The cold night air hit Avince as the group stepped out of the dungeon’s portal, the fatigue in his limbs a stark reminder of the grueling hours they’d just endured. Around him, the scene was chaotic yet subdued, with several students slumped on benches, their faces pale and drenched in sweat. Assistant healers were busy, moving swiftly between groups, tending to wounds and exhaustion with glowing hands and murmured spells.

Avince took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering tension of the dungeon. His team had done well, but the fatigue was catching up fast.

“I can’t believe we made it that far,” Greene muttered, sitting on a bench with her head resting against the backrest. Her arm, still bandaged from earlier, looked better now, though the exhaustion on her face was evident.

Kai stood nearby, scanning the horizon. His usually composed face showed a hint of relief. “The last team shouldn’t be long now,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “Your group went deeper than most and took a good amount of time, so the others should take about the same.”

Avince, leaning against the bus parked near the dungeon, remembered their phones had been left inside before they entered. He climbed into the bus briefly to retrieve his, and when he checked the time, his eyebrows shot up. "It’s almost 10 p.m. already?" he muttered aloud. "We went in at 3 p.m. … That’s seven hours inside. No wonder I feel like my legs are about to give out.”

“I missed dinner,” Greene groaned, clutching her stomach.

As if summoned by her words, a teaching assistant approached, carrying a tray of sandwiches and canned juices. He handed one to each team member, offering a tired but encouraging smile. “Here. You’ll need this to keep your strength up.”

Avince accepted the food gratefully, tearing into the sandwich. The savory taste hit his tongue, and he realized just how hungry he was.

“We should’ve brought food into the dungeon,” Josh said between bites, his voice muffled by a mouthful of sandwich.

“Yeah, because that would’ve worked so well,” Camille retorted with a smirk. “Have you seen the state we were in after the fights? Anything we brought would’ve been destroyed, squished, or drenched in mana residue.”

Avince chuckled quietly, though his thoughts drifted to his storage ability. I could’ve stored food in there easily… Maybe next time, but not in front of them. Better keep that under wraps.

Kai returned shortly, his expression relaxed. “The last of the teams just finished. We’ll be heading out soon. Eat up and get comfortable.”

The team took their time eating, and by the time the other students had been treated and fed, the bus was ready to leave. As everyone filed in, Avince noticed how much quieter the atmosphere had become. The once-lively chatter was replaced by tired sighs and the occasional groan. Students slumped against the windows, their exhaustion palpable.

A professor Avince didn’t recognize stood at the front of the bus, addressing the students. “You’ve all done well. There will be no more classes for the rest of the semester. The results of both your exam and dungeon performance will be released next week, just before Christmas break. Use this time to rest and recover,” he announced with a reassuring tone.

The professor continued, “Additionally, you should now have access to your dungeon contribution records on your school profiles. There, you’ll find the credits you accumulated during this dungeon run, as well as those from any future ones. Use them however you like, whether for training, equipment, or personal projects.”

The announcement was met with murmurs of relief, though most students were too tired to respond properly.

Avince felt his eyelids grow heavy as the bus rumbled to life. He drifted off, lulled by the gentle sway of the vehicle, only to be jolted awake when they stopped at a roadside station. The professor announced a short break for food and bathroom use, and Rick nudged Avince.

“Hey, come eat with us,” Rick said, gesturing toward the small diner attached to the station.

Avince shook his head, leaning back into his seat. “I’m too tired. You guys go ahead. I’ll just sleep.”

“Suit yourself,” Rick replied with a shrug, leaving with the others.

Avince closed his eyes again, letting sleep take him until the bus started moving once more. This time, he woke only when the bus slowed near his neighborhood. Groggily, he waited a bit then stood and called out to the driver. “Can you stop here? My house is just a few blocks away.”

The driver nodded, pulling over briefly to let him off. Avince stepped out into the cool night air, his body aching as he trudged home. It was almost 1 am when he finally unlocked the door, wondering if anyone would still be awake.

The living room lights were on, and to his surprise, Ashna and Erwin were sitting on the couch, waiting for him.

“You’re back!” Ashna exclaimed, her face lighting up with relief.

Erwin gave him a tired smile. “How was it? Did your team do well?”

Avince dropped his bag by the door and sank onto the couch, rubbing his eyes. “We did great. Better than I expected, honestly.”

“Did you eat?” Ashna asked, already standing as if she knew the answer.

“Had a sandwich,” Avince replied, his stomach growling again. “But food would be nice.”

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Ashna smirked, turning to Erwin. “Ha! Told you he’d want something when he got back.”

Erwin chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, you win.”

In no time, Ashna whipped up a quick meal of fried eggs and bacon. Avince devoured it, the warmth of the food chasing away the last remnants of the dungeon’s chill.

They chatted briefly about the run, though his parents didn’t press too much, sensing his exhaustion. Finally, Ashna patted his shoulder. “Go rest, Avince. You’ve earned it.”

He nodded, excusing himself and heading to his room. For a moment, he considered using his ability to enter a dungeon. I could try and sneak in some training, he thought. But the weight of his body and the fog in his mind convinced him otherwise.

Plenty of time for that later, he decided, letting himself sink into the comfort of his bed. Within moments, he was fast asleep, his dreams a mix of giant eels and flying books.

----------------------------------------

The evening passed and sunlight streamed through Avince’s curtains, gently pulling him from the depths of sleep. His body still felt heavy from the dungeon run, but the rest had done wonders for him. Stretching his stiff limbs, he sat up, hearing faint noises from the kitchen.

The smell of eggs and toast wafted through the air as he wandered into the dining area, where Amyra sat at the table. She was fully dressed and engrossed in a stack of notes, occasionally scribbling something down as she ate her breakfast.

“Morning,” Avince mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he joined her at the dining table.

Amyra glanced up briefly, her pen pausing mid-note. “Morning. You’re up earlier than I thought, considering how late you got back.”

“Exhausted, but I believe we did well,” he replied, grabbing a plate and piling it with food. As he sat down, he noticed the stack of notes Amyra was holding. “Studying already? Shouldn’t you be relaxing or something?”

Amyra smirked, her eyes glinting with confidence. “I’ve got exams, remember? High school students don’t get to run around in dungeons and call it learning.”

Avince blinked, suddenly remembering. “Oh yeah, I forgot the high schoolers are still taking their exams. So, how’s it going?”

“Fine,” she said with a shrug. “Just reviewing some formulas for trigonometry. And before you ask, yes, I’m confident I’ll pass.” She gave him a smug grin before taking a sip of her juice.

Avince chuckled, shaking his head. “Of course you will.”

Their lighthearted conversation was interrupted by Ashna walking into the room, drying her hands on a kitchen towel. “Good morning, Avince,” she said, smiling warmly before looking at Amyra. “By the way, Amyra, your plan to wait up for your brother didn’t exactly go well.”

Amyra frowned slightly. “I told you I wasn’t waiting for him—”

Ashna grinned, cutting her off. “Oh, really? So who was it that fell asleep on the couch with her notebook still open?”

Erwin’s deep laugh boomed as he entered the room, holding a cup of coffee. “She even mumbled something about some formula in her sleep. Truly dedicated.”

Amyra groaned, slumping over her notes as her cheeks turned pink. “Ugh, can we not do this first thing in the morning?”

Avince smirked, thoroughly enjoying the teasing. “Aw, that’s sweet, Amyra. Didn’t know you missed me that much.”

“I didn’t,” she shot back, narrowing her eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

Ashna patted her daughter’s shoulder as she passed by, still grinning. “We’re just saying it’s nice that you care, that’s all.”

“Nice? Embarrassing, you mean,” Amyra muttered, returning her focus to her notes as the rest of the family chuckled.

Their conversation drifted into lighter topics as they ate, with Amyra teasing him about how exhausted he looked and Avince teasing her about taking notes during breakfast. Once they finished, Avince excused himself and headed back to his room.

As he closed the door behind him, he sat on his bed and suddenly remembered something: the dungeon contribution points. His heart raced slightly with curiosity as he opened his phone, logging into the academy’s contribution website.

The dashboard loaded, displaying his account balance: 353,257 points.

“Whoa,” Avince whispered, his eyes widening. He had expected a decent reward, but this was far more than he had anticipated.

Noticing a notification icon in the corner, he clicked on it and found a detailed breakdown of the dungeon run. A note explained that the first-year dungeon experience came with a special perk: 100% of all drops would be allocated to the students, based solely on their contributions. The academy had waived its usual 20% cut for first-time participants and the initial payment for even running the dungeon.

Avince leaned back in his chair, recalling how the elf had mentioned the true advantage of his ability—skipping the hefty fees and fines that regular dungeon delvers faced. That’s something to keep in mind for the future.

He returned to the breakdown, scanning through the numbers. His team had earned a total of 981,270 contribution points, with Avince’s share making up a staggering 36%.

“Wait, 36%?” he muttered to himself, frowning slightly. He couldn’t help but wonder how his score was calculated. Most of the damage against the water elemental had been from him, sure, but the entire team had worked together for the victory. Maybe Kai, as their guide, had a specific method for determining contributions. Either way, Avince wasn’t about to complain—his score spoke for itself, and the rewards were undeniable.

Curious, he navigated to the academy’s contribution store, where items and services could be exchanged for points. His jaw dropped as he scrolled through the offerings. Intrigued, he decided to compare the prices elsewhere and noted that each contribution point was roughly equivalent in value to an alliance credit. However, the academy’s store does stand out by offering exclusive items and services that couldn’t be purchased with credits alone.

Weapons, enchanted gear, rare runes, and even personalized training sessions were listed, their prices ranging from thousands to millions of credits. One item caught his eye: “Personal Guidance by the Academy Founder – 5,000,000 Points.”

Avince clicked on the listing, reading the description. An apprenticeship from the academy’s founder, an S-tier powerhouse whose knowledge and connections were beyond the reach of most people. Normally, even if you multiplied five million credits by ten, you wouldn’t get the chance to speak to someone like that, let alone receive personal training.

“That’s insane,” Avince muttered, leaning back in his chair. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the level of skill and insight someone like the founder could provide.

His thoughts drifted to Kartana, the powerful mage his father had once hired to help him and with his ability. How much did Dad spend to get her help? he wondered, suddenly feeling a mix of gratitude and guilt. Clearly, his family had made sacrifices to support him, even before his abilities had fully manifested.

Then, a small smirk crept onto his face as he remembered something. He was already being helped by someone even above that tier.

Shaking off the thought, Avince continued browsing the store, mentally noting items that might help him in the future.