Awakening: Reincarnating With the SSS-Level Extraction Talent

[+5000 Points]

This simple earning was actually able to push Alex all the way to the top spot of the rankings.

Common monsters in the first floor gave from 20-30 points, while boss monsters gave around 100.

On the fifth floor though, there weren't many common monsters to begin with, most being at the boss level, thus giving insane points.

A single one of those was better than killing around 200 monsters in the first floor.

Alex approached the [Crimson Fang Behemoth], crouching down and then using his [Extraction] ability on it.

Ding!

[You have extracted "Crimson Fang Behemoth Head" (Legendary)]

[Description: Urm... nothing much to do with it except if you want to showcase it to a hunter? Maybe? Who knows...]

"Huh..." Alex immediately put the head inside of his [Divine Cobra's Backpack] since he didn't want to touch it for too long.

He didn't care if it didn't have a use, he just made sure to keep it in case it could be important for later.

"Or you can give it to me, I'm kind of hungry," Alphox spoke from inside Alex.

"Hell no," but he refused, "You're a primordial dragon, not eating for a while should be easy!"

And so with that done, Alex continued walking through the canyon, hoping to get more points, though not too many as he didn't want to attract too much attention.

His main goal was to find dragons, and oh boy he truly hoped that his memories hadn't played a trick on him, as otherwise he would surely meet Alphox's flames.

He soon met another boss, but just like the Behemoth, it was easily defeated using his new powerful spells.

[+4700 Points]

He checked his score.

[Current points: 11,870]

[Position: 1st]

"I guess I should stop for a while before something bad happens."

Somehow, Alex had a feeling going over a certain limit would summon some opponents he wouldn't be able to defeat at his current level.

...

Golden Star Academy - Observation Arena

Inside the academy, the group of instructors gathered in the Observation Arena, their eyes glued to massive floating screens displaying the progress of the participants.

Among them were the academy's main teachers:

[Melami – Mid-Tier 7 Mage, Level 800]

[Chairman Dominic – Tier 8 Mage, Level 1000]

[Seth – Mid-Tier 7 Mage, Level 750]

[Yomi – Mid-Tier 7 Assassin, Level 800]

[Olivia – High-Tier 7 Archer, Level 900]

Their expressions ranged from indifferent to contemplative as they studied the students' movements on the first and second floors, where the majority of participants struggled against the tower's monsters.

"It's about what we expected," Yomi remarked, his voice carrying a note of boredom. "Most of the students are on the first floor, fumbling through basic encounters."

"Predictable," Olivia added, her sharp gaze fixed on a screen tracking the second-floor participants, "The second floor has filtered out a good chunk of the weaker ones, but nothing noteworthy so far."

Chairman Dominic remained silent, his attention drawn to a separate display.

This screen showed a breakdown of participants by floor.

While most were clustered on the first floor, with a smaller contingent on the second, one detail stood out:

[Fifth Floor: One participant]

"What the…?" Dominic muttered, narrowing his eyes.

His finger hovered over the display before he tapped the icon representing the lone participant on the fifth floor.

The screen shifted to reveal a live feed of the individual in question.

The image resolved to show Alex, standing amidst the remnants of his latest kill, his expression calm and calculating.

"This guy…" Dominic's initial confusion turned to disappointment as he studied Alex's unfamiliar face. "Who is he? Doesn't look like anyone important."

Unbeknownst to Dominic, Alex's [Mask of Concealment] skill was working perfectly, obscuring his identity even from Tier 8 powerhouses.

"Still," Dominic said after a moment, "he has potential. Keep an eye on him."

The other instructors nodded in agreement, though their focus soon shifted back to the broader context of the test.

Unbeknownst to most of the participants, the true purpose of the tower test was far more sinister.

Dominic and the other instructors were not merely observers; they were agents of the Hatred Sect, working to resurrect the terrifying Hatred Demon.

"Our objective remains the same," Dominic reminded the others. "We use this test to identify the strongest students, the ones most likely to survive and thrive. As they grow stronger within the academy, we'll siphon their energy and blood to nourish Lord Hatred."

"Yes, sir," the instructors replied in unison.

It wasn't just Alex, or even the players in the tower that were in danger, but the entire world.

If the Hatred Demon resurrected, then it would be a cataclysmic event for everybody.

And the commanders were there to make sure that everybody went according to the "plan" they were given by Lord X.

Now that they had seen the face of the man that had not only the [Vial of Undead Blood], but possibly also the [Heart of Calamity], they would do everything in their power to get him.

...

Back in Tower of Destiny - Second Floor.

[+200 Points!]

Alice grinned as another notification appeared in her vision. She had finally advanced to the second floor, realizing the first floor's meager point rewards weren't enough to keep her competitive.

Her movements were swift and deadly, each step calculated as she carved through the level 200–300 monsters.

[+230 Points!]

Her [Blood Arrows] skill proved invaluable, the crimson projectiles piercing through her enemies with precision. Most of these creatures didn't stand a chance.

[Boss slain.]

[+500 Points!]

Satisfied, she checked her current standing.

Though she wasn't in first place, her progress had brought her significantly close to the top three.

"Not bad," she muttered, her lips curling into a small smile.

Her focus shifted as she glanced at the leaderboard.

Her eyes narrowed when she noticed the glaring gap between her score and Alex's.

"He's already on the fifth floor…" she murmured, shaking her head in disbelief. "Show-off."

Still, she wasn't discouraged. Alex was the one that had recommended her to take the [Blood Arrows], and that was probably the best advice she received in her life until that moment.

Moving deeper into the second floor, she remained alert, her senses heightened, though she could detect monsters in a 100 meters radius thanks to the [Mutated Eye of the Spider] necklace.

And that's when she heard it: a sound in the distance, faint but unmistakable.

It wasn't the usual growls or roars of monsters. This was something different.

Curiosity piqued, Alice advanced cautiously, dispatching any monsters that crossed her path.

The sound grew clearer, a rhythmic clash of metal against flesh, accompanied by guttural cries.

Finally, she approached a clearing.

Taking cover behind a tree, she peered out, her breath catching at the sight before her.

In the center of the clearing stood a beautiful young woman wielding twin daggers, her movements a blur of speed and precision.

The woman danced around a towering Level 250 boss monster, her blades flashing as she landed relentless, calculated strikes.

With one final blow, the boss collapsed, a massive spray of crimson marking its end.

The woman stood tall, her twin daggers gleaming under the faint light. She exuded confidence, power, and elegance.

Alice's eyes widened as a notification appeared over the woman's head, revealing her name:

[Aurelia]

For a moment, Alice simply watched, a mixture of awe and wariness settling over her.

"Who is she…?" she whispered to herself, knowing instinctively that this encounter was bound to change everything.