Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

The receptionist looked at Atlas for a few seconds after hearing his request.

"You want to go solo in a Hollow-Class Ruin?"

Atlas nodded.

"Yes."

Her expression became a little more serious after that. It was not rejection yet, but it was no longer simple registration either.

"Mr. Atlas, Hollow-Class Ruins are not like Veil-Class Ruins. In smaller cities, new explorers usually start from Veil-Class because the monsters inside are weak enough for beginners to survive if they remain careful. But Lumivale does not have Veil-Class Ruins. Our lowest available ruins start from Hollow-Class because the Spirit density around this city is already much higher than the Human Continent’s outer regions."

Atlas listened without interrupting.

The explanation itself was useful.

He had already expected Lumivale to be different from Ormolio, but the difference was bigger than he first thought. In Ormolio, Veil-Class Ruins were given to rookies. In Lumivale, those same rookie-level ruins did not even exist, which meant the city’s baseline was higher from the start.

The receptionist continued.

"Normally, a new foreign explorer from another branch would need to join a temporary party first. Solo permission for Hollow-Class Ruins requires at least a C-Rank local evaluation, or a previous C-Rank record from another recognized Guild branch."

Atlas took out his inactive Guild Card again.

"This one is D-Rank."

"Yes, I saw that."

She glanced at the card.

"D-Rank from Ormolio is valid, but it does not give you solo Hollow-Class access here. You can still take support missions, material delivery, scouting assistance, or join a registered party, but entering alone is restricted."

Atlas frowned slightly beneath his hood.

That was troublesome.

He had come here because ruins were the safest place to assimilate Traits, test the Codex, and increase his stats past the next limit. If he joined a party, he would have to hide everything. If he took support missions, he would waste time. If he waited too long, some other local problem could spread toward him before he finished his own preparations.

He looked toward the floating mission screen.

"How do I get local evaluation?"

The receptionist seemed to expect that question.

"You can take a basic combat assessment. If your result reaches C-Rank standard, the Guild can issue limited solo permission for low-risk Hollow-Class Ruins. If your result is below that, you will need to enter with a party."

Atlas did not answer immediately.

A combat assessment meant showing strength.

That was risky.

But the problem was not showing some strength. The problem was showing too much. If he acted like a weak D-Rank, he would not get solo access. If he showed peak B-Rank power, the Guild would start asking why an inactive D-Rank from Ormolio had that level of strength within such a short time.

So, the answer was simple.

He had to show enough to pass.

Nothing more.

Atlas looked back at her.

"I’ll take the assessment."

The receptionist nodded and placed her hand over a small crystal panel on the counter.

A soft white rune spread from her palm into the panel, then a small ticket materialized above it.

She picked it up and handed it to Atlas.

"Go to Assessment Room Three. Follow the left corridor after the second pillar. An examiner will meet you there."

Atlas accepted the ticket.

"Thank you."

The receptionist smiled lightly.

"You are welcome, sir. And please remember, if the examiner tells you to stop, stop. The assessment relics are reinforced, but foreign explorers sometimes misunderstand the difference between Lumivale equipment and ordinary branch equipment."

Atlas nodded once and turned away.

As he walked through the Guild hall, several Angelic explorers glanced at him again. Not with hostility. More like curiosity. A human traveler wearing dark clothes, carrying an inactive Guild Card from Ormolio, and asking for solo Hollow-Class permission was not normal, but it was not enough to make people gather around him either.

That suited Atlas.

He followed the route the receptionist mentioned and entered the left corridor.

The inside of the Lumivale Guild was far cleaner than Ormolio’s. The floor was polished white stone with faint blue-gold lines running through it like Spirit circuits. The walls carried floating symbols that changed every few seconds, likely showing directions, room usage, or internal notices. Even the doors were different. Instead of wood or iron, they looked like smooth white panels with embedded relic cores near the side.

Atlas stopped before Assessment Room Three.

The door opened by itself before he touched it.

Inside was a wide circular room.

The floor had several layered Spirit formations etched into it. At the center stood a black stone pillar about two meters tall, covered with markings and a transparent crystal plate near the top. Several training dummies stood near the far wall, but unlike ordinary wooden dummies, these were made from some dark metal-like material.

A middle-aged Angel man stood beside the pillar, reading something from a floating sheet.

He looked up when Atlas entered.

"Atlas Crosswood?"

"Yes."

The man checked the ticket once.

"D-Rank inactive record from Ormolio. Requesting C-Rank evaluation for solo Hollow-Class access."

Atlas nodded.

"That’s right."

The examiner looked him over.

"You don’t look nervous."

Atlas answered plainly. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I need access."

The examiner raised one brow slightly.

"That is not what I meant, but fine."

He waved one hand toward the center of the room.

"My name is Heron Velas. I will handle your assessment. This test has three parts. Physical output, movement control, and Spirit response. You do not need to win anything. You only need to show that you will not die instantly after entering a Hollow-Class Ruin alone."

Atlas stepped toward the center.

"What is the passing line?"

"C-Rank minimum in at least two sections, and no fatal weakness in the third."

Atlas understood.

Physical output would be easy.

Movement control was the part he had been training during the last thirty days, but his body still moved too fast if he lost focus. Spirit response was more dangerous because his Spirit was currently at 9, but he barely knew how to use it properly. He could allow a little output, but not enough to expose himself.

Heron pointed toward the black pillar.

"First, physical output. Strike the plate once. Do not use a weapon. Do not coat your hand in Spirit. Just raw physical force."

Atlas walked toward the pillar.

The crystal plate glowed faintly when he stood before it.

Heron spoke again.

"Most D-Ranks produce between 20 and 40 units. C-Rank begins at 80. B-Rank begins at 200. Anything above that is unnecessary for this assessment, so do not injure yourself trying to look impressive."

Atlas looked at the plate.

This test was actually useful.

He finally had a number system he could compare himself against. It was not the Codex’s attribute system, but it gave him a Guild measurement.

He raised his right hand slowly.

The problem was control.

If he punched normally, he might break the pillar. If he held back too much, he might fail. So he had to choose a middle point.

Atlas tightened his fist.

If he misjudged this strike, the result would either block his solo access or expose more strength than he wanted to show.

Then his fist moved toward the crystal plate.