Chapter 297: Top-3 Student Rewards - 2

"Let’s welcome Leon, along with his majestic Noble Lion, a Peak 3-star beast!"

Tarun extended his hand, and Leon shook it firmly.

Tarun opened his mouth.

"Your fath—"

He couldn’t even complete the sentence before Leon interjected, his voice cold and flat.

"Let’s not ruin the mood of the reward distribution ceremony."

Tarun paused, then pursed his lips and gave a slight nod.

"This soul treasure will keep you stable till the end of the inter-academy competition," he said.

"Try your best to beat your siblings—you might get a prize that can keep you stable throughout the Academy session."

Leon let out a faint scoff.

"I don’t need any favours from that bastard. Tell him, if you can, that he is already dead in my eyes."

Tarun narrowed his eyes slightly.

He still hasn’t forgiven him? I guess that’s a given...

2nd-ranked student rewards:

- 5 Million AC

- Advancement materials for 2 beasts / 2 Million AC

- 5 Peak 3-star Random beastcores

- 5 Pseudo 4-star Ramdom beastcore

- 5 Peak 3-star Soul Crystals

- Stat boosting treasures — Up to 100 stats in all factors except intelligence if absorbed effectively

- Peak Blue-Tier Soul Enhancement/Healing Treasure - Lumina Root

- Unlimited access to the Library’s 4th floor

The reaction elicited by Leon’s rewards was no less than Lily’s—if not greater.

Treasures worth nearly 400 stats. And even without intelligence-boosting treasures, the 10 Peak 3-star Soul Crystals and the Lumina Root would compensate for it.

A Peak Blue-tier soul treasure alone could cost 20 to 30 million AC—and Leon had obtained one. What people didn’t know was that these rewards had been personally selected for him, taking into account the curse that continuously degraded his soul.

Setting aside the Peak 3-star beast cores and soul crystals, the Pseudo 4-star beast core would be crucial for the Noble Lion’s minor advancement. Since it was a physical beast, it could absorb any beast core to increase its energy and strength, which was why the core was random.

As for his second beast—it was also a purely magical type. Though Leon hadn’t summoned it, Katherine knew what he possessed when he left home: a magic scorpion. A rare magical beast capable of flexible magic use, not tied to any specific element. Hence, no specific elemental cores were required, making the rewards random for both beasts.

"4th floor!" Tavian exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.

From the 4th floor onwards, research on the soul began to appear—especially experimental hypotheses on new soul techniques that could become powerful in the future if funded.

"Haha... don’t tell me Leo will get 5th floor access..." Tavian muttered under his breath.

If Leo really got access to the 5th floor, it wouldn’t be good. The 5th floor contained elementary information on secret families—it might lead Leo to discovering Tavian’s real identity.

That was dangerous. Newcomers exposed to such information weren’t always trustworthy. People like Uraan, who already knew about the secret families, had the temperament to keep such knowledge hidden—that was why they were entrusted with it. But Leo was new. He might mention it casually, and that information could eventually reach the demons.

And that would be disastrous. The secret families were the leading factions secretly cultivating strength under the Emperor’s decree, meant to counter the rising power of the demons.

This time, Tarun completely suppressed the consciousness shock. Leon had already endured far greater pressures—whatever Tarun could release would be insignificant to him.

Yet his thoughts drifted again—to Lily’s mysterious blockade.

But before he could dwell on it, the host called out the next name.

"Finally! It’s time for our 1st-ranked student to take his rewards! Let’s welcome Leo! Along with his—eh? What?! Leo still doesn’t want to reveal his beasts!"

The host’s voice rose in surprise as Leo stepped forward alone.

The audience stirred in dissatisfaction—like a hungry beast denied its prey.

"Well, it’s your choice," Tarun said with a warm smile as he shook Leo’s hand.

Soon, the table containing Leo’s rewards materialised.

1st-ranked student rewards:

- 10 Million AC

- Advancement materials for 4 beasts / 4 Million AC

- 10 Peak 3-star Random beastcores

- 5 Peak 3-star Wood beastcores

- 10 Peak 3-star Earth Beastcores

- 10 Pseudo 4-star Soul Crystals

- Stat boosting treasures — Up to 100 stats in all factors.

- Low Purple-Tier Soul Enhancement - Mindbloom Fruit

- Unlimited access to the Library’s 5th floor

"This..." Leo muttered, his gaze fixed on the contents of the table.

Tarun chuckled softly.

"Haha, surprised, right? How do I know how many beasts you have, and what exactly you need? Brant is my little brother," he said, rubbing his nose with a hint of pride. "If you have any problems in the academy, just send word through him. The problem will be erased. Don’t hesitate to ask for whatever you need."

But Leo wasn’t pleased.

Fuck! These Pseudo 4-star soul crystals are useless to me!

he grimaced inwardly.

Leo was already a Low 4-star individual, with stats nearing the 1300s. These Pseudo 4-star soul crystals would barely—if at all—increase his intelligence due to their lower rank.

As for the soul treasure—

Sigh... Will I really receive such undermining rewards if I don’t reveal my full strength?

Rewards were assigned based on an individual’s perceived level. If misjudged—either higher or lower—the value diminished.

Even though higher-ranked natural treasures could be absorbed by anyone, gaining strength too quickly could hinder adaptability. It often left individuals lacking real combat experience against their peers.

That was the very problem Leo had been facing. Despite his strength, his lack of skill and experience had nearly cost him the match against Leon.

That was why he hadn’t rushed into the wild to level up or tame new beasts. The academy ensured his survival in controlled environments—there was no urgency.

I think I should just give these rewards to Lily...

Tarun waved his hand, and all the rewards were stored inside a spatial ring. He extended it towards Leo—ready to release a consciousness shock.

1st-ranked students always carried a degree of arrogance, even if slight. It was necessary to keep them grounded—especially stubborn and unpredictable ones like Leo.

Tarun decided to give him an above-average shock.

The moment Leo’s fingers touched Tarun’s palm—

Tarun’s eyes widened as his entire being shook.