[CH399+ Continued] Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster's Power

Chapter 539

We complete the rest of the trials, and the completion rate falls lower and lower.

By the 23rd and 24th trial, there's only two teams that are finishing. It's me and Ember, along with the two Elites from the Apex region.

Their stamina and drive is impressive as well. We go back and forth on winning the 1st place prize with them on the final few rounds.

However, overall they've won far more in the earlier rounds to maintain their early lead.

On the final leaderboard, [Ray Anderson] is in 3rd place, and [Emrie Carter] is in 4th. Scattered within the top 15 the rest of our teammates still stay, carried by the basic completion points awarded that many teams failed to receive on every round.

Marcie has accepted the fact that there is something very off about us, but doesn't care as long as she's benefiting from it in the end.

Natalie on the other hand gets increasingly confused as every time we walk out from the silver door with another stage completion, neither of us ever need heals, and don't even touch the gear on the walls.

Unlike Marcie, I don't feel confident talking to Nat through my telepathy link to explain what I need to. She's still from the Apex Region. It feels a bit too closely related and loyal to the top brass of the Association for me to be sharing any secrets.

Occasionally, we'll drink mana potions to restore MP after long battles, but usually I'm just consuming mana from the simulation room itself to restore myself while battling.

All hunters with mana control awakened are capable of absorbing the mana in their environment to a certain extent. With the occasional MP potion I take from my storage for show as well, it all seems very convincing to me.

To Natalie, however, something is very wrong. I can see the confusion growing on her face every trial, but as she also watches her own points rise from our efforts, she doesn't say a word and continues to heal Marcie and Dane when they come back after long battles.

While Dane is about half as active in trials overall by the end of it, he still gives it his all and does whatever I say with no questions asked while inside the sim room.

He doesn't seem curious or cautious at all about the seemingly never-ending stamina we have, his eyes only show gratefulness. The final 24hr countdown hits zero and the 3rd stage of the B-Class exams is over.

Rodrigo's face reappears on the ceiling next to the now updated leaderboard with everyone's name and ranking on it.

"Congratulations, hunters, you've all completed the 3rd stage of the exams. If you're still worn out or in critical condition from these trials, do not worry. There will be a total rejuvenation and private room allotted to any hunters that wish before you all move on to the 4th stage."

I hear a mechanical shifting sound behind the silver door that the simulations just took place inside. It sounds as if the room itself is being moved away...

Then, the entire resting room that we're standing in shakes too and it feels like we're being moved around in space by a huge machine. I'm tempted to use my all-seeing eye to see through the shielding around us but I refrain from doing so.

Rodrigo continues.

"Your wristbands have now been updated with the weighted scores of the 3rd stage. Do not fret if you feel your score does not appropriately reflect your performance in the exams so far. In the 4th stage, you will be able to show off your solo abilities in a grand event starting in 16 hours. Be prepared to fight, and take advantage of our amenities."

He pauses, then grins just slightly.

"As you move to this next room, sabotages and fighting are permitted in the public areas but not in private labeled rooms. Please, no killing before Stage 4 begins, I will have to intervene if you take things too far. More information will be provided closer to the time the events of the 4th stage begin."