamming face-first into the floor, his consciousness instantly swallowed by the black void of exhaustion.
But in that darkness, a golden light flashed. The gamble had paid off.
⸢ System Alert: Critical State Detected ⸥
⸢ +500 Magical Points have been granted to you to sustain your energy. Use it wisely. ⸥
"Lancet?!" Kasto called him with a trembling voice. There was no reply.
Kasto scrambled off his bed, nearly tripping in his haste. Anita floated down beside him, her face pale with worry. They hovered over the fallen boy.
"He's fainted," Anita whispered.
Kasto looked down, his brow furrowed behind his goggles. "This guy is something else," he muttered, staring at Lancet.
"Who faints with a smile on their face?"
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