Celestial Bloodline Chapter 5: Finding a Skill Core

Within the dungeon,

Kyle, having tumbled through a fissure moments ago, swiftly massaged his aching back while grimacing in discomfort.

He grumbled in frustration,

"Agh... Just how unlucky can I possibly be?"

Once he vented a bit more, Kyle composed himself and scanned his surroundings. He realized he was in a cavern formed from stones, with five narrow passages branching out ahead.

"Where in blazes is this spot?"

Glancing upward, he spotted the hole he'd dropped from, his face etched with bewilderment.

"Climbing back out isn't an option; this cavern plunges far too deep into the earth."

Reflecting on the absence of monsters during his descent into this odd location, Kyle's brow furrowed deeply.

'Perhaps the participants have already slain every monster around.'

Rising to his feet, Kyle dusted off his garments as he eyed the five passages crafted from jagged rocks piled haphazardly beside and above each other.

"Do these even hold up?"

Despite his doubts, he resolved to venture into one of the passages.

"I only hope I can escape this dismal hole in one piece."

He approached the passages and paused to deliberate briefly.

"Which path to take? Surely there aren't deadly perils lurking beyond. Yet they all appear identical—perhaps they all converge at the same destination?"

Picking at random, Kyle stepped into the final passage. Darkness enveloped the tunnel, leaving him sightless.

Roughly five minutes into his trek, a glimmer of daylight appeared far ahead.

"Have I located the way out?"

He cried out, relief washing over his features.

Emerging from the tunnel at last, Kyle squinted at the vista before him, which possessed an oddly captivating allure.

Droplets of water trickled from the overhead rocks, forming a spacious pool at the cavern's heart. Encircling the pool bloomed an array of diverse flowers. It resembled an ideal haven for unwinding.

Turning his gaze leftward, Kyle noticed four additional outlets mirroring the one he'd exited.

"So it turns out all the passages do connect here."

He let out a sigh toward himself. It appeared his caution had been excessive.

Unbeknownst to him, the remaining four passages teemed with myriad beasts and concealed snares. Only the one he'd chosen was secure!

What fortune!

Kyle advanced cautiously toward the pool and spotted a stunning orb hovering above its surface.

"What's that? ...A skill core!"

He burst out in astonishment. Unless he was mistaken, the orb drifting nearby was a monster core—and moreover, a skill-infused one.

Kyle recalled his elder brother explaining cores to him. Ordinary monster cores typically vanish upon exposure to air, whereas those harboring skills persist. They endure until another individual masters the skill within.

Securing a core from a Ranked monster's defeat proved straightforward, yet even slaying countless beasts offered merely a ten percent likelihood of discovering one with a skill.

Rather than dashing straight for the core, Kyle surveyed the area for potential threats. But after several minutes of scrutiny, nothing alarming caught his eye.

No longer hesitating, he plunged into the pool and seized the levitating core.

Kyle regarded the core with a sly grin,

"Hehehe, you belong to me now."

Having claimed it, he examined the core and confirmed it indeed housed a skill.

"What level of skill will I gain upon absorbing it? It's sizable enough to fill my palm."

Drawing in a steady breath, he absorbed the core, oblivious to its guardian slumbering beneath the pool's waters.

Upon integration, a surge of profound skill knowledge flooded Kyle's mind.

"Ice domain—such a thrilling skill title, but why no Rank indicated?"

The lack of Rank didn't trouble Kyle much, provided the skill proved effective.

'Still, to activate it, my mana needs to reach at least (C)-Rank, and with my current (-F)-Rank, using this won't happen anytime soon.'

As these thoughts swirled in his head, he gradually waded from the pool.

He searched the cavern for an escape route and eventually detected a concealed slit behind the pool.

"Fingers crossed this leads me outside."

In high spirits, Kyle slipped into the narrow slit.

Following a day of hardships, he had at last secured a valuable prize. He even sensed a need to express gratitude to his Second Brother for compelling him into the trial.

Once Kyle departed, Vice Principal George materialized within the cavern.

Frowning, he glanced about and muttered to himself,

"I never expected some ordinary youth to claim the skill the Principal placed here prior to his departure."

SWISH! SWISH!

Abruptly, ripples stirred in the pool, and a massive serpent emerged from its depths. It served as the skill core's protector.

The serpent scanned the spot where the core had floated, then fixed its gaze on the sole figure in the chamber.

HiSSSsss!

Hissing fiercely, the serpent lunged at Vice Principal George, convinced he had stolen the core.

"Tch! That boy possesses remarkably potent luck, snatching the prize without besting the Guardian?"

Vice Principal George flicked his right hand, hurling the serpent aside.

"With the Ice Dragon's skill now in his grasp, I cannot allow him to fail the trial—otherwise, the Principal will hold it against me."

After one final look at the pool, Vice Principal George vanished once more.