Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

"Wh-what did you just say?" the receptionist asked, the surprise clearly visible on her face.

Atlas had already expected that reaction. Not only her, but many of the nearby Explorers also turned toward the counter after hearing her raised voice. Their conversations stopped one after another as their attention shifted toward Atlas, clearly curious about what kind of request had caused such a reaction.

Atlas, however, paid no attention to any of them. His calm detached eyes remained fixed on the receptionist as he repeated his question in the same steady tone.

"Can I get the permit? Or...would that not be possible?"

The receptionist continued staring at him for several moments, still trying to process what he had just requested. It wasn’t something she had ever heard before, so after collecting herself slightly, she spoke again to make sure she hadn’t misunderstood.

"Y-You want a permit for a Cataclysm-rank Ruin...and you want to enter it alone, is that correct?"

Atlas nodded once before answering without changing his expression.

"Yes. I want that permit...for a solo expedition."

Hearing the confirmation directly from him, the receptionist once again covered her mouth with her right hand as disbelief spread across her face. She remained silent for a brief moment before finally speaking after calming herself.

"That...can be arranged, Sir Atlas. Since you are already registered as an S-rank Explorer, you are qualified to request a permit, but...this kind of application has never been made before. However, I can also see that the Guildmaster of the Lumivale Branch personally confirmed your classification as a Special S-rank Explorer. Because of that, your request can only be approved after I consult with the Guildmaster of the Solara Branch."

Atlas listened to her explanation quietly before giving a small nod to show he understood.

"I see."

The receptionist turned around immediately after that. As she waved one hand, another sheet of paper materialized before her. She picked it up, wrote something on it in a few quick movements, then walked through the door behind the counter that led deeper into the Guild.

Only after she disappeared from sight did Atlas shift his attention away from the counter.

He looked around the reception hall and noticed many Explorers and Guild workers still glancing toward him. None of them approached or said anything, but from the expressions on their faces he could easily tell that his request had already become the subject of their thoughts. Asking for permission to enter a Cataclysm-rank Ruin alone was clearly not something they heard every day.

Atlas simply let out a quiet sigh beneath his mask and waited patiently.

He didn’t have to wait long.

Just as he sighed and waited, A man approached him from the left side before stopping a short distance away.

The man looked at him with curiosity before introducing himself.

"I heard the receptionist mention your name is Atlas. My name is Himalton Cravansol, leader of the Explorer team Asfalon."

Atlas turned towards the voice and narrowed his eyes as he couldn’t sense anything from the man. He saw Himalton Cravansol standing there with one hand stretched out, clearly waiting for Atlas to return the handshake.

From the large wings behind his back Atlas immediately confirmed that he was an Angel, and from the Explorer attire along with the rapier hanging at his waist, he could tell the man was either from a Noble Household or simply a high-ranking Explorer with considerable status.

Atlas thought as he observed him for another moment, his conclusion naturally leaning toward the second possibility rather than the first. ’An SS-rank or SSS-rank?...there is no way I wouldn’t be able to sense an S-rank. What does he want though?...Most likely he wants me to join his team...’

Even as that thought crossed his mind, Atlas didn’t stretch out his own hand. He had never trusted strangers in the first place, and a handshake with that kind of distrust? Whether the person standing before him was an SS-rank or even someone stronger made no difference to him. Trust was not something he ever had towards others.

Instead of returning the gesture, Atlas looked directly at Himalton and spoke in the same calm tone. "What do you want, Mr. Himalton? I won’t be shaking your hand because I don’t trust strangers."

Himalton remained silent for a brief moment while looking at Atlas. His expression stayed mostly unchanged, but Atlas could tell the man had understood that those words were not spoken to offend him. Atlas’s detached expression carried no hostility or arrogance, only a simple statement of how he viewed others.

Without showing any dissatisfaction, Himalton lowered his hand and nodded once before speaking. "I would like you to join our team, Asfalon. We currently have five S-ranks along with me, an SS-rank, and we will soon be entering a Divine-class Ruin."

The moment Atlas heard those words, his eyes narrowed slightly. He immediately recalled the information he had read back in Lumivale. Divine-class Ruins were completely different from every other known Ruin. From the Lowest-rank Ruins all the way to Cataclysm-rank, the strongest monster that could normally appear as the final boss was an S-rank.

A Divine-class Ruin, however, skipped that limit entirely. The final boss inside was recorded to be an SSS-rank monster, the highest known rank Atlas had learned about so far. He had no knowledge beyond that level, so from everything he knew, a Divine-class Ruin represented the greatest danger an Explorer could legally enter.

As Atlas silently processed that information, Himalton continued explaining.

"We are currently short by one S-rank. We already approached the other S-ranks present in Solara, but every one of them already belongs to another exploration team. That is why I came to you. I know it may sound impossible for a team without an SSS-rank to challenge a Divine-class Ruin, but that isn’t how Divine-class exploration actually works.If you decide to join us, I’ll explain everything in detail."

Atlas remained silent after hearing the explanation. His thoughts naturally began arranging everything he had learned into a clear conclusion.

’A Divine-class exploration...it’s too risky. I don’t know what their actual plan is, but facing an SSS-rank without having one on the team doesn’t sound reasonable at all. Even if there are special conditions, the risk should still be extremely high. Entering a Ruin like that without fully understanding how it works would simply be gambling with my life.’

’I also don’t want to expose my strength, Traits or anything related to my abilities, so joining them isn’t a good choice...but if I do enter with them, I can first understand how a Divine-class Ruin actually operates before attempting one alone.’ Atlas thought as he narrowed his eyes and looked past Himalton toward the five S-ranks standing behind him. As his perception settled on the spirit pressure leaking from them, he quickly realized something.

’...Three of them are Special S-ranks.’

After confirming that, Atlas shifted his attention back to Himalton and calmly asked, "When is the exploration going to begin?"

Himalton answered without any hesitation. There was nothing confidential about the schedule, and every participating Explorer already knew it.

"It’s two days from now...have you decided whether you want to join us or not?"

Atlas remained silent for a brief moment as he calculated everything in his mind.

’Two days...I can clear two Cataclysm-rank Ruins during that time. That should be enough preparation before attempting a Divine-class Ruin.’

From his current strength, Atlas was already confident about clearing Cataclysm-rank Ruins alone. More importantly, every A-rank monster and the S-rank boss inside would provide him with more opportunities to obtain useful Traits through the Codex. That was his real preparation rather than simply increasing his combat experience.

At the same time, he also intended to raise every one of his Attributes to the limit of ninety-nine before entering a Divine-class Ruin. He still had no intention of writing one hundred into the Codex without getting strong enough to survive the pain that might happen after crossing that threshold.

After finishing those calculations within a few seconds, Atlas looked at Himalton again. Instead of agreeing immediately, he chose to give a vague answer. Agreeing too quickly would only make him appear either overly curious or as though he had another purpose behind joining.

Atlas gave a slight nod before speaking.

"So...two days, huh? I haven’t made my decision yet. I would like to think about it a little more before giving you an answer. I’ll let you know tomorrow, if that’s alright with you, Mr. Himalton."

Himalton smiled and nodded.

"That won’t be a problem. You can find our team here in the Guild tomorrow as well. Though..." he smiled a little more before continuing, "I will be hoping for a positive answer. The decision is yours, Mr. Atlas."

Just as Himalton finished speaking, both of them turned toward the counter after noticing the receptionist returning from the back room. She walked over with a document in her hand before speaking politely.

"Sir Atlas, here is your permit for solo Cataclysm-rank Ruin exploration. The Guildmaster has already approved and signed it. You can check all the details either through your Guild Card by tapping its front twice or by reading the permit itself."

Atlas accepted the permit and glanced at the signature near the bottom. He couldn’t understand how the name had actually been written, though he could clearly recognize the letter ’S’ at the beginning. For a brief moment, he recalled his own conclusion that the Guildmaster was most likely an SSS-rank, but he quickly pushed that thought aside.

He looked back at the receptionist and asked another question.

"Before I leave, I have one more question. Where can I find a good inn? I’m new to this city, so I don’t know the area."

The receptionist smiled before answering.

"You’ll find one just a short distance ahead of the Guild. It’s a very large inn called Celestris GoldenInn. The rooms are expensive compared to the others, but the service matches the price, so I would recommend staying there, Sir Atlas."

Atlas nodded once.

"Thanks. I’ll head there then...but only after clearing the Ruin."

With that, he put away the permit, gave Himalton one last glance, and quietly walked out of the Guild.

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