Inside the school, the number of students made up only a small portion of the total people present. The majority were civilians from the surrounding areas who had come seeking refuge.
Much like the protective barrier at the school gate, only a few dozen strong students stood on the front lines, while the rest were mostly teachers and able-bodied adults. Most of the students were kept safe within the school grounds.
This situation made Alex Grant frown. Having already killed several monsters, he knew very well that today was crucial.
With the power of the **Blessing Stone**, everyone had the ability to stand against a monster. However, the effect of the **Blessing Stone** only lasted 24 hours. By tomorrow, that power would be gone.
Without an **Awakening Stone**, humanity's frail bodies would have no chance against the powerful monsters!
The best strategy, then, was to take advantage of today's **Blessing Stone** power and gather as many **Awakening Stones** as possible. Only by doing so could they have the strength to face the monsters in the future.
For now, though, Alex wasn't in a rush. He had already obtained an **R-level Awakening Stone**, which gave him a sense of security. His plan was to gather information before deciding his next move.
As he approached the field, Alex spotted the **Guardian** from a distance. The figure stood out too much among the crowd to miss.
The Guardian was over three meters tall, with a pair of orange wings on his back. His body resembled that of a human, except for the large brown shell-like helmet on his head, which left only narrow slits for his eyes and mouth.
A loud crowd surrounded the Guardian, making it hard for Alex to get close.
But then, as if sensing Alex, the Guardian—who had been conversing with others—suddenly looked up in his direction. Though Alex couldn't see his eyes, he felt an eerie sense of being watched.
Suddenly, a warm wave of energy radiated from the Guardian, gently pushing the surrounding crowd aside. With a flap of his wings, the Guardian took to the air, scattering glowing particles that rained down on the people below.
Amid gasps of awe, the injured civilians found their wounds healing instantly!
"People of Earth, I am your guide, No. 8351, Quinn Frey!"
"You may have temporarily held off the invaders, but the **Spider Scythes** are just the lowest-ranked vanguard of the Belos Army. Stronger and more dangerous enemies are coming!"
"Until you have grown stronger, directly confronting the Belos Army is unwise. That's why I need your help to build a safe and hidden base."
Quinn Frey's voice echoed in the minds of everyone in the school. Alex glanced at his quest log, where a new mission had appeared.
**F-Level Quest: Establish a Hidden Base**
**Description:** The invaders have targeted the **Horizon High School** base for unknown reasons. To shield the base from detection, Guide Quinn Frey requests that you venture into the **Spider Scythe** nest, destroy the locator crystal, and retrieve its fragments.
"This mission should be completed by the end of today!"
After issuing the quest, Quinn Frey looked at the still noisy crowd, his voice growing more somber and serious. "Right now, with the power of the **Blessing Stone**, you are capable of fighting the low-level **Spider Scythes**. When you kill them, there is a high chance you will obtain **Awakening Stones**. Once you have an **Awakening Stone**, you can truly awaken your own deity power.
Only with the power of a deity will you have the strength to fight against the Belos Army. Otherwise, when the **Blessing Stone's** effect wears off tomorrow, your fragile human bodies will be powerless to resist the invasion!"
Hearing Quinn Frey's words, Alex let out a sigh of relief. While he didn't think anyone was foolish enough to avoid the truth, he had initially worried that some people might choose to remain in denial and miss out on the opportunities today provided.
Now that Quinn Frey had made things clear, Alex felt no need to concern himself with other people's choices.
The consequences were laid out in front of them. If people were too afraid or hesitant to seize the chance to save themselves, they weren't worth pitying.
Under Quinn Frey's healing powers, Alex's own wounds had also fully recovered, but he decided to continue toward the Guardian rather than leaving immediately.
After Quinn Frey had issued the quest and warning, he descended to the ground. When he saw Alex approaching, he nodded slightly and initiated a telepathic conversation, speaking directly into Alex's mind: "My friend, is there something I can assist you with?"
Looking up at him, Alex hesitated before asking, "I've heard you're selling healing potions?"
"Yes, I have two types of healing potions. One is a **standard healing potion**, which restores 60% of your health over 30 minutes and costs 100 points per bottle. The other is a **quick healing potion**, which restores 30% of your health in 5 minutes and costs 200 points per bottle. Would you like to purchase one?"
Alex nodded, then asked, "Are you also buying or selling **Awakening Stones** or other materials?"
A glint seemed to flash behind the Guardian's helmet as he nodded. "I do have a few **Awakening Stones** available. If you'd like to buy one, it will cost 3,000 points."
"Can we buy **Awakening Stones**?! I want to buy one!"
"Me too! Save one for me!"
The crowd around Quinn Frey, who had overheard Alex's question, quickly caught on. Though the Guardian's telepathic responses were silent, Alex's question had reached many ears. Chaos erupted as people clamored to purchase **Awakening Stones**.
Seeing the situation spiral into disorder, Alex frowned and pulled out an **Awakening Stone** from his inventory. He turned to Quinn Frey and asked, "If I sell you this **Awakening Stone**, how many points will you give me?"
The surrounding crowd fell silent, their attention snapping to the gray stone in Alex's hand.
The **Awakening Stone** didn't look particularly special. If you placed it among ordinary rocks, it would be hard to distinguish. But if you looked closely, you could see tiny pinpricks of light scattered across its surface, like stars twinkling in a dark room.
Quinn Frey seemed to smile slightly as he replied, "If you sell me that **Awakening Stone**, I'll give you 1,500 points."
The crowd gasped. Many of them had already asked Quinn Frey how much it cost to buy an **Awakening Stone**, and the difference between the selling and buying price—half the amount—was shockingly steep.