Awakening: I Ascend Alone-Chapter 29: Dimensional Counters

It is time.

That was what the ceremonious three-interval ringing of the academy’s bell screamed in Melvin’s ears. He woke up feeling tired and drowsy. No matter how much he tried to shake off his sudden laziness, it wouldn’t go away.

He ended up just staying in the bed for a while, face down on his pillow as he clutched it in both hands.

This was the D-day of stepping into the Silver Spire to try to conquer the second step. That particular step, which had many other Climbers trapped.

The crimson moon was yet to appear. According to information and previous happenings, it was believed to appear an hour before sunrise. Hence, the academy had woken them up as early as 1:00 am in the morning to get them finally prepared in sound mind and body.

Melvin loosened his grip on the pillow and turned to face the blank ceiling of his room. What was he going to face this time in that ruined world? Would good luck follow him this time, or would there be disaster? 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

The more he thought about it, the creepier everything turned out to be.

But really, he shouldn’t think about it now. He had already done everything within his power to prepare for the inevitable.

Was it knowledge? He bet he could challenge that stunning lady now, even surpass her. Was it strength? He imagined being given a second chance to face the Sea Slug King. He believed he was so strong that their fight together shouldn’t cost him more than ten minutes, with the absence of that salt.

’I hope this is not just my dream.’

He couldn’t prevent the doubt from setting in. After all, it was normal for someone to question their capability when facing not just a dire situation, but some dangerous one. All in all, Melvin thought he was ready.

Eventually, Melvin got out of bed with a sigh and headed for the bathroom by the right corner side of the room. There, he performed his morning routine and spent time enjoying his last hot shower before returning to the bedroom to get changed.

In no time, Melvin was already in the cafeteria. This was his first time being here, and even in the dim light of dawn, the inside of the hall felt like a bright day. Everywhere was alive.

There, he met the actual number of his set. Although he was unable to count them, he estimated there were over two hundred of them, but the hall still seemed like a silence zone. No one was talking... actually, some were, but in low tones.

A very few others even laughed at each other.

Out of all of them, though, who were the less than a quarter of the squad who will return?

This thought ravaged his mind as he noticed an empty table before turning to the food-serving counter at the cafeteria’s end. He helped himself to a small bowl of oatmeal, and of course, didn’t forget to add some chicken meat to the combo.

He wanted to have something light, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t going to make his last meal in a long while look a bit sumptuous. A few minutes later, he had taken his plate of food and went over to the empty table he had seen a while ago.

Meanwhile, there was another body currently occupying a seat across the table. It was a round table, which allowed for a five-seater arrangement. Melvin dropped the food on the surface, pulled out a chair, and settled down.

"Hey... Keth," he waved a hand in greeting.

The girl, however, as beautiful as ever, looked at him and nodded in response, then turned away. In her hand, she was currently slipping a hamburger into her mouth and a chilled water to take it down.

’Weirdo. Not the type to talk, huh?’

Taking his mind off the girl, he paid attention to his oatmeal and bit into some chunks of chicken meat in enjoyment. He tried his possible best not to have any disengaging thoughts whatsoever. He only wanted to enjoy these last moments.

A few minutes after concentrating on his meal, Melvin got anxious. He looked around the hall, scanning every nook and cranny for a single... maybe two souls. And there, in the corner, he sighted whom he was looking for.

Seated at a round table, a group of four, doing as he did, enjoyed their possibly last meal. Among them, he found Aurex and the stunning lady sitting by his side. Unlike him and Keth, the group was ignoring table manners and enjoying their last conversation before they parted.

But then, the other two faces were oddly recognizable. Furrowing his brow, Melvin looked closely and was finally able to tell who they were. It was Drake and Selene.

’What are they doing here?’

His doubt on seeing them initially turned out to be correct. They were probably Climbers too... but why hadn’t they gone home like others did? And instead, he decided to work in the sections where he had met them.

’...Or are they also supposed to be first-set carriers like Aurex?’

Whatever, Melvin awkwardly smiled. He was happy to see them together.

Cheering himself up like that, he finished his meal and left the cafeteria.

It was still midnight, but to prevent being caught up at the appearance of the Crimson Moon, every Climber had been asked to move to the Circular Dome.

Melvin didn’t know what would happen when that moon appeared, but he did know that in the dome, its appearance was going to source their transportation into the Silver Spire.

Soon, all the Climbers had gathered before the circular dome. Its entrance still looked the same as before. What might differ this time is the reaction upon connecting with the barrier.

Without wasting much time, five instructors walked to the front of the group of awakeners and lectured them a bit about how they were going to dismantle the barrier to gain entrance. Their leader happened to be the principal’s PA, Vale.

He was here as a delegate and looking as calm as ever.

Since they were a lot in number, only twenty awakeners were required to activate it... in that way, the barrier would pulse steadily, having been notified that a lot of carriers were going to be passing by. However, there was a con to this procedure.

The barrier crossing was only going to be acceptable to second-step climbers only. Anything outside that was going to wait until... until whenever.

Supposedly, the group of awakeners were second-step climbers, so it wasn’t really an issue. The issue was... how were the instructors going to pass considering the formality of the barrier?

’Better not to think about it. This is not their first time; they must have their way.’

***

Once again, Melvin found himself in the center hall of the circular dome where he had seen the stone of names and dimensional counters.

The dimensional counters stood tall in rows, like a strange metallic arcade device from a netherworld, humming with quiet energy. Its surface was embedded with glowing symbols instead of ordinary buttons, and at its center was a circular slot where energy gathered like swirling liquid light.

{See image representation in pg. comment.}

The instructors soon began to work. They arranged the students in order, making them form a long queue of several horizontal lines until they reached the far end of the hall where the dimensional counters ended.

At that moment, the dimensional counters suddenly lit up. One of the instructors had activated it through a central server.

The machine responded like a game selecting a level. Lights flashed across its frame as an invisible barrier behind the counters became visible, then began to give way to what it concealed.

Then, for the very first time since they found themselves inside this hall, Vale... Instructor Vale spoke.

"We have thirty minutes before the appearance of the Crimson Moon. Before then, I would like to show you all something you have to know."