POTLS - Chapter 24: The Chamber

Paul didn't even have time to rejoice before being pushed out of the Portal.

First, he felt his body become heavier. The lightness and agility gained from the stat bonuses were suddenly stripped away, returning him to his original, weak, and vulnerable state. Then came the fear from the hostile glares surrounding him.

Without a doubt, all nine Survivors from the battle with Count Dracula were throwing uncomfortable expressions his way. At least they were still civil enough not to approach him to express their displeasure. True, Paul could have joined them to defeat the Boss of the Crimson Moon Estate map, but would they have acted differently in his place?

The man Paul had killed didn't hesitate to brush past him, whispering, "You fucker! You'll pay for this once you're out of here."

Paul responded with a razor-sharp glare but remained silent. His attention was focused on the pairs of eyes watching from the bleachers around the schoolyard.

They're here for me, Paul deduced silently.

Though not entirely certain, he was fairly confident in his assessment.

The surviving Survivors began to disperse, collecting their belongings.

One of the nine finally couldn't contain himself and approached Paul to scold him.

"You're a coward, you know that?"

It took Paul a few seconds to recognize this man as the one who possessed the [Heaven Judgment] skill. With a height that towered over Paul and a solid build, he looked ready to fight right there and then.

"And what are you? An idiot who ruined the plan?" Paul countered.

"You—"

"Piss off!" Paul snapped. "Remember that your plan never included me. So why should my presence or absence affect you at all? Or did Count Dracula suck out your brain so you can't perform basic reasoning?"

Receiving Paul's verbal lashing, his opponent stammered, unsure how to respond. A woman from the group pulled him back, allowing one of the two Rank E members to step forward and mediate.

"Our mistake for blaming you," his tone was indifferent rather than apologetic. "You're right."

"Then get lost—"

"That's only if," the Rank E cut Paul off just as he had done, "your presence had no impact. We'll be investigating this matter."

"Matter?" Paul narrowed his eyes.

"Whether the presence of three Rank E individuals changed Count Dracula's pattern."

Paul swallowed hard. The suspicion he harbored had likely occurred to others as well.

"So what?" Paul sniffed. "You're going to make me compensate you?"

The Rank E, with black hair interspersed with a few gray strands, looked at him with amused eyes. When enough time had passed to make Paul uncomfortable, he finally continued.

"That would be impossible, of course. We have neither the means nor the right."

He then stepped back, returning to his companions. Just when Paul thought everything was over, the man turned back to address him.

"You'd better hope you weren't the reason for our failure and needless deaths," his tone mocking. "We're all Survivors, and nothing guarantees you won't encounter us again in the future. And you know what will happen then, don't you?"

Being hunted, Paul answered inwardly.

The group departed completely, leaving Paul still standing there. He had risked everything to obtain the reward he sought. It seemed the consequences might far exceed what he had anticipated.

He shook his head, trying to reassure himself. Life had never been easy for him anyway. This was just another typical day.

The threat from those nine Survivors was a distant concern compared to what awaited him immediately. The hunters from The Crouching Tiger guild and that scarred-face man. His skin tingled under the scrutiny of their artifact, The Prying Eyes.

After dressing, he approached the Survivor Support Center's reception desk opposite the lockers.

He placed his ID on the counter, sliding it toward the attendant.

The young woman in a simple t-shirt looked up at him, a name badge on her chest.

"Sophia," Paul said. "I need SSC services."

Hearing this, she sat up straighter, pulling out a form from inside the desk drawer. She glanced at Paul's ID and asked, "Mr. Steele, what service do you require?"

"I need the rank-up chamber," Paul said quickly.

Sophia's hand stopped writing, her eyes widening in surprise. While this service existed, it was rarely chosen. Simply put, there were better places to accomplish this with superior facilities and guidance from higher-ranked individuals. Survivors typically opted for Portal Defense Initiative services rather than those at SSC. The only bright spot for SSC was its cheaper price. However, there was one significant drawback.

"The portal is closed," Sophia pointed her pen toward the shrunken rift in the distance. "You won't be able to purchase items to pay. We'll use an Artifact to collect the fee."

The SSC's Artifact was so poor that the conversion rate remained at 20%, while at PDI it could be reduced to just 5%.

"That's fine," Paul said decisively. What good was gold if he had no life left to use it, or if it was stolen? Especially now that his essence had exceeded the threshold.

Sophia picked up her phone, called another staff member, and gestured for Paul to wait while she completed the paperwork. In this technological age, such rudimentary data entry should have been computerized. But since everything was still new, with many aspects not yet standardized, information still needed to be recorded on paper for later digitization.

Sophia worked on the mundane task with resignation. Meanwhile, Paul directed his gaze toward those interested in him.

They watched him curiously, wondering what he was planning. When they spotted a truck pulling a room-sized container into the yard, they began to curse.

They now understood Paul's intentions. Especially since The Prying Eye had just revealed that 125 gold had been deducted from Paul's account.

I just spent over twelve thousand dollars, Paul thought with silent anguish. This was the largest sum he had ever used for a single transaction. With that same amount, he could have lived for nearly a year.

Sophia retrieved a cubic Artifact with a circular hole in the middle for hand insertion. She checked the number on the back of the Artifact, then marked confirmation on the form before her. She had Paul sign it, then stood up from the desk.

"Would you like me to give you a brief introduction to the chamber?" Sophia asked as she led Paul to where the truck had stopped.

"No need," Paul said. "I've read about it on the SSC website."

"Good," Sophia breathed out with relief, one less task to complete. "Then I'll just remind you of one note. We won't accept any responsibility if you fail in your rank advancement. I'm not recommending any rankers to assist you because none are currently available. I hope you understand."

"Anything else?"

"Ah," Sophia exclaimed. "Regarding time, your payment covers only 24 hours. If you exceed that, we'll charge extra, though at a reduced rate."

Paul's eyelids drooped as he silently cursed.

More money.

Sensing her customer's poor mood, Sophia quickened her pace.

The driver stepped out of the truck, offering a friendly smile to Sophia. They exchanged a few words before he swiftly unlocked the container-like box.

A rush of cold air made Paul shiver as the heavy metal door swung open with a deep, resonating thud.

He looked toward the predatory hawks giving him the middle finger. They could do nothing while Paul was under SSC's protection as a customer. If they tried to claim him now, it would only lead to unwanted consequences.

Paul gave a cold laugh, then resolutely stepped across the threshold.

"There's a touchscreen inside with commands," the driver explained briefly, eager to talk with Sophia. "When you want to exit, just press those. I believe you know what to do, right?"

Paul nodded without enthusiasm.

The sound of metal slamming together rang out behind him. He stood still within the chamber created by scientists specifically for Survivors.

The rank advancement chamber.

Neon lights from both sides of the wall cast down a cold blue glow. There was nothing around except a cushion placed in the middle of the room. He knew the chamber's secrets and mechanisms lay within the surrounding walls, along with various modern sensors.

Paul sat down, crossing his legs. He took a deep breath, then continued breathing in a steady rhythm to help himself forget everything else.

In this moment, he allowed himself to forget Michael, David, Kate, Lina, the past, his mistakes, and the ghosts that haunted him. He let his mind enter a state of undefined drifting.

He imagined himself in a peaceful place. The image he chose was a smooth, damp rock beneath a steady waterfall. Below, a stream shot up bubbles of green foam like a blanket covering the ground, stretching into the distance. Dense, cool trees surrounded him. Above, a cloudless sky extended endlessly blue.

This was one of the guided images designed to help achieve peaceful balance.

Now, Paul began to sense his body, gradually searching for what had always eluded him.

The essence occupying his body after each system reward.

Currently, he had over a thousand—1,055—exceeding the amount needed to rank up.

Gradually, he saw a point of light in his inner vision. He grabbed it, inserting it into a central place in his chest. Then he repeated, continuing to find the second point.

The chamber detected the changes in his body temperature and energy wavelength, activating its benefits. Fragrances were pumped in through holes that appeared in the walls. Their intensity was adjusted to match Paul's breathing rhythm.

These were products derived from herbs brought back by Survivors with the [Scavenger] talent. PDI's research department had conducted numerous experiments to create this chamber to assist Survivors in ranking up. This showed how remarkably insightful self-reliant Survivors were. They provided the necessary insights for scientists to apply.

Compounds that helped Survivors absorb essence were introduced, absorbed through respiration and skin. This stabilized the process, reducing the risk of failure. However, in the end, everything still depended on the Survivor themselves, which was why Paul was taking quite a risk by not having a higher-ranked person assist him. If he failed, though it wouldn't severely impact his body, he would suffer a regression state. More importantly, he would have to regain essence through additional runs. But this was a risk he had to take.

Beyond using medicinal herbs, the chamber also balanced temperature, helping blood circulate when necessary. Even compounds to raise or lower blood pressure and heart rate were administered. Sensors from above and below continuously read Paul's vital signs. No wire connections were needed because the chamber was equipped with an Artifact that detected changes instantly, unlike medical devices that required time.

Paul immersed himself in his mental world through meditation. His mind focused intensely, trying not to stray from what needed to be done.

He slowly gathered the scattered essence in his body, placing them together. He could feel the drugs influencing him, enhancing his control, preventing the essence from becoming chaotic and escaping where they needed to stay.

Sometimes, he would let the gathered essence drift away when his mind wandered. He had to spend time finding them again and try harder.

This process made him feel exhausted despite not performing any strenuous activity. Sweat continuously flowed as his mind repeatedly approached the brink of collapse.

He tried to motivate himself, to stay alert. At the final moment, he even used his own fear to provide adrenaline, pushing his potential to its highest possible level. He lacked many things, was poor in many ways, but never lacked in worry and fear.

Finally, with his determination to survive, to exact revenge, to find a better life, he roared, forcing the essence to condense.

A small sphere formed in his chest, pulsating as if it had a life of its own.

And then it began shooting chaotically, rushing toward various body parts and organs.

Paul collapsed under the sphere's explosion, his limbs contracting, writhing in waves of pain.

Wherever the sphere passed, that area collapsed and regenerated instantly. Blood vessels became more robust, wider. Muscles grew more resilient, more explosive. Blood carried more energy, circulating faster. Bones dissolved and rebuilt stronger. His heart beat with powerful thuds. His lungs breathed larger, fuller breaths. His brain became sharper, as if opening to a new enlightening experience.

The condensed essence sphere moved more slowly, dimming, weakening. When it stopped, having exhausted all its energy, it completed the process of transforming its host.

Paul lay still, no longer suffering. His body stretched out fully.

After a long while, he finally opened his eyes with a start.

His lips curved into a smile.

Paul Steele had officially become Rank E.