Devouring Dragon Heir
Chapter 78: Ch 78 Path to EX rank

Chapter 78: Ch 78 Path to EX rank

"Okay, now clear out a few more things," Klaus requested, his mind sifting through the layers of information, trying to reconcile it with the System’s own directives.

"Do you have to be SSS-rank to ascend to the EX-rank using this method, the cultivation?"

"Yes," William confirmed, his voice firm.

"SSS-rank is the absolute prerequisite. It means your body, your mana channels, and your mental fortitude are strong enough to begin the arduous process of core formation.

Without SSS-rank, the human body would simply disintegrate under the immense pressure of the forming core, unable to contain the raw, alien mana."

"Then" Klaus pressed, a new question forming, "were you SSS-rank when you started this cultivation process, Grandpa?"

William chuckled, a dry, knowing sound.

"No, I was just SS-rank when I began the core formation process. But there is a workaround for that."

He paused causing silence to hang in the air

"The basic prerequisite, the one acknowledged by the Heavenly Will, is to get acknowledged by it as an SSS-ranker before it lets you truly ascend to EX-rank.

This acknowledgment is what allows the core to fully synchronize with your being without immediate rejection."

He continued, explaining the process.

"To do that, to gain heavenly will’s acknowledgment, we use skill books. These are incredibly rare drops from monster dungeons, specifically from SSS-rank boss monsters found in SS-rank gates.

There are only five such SS-rank gates in the entire world.

So, whenever an SSS-rank skill is needed to push an SS-rank hunter to the brink of SSS-rank,

huge battalions of hunters are organized by these powers, the Legacy Families, the Association, the Academy, and the Church.

They are sent into these specific SS-rank dungeons to kill the boss and tirelessly farm for these elusive skill books.

The boss, being an SSS-rank entity, is only respawned within 24 hours of being killed, allowing for repeated attempts.

In total, we have five such SS ranked gates across the globe.

It is a massive mobilization of assets, a truly monumental effort, and S-rank and above hunters work tirelessly for a few months just for one of these monsters to drop a single skill book.

The drop rate is infinitesimally low."

Klaus’s internal thoughts immediately jumped in.

" system, I ate out six S-rank dungeon bosses and one SS-rank boss. Why the heck did I not get any skill book? " He had absorbed their essence, their skills, their traits, but never got the physical skill book on killing them.

[The System thinks some specific conditions have to be met for a monster to drop a skill book, Host. It is not a guaranteed drop from every kill.] the System replied, its voice flat.

"Ugh! So much bullshit for just a skill", Klaus thought, a wave of exasperation washing over him.

"This world is truly living on hard mode, I think. Everything is a struggle, even for the most powerful".

Meanwhile, William continued, oblivious to Klaus’s internal dialogue.

"The same arduous procedure happened for me. Me and my father along with other hunters of the bennet family, spent months, years even, grinding for an SSS-rank skill book.

And then, once I acquired an SSS-rank skill, I trained and killed an SSS-rank boss myself, I was acknowledged by Heaven’s Will to finally advance.

You get a direct notification on your panel, a clear sign of its approval." William’s face showed the nostalgia of a long, hard-fought journey.

"But since you are already SSS-rank, Klaus," William said,

his expression brightening,

"you can bypass all that tedious grinding for a skill book. You can proceed directly with the cultivation.

Here, take this," he said, handing Klaus the shimmering crystal containing the Watcher’s cultivation technique. The crystal pulsed with a soft, blue light in Klaus’s palm.

"You should start cultivating this method immediately," William instructed.

"And in the future, as an EX-rank, if you ever feel the need to practice or test your core’s power, don’t do it in the open. Use this facility, the cultivation chambers.

Otherwise, you might cause uncontrolled destruction. An EX-rank’s power can reshape landscapes."

To his words, Klaus nodded, accepting the crystal. He had a sudden, mischievous thought.

"Grandpa," he began, his voice taking on a slightly more casual tone, "can I get a corpse of a Watcher, for research purposes, of course? I’m quite curious about their biology."

He was subtly probing, hoping to get a free sample for his Origin Absorption skill.

"Hahaha, for that, you will have to hunt down your own sample, boy," William said, a hearty laugh escaping him.

He gently shook Klaus’s shoulder, dismissing the request.

"Noo! Just give me one, please!" Klaus pleaded, adopting a slightly exaggerated, almost childish tone, even trying to make "cat eyes" at William, a gesture he had learned from his dreams with Julie.

"TSK TSK, brat," William replied, his voice firm, though a hint of amusement played in his eyes.

"As I said, until you are capable enough to hunt your own Watcher, you ain’t getting one from my labs." His expression then turned grim, the amusement vanishing.

"I can’t just put you in danger, Klaus. Those Watcher bodies are not truly dead. They are alive, but merely put in a deep coma by our advanced technology with their mana suppressed.

By any chance, if one of them wakes up while you’re conducting your so-called experimentation, it will cause absolute havoc.

An awakened Watcher, even a weakened one, is a force of immense destruction. The lab will detect automatically once a Watcher wakes up and will immediately initiate a full lockdown, automatically shutting down to prevent the spread of destruction.

So, in that case, you will be shut down with the rest of the scientists here and will be killed eventually either by the automated defensive weapons, or by the Watcher itself."

William’s tone was grim, emphasizing the extreme danger.

"Ohhh," Klaus reacted, his expression turning serious. The casual request had revealed a terrifying truth.

"Geez, this old man doesn’t have to speak in such an extreme tone," Klaus thought, a flicker of annoyance at William’s dramatic tone, but he understood the gravity of the situation.

He wouldn’t be getting a free Watcher corpse anytime soon.

Klaus then proceeded to ask a few more things about the cultivation process, the facility’s security, and the general operations of the Bennet family’s hidden base.

William patiently answered all his questions, providing detailed explanations. Finally, their discussion finished.

Klaus and William returned to the capital city the same day, the supercar making quick work of the three-hour journey.

As they arrived back at the mansion, the evening was drawing in.

William, seeing that the Guardian Academy entrance competition was nearing, signed off for the day, telling Klaus to make preparations for the upcoming event.

"Brat, since you have got SSS-rank and also you are officially from the Association now, you won’t have to give the qualifying exam for the Guardian Academy" William explained, outlining the next steps.

"You just need to get the first rank in the ranking battle that will take place. I won’t ask for much, just the top spot."

"Tskkk, greedy old geezer" Klaus muttered under his breath, though a faint smile touched his lips.

he would have done so even if William hadn’t done that

"Fine, if you say so," Klaus said aloud, bidding his farewell after they had a hearty dinner together in the mansion’s dining hall.

The day had been filled with so many revelations and long drives.

But at least now he had a clear picture about this world and it’s complexities. surprisingly this world was not as cliché as he thought.

Klaus returned to his room to sleep.

Knowing he would have to babysit someone in his dreams. It had become a daily thing.

The same person in his dreams should have felt weird to him, but it was surprisingly not. He didn’t even realise the comfort he felt in those dreams.

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