Chapter 91: Double Rewards, a Farewell, and the Pavilion of Serendipity

Ethan turned toward the voice. He wasn’t happy to see who was coming.

He recognized all seven of them. They were the same people who had entered Ant Colony after he and Aria left.

As Darius approached, the students nearby moved out of his way. He walked straight up to Ethan, with Vina and the others following behind him.

"You’re from Bug Cleanup Crew, right? The ones who cleared Ant Colony on Hell Difficulty?"

"Yeah, that’s us."

"Then you should know what was inside."

Ethan frowned slightly. "I know what I saw. What are you trying to ask?"

"We entered the dungeon after you, but we couldn’t find what we came for." Darius looked annoyed. "You were the only ones who cleared it on Hell Difficulty before us. Did you find anything unusual?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Darius was about to say something, but Vina stepped in before he could.

"Sorry about that. He gets impatient sometimes." She turned to Ethan. "I wanted to ask you something myself."

Ethan waited for her to continue.

"Did you find a golden egg in the dungeon? It should have been somewhere near the Ant Queen’s nest."

"No. Why are you looking for it?"

"I heard there was a Golden Ant egg hidden in Ant Colony, so I came to look for it." Vina hesitated a little before adding, "I really want to find it."

"Miss Vina, they’re the only ones who cleared Ant Colony on Hell Difficulty before us," Darius said. "If anyone found the egg, it would be them."

"I know."

"But we searched the dungeon after they left. There was no egg."

Ethan shrugged. "Maybe the person who told you about it was wrong."

"Are you saying the Seer..."

"That’s enough, Darius," Vina said.

Darius stopped talking, though he still looked unhappy about it.

Vina turned back to Ethan. "If you hear anything about the egg, please let me know. I’d really appreciate it."

"Sure."

She seemed to realize that Ethan wasn’t going to say anything more. After thanking him, she left with the others. Darius followed without another word.

Aria waited until they were far enough away before speaking.

"You really weren’t going to tell her, were you?"

"Tell her what?"

"The egg, obviously." Aria looked toward the group as they disappeared into the crowd. "She seemed pretty desperate to find it."

"That’s exactly why I didn’t tell her."

Aria thought about that for a moment before nodding.

"Fair enough."

Ethan had found the egg, after all. Whatever Vina wanted it for, he wasn’t about to hand it over just because she asked.

Then the rankings on the board changed

[Swarm Dungeon Challenge]

[Final Rankings]

[First Place: Bug Cleanup Crew]

[Second Place: Ironwall]

[Third Place: Triple Impact]

Aria smiled as she read the rankings. They had taken first place in all five dungeons, so the final result wasn’t much of a surprise.

"Five first places in a row," she said. "Not bad at all."

Ethan was pleased with the result too. They had gotten what they came for, and the challenge wasn’t even over yet.

More notifications appeared.

[Challenge Rewards]

[First Place: 10,000 Points per Member]

[Second Place: 7,500 Points per Member]

[Third Place: 5,000 Points per Member]

Ethan was about to check his points when another notification appeared.

[Special Achievement Unlocked!]

[Blood Monarch’s Plan Disrupted]

[The members of Bug Cleanup Crew have disrupted the Blood Monarch’s plans and prevented a major disaster.]

[Special Rewards Granted!]

[First-Place Points Doubled!]

[Additional Reward: 50% Discount on All Academy Exchanges]

Aria paused at the last line.

"Fifty percent off all academy exchanges? That’s a pretty good reward."

"Definitely," Ethan said.

The extra points were useful, but the discount might prove even more valuable. He would need plenty of resources to strengthen his legions, and now he could get them for half the usual price.

Another notification appeared.

[Bug Cleanup Crew]

[Members: 2]

[Points Awarded: 20,000 per Member]

[Total Points Awarded: 40,000]

"Twenty thousand each," Aria said. "That’s twice the usual reward."

"We got first place and a special achievement. It makes sense."

"Still, I’m happy with it."

Ethan took out his identification token and checked it briefly. The points had been added, just as expected, and he put it away.

"Too bad I won’t get to use that discount," Aria said.

Ethan looked at her. "Why?"

"Today’s my last day at the academy. I’m leaving later today."

"Leaving? Where are you going?"

"To see my grandma." Aria took out her own token and checked the message she’d received. "She asked me to come over."

Ethan nodded. He remembered Aria mentioning her grandmother before, but he hadn’t expected her to leave the academy so soon.

"Didn’t you come here to study?"

"I did, sort of. I just wanted to see what the academy was like and take part in the dungeon challenge. I never planned to stay for long."

She put her token away.

"My grandma used to send me maps to places where treasures might be hidden. I’ve always wanted to explore them myself."

"So that’s what you want to do?"

"Yeah. Most people come here to get stronger, clear dungeons, and improve their professions. I’d rather spend my time looking for treasures."

Ethan nodded. The academy was a good place to grow stronger, but it wasn’t the only way to make progress. Aria had her own interests, and treasure hunting suited her better than spending all her time clearing dungeons.

"Anyway, my grandma sent people to pick me up," Aria said. "They’re waiting for me outside. I should get going."

"Already?"

"Yeah. I told you I’m leaving today, didn’t I?"

"You did." Ethan paused before asking, "Where are you going, anyway?"

"The Pavilion of Serendipity. My grandma works there, so I’ll be staying with her for a while."

Ethan went still.

For a moment, he wondered if he’d heard her wrong. But Aria was already adjusting her bag, looking ready to leave.

"The Pavilion of Serendipity?" he repeated.

"Yeah." She didn’t seem to notice the change in his expression. "It’s perfect for someone like me. I’ll finally get to explore places instead of sitting around here."

Ethan didn’t answer right away.

The Pavilion of Serendipity was an Overlord-tier faction. Even among the major forces of Elyria, it was known for keeping a low profile. It was a place where treasure hunters and explorers gathered, but the Pavilion itself was full of mysteries.

Nobody could say for sure what they might find inside. Someone might enter looking for a particular treasure and discover something far more valuable instead. Another person might stumble upon an opportunity they had never even imagined. Even those who had spent years in the Pavilion couldn’t predict what their next discovery would be.

That was part of what made the Pavilion so famous. People came looking for one thing and sometimes left with something they had never expected. It was also why so many treasure hunters and explorers wanted to become members.

But that wasn’t why Ethan had reacted that way.

In his previous life, the Pavilion had been more than just the faction he belonged to. He had held a high position there as an Ancient Pathfinder, and the people he’d met through it had become an important part of his life.

When Lucian and Elena betrayed him, everything had fallen apart. He’d lost the people he trusted, his position, and almost everything he’d worked for. As he fled from those hunting him, the Pavilion had been one of the few forces he could still turn to. Its connections and influence had given him a chance to survive when he had nowhere else to go.

He hadn’t forgotten that.

Even after everything that happened, he had never thought of the Pavilion as just another faction. It had stood behind him when his own life had been falling apart, and he still owed it more than he could easily explain.

And now, after returning to the beginning of everything, he had heard its name from Aria.

He hadn’t expected this at all.

"I’m going to be busy once I get there," Aria continued. "My grandma has been sending me those maps for years. I can’t keep talking about exploring them forever."

Ethan finally came back to himself.

"Then I hope you find something good."

"Of course I will." Aria grinned. "You just wait. One day, I’ll find a treasure so rare that you’ll be jealous."

"Let’s see if you can manage that first."

"Hey! You could at least have a little faith in me."

"I have faith in you. I’m just not betting any points on it."

Aria gave him an annoyed look, but she was smiling when she turned to leave.

"I really have to go now. See you around, Ethan."

"Yeah. Take care."

Aria waved goodbye and headed toward the outer grounds, where her grandmother’s people were waiting.

Ethan watched her go until she disappeared into the crowd. He hadn’t expected her to be connected to the Pavilion of Serendipity, much less to be going there so soon.

He stood there for a while, thinking about it. The Pavilion brought back a lot of memories, some of which he would rather not think about. Still, he couldn’t deny that he owed the place a great deal.

Now that he had a second chance, he wanted to do things differently. He had no intention of rushing back to the Pavilion before he was ready. There were still too many things he needed to take care of, and getting stronger remained his priority.

But one day, he would return.

Ethan turned and headed back toward his dormitory, already thinking about what he needed to do next.