Chapter 13

“Look, all it means is that you don’t have anything to worry about by touching that stone, for a second time…” Holsy’s words pierced Frank to his very core.

He had been so calm, so focused on not slipping up, that he now found himself shocked that he was found out so easily. Had they always known? They must have, as they clearly seemed to be letting Frank hang himself here with his silence.

Though, Frank figured that maybe he could play this all off as a big misunderstanding. No, it didn’t seem likely, but they knew and they all but told him to his face just when the prize was right in front of him that he knew.

Snap.

Holsy snapped his fingers to the side of his face, drawing Frank’s attention away from himself.

“Relax,” Holsy commanded and as if his body understood the command being given he let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. Seeing him exhale, Holsy continued. “Good, now you might not realize this, but do you know why we take in cultivators that reach the fifth stage of cultivation?”

Frank feeling his throat grow tight, found that even if he wanted to, his voice betrayed him. As such all he could do was shake his head from side to side.

“The reason why is that a cultivator at the fifth tier has met multiple thresholds. First, they clearly know how to cultivate on their own. This is important, as once we leave here, you are on your own to improve yourself. Oh, we will guide you when and where we can, but ultimately you will be responsible for yourself once we leave here and get on the front lines.”

Hearing that, Frank paused as he tried to comprehend the words that were being said. But before Frank had enough time to come up with a question, Holsy continued with his explanation.

“The second major reason why we take cultivators after the fifth tier is that by that point you can often open up more cultivation channels. Meaning that you might get a higher or different rank than the one you initially awaken as. Meaning that after the fifth rank, this,” Holsy said, gesturing to the C-Rank on his chest before continuing, “means nothing. In fact, the lower this is, the higher you go will actually get you more respect from your peers.”

With this, Frank paused as he tilted his head trying to understand what was happening.

“Why do you think my Boss has a big F on his chest,” Holsy said turning back to the man that was referred to as Vanguard.

Hearing that Frank felt his eyebrow raise as he questioned that comment.

“Yeah, I know, you didn’t see his rank as he didn’t wear it today. That’s because he didn’t need to, as we all know he is the BMF here.”

“BMF?” Frank finally managed to ask.

“Badest Mother F’er.” Holsy said, cutting himself off on the last word as he took a look around to remind himself that he was in a school building.

Hearing that Frank just nodded, having felt something from a distance when the man turned to look at the two of them earlier.

“That BMF is referred to as another thing here in the civilian world.”

“What is it called?”

“Killing intent.” Holsy replied.

With that Frank paused, locking gazes with Holsy. Seeing that the boy was still able to lock gazes with him, only caused Holsy to smile widely.

“See, that’s why I like you kid. You’re not afraid to look us in the eyes, despite the clear killing intent I’m exuding.” Holsy said.

Pausing, Frank just stared at him, but then paused.

“Am I supposed to be afraid?” Frank asked.

Chuckle.

Holsy broke out into a full-on belly laugh at that question. “Oh Christ, I knew I would like you. When this goes up and you are offered a sponsor choose me.”

With that Frank paused, realizing that there was a bit of social etiquette that he was missing here. Possibly something in the realm of political capital, but there was a quantity that Frank was unaware of, or unable to fully grasp. The sad part was, his mind was able to pick up that there was something that he was missing, a semi-transactional nature to this exchange, but for the life of him he couldn’t understand what that transactional nature was about.

“Hah, I see I lost you there. No worries. Just know that once we leave here, there will be many potential suitors for you, especially those that learn of what you managed to do over the last three days, but they won’t know immediately upon our leaving here. That is where my advantage comes in, and why I am telling you all this now, so you know that I had leverage over you and gave it back to you, so you would come to me willingly.”

Hearing that, Frank nodded. Again, not fully grasping everything, as there was just so much going on all at once, but this part, the political capital and leverage that was being spoken about, those made sense, but were also foreign concepts to Frank.

“Okay, I think I need to stop here. Not that I don’t want to talk, I just don’t want to talk past you. I can tell by that look in your eyes that you are not getting everything I am saying, which is why I am giving you the chance to go back and ask.”

At that, Frank paused, wondering how this instructor was able to read him so easily. Realizing that apparently he had leverage over Holsy, at least in the fact that Holsy was apparently trying to recruit him, for what, that was unknown at the moment, but he was clearly and actively trying to recruit Frank, which Frank knew he could use at this time.

Nodding to himself, Frank asked the immediate question.

“How do you know?”

“How do I know what? The answers to everything, I don’t, despite how I might come across, I am simply just a dashing instructor with far too much free time on his hands.” Holsy said, clearly playing into an act of subterfuge, one that Frank had seen a lot. This was a style of misdirection, often he would see one of the boys trying to get Luther to stop paying attention to them particularly by employing such a role. Now that he was able to comprehend more, he understood the process, but not exactly why this Holsy was putting on such a performance. Given how he naturally flowed into this style, Frank realized that this might be part of who Holsy normally is.

“No, how did you know that you were losing me?” Frank asked.

Smiling, Holsy once again straightened up as if he was proud that Frank had avoided the pitfall of getting sidetracked.

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“Good, question. I could give you multiple reasons, but the main factor was your eyes were giving you away. Just as I noted your Killing Intent, or the fact that you are able to register on my BMF index, I could see that same fire die in your eyes when you began to hear concepts that went over your head.” Holsy answered.

Hearing that, Frank nodded, realizing that Holsy likely meant that his intensity had dwindled the more he spoke. Then his mind took that the next step further, but realizing that Holsy had been staring at him, and in particular his eyes the entire time, tracking him to see what he was interested in, and thus concluded that “I take it that my eyes gain intensity when I look at the awakening stone?”

“Oh you are good. And yes.” Holsy said, smiling brightly as if he found a new toy to play with, but one that he wouldn’t arbitrarily try to break like most spoiled kids of the slums would.

Nodding.

Frank found himself nodding, as he now recognized his own intensity when he stared at the awakening stone, realizing that he was being rather open with his thoughts. This entire time he thought he had been playing the soldiers for fools, but really they had let him think what he wanted.

“Alright, now what do you mean by playing with house money?” Frank asked.

Chuckle.

“Oh that, it is an old gambler’s line. House money, well it used to mean you were playing a free hand. That you could go all in, and not lose anything, but only stood to gain what you got from that hand. It might not make sense down here. I’m not sure if gambling is a thing down here, but up on the lines it will be huge.”

“Okay?”

“Right, you don’t care about the etymology of the phrase, rather you care about the implications thereof.” Holsy began, “in your case, regardless of whether you unlock a S-Rank talent or another F-Rank talent, your future is set.”

Hearing that, Frank paused, but he felt he already knew where this was going.

“Yeah, you passed. Got to the minimum threshold of a fifth tier, as a wandering cultivator and managed to get yourself noticed by us. Of course, we are going to take you with us, regardless of what happens. In fact, you and all of the other B-Rank and higher cultivators will go up, and get a chance to choose your mentors and decide your fates before you even know which end is up.” Holsy said.

At that, Frank nodded, as his mind began making the connections between a few previous statements that Holsy had made in his presence. Statements that at the time made no sense, but now, began to make a lot more sense.

“So Luther and I will get to choose our mentors?” Frank asked.

“Luther?” Holsy asked, momentarily looking lost only for his mind to make a connection. “Oh, the twit that looked like he wanted to fight you in a civilian center. Yeah, he will get to choose a mentor, just like you will. The only thing is, you as an F-Rank will get a lot more prospects once we get up to the surface.”

“Surface?” Frank asked, thinking back to the fact that he heard that B-Rankers only went to the middle areas.

“Oh yeah, you’re likely thinking of our placement areas. No, B-Rankers are generally able to be confined to training areas where we can build them up safely. Once you hit that A-Rank range, that is when we need to get you to the surface so you don’t blow up our training environments. But yeah, eventually everyone in the military will go to the surface for at least one tour of duty.”

“There are ways to only do one?” Frank asked, wondering why the distinction was made.

“Yeah, you die. Then you don’t have to deploy anymore. Why we all like these recruitment drives.” Holsy said, smiling brightly as if he made the funniest joke ever while gesturing to everyone around him. “This counts as one deployment cycle, but only after you have already made no less than five active deployments.”

Hearing that Frank nodded, as it seemed to make sense, though there were likely a few nuances that he was certain that he was missing at the moment.

“So any other questions?” Holsy asked, apparently pulling back some of his excitement at trying to recruit Frank.

Frank was about to shake his head no, that he was done, but then suddenly thought of something.

“Why would you want someone like me? I mean, Luther I get, but why me? I’m just an F-Ranker.” Frank asked.

Hearing that Holsy’s smile came back and all but shown from ear to ear.

“Kid, I don’t know what hell you went through over those last three days. Frankly if we could somehow package it and give it to all the recruits we would, though I doubt we would have anywhere near as high of a success rate. Frankly kid, you are probably the scariest kid around. Take a look around.” Holsy said, then gestured to the way no one seemed to come near Frank or Holsy.

“All those people, those fellow students that you were able to blend in with days ago, now subconsciously all stay away from you. That is why I am able to tell you all of this information that would likely throw off everything the little curriculums down here preach.” With that Holsy paused for a moment, just long enough to take in a breath of air before he continued. “Honestly, looking at you, I’d say you have as much killing intent as anyone who ever went on three years’ worth of deployments all at once. You have that and you managed to get well past the fifth layer of cultivating as a wandering cultivator, meaning you are talented. Getting to the fifth stage of cultivation normally takes years, so you loop all that together, and you have as much as a typical five-year veteran as a brand new of the shelf soldier who can be easily molded to fit any team’s needs. Then added to that is the fact that no one has heard you so much as complain once since you got here and you will find that you are a prized catch for any team.”

“Team?”

“Yeah, that’s why we are all here. We are a team. Those you see here; they will all be your fellow brothers in arms on the surface, once you choose me as your instructor of course.” Holsy said, making sure to smile brightly at that last comment.

Nodding.

Frank didn’t really know what else to do other than to nod at this exact moment. There were so many things he had learned, killing intent, being labeled as a wandering cultivator was good? Also, the fact that he might be considered more valuable as an F-Ranker on the surface all made him wonder just what he had been missing while being down in the lower levels of civilization. There was also the revelation that those with higher powers might be forced upwards and outwards, not as a reward system, but rather as a way to keep powerful ability users away from the lower levels? But if so why?

No, thinking back there were likely more rational answers to these questions. Frank thought about asking, but was cut off by Holsy who said probably the most impactful statement that he had heard all day.

“I can see that I have given you a lot to think about. Why do you spend the rest of that energy that you have coursing through your body and break through yet another stage of cultivation before it is your turn to re-awaken.” Holsy said, gesturing to a spot at the far end of the wall right in the corner.

Seeing the gesture, Frank almost wanted to protest, but then paused as he realized that even with only a few dozen or so people remaining in line, it would still be close to an hour before it was his turn to be called up. Also, it was abundantly clear that this opportunity would not be taken away from him, at least not by Holsy.

The way Frank saw things, either this was the most elaborate practical joke done by a ranker against him, one where he would be potentially charged with an attempt to commit treason by defrauding the government while at a time of war by using Awakening materials. Or he was going to be allowed to get reevaluated as a fifth stage wandering cultivator who would be allowed to use the same awakening stone again for the second time. Either way, Frank felt fairly confident in one major fact, namely that he would not be staying down here in the slums.

Nodding again, Frank made his way to the corner and sat down. Part of him wondered if he would be immediately seized, as he was fairly certain he had incriminated himself, but then another part of his heart dared to hope that this was something different, that everything he had been told was the truth and not just the truth, but undeniable facts that would mean he was no long bound down here, regardless of what the rankings showed.

It was this last thought that gave him the most hope, as he desperately wanted to be in a world where he could excel based on his own work and aspirations and would not be held back by spoiled nobles who were born into privilege, people like Luther who were given everything on silver platters.

Taking a deep breath, Frank inhaled and held, then with one exhale he released the tension in his shoulders and hoped that he might have a chance at joining a better world.

With the tension gone, Frank began the final breakthrough and tightening of his core. By now Frank was absolutely certain that he had gone through at least the fifth layer, and likely broke through the sixth layer or more of his body cultivation stage.

This time the transition was far easier than any breakthrough he felt before. Frank knew that part of his reason for the easy breakthrough was that his body had been forced to stay at this state for a while, despite constantly being flooded with energy, as he couldn’t find a moment to break through given the fact that he had constantly been fighting for survival, and then after that he had been whisked away to here.

The fact that Holsy could see that he was near a breakthrough also spoke volumes about his abilities. Honestly, Frank didn’t know what happened, nor what was going on, but he did realize one thing, that once he got up from this corner his life would forever changed.

Whoosh.

Frank felt a surge of power get released from him, as his body forced harmful toxins out of his body.

“What?”

A few people around him spoke out, having felt his breakthrough. With that he opened his eyes, and managed to lock gazes with a few of the kids his age who had been near him, but suddenly stared at him like he was some sort of freak. No, not a freak, there was a slight difference. This one, these looks he was now getting, that was of fear.

“Oh, look at the new kid flexing right there.” One of the guards spoke to his fellow guard. Looking to the speakers, he found that they were the same two guards from last time, the same two who were placed in charge of guarding the spent energy cells. He even remembered the one that shot a fireball at him under the bleachers.

Seeing the two of them, he was surprised that he could hear them at all from this distance, but then realized that this was just an effect of his enhanced hearing. With that he got to his feet, feeling that he had once again gotten lighter and denser at the same time. His body flowed and seemed to move far easier than it had any right of doing, but he also felt the weight of power. That if he so chose, he could increase the amount of weight and force he put behind any strike.

“There we go. Now you look like this won’t be a complete waste of an opportunity.” Holsy said.

“Opportunity?”

“Yeah, now your body looks like it can try to take in as much energy as possible. This time, while you are going, try to imagine the energy filling up as many circuits and loops as possible within your body. You have already done this, but with the amount and type of energy you are about to receive this will be important, as this is the last time we can artificially increase the level of energy available within your body.”

“Artificially?” Frank asked.

“Yeah, but we can talk about that later. Just realize this is your last chance at a free ride, so try to take full advantage of everything you are about to be given.” Holsy said, he gestured for Frank to take up the back of the line.

As he went to the line, he heard Holsy mutter under his breath as he shook his head. “A freakin’ unicorn.”

That was all Frank heard, as he got into line and watched the final few students go forward and place their hands on the awakening stone before it was his turn to move forward and try to re-awaken his latent potential.

Seeing him, the military guard member on duty looked at him, then asked.

“You that kid from the mines that they found earlier today?”

Hearing that Frank felt apprehension as he realized this might be the part where he is stopped, where he is told that his dream is forbidden to him. He trusted Holsy, but could he fully trust anyone?

“Yeah.” Frank eventually managed to say.

“All right,” the guard said, looking at something on his electronic communicator that looked far more advanced than any piece of electronics Frank had ever seen in his life. After seeing something, the man looked up from his pad, “right, wait right here.”

And like that the man left, leaving Frank standing alone the awakening stone right in front of him. He was so close. He was certain that by now he had been here long enough to get charges of attempting to defraud the government thrown against him. He also knew that if he wanted to he could run forward and touch the stone before anyone could stop him. At least that was his thought as he stared at the object of his desire. Just feet away, staring at him, taunting him. He was so close, and yet simultaneously so far away.

So, Frank waited. Until finally, it happened…