The Tales of Draconic Warlock

What I need is more than that.

I need monsters to hunt. There are dungeons in the academy but to them, my rank is not high enough to enter certain dungeons.

The monsters in the dungeons that I have access to wouldn't yield much EXP. The small amount of EXP that I can get here is not enough to gain levels at my current state. So what I need is to find another way to find to gain higher EXP.

The only way is through high-level dungeons or secret realms.

The problem was that those are not easily accessible. All of the dungeons and secret realms are under the control of one organization or another. There is no way that they would allow outsiders to make use of these dungeons.

Unless you join an organization or a family who controls the dungeon entering the dungeons for EXP would be nigh impossible. Of course, as long as there are benefits, such restrictions disappear in seconds.

This had put a strain on the kingdom. So the five academies are formed. The young would have a chance to enter the academies and use the dungeons under their control.

The academy is also like an organization. Only by becoming a student can one have a chance of entering the dungeons under its control. The problem was that they wouldn't allow free reign to the students. Only when they show that they have sufficient strength would they be allowed to enter the dungeons.

This became a hindrance for me. I can't show them my true rank and that means I can't enter the high-level dungeons in the academy.

I can only search for them in the wild but the missions at most lead out of the capital.

There are no more dungeons around the capital that don't have owners. Almost every piece of land was explored. The only reason why there are wilds around here is because they are a source of resources for the capital.

If everything around was destroyed, it would make the capital the weakest place in the kingdom and thereby, no one would want to settle around the capital.

I don't think that they were idiots to do that and they didn't.

The wilds and the monsters survived, which became the levelling area and source of income for a lot of people. The capital remained the capital instead of a deserted place.

Another way of finding the monsters was the secret realms. These are rare when compared to the dungeons. Finding them would depend solely on luck.

Dungeons and Secret realms work differently.

Dungeons have no restrictions on who can enter and who can't. Unlike them, secret realms have restrictions on the ranks based on the ranks of the people.

The entrance and exit of a dungeon would be available all day long. After entering a dungeon, one has to find the exit to the dungeon in order to leave the dungeon.

Secret realms work in a different manner. The entrance and exit portals only appear at a certain time. If you want to enter to enter or exit, it can only be during those times. If you enter a secret realm and don't exit when the portal appears, then you will be stuck there until the next rotation.

This made secret realms more dangerous than dungeons.

There are a few secret realms that were conquered completely. They are considered safe, even after the exit portal disappears and you get stuck inside.

When compared to the world, the density of the magical energy of the secret realms is so much more.

This is why the owners would often use them as herb gardens. The growth of herbs in the secret realms would be faster when compared to elsewhere.

Of course, this can only be done if the secret realm is completely under their control.

The owners would send workers into the secret realm and they would stay for months inside the realm. They would return when the portal opens again for the new season and the new workers would take over their work.

The secret realms are the major source of low-level herbs, but they could never cultivate high-level herbs.

Though the herb would be of low or mid-levels, they bring huge returns. The high-level herbs may be costly but most can't afford them.

People depending on the low-level herbs are in high number.

Even if there were no herb gardens, the carcasses that were obtained from the dungeons or the secret realms were very useful. It means that they earn a lot and that means the security of the dungeons and the secret realms would be very high.

There would be no way to sneak either into dungeons or into the secret realms to hunt the monsters and gain EXP.

This is a problem for me.

---

The only way that remained for me to level up by hunting monsters was through the secret realms that are accessible through the Nexus.

There are ten portals but only one is active and the other nine are inactive.

I didn't activate them at that time because they need resources to activate and also I have no idea where they would lead to.

If the portals led me to a secret realm that was already occupied, then it would not be of any use to me. It only meant a waste of resources for me that I had to use in order to activate the portal.

If the realms are already occupied then they would fight me if they see someone trying to steal their resources. Even if I am stronger, I can't fight them recklessly.

If they see then that means that the world would learn that I could enter the secret realm without the need of the main entrance. This would cause a lot of problems.

To make sure that my secret remains a secret can only be done by silencing the people who are present inside the secret realm. I may not be a good guy but I am not a bad guy. I don't go on killing people wantonly.

Even if I try to silence them, there is a chance that one or two might escape. Since the owners were rich, the overseers might have some protection talismans that could save them at critical moments. They would spread the news of my trespassing and what I did.

So it's best not to wander into secret realms that were occupied.

If I want to upgrade by hunting monsters, then I could only do that in the wild, which I can't go to.

There is another way which I was not so sure about. Now that method remains the only way to do so.

---

After returning to my quarters, I entered the Nexus, where the portals to secret realms are present. I don't what's behind these portals.

I know that they would take me to secret realms.

The issue was that I didn't know whether it was a fortune or a failure. With no other choice remaining, I decided to gamble.

I chose a portal to activate from the nine that were inactive.

At the moment I don't have the resources that can activate the portal. All the resources that I have would be useful to improve my Dragon Blood Evolution skill and improve my Dragon Bloodline purity.

As my bloodline purity increased, my breathing technique became better. It means that I can level up even without hunting monsters.

Without immediate access to higher-rank monsters to hunt, I could only depend on the breathing technique to improve my levels faster. Moreover, with its help and the promotion crystal in the Nexus, no one would ever truly find out what rank I have reached.

It's the best way to avoid obligations and gain loot from idiots who would foolishly challenge me.

Anyway, let's improve myself first.

---

A few days later...

I was able to obtain all the resources required to activate the portal. I had to go through a lot of dungeons and through them, I amassed a lot of materials that can be useful for this venture.

Once I had all the materials, I activated the portal.

It remained the same as the first portal that leads to the secret realm which is partially controlled by the Royal Academy. This secret realm is partially under their control and so I can't do much over there.

Moreover, the ranks of the monsters there are way lower than my rank. So the EXP gained from hunting those monsters is pitiful. It means I wouldn't be able to level up faster. This was why I was in dire need of a new secret realm for my EXP.

To reach the peak of Tier-5, I need a lot of EXP. hope that I can reach the peak before the end of this semester.

Anyway, hoping for a miracle, I stepped into the portal. Let's find out what is behind this.