Chương 40: The Dorm Room

Ch 40 - The Dorm Room The sensation of being swallowed by the teleportation portal and then spat back into the world felt strangely familiar. As streaks of light returned to Zeph's vision, he instinctively narrowed his eyes. Only moments ago, they had been surrounded by complete darkness. Now, they were standing once again inside the grand hall where the selection test had begun. The same hall no longer held the rows of tables and chairs that had filled it at the start of the test.

Instead, dozens of other participants had already begun arriving. Some shouted in excitement, others hugged each other, and many openly celebrated their success.

"They all look so happy. Are they the ones who passed?" Suki asked. Hugh nodded.

"The ones who fail are usually sent home immediately. So yes, everyone in this room successfully passed the selection test."

"There are more of them than I expected," Suki said.

"Usually, only around a hundred make it through. Sometimes even fewer," Hugh replied. Zeph spoke up as well.

"If this academy only accepts around a hundred Hunters each year, and those hundred eventually become only ten to twenty teams, isn't that a really small number?"

"It is," Malon answered.

"But that's because Lumeris is famous for having extremely high standards for its Hunter graduates. Other cities produce far more than this. Some academies graduate a thousand Hunters every year, and some cities even have two or three Hunter academies operating at the same time." Zeph nodded slowly.

"With standards this high, I assume the academy also offers benefits and opportunities far beyond what other academies can provide, right?"

"They do," Malon replied.

"The academy invests an incredible amount into its students. The problem is that Lumeris hasn't been very good at keeping them. A lot of graduates eventually move to other cities, or even other regions, in search of better opportunities." A woman approached their group. She wore a neat, formal uniform in dark colors, and her shoulder-length black hair was styled in a clean, professional cut. In her hands was a sleek tray that looked almost like a tablet.

Resting neatly on top of it were several black bracelets with a simple, modern design.

"Congratulations on successfully completing the selection test. As of today, all of you are officially accepted into Lumeris Hunter Academy." She smiled politely.

"These are your Academy Wristbands. Please take one and synchronize it with your Awakener ID. They offer more advanced functions, are significantly more durable, and can be used as an alternative if you prefer not to carry the card-type device." Zeph picked up one of the wristbands, and the others did the same.

"Since your team completed the selection test with an outstanding score, you've also earned an additional reward."

"I like additional rewards," Suki said with a bright grin. The woman flipped the tray over, revealing that it was indeed a tablet. The display immediately lit up as she presented it to them.

"You may choose your dorm rooms from our highest-rated available options. Most of them are located on the upper floors of the residence building, with larger living spaces, better views, quieter surroundings, and priority access to several premium facilities." The group immediately stepped closer to look at the available rooms.

"I want the biggest room with the biggest bed," Hugh said without hesitation.

"I want a room that's as far away from everyone else as possible," Malon said.

"There aren't any isolated rooms," the woman replied with a small smile.

"All dorms are on the same floor and separated by standard walls. However, they're completely soundproof, equipped with reinforced security systems, and designed to provide plenty of privacy for every resident." They each chose their own rooms. As expected, Suki's dorm was located in a different building from the male students'. Zeph kept his choice simple. He selected the largest room available, one that came fully equipped with a private kitchen, and just about every facility he could ask for.

Since Hugh and Malon weren't in any hurry to decide, he had first pick without any competition. Once Zeph had finished, Hugh and Malon ended up choosing the rooms directly on either side of his. Well... that wasn't so bad. They were the only two people he actually knew here, after all. Unless Madou had also earned the privilege of choosing a premium room. With everything settled, the group gathered their belongings and headed toward the exit.

The selection test was finally over, and all they wanted now was to see their new dorms, enjoy a proper shower after everything they had been through, and finally experience the top-tier facilities reserved for Hunter Academy students. It really was an incredible privilege. Hunters were the ones who would eventually stand on the front lines, risking their lives to protect what remained of humanity. In return, they were given the very best accommodations, resources, training, and support the world could offer.

And that was only the beginning. Once they officially graduated and started taking missions, the wealth and opportunities waiting for them would be on an entirely different level. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Zeph, followed by Malon and the others, walked out of the grand hall. Night had already fallen, but the academy grounds were illuminated by countless lights, making the entire campus as bright as early evening.

The beautifully lit pathways and elegant buildings gave the place an almost dreamlike atmosphere.

"Zeph! Over here!" Someone called his name. A blonde girl with shoulder-length hair stood there, waving enthusiastically. Beside her was a young man with short black hair. They were Lena and Madou. Zeph walked toward them. Before he could even say anything, Lena ran over and happily grabbed his right hand.

"Zeph! How did it go? Did you finish the test? Did you pass? Were you hurt? Did anything happen to you?"

"No. Everything went well," Zeph replied with a small smile.

"I cleared it perfectly. I even earned the privilege of choosing my own dorm room."

"That's wonderful!" Lena said, her face lighting up with genuine happiness.

"Madou and I earned the same privilege too." Madou glanced past Zeph and smiled.

"So... are these your new friends, Zeph?" Zeph turned around, his right hand still firmly held by Lena.

"Yeah. Let me introduce everyone. This is Madou and Lena." Hugh stepped forward first and gave them a polite bow.

"My name's Hugh. You two must be close friends of Zeph's. He's incredible. If it weren't for him, I'm not sure any of us would have made it through the selection test." Suki also bowed politely.

"I'm Suki. It's nice to meet both of you."

"Malon," Malon introduced himself simply with a slight nod. Then Suki looked at Lena before shifting her gaze toward the hand still wrapped around Zeph's.

"... Why do you two seem so close? You've been holding his hand this whole time."

"We've lived together for a long time," Lena answered.

"Of course we're close!"

"Oh? So... you're his sister?"

"No." Lena smiled sweetly.

"And I'm sure you don't actually want to know how close we are, Miss Suki."

"So you're... not related at all."

"You'd be surprised if you knew just how close Zeph and I really are. One little selection test isn't nearly enough to catch up. Maybe after a thousand of them, you'd finally be somewhere near the starting line." Suki narrowed her eyes.

"... Miss Lena, you sound surprisingly confident."

"Ahem." Madou grinned at Hugh and Malon.

"Gentlemen, I think it's time we made ourselves scarce. Looks like another selection test is about to start over here." Hugh immediately nodded.

"I completely agree."

"Same," Malon replied. The three of them quietly slipped away together.... Or at least, that had clearly been Madou's plan. A moment later, he frowned.

"Wait." Why were there three people walking beside him? Madou slowly turned his head. Zeph was somehow among them as well. Meanwhile, Lena and Suki had been left standing together behind them, awkwardly introducing themselves to each other while the person they were supposedly competing over had unknowingly walked away with the boys. ** The group made their way toward the dormitory building. On the lower floors, the academy had built a wide range of recreational and training facilities.

There were fully equipped gyms, indoor training halls, and sports courts for basketball, badminton, and several other activities. They took the elevator to the top floor. As it turned out, Madou had ended up with a room on the same floor as Zeph, though it wasn't directly next door. After exchanging a few words, everyone headed to their own rooms. Zeph raised his new Academy Wristband toward the access panel. Beep. The door unlocked with a soft click. He stepped inside.... And immediately paused.

His eyebrows drew together slightly in surprise. After closing the door behind him, the lights automatically came to life, revealing the entire room. A large, comfortable-looking bed occupied one side of the suite. There was a spacious lounge area with a sofa, a large television, and even a gaming console with several controllers neatly arranged underneath it. The kitchenette looked fully stocked with modern appliances, while the personal training corner was equipped with enough gear for daily workouts.

The room was even more luxurious than he had expected. There were also several cardboard boxes stacked neatly in the middle of the living room, almost as if someone had just moved out. Zeph walked over and noticed a handwritten note taped to the top box. Hey, new resident. I figured whoever managed to secure this room must be someone pretty cool, so I decided to leave behind a few things I won't be needing anymore. They're yours now. Don't worry, everything's clean and in good condition. Just...

promise you won't sell any of it, okay? If you ever stop using these things, I'd rather you pass them on to someone else instead. Hopefully our paths cross someday. Take care, and enjoy the room. Zeph finished reading the note.

"They mentioned earlier that these rooms had previous occupants," he murmured.

"So I guess the room wasn't completely emptied before I arrived." He pulled one of the boxes onto the floor and opened it. Inside were several physical books.

"People still read printed books these days?" Curious, he looked through the rest of the box. There was a neatly folded battle outfit, several pieces of combat equipment, and a small reinforced chest containing what looked like crafting materials for forging or upgrading gear. Another container held a variety of dried herbs and medicinal plants, though he had no idea what most of them were used for. Rather than sorting through everything immediately, Zeph set the boxes neatly against the wall.

He could organize everything later. Right now, all he wanted was to finally get some proper rest. Zeph walked over to the sofa, dropped onto it, and leaned back with a quiet sigh. The comfort of the room was almost unreal.

"So... this is where I'll be living for at least the next two years," he murmured. After sitting there for another moment, he stood up and started taking off his clothes. More than anything else, he wanted a proper shower and a fresh change of clothes. He headed toward the bathroom. The moment he stepped inside, he stopped in his tracks.

"... This bathroom is seriously this big?" He swallowed. It was far more than an ordinary bathroom. There was a spacious walk-in shower, a large soaking tub that could easily fit several people at once, a double vanity with illuminated mirrors, heated flooring, and a complete set of high-end amenities neatly arranged along the counters.

"Are you sure this isn't a luxury penthouse bathroom?" Without wasting another second, Zeph walked over to the bathtub and turned on the water. Warm water began pouring in, slowly filling the tub. Once it had filled enough, he climbed in and let himself sink into the soothing warmth. The warm water wrapped around his body, instantly washing away the exhaustion that had built up throughout the selection test. A grin slowly spread across his face.

He scooped up handfuls of water and casually splashed them into the air, almost like a child enjoying a rare moment of freedom.

"This feels incredible..." After everything they had endured, climbing cliffs for hours, running through relentless heat, surviving dangerous trials, and pushing themselves to their limits, being rewarded with something like this felt almost unreal. As he relaxed in the water, another thought crossed his mind.

"There probably should've been more people who completed the selection test," he muttered.

"Maybe the academy also limits the number of successful candidates based on who finishes first." As long as he had the chance to enjoy these facilities, he might as well make the most of them. Zeph leaned back against the edge of the tub and slowly closed his eyes.

"... I bet I could fall asleep in here."