“Alright kids, before we do what I know you must be itching to do and assign all those sweet points you got from defeating the Newborn Matriarch, I need to talk to you about a few things.” Miss Walker announced once they had all changed into their training suits and had taken a seat at the parlor’s couches.
While generally James would have been desperate to get to the juicy part, at the moment he was much more interested in what his teacher had to say.
The other day, they had been quickly dismissed once it was clear they didn’t know much more than what they had initially said, but the three executives’ reactions to their story had made him very curious.
James had several theories about the mysterious man who saved them and what the red stone he had taken might be. Ranging from the plausible - a powerful Guild Awakener who kept away from the limelight and had noticed an increased amount of mana and an artifact the Arachne stole - to the fantastical - a humanoid monster trying to infiltrate society and a meteorite containing forbidden energy.
In the end, he had decided to shelve them, at least temporarily, until he could speak with Miss Walker about it. Knowing her, she’d at least give them some more information. And since a couple of days since their dive had passed, at least the preliminary investigations should be done.
“You are probably curious about what happened in that spider dungeon, eh?” She asked, getting deadpan looks.
Chuckling at their expressions, Miss Walker continued “Alright. How much do you guys know about the S-rank?”
Silenced by the non sequitur, they took a moment to answer. Finally, Maria said “They are the most elite Awakeners in the world. There are less than a hundred in total, and they can be considered one-man armies by themselves.”
That was the most common understanding of an S-rank. The best and greatest humanity had to offer against the unending tides of monsters.
Miss Walker nodded, seemingly pleased. “Yes, that’s mostly correct. And as you might know, most of them are connected to extremely powerful Guilds or even directly to countries. The US Armed Forces has a few on contract, though they do not disclose the exact number.”
The masked woman stood up and paced before them in a show of uncharacteristic nervousness, her expression one of deep thought, carefully choosing her words before continuing “But what most people don’t know, and some choose not to acknowledge, is that there are a few S-rank Awakeners who walk a different path. They do not align themselves with any Guild or proclaim loyalty to any nation. Some of them are not even known to the public.”
James felt blood drain from his face as he made the connection. So there is a reason why he was so unconcerned with us. He literally has more power in his pinky than all team 0 combined, several times over.
His thoughts raced, but he stayed silent, allowing Miss Walker to proceed with her exposition.
“The man you encountered in the dungeon the other day is one of these more elusive S-rankers. Not that much is known about him, nor can I reveal more than the basics of what we do know, but I can tell you something: he's very powerful and his actions, though often seemingly erratic, are calculated and purposeful.” Miss Walker explained, pausing momentarily to let the information sink in.
“So he went there for the stone. He must have known about it beforehand.” Daniel wondered out loud.
Miss Walker sighed, dropping down on her couch. “Probably, yes. But as you might imagine, he’s not exactly around to ask questions. That stone wasn’t just any artifact. But I can’t, and won’t go into details about it now. It's a topic that goes way above your clearance and should remain so.”
Maria shifted, uncomfortable yet inquisitive. “But Miss, why would he save us? If he is as powerful as you say, why didn’t he just go in before us and take the stone?”
James nodded in agreement, adding, “Yes, and why did he bother eliminating the Arachne? He could have just retrieved the stone and left.”
Miss Walker leaned back, crossing her arms, her gaze distant as she considered her response. “We believe...that he, despite his complex morality and questionable methods, has some semblance of a code he follows. He may act in his interest, but that doesn’t always mean he is indifferent to others.”
She then locked eyes with each of them, her tone dropping to a serious note. “But do not mistake that for benevolence or assume he is an ally. That man and his partners are not to be trifled with or sought after. They are dangerous and, more often than not, a deadly risk to those who encounter them.”
“His allies? So there are more like him?” Lauren, always quick on the uptake, asked.
Their teacher sighed, looking around the room pensively. Finally, she reached a decision, and her mana started flooding around, shadows lengthening and the lights winking out, until they were left in almost complete darkness.
All throughout this process, team 0 kept silent, if only because they trusted their mentor so much.
Satisfied with the results, Miss Walker turned to face them “Sorry about that. I’m really not supposed to tell you this, but having met one of them, and especially since he expressed interest in you, James, it would be foolish not to tell you what to expect.”
Seeing that she had their full attention, she went on “The man you met is known to the high brass as the Sin of Pride. Now, while that might sound like an edgy nickname, he has well and truly earned it. He’s a monstrously strong Awakener known for regularly clearing upper-tier A-rank dungeons by himself. The feat that made him famous was the solo battle against an S-rank dragon in the Siberian wilderness. Unnecessary, by all standards, since the monster never left his territory, and it created a burnt, broken wasteland where nothing can grow. But it proved his absolute strength. He’s dangerous.”
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Silence filled the room as the rookies absorbed the gravity of what Miss Walker was revealing. James felt his pulse quicken, sharing glances with the others that mirrored his own disquiet.
She continued, her voice low and echoing in the dark room, as the thick shadows kept all sounds within "Not only Pride, but there are six others - collectively known to the few who are aware as the Seven Sins. Each has capabilities that could very well rival small armies. But unlike armies, their motives and operations are entirely enigmatic. A force, undeniably capable, that moves in the shadows of our world.”
“Is… Am I in danger, then? If this Pride is interested in me?” James asked in trepidation.
Miss Walker regarded James for a long, ponderous moment before responding. "Danger? Perhaps. Interest from one such as Pride doesn’t come lightly nor without reason. But the exact nature of it...I can't say for certain."
James clenched his fists, the memory of those piercing, inscrutable eyes analyzing him in the dungeon returning with vivid clarity. He felt a shiver of anxiety, yet paradoxically, an exhilarating rush of adrenaline coursed through him.
Daniel, ever the practical thinker, interjected “Should we be preparing to meet him again then, Miss Walker? Is there a protocol or something for dealing with these Sins?”
Sighing deeply, Miss Walker nodded. "A fair question, Daniel. Protocols exist, but they're intended for much higher ranks than yourselves. What I will stress to you all, however, is caution. If you encounter Pride or any of the Sins again, do not engage, do not confront. You observe, you avoid, and you report.”
Maria furrowed her brow “What about the AA and the Guilds? Are they doing something about these people?”
“Again, this is not something you need to be worried about. You are so far below the power required to do anything about them it would sound insane to many that Pride took an interest in one of you.” She sighed, red eyes lost in the darkness. “However, I feel it’s only right you should know that the Guilds, the military and the AA have organizations and divisions that monitor and try to understand the movements and motivations of the Sins. But it is a dangerous game, and thus far, they have managed to elude any meaningful interactions or confrontations.”
Without letting them get another word in, she clapped her hands, shadows rushing back towards her and revealing the brightly lit room, just as they had left it. “Now, let’s get to your development.”
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Status
STATUS
WINDOW
NAME
James Summers
AGE
19
AWAKENING
1st
TALENT
Thakinesis
TITLE
LEVEL
31
MP
155/155
STR
20
VIT
14
AGI
14
SENSE
20
MIND
13
STAT POINTS
4
SKILLS
LEVEL
DESCRIPTION
Thakinetic Empowerment
5
(Active): Utilize your Willpower to temporarily raise STR - VIT - AGI.
Thakinetic Awareness
4
(Active/Passive): Expand your SENSE to feel other’s wills.
Thakinetic Resistance
7
(Active/Passive): Empower your MIND to defend yourself against foreign influences.
The most significant change, beyond the absurd level growth they had achieved by killing the spider eggs, was that his skills had all shot up.
Thakinetic Resistance getting to level seven was less of a surprise, after having suffered under Pride’s aura and having managed to not succumb completely.
Of course, he didn’t use even a fraction of his power, but considering the sheer difference between us, it was still enough to make the leap.
It wasn’t often that H-rankers met an S-ranker, after all. Just having survived the experience was more than enough.
Empowerment getting to level five was more surprising, but even then, he had been pushing his skill in all sorts of manners. Mana felt much more malleable now, and he could allocate it to specific body parts without issue.
I wonder how much easier the overcharged punches I’ve been doing will come. They are not necessarily part of the skill, after all. More like a consequence of it. It’ll probably get reflected in the second Awakening possibilities.
Awareness was trudging along. James would keep pushing the skill, which he still considered to be his greatest asset, but it wasn’t easy. Stealth skills generally operated under different rules from it, making them easy to pierce in most cases.
Only high-level skills like Miss Walker’s could hide from him, but again, those worked under different rules. Being in a separate dimension made one quite hard to notice, after all.
Maybe the next tier of the skill will give me more options in that regard. Still, it’s crazy how much we all depend on it.
His four free points went one each to MIND, STR, VIT and SENSE. The surge of power was much more contained now, especially compared to what he had gone through after the killing spree in the spider hatching room.
“Man, it really sucks that he had to take those last eggs too.” Lauren complained, mirroring his own thoughts. While getting two whole levels from the Matriarch would generally be more than good enough, they could have earned at least a couple more if Pride hadn’t destroyed the remaining clutches.
“You guys don’t know how good you had it. Finding a hatchery like that is almost impossible. They only happen when higher tier monsters are around to protect them, making it far too dangerous for rookies to attempt.” Miss Walker interjected.
James hummed in agreement. It was true, after all. They had been terribly lucky. So lucky, in fact, that something stank.
The explanation about the Seven Sins had awoken a slumbering memory inside him. Something he had been more than willing to let lie forgotten. However, in a flash, he had seen a scene in his mind’s eye.
A curly-haired woman, standing tall, her smile kind. Her auburn locks caught the light, distracting James from what she was saying.
“So they need me in Siberia for a while. I shouldn’t be too long if nothing new crops up, dear heart.”
That was all he could remember.