"How do I enter a dungeon?"
Verso mumbled the question to himself as he walked down the long hallway toward the school's practice grounds.
He had already pushed the incident that happened in the classroom to the back of his mind. Xavier and his lackeys were a problem for a different time.
Verso had a hunch that currently his best way to get strong was to enter a dungeon and start hunting.
After the Great Cataclysm, dungeons had appeared all across the world and Meridian city was no different. The city was built around several gates and as a student of Meridian High, Verso held a special privilege.
The students of the Meridian High were allowed to enter the lowest category of dungeons as long as they had a formal permit.
After a few minutes of walking, the narrow hallways opened up into the wide practice grounds.
The area was bustling with students as the classes had just ended. Some students were practicing with different types of weapons, while others were sparring each other with their summons.
Verso spotted a familiar tall and muscular figure standing near one of the training rings. This was non other than Kolden.
The teacher noticed him almost immediately as he stopped what he was doing and began walking toward Verso with proud wide smile stretched across his face.
"So, how was the awakening?" Kolden asked, his voice booming over the noise of the grounds.
Hearing this interaction happen a few students looked over at them.
"Did he just say awakening?"
"No way, didn't Verso fail his awakening?"
Everyone knew of Verso and how he had failed his awakening despite being an outstanding student so when they all heard that he had awakened it came as no shock that they started whispering among themselves.
'Well there goes my surprise element...' Verso thought, with his brow slightly twitching.
He looked up and met Kolden's gaze giving a small, casual shrug while forcing a smile back.
"My first summon was a primitive, so..."
Verso let the sentence trail off, acting like he was a little disappointed but not crushed.
Kolden raised an eyebrow as his expression turned curious. He studied Verso's face for a moment before replying.
"You don't exactly look sad about it?"
He had known Verso for a long time. He knew how badly the boy wanted to get into the Summoner's Academy.
And in this world, awakening with a Primitive beast usually meant you were pretty far behind the competition. It would not odd for most students to be in tears or spend time hiding in their rooms after getting such results.
Verso understood exactly what Kolden mean and although he felt like he could trust him and tell him about his talent he decided not to.
He had taken the Headmaster's advice to heart and knew that telling anyone about the weird system of his would probably cause him more harm than good.
"About that, I actually came here to request a permit to enter the Shattered Wilds."
The Shattered Wilds was the dungeon the school had literally been built around. It was the weakest dungeon in Meridian city and served as the primary training ground for new summoners.
Kolden let out a laugh hearing Verso's request.
"Taking no days off, I see." Kolden said, shaking his head.
"Unfortunately, I don't have time to waste." Verso replied.
Finishing his sentence, Verso stepped forward and gave a slight but respectful bow which caught Kolden completely off guard.
"I also wanted to thank you, sir. I know you were the one who really pushed the Headmaster for my awakening."
As he said this the atmosphere between them shifted as Kolden's smile softened as he reached out and smacked his heavy hand onto Verso's shoulder, nearly knocking the wind out of him.
"Don't get all sappy on me, kid," Kolden said.
"It would have been a crime to let all that hard work of yours go to waste. You were the only one in class who actually trained like his life depended on it."
Verso nodded, though he knew Kolden was being humble.
In a world run by clans, helping a nobody like Verso get a forced awakening was a big deal.
The Great Clans and elite families liked to keep power in the family. By helping him, Kolden and Alicia had basically flipped off the Great Clans. It was a massive risk on their part, and Verso knew it.
Staying silent, Verso kept those thoughts to himself as he just appreciated the fact that he wasn't alone.
"Now, stop bowing and follow me," Kolden said, turning on his heel.
"Let's go get that permit of yours."
They left the noisy practice grounds and headed back toward the more quiet administration wing. They walked past several large wooden doors until they reached a small, cramped office near the end of the corridor.
"Wait here for a minute."
Hearing his teacher's instruction Verso stood in the hallway with his back against the wall.
He watched as Kolden disappeared into the office. He could hear the muffled sound of voices from inside, followed by the sound of a drawer opening.
A moment later, Kolden stepped back out. He was holding a small red card.
"Here. This should work," Kolden said as he flicked it toward Verso, who caught it.
"Thank you, sir." Verso said, tucking the card safely into his pocket.
"Just make sure to not go in too deep," Kolden warned, his voice turning stern.
"The Shattered Wilds is a baby dungeon for training, but it's still a dangerous. If you wander off the marked paths, things can get ugly fast, so make sure to follow the rules."
"I'll be careful." Verso promised, gripping the red card tight.
"Good. Now get out of here." Kolden said, waving him off.
Saying his goodbyes, Verso turned and began to walk away. The gears in his mind were already turning as he was trying to come up with a plan to hunt efficiently.
Kolden stood in the hallway, watching Verso's retreating back as he sighed quietly to himself with a look of sadness as a memory from years ago flashed through his mind.
'He really takes after his dad...' Kolden thought.
He stayed there until the sound of Verso's footsteps faded away completely, leaving the hallway in silence once again.