Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The Midnight Reward

Chapter 39: The Midnight Reward

Draven sat in his dark dorm room. He stared at the digital clock on his wall.

11:58 PM.

11:59 PM.

12:00 AM.

DING!

A bright blue screen illuminated the room.

[System Alert: Monthly Sign-In Available!]

[Location: Bastion Seven Academy Dormitories]

[Would you like to Sign-In?]

’Yes,’ Draven commanded in his mind.

[Processing Monthly Reward...]

[Reward 1: Mythic Artifact - The Astral Server]

[Reward 2: Unique Skill - Janitor (Active)]

Draven felt a sudden burning sensation on the back of his right hand. He looked down. Black ink materialized out of thin air.

It etched itself directly into his skin. The intricate geometric tattoo formed a perfect circle with a hollow center.

He tapped the glowing system panel to read the details.

[The Astral Server (Mythic Artifact): A pocket dimension accessed via the Host’s mark. Inside this endless void, the Host possesses absolute omnipotence. The Host can summon the astral projections of marked individuals. The Host can assign roles, shape the environment, and manifest as a deity.]

Draven traced the fresh tattoo with his thumb. He pushed a fraction of his mana into the black ink.

VWOOM!

The walls of his dorm room dissolved into black mist. Gravity vanished completely.

Draven floated in the center of an endless dark void. There was no up or down.

’What is this? This... unknown sense of power?’

There were no stars. But the moment he willed it, a brilliant white floor materialized beneath his boots.

He snapped his fingers. A massive obsidian table rose from the ground.

He felt the raw and terrifying power coursing through this dimension. He was not just a host here.

He was God.

’This is miraculous! Beyond my imaginations! How could something like this pop up as a monthly Reward? Is it the way of the System...? Telling me to get rid of the heavy obstacle in front of me? Or it is something more ominous? A precaution against an unknown butterfly effect?’

He stopped his thoughts and tried new things with this power.

He could manipulate everything to his will. There was absolutely nothing he could not do inside this server.

A cold smile spread across his face.

’With this I can get in touch with the other Leads quite easily, and guide them to prevent their doom.’

His mind raced with tactical possibilities. Neville was a doomed protagonist. The Golden Boy was meant to save the world, but his arrogance always left a trail of collateral damage.

’There were other main characters in this world. There were hidden geniuses and broken heroes who would lose their lives because of Neville’s future mistakes.’

Draven made his decision. He would gather them. He would summon those essential figures into this void.

He would predict their tragedies and warn them ahead of time. He would protect them from the shadows.

To those he summoned, he would not be an Academy student. He would be a deity who had taken pity on them. He would guide them toward the light.

’I will call it the Embracing Hands,’ Draven decided.

He willed the void away.

SWOOSH!

Draven opened his eyes. He was back in his dorm room. The transition was completely seamless. The Astral Server was ready for deployment.

Now, he needed to check his second reward.

[Janitor (Active): A conceptual cleaning skill. Instantly erases all physical traces, biological matter, and leftover debris within a specified radius. Leaves the area completely spotless.]

Draven walked out of his room and headed down the hall. He stepped into the shared dormitory kitchen.

He let out a heavy sigh. Estella had attempted to cook dinner earlier. The result was a complete culinary disaster.

’Well, now this is a messy situation. I hope she learns to make less mess while working in the kitchen next time. Or I will need to give that little rabbit a scolding.’

The counters were covered in spilled white flour. Burnt red sauce dripped down the sides of the stove. A pile of greasy metal pots sat neglected in the sink.

It was the perfect testing ground.

Draven raised his hand and activated his new skill.

FWOOSH!

A wave of clear kinetic energy swept through the entire kitchen.

The flour vanished from the marble counters. The burnt sauce was erased from the metal stove.

The greasy pots in the sink gleamed with a spotless shine. Even the air smelled perfectly fresh. Every single trace of the mess was completely gone in less than a second.

’Ohoho! Now that’s some skill I’ve got! I can be the best Janitor in the World with this! Well, only an idiot will use this skill for just cleaning messy kitchen floors.’

.

.

.

[...But Host you just-]

"STOP! Don’t say it!"

Draven stared at the pristine kitchen. His eyes darkened with cold realization.

This was not just a cleaning skill. This was the ultimate tool for a professional assassin. If it could erase flour and grease, it could erase blood and bone.

"Well, almost all the preparations are done. Now, I just need a perfect execution. I will need some external help in this mission though. The security has increased due to me saving this Bastion from the future Ultimate Disaster." he said as he was annoyed at himself.

The murder of Instructor Graves was not something that could be ignored. He was a strong professor, but was still killed at the hands of someone.

The Academy was not idiotic enough to not recognize this threat. They had to increase the security because such incidents were rising throughout their Bastion.

Bastion 7 had become the hotspot for these attacks. The Principal had taken really efficient measure to provide the students with ultimate safety.

’If the Hero of the Bastion dies in this untimely situation, it will cause a ruckus no God will be able to stop. There will be a bloody Civil War in this Bastion. So, I have a great plan to deal with this.’

"And I know the perfect guy who can help me in this matter."