Warren, one of the human commanders at Ironwall Outpost, was a hero to all of humanity. For him to specifically instruct Samuel to hide Bastion's Initiation Dungeon record, while also sending his congratulations, was astonishing. If this news spread, it would send shockwaves throughout Brighton City, and Bastion would instantly become the talk of the town.
Even Bastion himself was a bit taken aback—he hadn't expected to catch Warren's attention. Then again, he recalled his teacher mentioning that when a dungeon record was broken, the previous record holder would be notified immediately. It made sense now why Warren knew.
Principal Michael nodded to himself, impressed by Warren's foresight. While he'd been worried about Abyssal followers targeting Bastion, Warren had already prepared a solution. By hiding Bastion's record, they could delay any unwanted attention. As long as Bastion didn't cause too much of a stir, no one would know he was a newly awakened rookie.
Samuel looked around at everyone, including the other students and staff members, with a serious expression.
"Bastion's record will remain hidden. All of you are required to maintain strict confidentiality. Anyone who leaks this information will be treated as a traitor to humanity. That's an order!"
"Understood!" everyone chorused, including Ryan, though his face showed a mix of shock and resentment. The crowd now looked at Bastion in a completely different light. This wasn't just any student—he was someone recognized by Warren himself, with an incredibly bright future ahead.
Samuel glanced at his daughter, Elena, who looked deeply regretful, and shook his head. He knew her well; he could only hope she'd learn something from this experience.
Principal Michael cleared his throat. "Alright, everyone, that's enough excitement for now. Go get some rest, and prepare to dive back into training tomorrow."
Elena and her team nodded, each harboring feelings of jealousy, regret, and bitterness as they prepared to leave. Just as they were turning away, Bastion spoke up.
"Hold on."
Elena's face lit up with hope, thinking Bastion might have changed his mind about teaming up. Even Samuel raised an eyebrow, curious.
But Bastion's expression was indifferent as he asked, "Where's Billy? Wasn't he supposed to be with you? Did you kick him out of the team because you wouldn't let me join?"
Elena's face fell, disappointed that it wasn't an invitation to team up. She explained reluctantly, "Billy got angry when we refused to let you join, so he left on his own. I thought he was looking for you."
Bastion nodded, understanding now. That was exactly something Billy, his loyal friend, would do. He must have missed him since he'd entered the dungeon too quickly to cross paths.
Seeing that Bastion hadn't changed his mind about teaming up, the four left, with three of them conspicuously distancing themselves from Ryan, their expressions full of disdain.
Ryan clenched his fists, muttering bitterly to himself, "Why? I'm the one who caused the phenomenon during the awakening ceremony, not him. Just because of one mistake… it's all Bastion's fault. He's stolen the spotlight that should have been mine!"
…
After everyone had gone, Bastion approached Principal Michael.
"I'd like permission to go to the Bamboo Sea Mountains to continue leveling up. Could you sign a permit for me?"
Michael raised an eyebrow. "The Bamboo Sea Mountains? That's a wild leveling area with a lot of diverse and high-level monsters. It's far more dangerous than the Initiation Dungeon. You're only Level 7 right now; you could still enter the Initiation Dungeon one more time after the cooldown is up."
Samuel chimed in, "Exactly. Every year, we lose rookies in the Bamboo Sea Mountains, and it's not just the monsters that are dangerous. You should wait until the cooldown ends and go back to the Initiation Dungeon for safer leveling."
Bastion shook his head. "The highest-level monster in the Initiation Dungeon is Level 8, so I won't get any more bonuses for killing higher-level enemies. Even if I clear it again, I'll only reach Level 8. It's too slow."
Michael and Samuel fell silent, each thinking the same thing: thank goodness Elena and her team weren't here to hear Bastion complain about the Initiation Dungeon's slow experience gain. They'd probably want to dig a hole and hide in shame.
"Are you sure?" Michael asked, glancing at Bastion and his calm, fox-like Pyra.
"Yes, I'm sure," Bastion replied confidently. He had a plan, and it involved making the best use of the cooldown amulet he'd just received. Since the amulet worked up to Level 10, using it on a higher-level dungeon would maximize its benefits. If he used it on the Initiation Dungeon, the experience gain would be too low.
Now that he was nearly Level 8, his goal was to level up further in the Bamboo Sea Mountains, and then head to a gathering point with several dungeons for higher-level training. Normally, students would level to 8 in the Initiation Dungeon and get a permit to go to the wilderness afterward, but since the principal was here, he figured he'd ask directly.
Seeing Bastion's determination, Michael finally relented. "Alright, if you're set on it." He signed the permit. "Here's my contact information. If you run into any trouble, contact me immediately. I'll notify the authorities to organize a rescue if needed," Samuel added, giving Bastion his number.
Bastion saved it gratefully, then remembered something else. "Samuel, could I ask a favor?"
"Of course," Samuel replied warmly. "If it's within my power, I'd be happy to help."
With a flash of light, Bastion took out the Human-Faced Monkey Shield from his storage. "This shield dropped in the dungeon. Since Billy got kicked out because of me, his leveling must have suffered. Could you pass this to him for me?"
Samuel's face softened as he looked at the shield's stats—it was quite a little gem. He gazed at Bastion with growing admiration.
"Of course. I'll personally wait here until Billy comes out and make sure he gets it."
"Thank you," Bastion said earnestly, then left with Pyra perched on his shoulder.
After he left, Samuel shook his head in admiration. "What a kid. It's not just his strength that stands out—he's got a good heart. Giving a valuable item like this to a friend shows great character."
"Too bad for my daughter, though," he added with a sigh. "If she hadn't burned that bridge, who knows where things could've gone. This boy even has Warren's endorsement; he'd have made an incredible son-in-law for the Hart family…"
"Oh, please." Michael rolled his eyes. "Daydreaming again, huh? By the way, I should thank you. With Bastion's performance, my bid for Honorary Principal this year might actually stand a chance."
Michael tried to stay humble, but a glint of pride showed in his eyes.
Samuel laughed. "Don't be so modest! If anyone's earned it, it's you. But a promising new generation is good for all of us."
With a wave of his hand, Samuel made Bastion's name fade from the leaderboard. The record would stay hidden—at least until the entrance exams, when it would reappear in all its glory.