Peter's frustration grew with each failed awakening attempt, but instead of giving up, a gambler's gleam appeared in his eyes. Sensing that Peter was acting irrationally, Alex advised, "Peter, maybe take a break and try again tomorrow?"
The rest of the group, including John, chimed in, urging him to wait. But Peter, determined, refused their help and went for his fourth awakening. This time, though he didn't fail, the result was only an N-class potential, leaving Peter visibly disappointed.
Out of the 17 awakening stones the group had collected, 9 boys used up 16. With the 24,000 points they had earned, Alex took his share of 6,000, and the remaining 18,000 points were divided among the others. Despite this, three people still hadn't succeeded in awakening, a frustrating outcome.
Alex knew that their group was among the most efficient at defeating monsters. Overall, the school probably only managed to gather around 1,000 to 2,000 awakening stones, and with a 50% failure rate, fewer than 1,000 students would successfully awaken their powers tomorrow. This meant that over half of the base's population would remain as regular humans, a grim reality considering their need to defend themselves.
Thankfully, the mission to establish the base was completed today. Without that victory, the school would be much more vulnerable tomorrow. With Alex, possessing SR-level potential, and two others with R-level potential, their class was undoubtedly the strongest group in the school.
As the group recovered from the day's events, they reviewed the changes that came with their latest awakenings. Alex wasn't the only one with new skills. Tanya's **Explosive Fireball** was replaced with **Earth Cage** and **Earthen Grasp**, both of which were more focused on controlling enemies rather than dealing damage.
Jack, previously having a debuff skill he barely used, now had **Petrified Skin** and **Mighty Strike**, which amusingly mirrored Alex's earlier abilities.
John's **Earth Shield** skill was swapped for **Precision Throw**, allowing him to attack enemies from a distance. Peter now had two new skills, **Quick Step** and **Backstab**, increasing his speed and doubling his damage in sneak attacks.
Two other classmates, Chris and David, gained supportive abilities: one could increase the movement speed of nearby allies by 10%, and the other could detect monsters within a 500-meter radius.
Thanks to the skill points earned from their mission rewards, the group's overall power had improved despite some still having weaker stats compared to earlier in the day. In fact, with their upgraded abilities, their collective strength had grown even more.
As for the close-combat fighters, there were now only three in the group: Alex, Jack, and Peter. Conveniently, they could split the three large swords among them. Jack and Peter had to pay John and the others 1,000 points each for their new swords. Peter also owed Alex 7,000 points, which included the 6,000 points Alex had fronted for him earlier in the day.
Luckily, their high mission participation meant they earned a decent amount of merit points. While not quite as much as Alex, they were all in the top ten and had earned 10,000 points each from the mission.
Once payments were settled, Alex's total points had risen to an impressive 63,000. The remaining assets were a single R-level gemstone and the R-level awakening stone Tanya had collected.
After some discussion, the group decided Alex should take the R-level gemstone, and both he and Tanya would each contribute 10,000 points to be divided among the others.
With the loot fairly distributed, they headed back to the courtyard to find Quinn. They not only needed dinner but also wanted Quinn to help forge another weapon for Jack.
Upon seeing them approach, Quinn, normally composed, seemed visibly excited. Before anyone could speak, he directly messaged Alex, "Did you awaken an SR-level potential ability?!"
Alex hesitated for a moment before nodding in confirmation. He figured it wasn't much of a secret anyway, as his entire class already knew, and as the base guide, Quinn was someone trustworthy.
Even though Quinn had expected it, the confirmation left him momentarily speechless. After recovering, he eagerly recommended, "The **Glory of the Warlord** will truly help you! I can give you a 20% discount. Its effects won't conflict with your mission scroll, and they'll stack, making it an invaluable item during the early stages."
Alex considered the offer. The pendant, **Glory of the Warlord**, cost 24,000 points after the discount, and while it was expensive, it seemed to have a unique function that might come in handy. Deciding it was worth the investment, Alex purchased it.
Once the deal was done, Quinn happily took the purple scythe Jack handed over and began crafting his new weapon. While Quinn worked, Alex took out the R-level gemstone and asked, "The description says it can be used to upgrade equipment or enhance weapon quality. How exactly does it work?"
Quinn, surprised by the rarity of the item, explained, "You guys are really lucky! To use the gemstone, you need someone skilled in forging. I can help you strengthen your weapon."
For an N-level enhancement, the fee was 1,000 points, while an R-level enhancement cost 10,000. However, likely impressed by Alex's SR potential and his previous purchases, Quinn offered Alex an 8,000-point deal.
Weapon enhancement seemed simpler than crafting a new one. Quinn drew a mysterious formation in the air, placed Alex's purple scythe within it, and, following a few additional steps, instructed Alex to place the gemstone into the circle.
Once inserted, the dark green gemstone emitted a strange light that enveloped the scythe. When the glow faded, the once-large purple blade had shrunk slightly and taken on a lighter hue, with a subtle shimmer running along its edge.
Inspecting the weapon's new stats, Alex was pleasantly surprised.
**Violet Edge (R-level)**: A razor-sharp blade that deals double slashing damage with a 30% chance of causing a bleeding effect.
Not only had the scythe's rank increased from N-level to R-level, but its damage had also risen by 70%, with an added effect of inducing bleeding in enemies. The upgrade was a significant power boost.