After achieving the breakthrough to the Black Iron rank, sharing his elation with family and friends, and having his moment of showing off, Kael knew he had to revert to the fundamental aspects of his life once the initial excitement died down.

  Advancing to the Black Iron rank had effectively depleted his resources.

  Not only were his magic stones all but gone, but the credits he'd received as an enrollment bonus at the start of the semester were also nearly exhausted.

  For the sake of sustainable progress in his future studies and cultivation, he simply had to attend to the necessary tasks.

  Having paid the security deposit at the school office, Kael procured several hundred Awakening Orbs.

  This presented a relatively low - risk means of earning magic stones.

  Prior to the semester's commencement, he could only manage to obtain fifty of these orbs. Now, he decided to scale up this "endeavor" significantly.

  Each time he teleported to the Spirit Realm, Kael lugged a box filled with Awakening Orbs.

  He was cautious not to carry too many, fearing potential loss in case of danger during the teleportation process.

  After multiple consecutive round - trip teleportations, Kael finally succeeded in transporting all these several hundred Awakening Orbs to the Spirit Realm.

  He took a brief respite on the abandoned building. As soon as the night passed, Kael set about his plan.

  First, he carried all the Awakening Orbs downstairs.

  Then, he blended soil with water to create a thick paste, into which he dropped the Awakening Orbs, ensuring that the mud entirely covered their spherical forms.

  The mud, mixed with grass blades and stems, would adhere firmly even after drying, reducing the likelihood of it flaking off.

  Once the outer layer of mud had dried, Kael employed the "Mage Hand" spell to hoist the box filled with Awakening Orbs and made his way along the streets that he had previously scouted and determined to be relatively safe.

  He entered the residential buildings, identified some dilapidated rooms, and deposited the Awakening Orbs in the corners.

  Subsequently, he covered them with discarded items to conceal them from other creatures.

  These Awakening Orbs were strategically placed under beds, within broken wardrobes, and amidst decaying and jumbled garbage heaps.

  Retrieving them would be a straightforward task for Kael.

  All he needed to do was activate his spiritual power, and he could effortlessly locate them.

  For others or creatures in the Spirit Realm, however, these orbs would remain undetected without careful scrutiny.

  It took him two full days to avoid the buildings teeming with zombies and successfully place all the Awakening Orbs in their designated spots.

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  ...

  Just as Kael had finished placing the Awakening Orbs and was on his return journey, through periodic sweeps with his spiritual power, he detected something amiss.

  On the adjacent street, a scavenger band consisting of dozens of goblins was scouring back and forth among the derelict buildings.

  Kael concealed himself on the rooftop of a ruined building, taking great care to mask his presence.

  The group of goblins was sizable, and according to his spiritual power reconnaissance, there was even a Black Iron - ranked goblin warrior leading them.

  A goblin, clutching a stone spear, swaggered into a room.

  He prodded around with the spear, hoping to unearth something of value.

  The iron pot in the kitchen caught his eye. However, due to years of corrosion, the pot was thoroughly rust - eaten.

  When the goblin grasped it, the pot crumbled into a pile of rusty debris.

  The goblin shook his hand in annoyance and then swung his stone spear in a wide arc, shattering all the remaining dilapidated kitchen utensils.

  The goblin let out a malicious laugh and then proceeded into the room to continue his search.

  His actions immediately caused Kael to furrow his brow, for there was an Awakening Orb hidden in the cabinet of this very room, having been placed there just two days prior.

  The goblin pushed open the rotting wooden door and strode into the room.

  The wooden bed in the room had long since decayed, and a thick layer of dust coated every surface.

  The goblin eyed the wardrobe that was still standing and couldn't resist approaching to check if it held any useful items.

  Upon opening it, he discovered a round earthen lump at the bottom. This instantly piqued the goblin's curiosity.

  He reached out and picked up the earthen lump.

  In a moment of over - enthusiasm, he applied too much force, causing a large chunk of the mud covering to break off.

  With the mud shell fractured, a transparent crystal ball was revealed within.

  At the sight of this, the goblin's mouth watered.

  He hastily removed the remaining mud covering, and as he beheld the intact, transparent crystal ball, his eyes sparkled with delight.

  On the other side, Kael, who was observing the goblin through his spiritual power, couldn't help but palm his forehead in dismay.

  It was precisely the scenario he had dreaded.

  Why was this goblin so inquisitive? He even had to pick up the mud - covered object to examine it!

  The goblin rushed out of the room, whooping and hollering.

  His commotion quickly attracted the attention of the other goblins. Eventually, the Awakening Orb found its way into the hands of the Black Iron - ranked goblin chief.

  The goblin chief cradled the Awakening Orb in his hands, a broad smile spreading across his face.

  He had never before laid eyes on such a beautiful object.

  "Excellent work! You'll be handsomely rewarded when we return!" The goblin chief patted the shoulder of the scavenging goblin in approval.

  "All of you, search more thoroughly! See if there are any more of these treasures in the vicinity!"

  The other goblin scavengers eyed the treasure with envy.

  Given the goblin chief's permission, they eagerly rushed into the neighboring houses, vying to discover more Awakening Orbs.

  It took most of the day, but the group of goblins actually managed to find two additional Awakening Orbs.

  As the sky gradually darkened, the goblin band finally called it a day and withdrew.

  Damn it!

  Once the goblins had departed, Kael emerged from his hiding place and swiftly gathered all the nearby Awakening Orbs.

  Rather than heading straight home, however, he began to stealthily trail the group of goblins, with the intention of uncovering their lair.

  Discovering their lair would open up various possibilities.

  If the goblins were weak, he could bide his time and seek revenge later.

  If they were too formidable, he would keep his distance to avoid any mishaps.

  The goblin scavengers had been sluggish when scavenging for scraps, but they quickened their pace considerably on the return journey.

  They traversed the deserted streets and finally arrived at the goblin tribe hidden within this zombie - infested city.

  Kael, who had been following them from afar, took one look at the tribe and promptly lost all interest in further investigation.

  He made a hasty retreat.

  The goblin tribe had occupied an entire residential area.

  At a glance, there were countless goblins swarming about, likely numbering at least one or two thousand.

  This sight immediately dispelled Kael's thoughts of seeking immediate revenge.

  He resolved to return and deal with them after making more comprehensive preparations.

  Having successfully placed all the Awakening Orbs, Kael hastened back to his lair in the Spirit Realm before the sun set.