I paid for Celine's clothes to return the favor, though I regretfully learned that her stuff was priced way more than mine. We made our way out of the store, finding someplace to grab a bite before we got ready for our induction into Enigma later.

Celine had decided to go with the red dress she tried on first, walking through the streets of the sector underneath the morning sun. I was going to change at my place, but walking alongside her, I couldn’t help but feel underdressed. Maybe I should’ve worn the suit out.

"So, Immortal, what are you most excited about?" Celine asked as we sat down at a small café. "I mean, aside from clearing floors and dungeon resonances."

"I–" I blinked, caught off-guard by her question. Honestly, I hadn't really given that much thought. With the whole getting strong enough to overcome the dreaded 50th level dungeon break, I wasn't sure what to expect post-level 50. "I guess...just seeing what's out there. You know, what else the world has to offer."

I also wanted to find out more about Lucinda, the origins behind my title, who the hell the Soultaker's master was, who sent me a virtual copy of Last Stand... there was just so much I had to learn. But first things first, I supposed. Can't exactly focus on those if the world resets. Come to think of it, with my abilities, would I be able to survive the reset?

"That's... broad. But optimistic," Celine replied tonelessly. "I hope you find what you're looking for. And I hope I'm not a bother to you."

"Huh? Why would you be a bother?" I asked, sipping my water and glancing at my bank statement. Half my earnings, gone in a single transaction.

"I'd argue that we were on equal terms when we first met, but now you've completely surpassed me. There's really no need for you to rely on me."

"Don't say that. You've been a great help plenty of times. We might not know each other very well, but I think that fighting together has given me a sense of trust in your abilities. Besides, you've got pretty strong support abilities, and I'm confident you can take care of yourself."

Celine shrugged. "Sometimes."

"Why do you ask?" Our food arrived. Perfect, my stomach was rumbling. "I'm sure the questionable choices that I've made were a bother to you." I took a bite of my burger, savoring the taste.

Celine gave a small laugh, but it sounded forced. "Chronia and those around her have stated that I'm not exactly the easiest person to deal with. I know I have my quirks, but..." She trailed off, her eyes flickering away. "I just want to make sure that you're not just dealing with me because we fought together a couple of times or that we're being inducted to the same organization today."

I swallowed my bite slowly. "You're right, you do have some weird habits. Like wanting to do everything early, or that you're seemingly OCD about stuff."

[Don't make me give you another Emergency quest. I'll add a failure penalty.]

"But, you didn't treat me any differently, even when you learned the truth behind my abilities and all. I appreciate that."

"Well, as I've said before, you weren't a bad person," Celine replied nonchalantly. "Even though I mistook your nature initially, I was able to see past that aura of death. Speaking of which, it seems stronger than ever."

I glanced down at my burger, feeling a bit self-conscious. "Yeah, I guess so. I'm still working on controlling it."

I had no idea how to control it, much less sense whatever this aura of death Celine was talking about.

Celine probably guessed what I was thinking, as she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "It's too late to try and control it now, so the members of Enigma will most likely sense it during the induction. This may be a good thing, as it might bolster your favor with them."

[Or just say you're the strongest masochist they'll ever have :D]

"Hypothetically, if I were to try and figure out a really effective way to suppress my death aura or whatever, how would I go about it?" I asked, trying to hold back a scowl.

The Saint smiled softly, setting down her utensils. "It's not as simple as you might think. Suppressing something as intrinsic as your nature would take a great deal of time and effort. It would involve a deep understanding of yourself, your emotions, and your connection to death. You'd need to find ways to coexist with it, rather than trying to fight against it or hide it away."

I nodded. "Makes sense." It didn't.

"For example, take my Title. If I were to leave my aura unsuppressed, you'd constantly be sensing a soothing and healing presence."

"I'd argue that that's a good thing."

"While that may be true, it's not always a good thing in floors or dungeons," Celine chuckled softly. "Bosses that are more intelligent might target me first if they're able to single me out. I'm assuming you've experienced something similar? As in, noticing how bosses react to you and your strength?"

I thought back to my battles, realizing that Celine was right. The Seahorse Tyrant had immediately started cloning itself before I even moved. While I did cut down Galodon at the very start, Levius had also behaved erratically, though that might have been more so his weird connection to me and our previous history.

Then there was the deal with Evil-attributed and undead monsters. I didn't think much of it at first, but with Celine bringing up the topic, I noticed that they often reacted strongly to my presence, as if angered or... terrified.

"Yeah, you've got a point," I finally admitted to her. "But I guess I never really thought about it like that. I mean, most of the time I'm just trying to survive, and not get killed. If I can't help it, anyway."

"Aren't we all?" Celine smiled understandingly. "At any rate, Immortal, the first step in controlling that aura of yours is to get a sense of your nature and relationship with death. The more in tune you become, the more you'll be able to find ways to manage it. But for now, just remember that it is a part of you, and there's nothing wrong with that. Although, higher-leveled Players and those with sensitive Titles such as mine may be bothered by your aura for the time being."

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

I nodded, taking a sip of my drink. "I'll keep that in mind. And thanks again for everything, Celine. I really appreciate it."

"I haven't really done much, but you're welcome. Thank you for the clothes."

We chatted idly until we finished our late breakfast, with Celine beginning to depart. I offered to fly her to the GPA building after I changed at my apartment, but she vehemently declined, claiming that her place wasn't too far away from it. I suspected that she was lying, but didn't push, figuring I terrorized her enough with my flying.

----------------------------------------

[Wow. You actually look really good.]

"Thanks," I muttered back to Sephera, tugging on the collar of my shirt. I had settled on a suit, something that was both comfortable and stylish. The jacket was a deep navy blue, and the pants a matching shade. It was a far cry from the shirt and joggers I usually wore, but it felt good to dress up for once.

Giving myself one final check in the mirror, I opened my apartment window and flew out, thankful that the wings of my Grim Mantle weren't tangible. I'd hate to ruin my outfit.

In a couple of minutes, I landed safely at the GPA, heading in to find Celine waiting for me there.

"30 minutes until our induction begins. We don't have enough time to go through proper etiquette, so just follow my lead. Are you ready?" Celine asked with a blank expression.

I nodded. "Yeah, let's do this."

She linked her arm through mine, carefully guiding me down the halls past the training and testing rooms. The other Players gawked at us, making me a bit self-conscious, but Celine didn't seem bothered by the attention. It did feel a little nice, having a beautiful woman by my side. Ugh, Tommy probably felt this way all the time with his plethora of girlfriends.

Celine was quiet the entire time, and I assumed she was either deep in thought, or mentally preparing herself. I, on the other hand, felt nervous, both from worrying about how the other members of Enigma would take to me and facing my sister again.

Pretty soon, we stood in front of the doors of one of the GPA's conference rooms. Taking a deep breath, the both of us pushed them open, walking in.

The room was sparsely furnished with a long table and a few chairs. Sitting on the opposite side of the table were Gigi, Aurora, and 3 other people I didn't recognize. To my surprise, Tessa was seated in the corner of the room, and she smiled when she saw me walk in. A couple of IP personnel were stationed along the walls of the room, standing guard.

"Luquier, Celine. You've arrived early," Tessa came up to us, speaking in a low voice. "The other members of Enigma have graciously allowed me to witness the induction, as chairman of the Lambda Sector's GPA."

"That's great," I mumbled, feeling a bit embarrassed because Tessa definitely knew I didn't ask for her invite. "Glad that you could make it."

"I'll escort you two to your seats." Tessa winked at me knowingly.

We followed her to the two seats facing the 5 members. We quietly thanked Tessa as we sat down, the both of us unable to directly meet the Enigma members' gazes.

Gigi smiled reassuringly at us, once again solidifying my idolization of her. Aurora had a stoic expression, but there was a hint of awkwardness in her eyes.

On the far right sat a man with dark, almost jet-black hair, and piercing silver eyes. He was in his early thirties, and his muscles strained against his fitted suit. He looked more like a bodybuilder than a Player, and I wondered if he had some sort of unique class. Beside him was a woman who looked to be around the same age. Her hair was a vibrant shade of bronze, and it fell in waves down to her shoulders. She had a confident air about her, and her startling gray eyes seemed to sparkle with intelligence.

But it was the woman in the middle that caught my attention. Or rather, commanded it. With the same pale skin, long dark red hair, and piercing magenta eyes, she was like an older, more intimidating, and beautiful version of Celine. It didn't take much to guess that she was the famed Chronia- Celine's older sister.

[Luquier... they're absolute monsters.]

I swallowed hard, agreeing with Sephera. I had taken a peek at their stats, but it seemed like only their names and levels were revealed, the rest probably Shrouded.

[Name: Chad Roman | Level: 3771]

[Name: Kencie King | Level: 3895]

[Name: Ophelia Saffron | Level: 4587]

There was no denying that they were much stronger than I was. I didn't have to wonder if they invested in Risk or not, because I was feeling an enormous amount of pressure emanating from them. In fact, just the presence from Celine's sister alone was enough to make me shiver involuntarily.

For a long while, nobody spoke. The atmosphere in the room was tense, as if everyone was waiting for someone to make the first move. I could feel the weight of their gazes on us, and I knew that they were scrutinizing every little thing about us.

"Luquier Vaunt, Celine Saffron," Chronia, or I guess Ophelia, finally spoke. "We are honored to have you both here today, to have you join our ranks. As you know, Enigma is an organization of the highest caliber, filled with the best Players the Lambda Sector has to offer. You both have proven your worth through your impressive achievements and reputations. It is with great pleasure that we extend this invitation to you."

I glanced over at Kencie, her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied us. Her expression was neutral, but there was a hint of challenge in her posture. Beside her, Chad nodded in agreement. "Indeed," he said, his voice deep and commanding. "We are eager to see what you can bring to the table. Enigma is not for the weak-hearted, but we believe that you two are more than capable of handling the responsibility."

Celine looked at her sister, and then at me. There was a hint of pride in her expression, but also a touch of apprehension. She seemed to be considering her words carefully before she spoke. "I... thank you," she said, her voice barely audible. "It's an honor to be considered for such a prestigious group. I promise that I will do my best to uphold the reputation of Enigma."

Oh? Seeing her so timid was new. I was too preoccupied with the thought to realize that everyone was expecting me to speak next. I hastily cleared my throat.

"Uh, thank you. It's an honor to be considered for Enigma," I managed to say, trying to match her tone. "I promise to give it my all."

[That was so lame?! You even ripped off Celine's words ._.;; ]

Sephera's input didn't help my humiliation any.

"We are glad to hear such enthusiasm from the two of you," Gigi spoke next, saving me from further embarrassment. "Your dedication to the world's survival and your skills are unquestionable. Enigma has always been about finding the best of the best, and we believe that you two fit that description perfectly."

I desperately hoped Gigi was single.

"The first-person recounts of our own members revolving your feats solidify your place here," Kencie chimed in, nodding at each of us in turn. "We at Enigma will expect no less."

Celine smiled faintly, perhaps a little more confidently this time. "Thank you," she said. "I hope to prove myself worthy of your trust."

"Er, yeah, I also hope to do my best," I said, a little awkwardly. I glanced at Ophelia, feeling the weight of her gaze on me. "I just want to help make the world a better place, y'know?"

[I think you should just let Celine do all the talking. e.e Even I'm getting secondhand cringe.]

The awkwardness was exacerbated by the long silence that followed after my input. I was seriously considering using Final Gambit.

"Right, well, moving past formalities, I believe it is time for the induction to begin," Ophelia continued, a faint smile on her lips. "Let us swear you in, and then we can begin discussing your first assignments."