William glances upwards. In front of him, Kaufman is crouching by his side.

“Did you see nothing?” he asks again, but this time, William can actually answer.

“N-no...” He struggles to say, as he watches the face of completely indifferent Kaufman. A face of a Walker. A person of power, far beyond what William could guess right now. He doesn't want to curse at him, even if he feels a deep obligation to do it for himself.

“Yea... arms emblem. I guess I should have forced the hand to begin with, but that is fine as well.”

“What was this about, m-mister Kaufman?” William asks as he forces himself to kneel. His whole body hurts, be it from the force or the impact of falling down.

“Just an experiment. You don't need to know.” Kaufman says, as he keeps looking somewhere else, then William's face. His eyes are fixed on his right arm, to be exact.

“Again? Why is everyone so harsh to young walkers? Does it not matter to teach or say something to the young walkers like me?” William blurts out with a clear voice and bravery he collected after a few short moments.

“Young walkers are the most vulnerable folks out there. Simply put, it makes little sense to say everything at once. You will learn everything in the upcoming years, depending on your choices. I am not here to teach you anything.”

“Then why in the world did you hurt me, or force something upon me?” William angrily asks.

“Your emblem, how long you are aware of the lines or the living of it?” Kaufman abruptly voices his pondering question. He did not even answer questions of Wiliam.

“Living... why should I answer you?” he tells back.

“Because I asked you,” Kaufman says with a deadly indifferent expression on his face. Hesitating and apprehensive, William rather succumbs to his pressuring look. Not once does he notice the glowing crimson spheric particles that disappear into his right arm without his knowledge. This was precisely what forced him free a moment ago.

Thinking for a moment, William blurts out an answer that obviously has not disappeared from his memory. “I remember 10 years ago, when I was 5 years old. The crimson lighting, and the shimmering feeling in my right hand.”

He rather not include the strange pattern of his disapearing Emblem. It is his secret, that he wants to research on his own since it feels wrong. It is not something he wants to share with Kaufman, after what he has done to him.

“5-year-old? Light... It doesn't look like a light this time, but not wrong as well.” Kaufman says while pointing his finger to his arm. William gazes upon his arm, which still has his sleeve covering his Emblem.

Though, he could tell the Emblem which has a stronger current within than usual. The analogy of what he would say is like ripped muscles, that are on the verge of breaking, or the pressure of something moving within his muscles. Inside.

A certain something is cruising inside the emblem, and William pulls his sleeve to see it himself. Within the Emblem, shimmering waves move at a lighter speed, yet the particles or anything that happened long disappeared. Of course, these moments were noticed by Kaufman.

“What does this mean?” William voices his concern and the reason for whatever Kaufman has even done to him.

“Nothing much. I will give you permission to enter the 6th floor. That is about it.” Kaufman gets up from his crouching position, as whatever plan, or cause is done.

Getting on his feet as well, William glances at Kaufman, who already opened the door to the 6th floor. The one where he napped before.

Glancing at Ellie, Kaufman says. “I will give him a slight tour in your stead. Wait here.”

Ellie begrudgingly agrees, without not many other choices. She even thinks that Kaufman before her seems very different from the one she remembers. After all, she started the journey of her apprenticeship in this library, when he still was the Director.

William looks at Ellie, who shrugs her arms, and notes for him to rather follow Kaufman inside.

Inside the room, a little over 30 by 30 feet room. A few tables with chairs, bookshelves, cabinets, and tablets are inside. There is even a locked door in one unassuming corner.

“What do you know about the Walkers?” Kaufman asks while taking a seat on a chair that faces the entrance in the very middle of the room.

“They are people, with Emblems.” William answer with the simplest form he knows.

“Yes, people... right. Whole powerful ones. Do you think anyone could do the previous thing I have done? How was I able to even lift you up without lifting a hand?”

“Because of Emblems? But... I don't understand why you question me about the thing that I should have seen.” William says the truth about what couldn't understand. The anger or whatnot, what has been on his mind, is already fading away. He could not afford to anger this person before him, and he understands it from his previous gaze.

“We are a bunch of people who could not help it. Walking straight into the jaw of the monsters and crypts of the Dark. We are all a bunch of mad people if I am being honest with you.” Kaufman tells with a carefree expression while leaning his back against the chair in comfort. Of course, the legs are resting on the table.

“C-can I take a look around?” William pays very little attention to his words, as the topic of the surroundings piques his curiosity more than his words.

“Be my guess. This is only a regular room for young walkers and starting Ranks of the Walkers.” Kaufman casually approves.

Without another bothering conversation with Kaufman, William follows his eyesight into many tablets and pages of information that are accessed by Walkers alone. Not even a government agent, who could be a regular person, can get here. There are only a few distinct cases, such as Ellie and workers of the Grand Library of the Federation. Some employees are very familiar with the way Walkers act, and they have to know their needs and possible answers to their questions.

Speechless, a complete path forward, is right there, before William's eyes.

A starting point of the Walkers. An awakening of the Emblem to reach Rank 1, or the natural way of reaching adulthood, are all included here. Though, in simplest terms and explanations. Only after reaching Rank 1 can a young Walker be called a Walker. Although it is only a beginning, it is imperial to the grand path forward.

There is also a solution and answers to many questions that William wants to know for a long time.

What does it even mean to have an affinity when one emblem is awakened? William reads the mention of the ways small distinct features of Emblems could affect the quality of the Walker. It has some percentage, or statistical calculations, that he could not figure out at the moment. It seems to be part of the examination.

So, he moves to other tablets.

“A power of pressure and certain technique is lead to the Emblem of the young Walkers. Like that, they will be pushed through the first limiter put into the Emblem, without reaching adulthood. A technique developed by the Federation, without a need to reach 18 years of age.” William reads.

“Upon completing this process, a Rank 1 is breached, while the whole process is only the very beginning. A much further Ranks are ahead.”

“Rank that and that... Where is the information about them?” William asks while glancing at Kaufman, who faces him back.

“Just a beginner's path is here. Wait... that sounds stupid. Alright, I may as well tell something myself, since I put myself in the current position.” Kaufman gets up to his feet and walks to William.

“In all simplicity and the truth. It all involves an Emblem System. Those Ranks, what everyone knows, are not manmade. Or at least I believe so. The very start of the System is right at the start of the Awakening.”

“Is there more to this System?”

“It is rather simple, yet equally horrifying as its simplicity. One is reaching the ranks with their corresponding systems. There are even choices to be made, which could differ from Walker to Walker.”

“W-what about Arcalist? What is that?” William asks, in curiosity, as he did not find anything about it.

“Where did you learn that term?” Kaufman raises his brow while asking in curiosity.

“Luke.” William says in honesty while remembering that Luke never told to remain silent about what he told him back in the helicopter. Perhaps, he forgot at that time, or not. Who knows?

“Again that Luke... Damn his loose tongue. Alright, I do not know why he told you something that is for the specific 4th rank Walkers.”

“I bet he wanted to impress me with his Arcalist. He says something about the embodiment or manifestation of the Emblem itself.”

“Yea. Yea. That is about right. Though, I would suggest not going any further. Understanding the Rankings is better at the start, than skipping them for further information ahead of yourself.” Kaufman states. He will have a word with Luke in the near future. Just to make sure of his loose tongue.

“Rank 0? Is that me? Any young walker is a Rank 0?” William questions the sudden realization that he read in front of him. Kaufman's word is a simple confirmation of the proof written on the tablets.

Although the tablets did not follow the premises of the System. There are more things about it. In restrictive places of the corresponding cabinets, that are locked behind the card system. Not anyone can breach or learn whatever one wants, and this system is made this way specifically to facilitate the need of the progression of the Walkers. William has yet to reach or get to understand that.

Rank 0 implies a special rank. The Walker possesses certain effects of their Emblem, until the Awakening the Emblem in a natural, or unnatural way. Kaufman tested something about William's Emblem that he plans to reveal to him at this moment.

“Right. Rank 0 is just a baby step. Nothing much. Although, there are some cases where the Emblems in themselves are at the core of the System. They could provide some self-defensive measures for the wielder, even at rank 0.”

“Self-defense?” William murmurs, as a meaning of this, still could not explain much of what he knows.

“Is my Emblem something like that?”

“It is. It directly defended against my bit of force. Of course, it should have some ability.” Kaufman explains.

“How could have a Rank 0 defend against the... high ranking Walker such as you, mister Kaufman?” William asks while realizing and deducting from his words.

“You've got it quite fast. Yes. that is the truth, but it also does not answer anything about the lack of sight. Hahaha. It is a question and answer of a high-ranking Walker.”

William still does not know Kaufman's Rank or even what he meant by the sight. He should have a higher Rank than Luke, or his fathers. That is William's guess.

Glancing back towards the sight books and tablets before him, William turns his attention away from Kaufman's unwillingness to share any of his secrets.

William sees the books and additional tablets about the beginning paths of the Walkers and small bits of the Dark Age. There is also one very important thing that comes striking towards his mind after all his life. This information talks about the Dark beings and their robust, and monstrous powers.

“T-they are made into the Ranks as well? What the hell??” He cries out in shock. Surprising Kaufman, who aimlessly seeks some books he hasn't read in decades.

“What? Is it that shocking? Those monsters are so numerous, of course, we had to make some systematic approach to them.” he explains. “It still doesn't explain why I have never heard of this. Hellgar being Rank 1? Crimjaw being Rank 3? Who in the world decides these rankings?”

Smirking, Kaufman tells him the truth, which shuts William's guesses. “Deaths of the walkers that died by their attacks. It makes sense when you think about it. A rank 1 can't kill Rank 3 easily, while Rank 4, going against Rank 5 Dark being, is rare.”

Listening to his definition, William could understand it, since he told it very simple terms to his limited knowledge. It is a play of numbers, which William finds enough to remember.

Going back to the content of the room, William returns to his own research to better understand the structure of what humanity documented. Those fuckers called Dark being. He couldn't help but want to know the underlying truth and secrets about them. His curiosity about everything totally shifted from fear to a focus on the mind.

Even the entire name of the Dark is a kind of wrong. It states the depressing state of humanity, which voiced time to be called a Dark Age. Although the premise of the dark fog that follows the swarms and hoarders is mentioned in the book, William pays them a small amount of attention. He knows about it very well. Sights of a few hordes of dark fog that spreads with every attack of the Dark beings are known to all Outsiders in the camps.

In the next book he grabs, there are lists of hundreds of basic names and small to nonexistent descriptions of the Dark beings. Kaufman furrows his brows as he watches that book in his hands, yet he still chose to let him read it.

This book could be called shocking with no underlying meaning. Lists with hundreds of monsters, while a few of them have their rankings written inside. This is a basic book that is a small encyclopedia for beginner Walkers.

Details of physical features offenses and defenses are inside the book called Encyclopedia of the Dark beings. However, most of the writing is very brief, since the more detailed documents are somewhere else. This is usually sufficient enough for any beginner since it includes all Rank 1, 2, and 3 Dark beings. At least it satisfies William.

“How ironic and funny. Encyclopedias are usually happy little books about the detailed, or not-so-detailed things that people find interesting. They are made, so history won't disappear. While this book... is utterly horrifying...” William thinks to himself, as he comes to this conclusion after reading detailed descriptions of a few dozen monsters.