Chapter 175: Not a Dragon Rider, but a Wyvern Rider (Golden Ticket & Power Stone Bonus)

All the boys who had just come out of their huts were shocked when they heard her.

Some were surprised because she was actually a girl, while most were shocked by the fact that she had killed one of them.

Matrim’s eyes widened. The whites of his eyes slowly turned red as his entire body trembled.

An indescribable rage rose inside him. He clenched his fist and pulled it back, ready to punch the girl in the face.

Then the last hut door opened.

"Enough."

The old man spoke only 1 word, but his voice was enough to bring the entire camp to silence.

As soon as the candidates, including Matrim, saw him step out of his hut, they all turned toward him and lowered their heads in greeting.

It was finally time for their questions about what had happened last night to be answered.

Also, there was still a chance that the Drakon girl had been lying just to taunt Matrim. That was the hope he clung to, so he waited for some good news from the old man’s mouth.

The man gave them a brief glance before walking toward the extinguished campfire.

"Does any of you actually know what this place is?"

He asked the question while bending down and picking up 2 stones from the ground.

None of the boys answered.

Only the Drakon girl’s voice broke the silence. "It’s the mountain where the entrance to the Underworld is located."

The boys stared at her in disbelief, thinking she had to be joking.

Apparently, none of them had known. They had believed this was nothing more than a training ground where the Tower selected and trained its most elite Shadows.

The old man struck the 2 stones together. A spark flashed between them, and the dead campfire suddenly came back to life.

"That’s right."

He dropped the stones onto the ground and turned his attention back to the boys.

"Last night, for some reason, the seal on the entrance was broken, and the passage between the 2 realms opened for a short time."

As he spoke, his eyes lingered on the Drakon girl for a moment.

"It was only open for a short time, so there is nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, one of you was quite unlucky and was accidentally dragged through the passage."

The boys finally understood what that terrifying feeling from last night had been.

But knowing the reason did not make them feel any safer.

If anything, it made the fear inside them grow.

The passage had only been open for a short time, yet even that brief moment had been enough to fill them with unimaginable fear.

What would it feel like to actually be inside that place?

The thought alone was enough to make their bodies tremble again, crushing whatever courage they had left.

The old man slowly looked at each of them, silently taking note of their expressions.

Among them, only 3 people had managed to keep their composure.

The Drakon girl, the redhead boy, and Matrim.

Matrim didn’t look shaken or afraid at all. Instead, anger burned in his eyes as he finally asked, "So, is he dead?"

A small hope still remained inside him.

Maybe, just maybe, the Drakon girl had only said those words to taunt him. Maybe she had only wanted to play with him and have some fun.

But now that he had heard it from the Master’s own mouth, he had no choice but to believe it.

The old man looked at his trembling body before calmly asking, "Do you know the requirements to cross the entrance to the Underworld?"

It was phrased as a question, but Matrim understood the answer immediately.

He had to accept the harsh reality.

Although he didn’t know the exact locations of the entrances, he knew the requirements for entering the other realms.

The first requirement for the Underworld, just like every other realm, was a strong body and mind capable of enduring its pure and dense mana.

That was already a requirement they were failing every day, which Magna included.

Every night, they had been falling unconscious from only a small amount of mana leaking from the campfire.

Yet that was merely the most basic requirement shared by every entrance.

Each realm had its own additional requirements.

To cross into the Underworld, one needed incredible endurance, a powerful regeneration ability, or resistance to fire.

Even if Magna had somehow been lucky enough to overcome the first requirement, he had probably died from being burned alive by the second.

Matrim’s head slowly lowered. He finally had to accept that the first friend he had ever made in his life was dead.

Then the Master’s next words brought the light back into his eyes. "There is still a chance he might be alive and could be saved."

His gaze shifted toward the sky, where a small black dot could be seen approaching in the distance. "She will decide that."

Matrim followed his gaze. The black dot was growing larger with every passing moment, rapidly approaching the camp.

As the figure finally came close enough for them to see its shape, everyone’s eyes widened.

A giant Black Wyvern soared through the sky above them, its massive body casting a shadow over the ground below.

It moved through the air with such ease that it looked like the king of the skies.

Everyone immediately recognized the divine beast and the person who might be riding it.

It was the only pet close to a Dragon in terms of power that the Tower had managed to obtain so far.

And its owner was someone they knew very well.

One of the Grand Witches.

One of the strongest women in the world.

"Lady Hecate is coming to check the seal and decide if the boy who was lost there is worth trying to save," the Master explained without taking his eyes off the giant beast.

There was still hope if she decided to send someone to search for him.

What they didn’t know was that Magna was quite happy with his current situation, spending his time adventuring and exploring a completely new world.