"I just can't accept that there is nothing we can't do about it!"

James sighed. He agreed with Lauren, but if Miss Walker - someone he knew to be upstanding and righteous - said they didn't have enough proof to immediately arrest the Crimson Blade team they had seen murder the lone Awakener, he believed her, however much he might not want to.

"That's not what I'm saying." The woman huffed, sounding frustrated with herself. "This case is unfortunately muddled. You witnessed a murder inside a dungeon, which by itself is already beyond most jurisdictions, but for it to happen inside one where the environment itself changed, where illusions were likely to have been common… Your word is just not good enough by itself. A thorough investigation of the death will happen, and if enough proof is found, charges will be brought against those people."

I bet it would have been much different had we been stronger. If we had just arrested them on the spot, no one could have said anything. But the fact we allowed them to go unpunished means things are a lot more complicated.

Of course, they would have ended up dead too, had they tried that. But it still didn't make the situation sting any less. James understood the complexities, but couldn't help feeling a sense of injustice. The fact that the murder had occurred in such a chaotic environment, within the dungeon's altered reality, made it impossible to pursue a straightforward course of justice.

Miss Walker continued, her tone severe yet empathetic. "What you've done today is monumental. Defeating an F-rank being is no small feat, and it's brought us valuable information about the Guilds' activities. We'll use this to our advantage in our ongoing investigations. Don't think it's over just because we handled the most pressing problems." She said, referencing the raids against the Golden Sun and Radiant Guilds.

And that would have to be enough for all of them. Justice, if it ever came, would be slow. That was all they could hope for until they could take matters into their own hands.

That bit of unpleasantness over, the briefing turned more towards the actual dungeon dive. The team members took turns explaining what they had done and why they had implemented specific tactics - such as deliberately aiming for the Elementals' mana stones, which considerably lowered their selling price.

Their safety had been the priority, though, and Miss Walker said nothing about it beyond pointing out that they should keep in mind that the payout would be a bit lesser than expected, even factoring the Boss' F-rank mana stone.

Still, the masked woman had nothing but praise for their ability to punch above their weight class. "It's one thing to defeat someone who you know. You can plan for their weaknesses and plot out strategies. But to do so against an unknown creature - the kind of which you never faced before - is admirable, especially considering the difference in rank."

"We wouldn't have gotten close had it not been already significantly hurt by that poor man." Maria admitted, to which the others nodded.

"If it had been at full strength, I would have called it a day and proposed a retreat." James added. Had it been just himself, he might have tried testing the waters, but he had learned his lesson about leading his friends into known dangers.

"Still." Lauren said "Five levels from one monster is a lot. Five levels each!"

The brunette had been stuck on that bit for a while. Considering that a normal dungeon run - one without the surprises that were becoming more and more common for them - could net them two to three levels.

Getting five levels just from the boss was almost unheard of.

"You were very lucky." Miss Walker explained, leaning back on her sofa. "Not only did you defeat a creature a whole Awakening Tier above you, even though it was newborn and likely at the bottom of the rank, but you also received the whole EXP. The person who had injured it before died, which means the System redistributed his points between all those who engaged the monster, contribution notwithstanding."

Sometimes, even we can get lucky. And not just lucky as in "surviving a dangerous situation." Lucky as in this was actually an outright positive thing.

The experience points they had gained were extraordinary, a rare windfall from defeating a being they normally would have no chance against, and James was happy to take it with a smile. No complaints from him.

"As for the stat points." He finally said, turning the discussion towards their advancement. "I'm focusing on SENSE and STR, as usual. Those are my primary attributes, and I need to keep increasing them to maintain my build." He quickly distributed his points, increasing his sensory capabilities and physical strength in short order - which by now did nothing beyond a momentary dizziness and soreness in his muscles - while also allocating some to MIND, VIT, and AGI for a more balanced development.

STATUS

WINDOW

NAME

James Summers

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AGE

19

AWAKENING

1st

TALENT

Thakinesis

TITLE

LEVEL

65

MP

325/325

STR

40

VIT

24

AGI

24

SENSE

40

MIND

23

STAT POINTS

0

The rest of the team followed suit, each member discussing their choices and how they aligned with their role within the group. Maria and Ezekiel focused on their AGI and MIND, enhancing their magical abilities and evasiveness. Daniel, the tank, invested in VIT and STR, reinforcing his defensive and offensive capabilities. Lauren made similar strategic choices, enhancing her agility and strength.

The sudden increase in levels brought them much closer to their goal of reaching the F-rank before the year's end, which now felt entirely within their possibility, whereas before, it had been a distant goal.

If we actually manage to get there, and if we keep this rhythm up I don't see why we wouldn't, we'll rank up well before the end of the year. We'll be the fastest team to do so since the early days of the Apocalypse.

Back then, fights had been much more brutal. The need to reclaim territory from the roaming monsters had been absolute, and Awakeners threw themselves in the meat grinder with abandon. Only the best survived it, but those who did became the monsters that populated the upper ranks to this day.

Sensing their mood, Miss Walker steered the discussion to address precisely that. "Your path forward will never be easy, but I can tell even now that you won't content yourself with what you have achieved. You will keep pushing yourselves until you reach the stars."

They all nodded proudly at that. Their achievements were worthy of praise, but no one from Team 0 would be satisfied with just that.

"We'll speak more about the responsibilities that come with the rank increase later, when you are actually closer to reaching it, but first I want to give you a refresher on what to expect, System-wise." She continued, eye-smiling when she noticed she had their full attention. "As you continue to grow and evolve, reaching the next Tier will bring even more profound changes. The increase in stat points for every level will be double what it is now, much like for your mana points. Your skills will not only become more powerful but also more refined and precise."

She paused, letting the information sink in. "Additionally, reaching a new Awakening Tier often - but not always, depending on the specific Talent - means acquiring new skills. These skills can dramatically alter your combat style and capabilities. It's a transformative experience that requires adaptability and a deep understanding of your strengths and weaknesses."

James listened intently, aware of just how much would change with the next rank up. "We won't know what to expect before, though, so how can we prepare for the change?"

"You don't prepare for specific skills. That is simply not possible. But keeping your options open and focusing on what you are already good at is a good idea. Unless something weird happens, the System will always offer you the next advancement to your current skills." Their teacher replied. "For example, I'll send you a few files - anonymized, of course - of people who went through an Awakening last year and agreed to participate in an internal AA study."

With a few quick taps on her tablet, she sent the folder to everyone, which they opened with great curiosity. Inside was an entire paper's worth of information, both raw and processed.

Dismissing the data for the moment - though fully intending to come back to it - James opened the actual paper and went to the conclusion.

Reading quickly, he let out a breath of surprise at the sheer amount of options the System had given the subject.

"As you can see." Miss Walker began. "This Awakener was a subset of Warrior called Solar Squire, which allowed them to empower their strikes by calling upon absorbed solar energy. They even have a secondary pool made only of this specific energy."

That alone seems like a great advantage. Maybe not as much as my Awareness is, but I certainly wouldn't mind having double as much mana as I do.

"Now, this skill had several limitations, such as only being replenished when the Solar Squire stands in the sunlight, which made fighting in most dungeons with environmental alterations difficult. But the System offered a solution." Miss Walker read, her finger circling the specific paragraph and highlighting it with a red marker on the shared file.

It read: The study of Skill evolution between G-rank and F-rank Awakeners, focusing on the Solar Squire Talent, specifically the "Solar Battery" skill, provides insightful observations into the System's adaptability and responsiveness to an Awakener's personal growth and experiences. This study has identified at least four possible evolutions of the Solar Battery skill, illustrating the System's inherent flexibility in offering developmental pathways that align with an Awakener's subconscious inclinations and significant life events.

1. Radiant Surge: This evolution amplifies the offensive capabilities of the Solar Battery skill, allowing for concentrated bursts of solar energy outside the body. It most likely evolves in individuals who consistently engage in direct combat, emphasizing the need for robust, immediate offensive output.

2. Sunshield Aura: A defensive evolution, Sunshield Aura enhances the protective qualities of Solar Battery. It manifests as a radiant barrier capable of absorbing and deflecting energy-based attacks. This evolution is likely to be common among those who have faced numerous defensive battles or prioritized the protection of allies.

3. Solar Radiance: An evolution that extends the Solar Battery's capabilities to a support role. It enables the Awakener to channel the solar energy to rejuvenate and bolster the stamina of nearby allies. This path was likely proposed because of the subject's experience with a significant event where teamwork was pivotal.

4. Celestial Body: This unique evolution taps into the more esoteric aspects of solar energy, granting enhanced sensory perception and a strengthened physique, which can now absorb mana not just from the sun, but from any kind of astral body. It likely evolved from a moment of deep self-reflection the subject experienced after a comrade's death, caused by the subject having exhausted their reserves.

This paper concludes that the System's provision for skill evolution is not rigidly predetermined but is dynamically responsive to the Awakener's subconscious desires and life experiences. It suggests a highly individualized approach to skill development, where the System offers evolution options that an Awakener subconsciously deems possible or necessary, as well as options influenced by significant events in their lives.

This personalized approach to skill evolution underlines the System's intricate understanding of an individual's journey and its capacity to adapt to their evolving needs and circumstances. Consequently, this paper posits that an Awakener's path of growth and evolution within the System is a profoundly personal journey shaped by their choices, experiences, and intrinsic beliefs. This finding has profound implications for our understanding of the System's workings and the development trajectory of each Awakener.

There was nothing precisely groundbreaking in the study. Still, its conclusion that not just outside events, but an Awakener's subconscious need was taken into consideration by the System was an interesting one.

I wonder what it will offer me…