Chapter 104: Mark’s Research

Earlier that same day, Mark had been seated at his desk, laptop open in front of him, navigating steadily through the web with a focused, deliberate expression. His eyes moved carefully across the screen as he searched for information on recent dungeon appearances, fresh updates, and broader news circulating through the summoner community.

The room around him stayed relatively quiet. The occasional sound drifted in from outside through the window, though he barely registered any of it. His concentration stayed locked entirely on the screen, several open tabs and search results competing for his attention at once.

His original intention had simply been gathering information about recent dungeon activity, trying to get a clearer sense of how appearance rates were shifting over time. That kind of information could help him spot genuine opportunities for practical experience and figure out which areas might be worth investigating further down the line.

Then one particular notice caught his eye.

It appeared on a channel page belonging to the Mineral Guild, a large scale organization ranked among the most prominent names across the raider community. The guild had built a genuinely powerful reputation through its ongoing operations across the nation, along with its competitive standing against major organizations worldwide. It was also well known for substantial raw material reserves, active resource development, and energy production work carried out through several multiworking subsidiary companies.

Mark’s eyes narrowed slightly as he read carefully through the announcement.

The Mineral Guild was offering students a chance to participate in a structured programme at one of its largest dungeons, located right in the heart of the city center. The digital flyer prominently displayed the guild’s insignia, accompanied by full details on the programme and its open invitation extended to students from various schools across the region.

The announcement grabbed his attention almost instantly.

He leaned in closer toward the screen, scrolling down steadily to read through every detail more carefully. His fingers rested lightly against the edge of the laptop as he weighed exactly what this particular opportunity could mean for him going forward.

He couldn’t say for certain why the Mineral Guild had decided to open this particular programme up to students from different schools. Maybe the organization wanted to scout promising young summoners early, offer genuine practical training, or help build familiarity with its operations among potential future recruits. Plenty of other reasons could have factored into the decision too, for all he knew.

Whatever the guild’s actual motivations were, Mark honestly wasn’t all that concerned with figuring them out.

As long as the programme genuinely benefited him in some real way, he was more than willing to consider participating.

The opportunity felt especially appealing given that it offered a fully legitimate path toward gaining real experience inside a properly secured dungeon. Rather than continuing to sneak into restricted locations and risk getting caught without authorization, he could simply register through the official programme, provide the necessary identification, and secure proper approval through the school.

That alone made the offer considerably more practical than any of the alternatives he’d previously considered.

Mark studied the digital flyer again, resting one hand thoughtfully beneath his chin as he weighed his options carefully. The programme pulled in students from other schools scattered across the city, meaning he’d have a genuine chance to meet summoners whose abilities and backgrounds differed meaningfully from his usual classmates.

He found himself particularly curious how he’d actually perform outside the familiar, somewhat insulated environment of Amstral High.

Within the school itself, he’d already weathered enough conflict, challenges, and unexpected twists to understand clearly that he couldn’t keep relying on his current circumstances indefinitely. If he genuinely wanted to grow stronger, he needed real exposure to different situations, a chance to study how other summoners approached the exact same problems he faced.

A properly controlled dungeon programme could offer exactly that kind of exposure.

He could watch other participants in action, test his own abilities under unfamiliar conditions, and pinpoint exactly where he still needed real improvement. Even if the programme ended up proving harder than expected, the experience itself would carry genuine, lasting value regardless.

Mark scrolled further down the page, checking carefully through the registration details and instructions laid out for prospective participants. The application process itself looked fairly straightforward, though he’d still need to submit his passport details and secure proper permission through the school’s established approval process.

He paused, hovering over the application option.

For a moment, he considered simply waiting, gathering a little more information first. He could spend extra time researching the guild further, digging into the dungeon’s documented history, or hunting down reports from any previous participants.

But the longer he stared at the announcement, the more thoroughly convinced he became that letting this particular opportunity slip past simply wasn’t worth the risk of overthinking it.

Uncertainty always came bundled with entering any dungeon, no matter how much preparation went into it beforehand. No amount of careful planning could ever fully guarantee a clean, predictable outcome. Still, avoiding every single risk entirely wouldn’t actually help him grow into the kind of summoner he genuinely wanted to become.

He needed real, practical experience.

He needed genuine challenges to push against.

And he needed opportunities capable of carrying him well past the limits of his current, familiar environment.

With that firmly in mind, Mark clicked the application option and began working through the initial registration process. He planned to gather the necessary documents, prepare his passport information properly, and submit the full application for the school’s approval as soon as possible.

His movements stayed deliberate throughout, expression locked in focus as he worked carefully through each step presented on the screen.

To him, this wasn’t simply another routine announcement from some major guild. It represented a genuine chance to step beyond the familiar boundaries of ordinary school life and start building the real experience he needed to shape his own future properly.

Mark leaned back slightly once he’d completed the initial step, eyes still fixed on the glowing digital flyer in front of him.

A small, satisfied smile crossed his face.

This was exactly the kind of opportunity he’d quietly been waiting for, even if he hadn’t fully realized it until this very moment.

And if everything played out according to plan, this could end up marking the genuine beginning of his broader journey toward real growth as a young, rising summoner.