Bored, Mi-Yung will have to wait for a little while. She goes through a battle plan in her mind for upcoming madness that will make her life a bit more complicated.

Though, she plans to do so, since she doesn't want to make any regrets about William's future.

The number follows while Samoan shouts echo vividly throughout the entire hall.

It always wakes up some sleepy heads dozing on the sofas, but it goes faster than one would guess. At least much better than the Awakening which is more complicated than some deciding and talking.

“It's already number 38. A bit more I guess.” William yawns, as he looks at his watch which tells 1:48 AM.

Some of the visitors spend a few moments beyond that door, while others were there for up to 5 minutes. William notices that since he has nothing better to do. He watches many others like him on the sofas, tables, or resting by the wall.

No one here is doing anything, apart from waiting or figuring out their Emblems.

They wait for a fateful choice and a thing that most of them would never be able to change. Only those with talent could, or a change would come thanks to the unknown decision-making in the Conference Hall.

Things that make the differences much more pronounced are affinity and the stage of the Emblem's activation. Most Awakened Walkers went through the basic beginning of structural Awakening. The bodies have yet to change but their Emblem is already different. Depending on the results of that, and the little time they have, this is about everything that they can do at this moment.

Though, William also notices about 19 Walkers who are struggling with calming themselves down. No. That would be an incorrect term. Their mind and Emblem are the cause. Most of them have the Emblem visible on their bodies. Chest, neck, hands, and palm are the few visible places, while William is sure there could be a few others who hide theirs.

They are going through the same motion of the Mindless Eyes without concern, as they still haven't managed to make due success.

“Oh... that is something interesting,” Mi-Yung mumbles all of a sudden.

“What?” William asks, half asleep.

“That pair over there spoke to each other about a Walker that achieved 93 affinity.”

“93? Is that great?”

“Better than anyone in the last 5 years.”

“That long? That must be quite impressive. This must be quite a talented Walker. How did you hear that? I can't hear anything from such a distance.”

“I can read through their talking.”

“Lipspeaking?”

“Yea, It is called that, I suppose.” Mi-Yung answers, chuckling but doesn't think it's that strange.

“That's crazy... Is it your Skill?”

“No. That's something I learned myself.” Mi-Yung mumbles in awkwardness, that is her little secret.

“That must have taken a long time to master.” William feeds her some praise while trying to figure it out himself. Making words from the lips? That is easier said than done.

Alas, this little thing keeps him in an entertained mood until a sudden intruder or a guest, depending on the context, arrives on this particular sofa.

“Who do we have here? A little sh...”

“Ahh. A noisy asshat?. What a stroke of luck to be in the first bracket as you.” William interrupts him with a quick reply.

“Y-you have no freaking manner. Did your parents not tell you not to interrupt someone who is speaking to you?” Stark argues, while not appearing as pissed as he is.

He is remaining some dignity in this place, which will happen only once in his life. As a son of Prime Hunter, he should do so with a dignity fit to himself. At least somewhat.

“Parents? What makes you think that?” William sneers as he holds his own against this person who he meets for the 3rd time.

It is more of a single thing, though, since the last 2 meetings were more than a bother to him. In fact, even the 1st was more than a bothersome coincidence, while other times are seeking on Stark's part.

Indeed, even now he is looking for some trouble and comes to this sofa for them.

“Baheheh. You think too highly of your parents, to care about a son such as yourself. I must apologize on his behalf, miss Song.” Stark in stark contrast to his words, takes a polite bow to Mi-Yung, who glares at this boy as if she sees a clown.

In truth, Stark is seeing something... well. He believes he is perceived differently, but tell it to him... Well. Perhaps even if he heard that, it wouldn't help him realize the truth at all.

“Did I teach you less than I should, little Stark?” Mi-Yung tells with a pinch of the higher octave.

“Nononono. Back then, it was a mistake on my part. I didn't recognize the greatness of miss Song so clearly on that day. I must apologize to you according to my previous manners.”

“Bow is already more than sufficient, or if you want, you can leave this place and never return. How about that?” Mi-Yung showers him with cold words.

Though, as if it pours across a volcano, it has no effects on Stark, who is still within a bowing position.

“I head miss Song, is a proxy to this person on your right,” Stark says in a calm tone as if he did not hear her last words.

“I am. Should I not?”

“No. No. I was curious about that myself, so a few days ago, I made my own research. It is quite shocking to see an Assembly member becoming a proxy for an Outsider.”

“I guess. What are you getting at? Or, do you want yourself to tell me rules, what an Assembly member should, or shouldn't do, little Stark?” Mi-Yung says in a threatening tone which holds almost no power over Stark, who is clearly prepared.

“I am simply stating my own wonder, miss Song. I discovered your presence here, so I wanted to give the due respect that I lacked back then.”

“If so, you can le...”

“...I also heard that this little... boy achieved an efficiency of 75, which is quite surprising, but not as crazy for someone like you, miss Song. You must have been quite disappointed since you gamble your position for such poor results.”

Sighting, Mi-Yung is almost getting to a point of running out of patience with this boy, who is like his father.

“And?” A single word stops the source of Stark's words. William steps in front of Stark while looking at him with a threatening pose.

“You are making miss Song's life worse. You should have never agreed to the terms of her, being your proxy, Outsider.” Stark utters in quite a cold voice. His face contorts in a different way than the time he talked with Mi-Yung.

“I don't care about your opinion at all,” William tells as if a mountain of cold is upon Stark.

“Y-you are quite something for an orphan from Outside.” Stark, already with a straight back, faces William eye to eye.

They are both around the same height and have a similar build. Perhaps Stark is a bit bigger, but it could be all the choice of clothes, which makes Stark bigger than he is.

That, or the source of the high-profile military boots, which add an inch to his height. Though, William has a very similar pair himself, but not as great as Stark.

“Just so you know, miss Song, and you specifically, Outsider. As you probably heard, or not, I was the one who achieved the efficiency of 93, so you better watch out for me, as I won't end at the point of my father. I will surpass him in every conceivable way. I swear.”

“93? Wow. Did you take the IQ test instead? That is quite impressive.” William chuckles as he fights back.

Stark trembles, as a vein, pop on his forehead.

“What did you say, you little shit?!” He shouts as he grabs William's shirt collar.

“Wow. Careful, this is the last piece of clothing this Outsider has. You should be careful, or I will catch a cold.” William tells sarcastically straight to his face.

Pissed, and boiling in anger, Stark couldn't find a choice of words to mess up this Outsider at all.

Instead, he chuckles as he pushes him a step away. His anger dissipates as quickly as it arrived because he doesn't view his worth to talk back to his useless remarks.

“You are beneath me, Outsider. I can't care less about a brat of 75 affinity.” Stark tells at last and strides back to somewhere else.

He could see some gazes of the people who are curious about what is going on, and no scene is worth it for his future.

A tactical retreat is better than making his situation worse. After all, bothering his mind about some Outsider is more than stupid for him. Yet, he has already done so more than twice, so that doesn't seem that clever to say, but that is his problem.

“Can you believe his words, Mi-Yung? He doesn't bat an eye for almost ripping my shirt off? He wants to see me naked or what?” William asks back at Mi-Yung, who is close to laughing her soul out but is refraining from doing it so.

“I bet he does. He is weird, like his father.” Mi-Yung mumbles amidst her calming chuckle, and palm around her mouth.

Jumping back to his side of the sofa, William couldn't help but curse at that boy named Stark.

“What's so great about 93 anyway?”

“Do you wanna know, or are you questioning the personality of that kid?” Mi-Yung asks with the obvious intention of telling him.

“Please, help this Outsider further improve his weak little brain,” William says in an exaggerated manner as he puts his palms together to pleading gesture.

“Don't be so melodramatic. That boy right there is a son of Prime Hunter. Subjectively speaking, the strongest Rank 8 Walkers to date. If he can claim that he is the strongest, very few would fight against that statement.”

“Why would it even matter if someone is called the strongest? Morose, he isn't him. Just a brat and a child of his. What's so big deal with that? The strongest Walkers are, the better, isn't it?” William argues, after not understanding her whole message.

“That's not what I meant. Walkers have some... standards, so to speak. While Prime Hunter has been the so-called strongest hunter. Do you get it now?”

“So he is strong? That's it?”

“Uh... Will... You have a lot to learn more, even after 6 weeks in the library.” Mi-Yung shakes her head in helplessness.

“Well. I for one, wouldn't find an issue with Walkers fighting over who is the strongest hunter. In no time, the Dark beings would cease to exist. Isn't it a good idea?”

“... I don't want to comment on that.”

“Is... Is it wrong?”

“I guess not, but the implications of that would be quite hard. Those that you wouldn't get it unless you spent a few decades as a high-ranked Walker.”

“Oh... Then I am not surprised if I am called clueless. Alright.” William scrubs his scalp with his fingers as if his brain isn't working that well with such a train of thought that is quite weak. Considering he hasn't slept and is awake for a long time, it isn't all that surprising.

Hunters are hunters, so the more the better, isn't it the case?

Wiliam is yet to become aware of intricate hunts that go by the names of Prime hunts. Fights, which go against Rank 8 beings on this very planet.

Dark beings of that rank, against humans, called Walkers.

That is a basic principle of everything, which is still an incredible distance away from the perspective of a boy who became a proper Walker not even a day ago.

One who is special in some way, but is yet to realize that fact.

Perhaps the word realizes isn't the correct one, since the System is a true foe, mentor, and helper of every Walker. William's is the same in every speck of those words.

A path of the specialty against the Dark beings could be his, but the path of Walkers isn't always the easiest.

Such as the politics he is getting into and in some sense, right beyond the doors into the Conference Hall. It is a place for many high-ranking Walkers who are leaders of organizations for decades. The weakest is Rank 7, with the base premise of the stronger, the better.

Such simplicity rules this world and every possible surviving Walker of Rank 7 and above are those who lived for decades in this world.