First Legendary Dragon: Starting With The Limitless System

Chapter 168: Viren’s Bet
Space distorted sharply around Orion, the teleportation rune activating immediately, whisking him instantaneously away.

A heartbeat later, Orion stood abruptly outside the Tower of Myths, his breathing ragged, body trembling slightly from residual adrenaline as blood dripped down from his arm.

Sweat drenched his forehead, trickling freely down his flushed face. His heart still raced fiercely, the Echo’s final strike burned vividly into his mind together with the image of two distinct thrones.

“Hahaha I won! See? I told you he would reach the fiftieth floor, now cough up the Duskwater Wine you bet with me.” Instructor Viren’s joyful voice echoed from the side.

Orion turned his head to see Instructor Viren taking a jar of wine from an angry-looking Instructor, who turned his head and looked at Orion before nodding and leaving.

Viren approached calmly with a big smile on his face. “Hahaha I didn’t judge you wrongly, Orion Helstorm. Well done, well done indeed.”

He didn’t concern himself with Orion’s bleeding hand, as such minor injuries were all too common for them.

Orion, on the other hand, was breathing roughly as he felt his body aching from pain all over, his instincts going crazy as he felt intense frustration. Taking a few deep breaths, he closed his eyes and tried to calm himself.

After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and looked at Viren. “…What… did you bet?” he tiredly asked.

Viren smugly smiled and showed him a jar of wine. “I bet on you stopping precisely at the 50th floor. And the bet was for this. Haha, I was eyeing this Duskwater Wine for so long, but that stingy Instructor Alaric was hiding it from me for years. But you—you helped me with this.”

Orion’s lips twitched. Taking out a healing potion from his storage ring, he emptied it at once. Taking a deep breath, he straightened up. “How… did you know I would reach the 50th floor or get defeated there?”

Putting the jar in his storage ring with a smile, Viren slowly explained, “Because he was the perfect counter for the current you.”

“Huh?”

He smiled and patiently explained, “The fiftieth floor is a decisive boundary, Orion. The Echo from that point has near-perfect battle instinct from their original self. And especially that Echo—in his time, he was one of the greatest swordsmen. It’s a shame he left too early, otherwise his Echo might have been at the higher end of floors.”

Orion’s eyes flashed with understanding. “I see. No wonder he was that skilled, but his physical strength…”

Viren nodded in understanding. “It’s no wonder you would think that. Actually, he was born with unmatched physical power. His body was even comparable to the Titans back then—or so I heard.”

He took a deep breath and nodded. “I see. Thanks for clarifying my doubts, Instructor Viren. So, how did I perform? Was it good?”

Viren smiled strangely. “Good? You just set a new record. I don’t think anyone has managed to reach the 50th floor on their first attempt here.”

Orion tilted his head in confusion. “How? Didn’t you say he was one of the strongest at his level? He didn’t manage to reach so high?”

Viren shrugged his shoulders. “You think everyone has as monstrous amount of stamina as you? You’ve been fighting in there for over 6 hours straight without breaks. I’m honestly surprised. I only betted that because of my gut feeling and the match I witnessed that day between you and Sylvia.”

Orion’s eyes widened as he looked toward the sky. The sun had begun to go down, and he had entered the tower pretty early in the morning.

Lightly shaking his head, he asked, “Then how many points will I get? And what’s my current rank?”

Viren chuckled, “Since it was your first time clearing the floors, you’ll get the points that your rank should get. You are currently ranked 141 out of nearly 500 students. That’s 1,000 Ranking Points.”

Orion looked at him with slightly widened eyes. “Huh? Only 500 students in such a massive academy? And I’m already ranked so high?”

“Haha,” Viren laughed out loud seeing his expression. “What do you take this academy for? We only take the best of the best. In your batch, we have 300 students. The second-year batch has around 150 students, the third-year batch has around 50 students, and the final batch only has 10 students. Now you understand how impressive you are?”

Orion stood quietly for a moment, processing Instructor Viren’s words as the cool breeze of the approaching evening gently rustled the leaves of nearby trees, sending a calm whisper through the academy grounds.

The sun, now partially hidden behind distant clouds, bathed everything in a soft amber hue. He took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air as the potion’s warmth slowly spread through his body, soothing the lingering aches and pains.

Viren watched Orion curiously, sensing his lingering disbelief and mild confusion. Chuckling softly, he patted Orion’s shoulder encouragingly. “Surprised? I suppose someone as talented as you would naturally underestimate the difficulty others face. But trust me—very few students possess your stamina, mana reserves, and determination. Most would’ve collapsed after five or ten floors.”

Orion nodded thoughtfully, a faint smile curving his lips. “I never really considered that. I just kept pushing upward. To think that climbing to the fiftieth floor actually broke some record—it’s genuinely surprising.”

[Like hell it is, you knew and expected this already. Since when did you become humble? (≖_≖ )]

‘Shhh, gotta stay humble in front of these old monsters. I can never tell if one of them is an ancestor here.’

Viren laughed again, his voice rich with amusement. “Haha, lad, it’s more than just surprising. Your progress will undoubtedly stir the academy’s competitive spirit. Mark my words—many students will be eager to challenge the tower again after hearing of your accomplishment.”

Orion tilted his head slightly, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “Isn’t that exactly what the academy wants?”

Viren’s smile broadened, his eyes sparkling knowingly. “Precisely, Orion. This is exactly the kind of healthy competition the Tower of Myths is meant to foster. The stronger your peers grow, the stronger you become in return. Remember, every rival you gain is also a potential teacher.”

Orion nodded solemnly, understanding deepening within him. “I’ll keep that in mind, Instructor Viren. But—just curious—who currently holds the first rank?”

Viren’s expression softened slightly, turning contemplative. “Ah, currently, the top-ranked student is a final-year named Valerius Cain—a commoner. He’s maintained his position for over two years, having cleared the 93rd floor—a truly monstrous talent. But he rarely participates openly anymore, since his graduation approaches, and he’s already been scouted by several powerful Noble Houses.”

“Ninety-third floor…” Orion murmured thoughtfully, eyes gleaming with newfound determination. “That seems impossibly distant for now.”

[Damn, Master, you can actually act this well? Why did I never know about this hidden talent of yours? (ﾟﾛﾟ)]

Orion decided to just ignore Lumi’s commentary for now and focus on Viren.

“Indeed,” Viren chuckled, lightly patting Orion’s shoulder again. “But given your monstrous growth, who knows? Perhaps you’ll threaten even Valerius’s record before the year ends.”

Orion laughed gently, shaking his head at Viren’s words. “Now, who’s the one overestimating me?”