Chapter 20: Specter
Two figures arrived to escort Leon Grant. One of them wore a uniform, clearly a staff member at the facility, while the other was dressed in military fatigues—an officer from the stationed Federation Army garrison.
"Student, please hand over your weapons for safekeeping," the soldier said, his sharp gaze fixed on Leon. One hand rested firmly on his holstered firearm, ready to respond in case of any unexpected action.
"Alright," Leon replied calmly. He handed over his spear without resistance.
At the Apprentice-tier, firearms were still incredibly effective weapons. Even Leon's zero-tier spell, Bone Fang, could barely rival the power of a sniper bullet in terms of attack force—and it couldn't compete with a sniper rifle's range.
The soldier took the spear crafted by Leon, his eyes narrowing as they caught sight of the dried blood on its tip. A flicker of respect crossed his face.
It seemed this student had encountered enemies in the Arcane Realm—and had managed to come out on top.
"Follow us, student. Let's head to the Detection Chamber," the staff member said, leading the way. The soldier walked behind Leon, keeping a watchful eye on him.
Leon followed the staff member through a long corridor. Along the walls were a series of Awakening Chambers, all of which were currently dark and empty. The desolate atmosphere gave the space an eerie silence.
Every fifty meters, tall guard towers loomed overhead. Looking up, Leon spotted two soldiers stationed on one of the towers, armed with heavy machine guns that exuded immense firepower.
He quickly shifted his gaze, choosing not to dwell on the ominous security measures, and continued to follow the staff member obediently.
Soon, the group of three arrived at the Detection Chamber, situated beneath the base's command center.
Unlike the cold and dark corridors they had walked through, the Detection Chamber was bright and clean. White fluorescent lights illuminated the spacious hall, and the cool air from the air conditioning carried a faint, refreshing scent of air freshener.
"Student, you'll be in Room 7. Good luck! I hope you achieve great results in your awakening!" the staff member said with an encouraging smile, his fist raised in a gesture of support.
"Thank you," Leon responded softly, nodding politely.
This chamber was designed to test whether students had successfully awakened a supernatural constitution after their experience in the Arcane Realm.
Surviving the Awakening Trial didn't necessarily mean a student had succeeded in awakening their powers. Some might return with minor physical symptoms like headaches or fevers, mistakenly believing they had awakened. Others might experience no changes at all but still harbor latent powers.
There were even cases where students unknowingly became infected with dangerous Arcane Realm pathogens or curses, which only the advanced detection systems could uncover.
Leon, however, wasn't worried in the slightest. He already knew he had successfully awakened—he had even mastered several spells. If that didn't count as a success, then what would?
Leon stepped into the small testing room. A young man wearing glasses sat behind a desk, glancing up as Leon entered.
"Come in, student! Take a seat!" the tester said warmly, gesturing to the chair across from him.
"Hello, sir," Leon replied, addressing the man with respect.
The testers were usually university professors, lecturers, or teaching assistants assigned to evaluate students. Judging by his age, this man was likely a lecturer or assistant rather than a full professor.
"Alright, let's begin the test," the tester said. "First, we'll start with a blood sample. Please extend your arm."
Leon rolled up his sleeve as the tester retrieved a syringe. A quick prick, and a small vial of blood was drawn before being placed into a machine.
Leon felt a faint pulse of magic emanating from the device—it was clear the machine was enchanted.
Moments later, the results printed out on a slip of paper. The tester examined it before smiling.
"Congratulations, student! You've successfully awakened a supernatural constitution."
"Thank you, sir," Leon said, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. Though he already knew the outcome, hearing it confirmed still filled him with excitement.
After giving Leon a moment to collect himself, the tester continued. "According to your results, your constitution leans heavily toward a caster's affinity. Next, we'll test your aptitude as a spellcaster."
"Understood, sir."
The tester retrieved a crystal sphere roughly the size of a human head and placed it on the table.
"Place both hands on the sphere and focus your mind. I'll demonstrate," he said, giving Leon a brief example before pushing the sphere toward him.
Leon wiped his hands on his trousers before placing them on the crystal sphere.
As soon as his hands made contact, he felt two distinct currents of energy flow into his palms, travel to his mind, and then return to the sphere.
The sphere began to glow faintly when—
"Stop!"
A sharp voice rang out from above, startling Leon.
Before he could react, the tester jumped over the desk, placing himself protectively in front of Leon.
"What's happening?" Leon asked, his heart racing.
"Stay behind me," the tester said, his normally calm demeanor now replaced with visible tension.
Suddenly, a faint, mournful wail echoed from the adjacent room, followed by a thud and a muffled scream.
Moments later, a translucent specter phased through the wall, its semi-transparent form radiating an oppressive aura that made Leon's chest tighten.
The sheer pressure made Leon's fear rise, but he quickly focused his mind and began constructing the runes for his Bone Fang spell.
"Damn it, a specter!" the tester cursed under his breath, magical energy coalescing around him as several Arcane Missiles formed in the air.
Before either of them could act, a beam of light shot down from above, piercing the specter cleanly through its form.
The creature let out a distorted shriek before shattering like broken glass.
Leon exhaled deeply, canceling the half-formed spell in his mind.
As the remnants of the specter faded, a glowing point of light materialized where it had been. In an instant, it darted toward Leon, entering his chest before he could react.
His first instinct was panic, but when the glowing point settled within him, he recognized it as a Potential Point—a rare, personal resource for growth.
However, Leon kept his discovery to himself. The glowing point seemed invisible to others; even the tester, who had been mere inches away, showed no reaction to its presence.
They can't see it, Leon thought, his heart finally calming. Confident his secret was safe, he silently rejoiced at his unexpected gain.