Chapter 36: Earning 500 Million in a Day?

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Earning 500 Million in a Day?

Westmere Professional Center

The next morning, Nathaniel Beaumont arrived at the Westmere Professional Center once again.

Unlike the previous several days, he didn’t head toward the dungeon area.

Instead, he walked toward the Class Advancement Hall, located in the deepest section of the facility.

Today, he would attempt his first class advancement.

The hall was enormous. Its high ceiling stretched above polished stone floors, and luminous runes covered the walls. At the center stood a gigantic crystal more than ten meters tall.

The crystal was completely transparent, yet countless strands of golden, silver, and blue light flowed through its interior. They intertwined and separated continuously, forming patterns that seemed to respond to the presence of nearby professionals.

This was the Class Advancement Crystal.

Every professional who reached Level 100 had to receive their first advancement quest through this crystal. Once they completed the assigned requirements, they would return and submit the quest for evaluation.

Only after passing the crystal’s judgment could they break through the level cap and enter the next stage of their professional development.

The hall wasn’t particularly crowded at this hour.

That was hardly surprising.

Most professionals needed several years, sometimes more than a decade, to progress from class awakening to Level 100.

Someone who arrived to receive a first advancement quest barely eight days after awakening was practically unheard of.

The staff had never encountered a case like Nathaniel’s.

Behind the reception counter, an employee noticed him approaching and immediately put on a professional smile.

"Good morning. How may I assist you?"

Nathaniel answered calmly.

"I’m here to receive my first class advancement quest."

The employee paused.

His gaze traveled over Nathaniel’s face.

He looked young. Eighteen, perhaps.

Had he really reached Level 100 already?

Maybe he simply had a youthful face. That wasn’t impossible.

The employee quickly recovered and maintained his courteous expression.

"Sir, regulations require me to explain the risks before you accept an advancement quest."

Nathaniel nodded for him to continue.

The employee took a breath.

"Each professional is allowed a maximum of three attempts at a particular advancement. If you fail all three attempts, you will permanently lose the opportunity to advance through that stage."

He raised one finger.

"Furthermore, failing your first attempt will increase the difficulty of your second quest. If you fail the second as well, the third will become even more difficult."

He paused to make sure Nathaniel understood.

"That’s why you should approach this carefully, especially your first advancement. Its evaluation can have a considerable effect on your future development."

The employee continued explaining.

"Many professionals spend months preparing after reaching Level 100. They acquire suitable equipment, learn new skills, assemble teams, and make sure they’re mentally prepared before accepting their quests."

This wasn’t an attempt to frighten Nathaniel.

The employee had worked at the Professional Center for years. He had seen talented professionals rush into advancement quests because they were eager to become stronger, only to suffer crushing disappointment after failing.

A failed first attempt increased the difficulty of the next one. That additional pressure could turn a difficult challenge into an impossible one.

Some professionals never recovered from their mistakes.

They remained stuck at the threshold of their first advancement for the rest of their careers.

The employee looked Nathaniel in the eyes.

"Please think carefully before making your decision."

Nathaniel extended his hand.

"Accept."

The employee fell silent.

Seeing that Nathaniel had already made up his mind, he could only sigh internally and proceed with the registration.

"Very well. Please place your hand on the Class Advancement Crystal."

Nathaniel walked toward the enormous crystal.

Several professionals scattered around the hall noticed the commotion and turned to look.

"Someone’s taking an advancement quest?"

"He’s so young!"

"Wait, has he actually reached Level 100?"

"Maybe he’s a genius from one of the major families."

Whispers spread through the hall.

Nathaniel paid them no attention.

He raised his hand and pressed his palm against the crystal’s smooth surface.

Hum!

The entire crystal trembled.

A brilliant golden light erupted from its depths.

The radiance spread through the transparent structure like liquid fire, illuminating the entire hall in an instant.

Several people instinctively shielded their eyes.

The employee behind the counter froze.

He had watched countless professionals receive advancement quests, but he had never witnessed a reaction this intense.

The golden light surged through the crystal, twisting around the silver and blue strands already flowing within it.

Then, from the center of the structure, a small crystal stone slowly separated from the larger crystal.

It floated through the air before settling into Nathaniel’s palm.

At the same moment, a series of system notifications appeared before his eyes.

[First Class Advancement Quest Generated]

[Quest: Wealth Accumulation]

[Basic Requirement: Earn 10,000,000 gold coins within 24 hours.]

[Restriction 1: Existing assets cannot be used.]

[Restriction 2: Gifts and outside financial assistance are prohibited.]

[Restriction 3: All income must be generated through value personally created by the candidate.]

[Special Evaluation Requirements:]

[Earn more than 50,000,000 gold coins: Unlock S-Rank Evaluation.]

[Earn more than 100,000,000 gold coins: Unlock SS-Rank Evaluation.]

[Earn more than 500,000,000 gold coins: Unlock SSS-Rank Evaluation.]

Nathaniel read the quest twice.

His expression grew slightly more serious.

Ten million gold coins in twenty-four hours.

And the restrictions eliminated almost every conventional shortcut.

He couldn’t simply take money from his existing assets. He couldn’t accept gifts or ask someone to fund the attempt. Whatever he earned had to come from value he personally created.

This wasn’t a straightforward test of combat ability.

It was a test of his ability to generate wealth under strict conditions.

Nathaniel looked back at the employee.

"What exactly is the difference between the advancement evaluations?"

The employee immediately explained.

0

"The evaluation determines the attribute growth multiplier you receive after completing the advancement."

He began counting on his fingers.

"An ordinary evaluation grants fivefold growth. An S-Rank evaluation grants sixfold growth. An SS-Rank evaluation grants eightfold growth, while an SSS-Rank evaluation grants tenfold growth."

Nathaniel’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Fivefold growth was already a substantial reward.

Tenfold growth was another matter entirely.

His God of Shadows class had already given him extraordinary growth. If a tenfold advancement multiplier applied to his progression, the resulting improvement could be enormous.

He looked down at the crystal stone in his hand.

Five hundred million gold coins.

That was the threshold for the highest evaluation.

The employee noticed his thoughtful expression and hesitated before offering another warning.

"Sir, I recommend choosing a realistic target. There’s no need to risk everything just to obtain a higher evaluation."

He spoke sincerely.

"Completing the basic requirement and receiving an ordinary evaluation is already a good result. More than ninety-nine percent of professionals receive ordinary evaluations during their first advancement."

He continued, "Professionals who achieve S-Rank evaluations are exceptionally rare. SS-Rank evaluations are rarer still."

The employee paused.

"As far as Westmere’s records go, the only people known to have received SS-Rank evaluations during their first advancements are the Three Pillars."

Nathaniel raised his eyes.

"What about SSS-Rank?"

The employee gave a helpless smile.

"I’ve never heard of anyone achieving that. At least, no such case has been recorded in Westmere."

Nathaniel looked at the crystal stone again.

Five hundred million gold coins in a single day.

It was an outrageous target, even for someone with his abilities.

But the higher evaluation promised a substantial advantage for his future growth.

He wasn’t interested in taking unnecessary risks, yet he had never intended to settle for the minimum simply because everyone else did.

The employee pointed toward the crystal stone.

"You must complete the quest within twenty-four hours. Once you’ve fulfilled the requirements, return here and place the quest crystal against the Class Advancement Crystal."

He explained the final step.

"The crystal will evaluate the value you’ve generated and determine which rank you’ve achieved. If you fail to earn the basic amount within the time limit, the quest will be considered a failure."

Nathaniel put the crystal away.

"Understood."

He turned toward the exit.

Twenty-four hours.

Five hundred million gold coins.

He had a new problem to solve.

And he intended to find a way.

Above Westmere

High above the city, two figures continued watching Nathaniel’s progress.

The man in the black trench coat stood beside the middle-aged man in the gray robe. Neither needed flying equipment to remain suspended among the clouds.

Their position gave them a clear view of the Westmere Professional Center below.

As members of the High Command, they possessed access to information that ordinary officials could never obtain.

Nathaniel’s advancement quest was no exception.

The details were confidential to most of the city’s staff. Even Edmund Sterling, Westmere’s City Lord, couldn’t freely inspect the precise requirements assigned to every professional.

The High Command, however, operated under different rules.

The gray-robed man raised one hand.

A translucent screen appeared in the air between them.

The quest information unfolded across its surface.

He began reading.

At first, his expression was relaxed.

Then his eyes stopped at the basic requirement.

"Ten million gold coins?"

He continued reading.

His smile gradually disappeared.

When he reached the final evaluation threshold, he stared at the screen in silence.

Five hundred million gold coins.

Within twenty-four hours.

Without existing assets, gifts, or outside financial assistance.

After several seconds, the gray-robed man finally spoke.

"Outrageous."

The man in black glanced at him.

"What is it?"

The gray-robed man pointed at the screen.

"Look at this. Nathaniel’s first advancement quest requires him to generate wealth."

He shook his head.

"The basic requirement is ten million gold coins, but the highest evaluation demands five hundred million in a single day. And he can’t use his existing wealth or accept financial help."

He looked toward the city below.

"What kind of advancement quest is this?"

The man in black examined the requirements.

For a moment, even he remained silent.

The gray-robed man let out a slow breath.

"His class is the God of Shadows. It allows him to command an army capable of clearing dungeons at astonishing speed. Yet the advancement crystal has given him a wealth-generation challenge."

He crossed his arms.

"The crystal isn’t asking whether he can defeat monsters. It’s asking whether he can create value under pressure, without relying on resources he already possesses."

The man in black’s expression remained unreadable.

"An advancement quest tests more than combat strength. The crystal may be evaluating his judgment, adaptability, and ability to use his class outside direct combat."

The gray-robed man nodded reluctantly.

"Perhaps. But five hundred million gold coins?"

He shook his head again.

"Even some established commercial organizations would struggle to generate that much legitimate income in a single day."

The man in black returned his gaze to the screen.

"Let’s see how he approaches it."

The gray-robed man gave him a sideways glance.

"You don’t think he’ll settle for the basic requirement, do you?"

The man in black didn’t answer immediately.

Below them, Nathaniel was already leaving the Professional Center, carrying the small quest crystal that would determine his next stage of growth.

Finally, the man in black spoke.

"After everything he’s accomplished so far, I wouldn’t assume he’ll choose the easiest path."

The gray-robed man laughed under his breath.

"Then this should be interesting."

The virtual screen vanished.

The two men remained among the clouds, watching the city lights spread across Westmere.

Nathaniel had twenty-four hours to complete his quest.

And if he truly intended to reach the highest evaluation, he would need to do far more than defeat another powerful monster.

He would have to turn his abilities into half a billion gold coins.

For the first time since his awakening, the battlefield ahead of him would not be a dungeon.

It would be the world of commerce itself.

___________________________________

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