Chapter 35: A Terrifying Awakening in the Corpse Academy
by xennovel“Gulp”
Saliva was swallowed dry.
The few survivors stood frozen in place, as motionless as statues.
Instant kill… a blatant instant kill…
An attack this terrifying could only have come from a Third-Stage explosion—and not an ordinary one!
Panic, fear, awe. Amid a jumble of emotions, the burly man who had earlier scolded Yenir now looked at him with a tearful, trembling expression.
“T-this… this sir, I was too blind to recognize your worth and have offended you…”
He stuttered, unable to find his words amidst the tension.
Though no one could fathom how Yenir had transformed from First-Stage to a fearsome Third-Stage presence.
Yet everyone knew one thing for certain: if Yenir turned against them, he could wipe them out in a heartbeat. In this sealed scenario, there was no chance of escape.
The gap between Third-Stage and Second-Stage was staggering—like comparing giants to ordinary mortals.
Later on, the differences between stages became practically a metamorphosis!
Calmly, Yenir surveyed the terrified onlookers and said evenly:
“Clear out the rest of the zombies.”
Every task had been accomplished. All that remained from his mission was to clear out the remaining zombies.
With everything going as planned, he expected to earn the highest rating for the dungeon.
He paid little heed to their reactions. After all, he had undertaken the mission—and their hatred born of despair was understandable.
It was as if mercy had been unexpectedly bestowed.
When Yenir spoke, the group hurriedly scattered.
However, among the crowd, several young female Awakeners suddenly caught on, their eyes alight with realization.
Such youth, yet already Third-Stage.
That young man had to be the offspring of someone high up in the Military or a major influential force!
Yet just as they were planning to approach him, they were astonished to see Yenir turn and head straight for the woods.
One look exchanged among them brought a wry smile to their lips.
It seemed he had no interest in them whatsoever.
“He’s incredibly powerful. Who would’ve thought someone so young could have such outrageous strength?”
“Who can say? That attack—I felt like just a touch would have killed me, lucky I jumped aside.”
“No need to wonder; haven’t you forgotten Gao Yun? He barely got a chance to move before he was disintegrated…”
After Yenir departed, the group, still in shock, began whispering cautiously. Yet whenever Gao Yun was mentioned, a strange look clouded their eyes.
In their astonishment, none could reconcile the mystery.
The burning question was: how could Yenir, with his Third-Stage power, bypass the dungeon’s restrictions and enter a Second-Stage scenario?
…….
In the woodland, Yenir quickly excavated a deep pit on the ground.
Not for any other purpose, but to search for a unique item.
In information from his previous life, it was revealed that a unique item was concealed in an unremarkable grove of the Corpse Academy. It was said the first person to find it did so purely by accident amid a battle.
Its precise location… where could it possibly be?
He strained to recall every detail.
Recalling every detail of the dungeon, Yenir began digging continuously, as if tunneling through his memories for any trace.
That unique item turned out to be half a skull—the fragment from the head of the Decapitated Female Corpse.
Following the dungeon’s narrative to the letter would reveal the Decapitated Female Corpse’s backstory.
Skull…
Skull…
He dug frantically.
A few minutes later, as his longsword suddenly halted in his grasp, a flash of delight crossed Yenir’s face.
The very next moment, from the soil split open by his sword’s tip, a pure white skull emerged.
Without a moment’s hesitation, Yenir carefully extracted the skull.
Ding. Obtained special item: Grudge Skull.
As the system prompt blared, Yenir’s eyebrows shot up, and his heart raced with excitement.
The information from his previous life hadn’t lied to him.
“Check attributes.”
With anticipation, Yenir promptly checked the skull’s attributes:
“Grudge Skull: Blue Special Item”
“Item Effect: Grants a mental energy solidification effect upon use. You can spread mental energy according to your willpower.”
“Item Description: Open the skull to reveal further secrets.”
…
As he toyed with the skull, a spark of delight flashed in Yenir’s eyes.
It appeared as an unremarkable blue item, but its power was nothing short of extraordinary!
Before the Third-Stage, Willpower-Type Awakeners brimmed with mental energy but rarely had a place to channel it. Their inability to condense or project their power meant that, unlike other types who reaped immediate benefits after enhancements, the only boon for Willpower users was the ability to cast their skills a few more times despite their physical frailty.
But with mental energy solidification, everything changed!
A capability exclusive to the Third-Stage, solidified mental energy functioned like telekinesis, enabling him to manipulate objects as if controlling the void.
Moreover, the spread-out mental energy acted as an extra set of eyes, allowing him to see past obstructions.
Just that alone significantly boosted the survival prospects of Willpower-Type Awakeners!
Suppressing his elation, Yenir decisively placed the skull on his forehead, using it immediately.
In an instant, amid a pain reminiscent of having his brain sliced, Yenir felt his formerly scattered mental energy coalesce immediately.
Lifting his hand, the debris on the ground was miraculously lifted by an unseen force, moving as if guided by a giant invisible hand.
Excellent!
After a few swift tests, Yenir nodded in satisfaction at the stones now hovering around him, buoyed by his mental energy.
“Go!”
A low, commanding hum escaped him.
Empowered by his mental energy, stones around him were propelled outward like bullets.
Thump-thump-thump
Accompanied by a dull penetrating sound, tree trunks around him were suddenly pockmarked with holes as thick as fingers.
Bolstered by his exceptional willpower, his telekinetic assault was now potent enough to rival that of even the less formidable Second-Stage Awakeners!
Closing his eyes, Yenir resumed testing his mental energy detection.
“Buzz”
A faint buzzing sound signaled as a ring of pale blue mental energy burst forth, enveloping his surroundings like a sphere.
His detection range? Roughly 29 meters!
As the mental energy dissipated, Yenir exhaled deeply and slowly opened his eyes.
Just three days after rebirth, he had already mastered abilities that in his previous life were only available at Third-Stage. Even without using his SSS-level skills, he was confident he could take on Second-Stage Awakeners—no, even those above his rank!
A few minutes later, a system prompt rang out:
“Ding: All zombies in Corpse Academy have been eliminated.”
“Ding: All tasks in the Corpse Academy dungeon are complete. You may now exit, and rewards will be distributed based on your performance!”
Listening to the barrage of system prompts, Yenir glanced around to confirm nothing was missed before decisively opting to exit.