Transmigrated with my corruption system-Chapter 19: The Hour Before Darkness

Elsewhere, back inside the Greyson residence, the clan elders stood staring listlessly at the location where the green portal had just vanished.

Soft mutters broke the silence.

"How do you think this batch will fare?" one elder asked. His face was wrinkled, white hair flowing to his shoulders.

Over the course of his long life, he had witnessed multiple awakening ceremonies. Each one reminded him of his E-rank talent that had sealed his potential at the same rank.

Unlike most who would have long given up on advancement, his eyes remained spirited, burning with determination.

Where he had failed, the younger generation would continue the lineage.

And that was enough for him.

"It is definitely promising," another elder muttered quietly.

While they had produced a few A-rank awakened individuals before, an S-rank talent was a new precedence. They did not know how things would develop, and that uncertainty only deepened their curiosity.

A moment of silence passed before Mistress Aria, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly spoke.

"What level do you think the highest awakened will reach this time?"

The others did not need to think long to know who she was referring to. With Ulric being the highest awakened, possessing an S-rank combat talent, it was only plausible that he would emerge with the highest level.

The question was, how high? They just had not thought that far.

"Hm... I’d say level 10 to 15 at best," Elder Rysten muttered, slowly stroking his white beard. The wrinkles on his face deepened as he sank further into thought.

At his estimation, several elders drew in sharp breaths. Even previous A-rank talents barely reached level 10 during their first dungeon run.

Experience gain and monster density were simply too limited to allow such rapid growth within a single day.

But given the legends they had read about S-rank figures, level 15 already seemed reasonable.

Before they could fully digest the thought, Mistress Aria spoke again, a mischievous expression crossing her face.

"I say level 25."

Several elders inhaled sharply. Even Lord Greyson, seated quietly at the center, arched his brows in surprise. Ulric had already promised to break into D-rank within a week. That alone was astonishing.

But reaching peak F-rank within a single day?

That was preposterous. In the past, Lord Greyson remembered reaching peak F-rank after several weeks of training, and even then, he had been hailed as a generational genius.

Leaning forward slightly, his gaze shifted toward Aria. Where did this confidence come from? Feeling the collective stares directed at her, the smile on Aria’s face widened.

If it had been any other time, she would not have spoken such words.

An S-rank talent was wondrous, but even it had limits. And yet, the faint sensation stirring in her chest was undeniable.

The moment she had locked eyes with Ulric before he awakened, she had felt it, he was different.

That feeling had only intensified after his awakening. Just before he entered the dungeon, when she stared into his almost glowing crimson eyes, that strange intuition stirred again.

He was going to do something inexplicable.

She could feel it.

As if to emphasize her conviction, her lips slowly parted.

"How about we make a wager?"

As the words echoed, the interdimensional storage ring on her finger shimmered.

A herb appeared in her palm, its scent spreading across the hall.

"The Red Root Cleansing Herb!" Rysten breathed heavily.

Immediately recognizing the herb, his fingers rose to stroke his white beard repeatedly.

With this, he could strengthen his physique and finally approach peak E-rank.

Excitement filled his eyes. He had pleaded with her to exchange this treasure countless times. Now that she was willing to bring it out, confusion lingered in his mind.

As a healer, he was certain she could have benefited greatly by refining it into medicinal pills or using it to augment her light energy.

But he did not dwell on it.

Since she had retrieved it voluntarily, he would not refuse. Just as he was about to name another treasure in return, Mistress Aria’s voice echoed again, causing his lips to twitch. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"The Essence Refining Wine."

Rysten stuttered. "H-how do you even know about that?"

He grinded his teeth slightly. As a healer, her affinity toward herbs was far stronger than others, allowing her to sense related treasures that most would miss.

The Essence Refining Wine had been gifted to him long ago by a powerhouse he once helped during his youth. He had been hoarding it in hope that it would become the breakthrough catalyst to push him toward D-rank, compensating for his lowly talent.

He had not consumed it yet.

The energy within was too explosive. He feared his body would literally collapse under the strain, which was why he had been delaying its use.

Cursing softly under his breath, he looked toward Mistress Aria. Her face was now covered with a confident smirk.

After weighing every possibility, he finally spoke.

"Fine." The only way Ulric would reach level 25 was by slaying the dungeon boss, and that was simply impossible.

He was familiar with the creature that resided at the dungeon’s core. The thought eased his mind.

A soft smile painted his lips as he already imagined how the Red Root Cleansing Herb would help him break through his bottleneck.

A slow chuckle escaped Aria.

Her silver hair swayed gently. This was going to be fun. Observing the exchange, several reactions rippled across the elders.

Surprise, shock, and even rage flashed across Lady Valeria’s eyes as she ground her teeth.

Everyone was slowly shifting their attention away from Cedric. All of it was because of Ulric. But not for long. She comforted herself, recalling their twisted plan.

Once they left the dungeon, things would become interesting.

At the side, Lord Greyson finally broke through the murmuring thoughts.

"Very well. Let us see it then."

As his voice echoed, the elders’ attention shifted toward him. A faint green rune stone surfaced in his palm.

Pressing it gently, green light surged outward, illuminating the area around them.

Slowly, the light shimmered into floating green screens displaying the events inside the Wolf Den Dungeon.

Their eyes immediately locked onto the display. Understanding and anticipation glimmered within them.

With the dungeon integrated into the Greyson residence, it was only natural that they could monitor it.

But during Lord Greyson’s long seclusion, they had not been able to observe dungeon events for several years.

Now that he had returned, that restriction was lifted. Their gazes fell upon the glowing screens.

Their expressions shifted immediately.

Groups of youths were seen rushing forward in a disorganized formation, attacking packs of wolves.

The results made several elders grimace.

A bloodbath unfolded. Many lost their lives in gruesome ways, while the lucky few managed to retreat into the safe zone, though not without severe injuries.

Silence followed.

Every year there were casualties, but this was particularly severe. The atmosphere grew heavier as they watched Ulric step forward, a young girl walking beside him.

"What is he doing?" one elder snapped, unable to contain himself.

Before awakening their classes, forming groups was the safest way to overpower beasts.

It was not mandatory, but it greatly improved survival odds. Even against two beasts.

But the scene that unfolded next left them speechless.

The girl beside Ulric easily defeated the two wolves. Several elders breathed sighs of relief.

But it did not last long. Soon after, a pack of wolves, including Level 5 beasts, charged toward them.

The sight nearly caused several elders’ eyes to bulge in disbelief. Why were they not retreating into the safe zone?

Even Mistress Aria faltered for a moment.

But as she stared deeper into the youth’s crimson eyes, she saw the same calm confidence radiating from him.

"What are you planning this time.?" she murmured faintly.

Only for the next scene to cause every elder’s expression to go blank.