"I feel like crap," whispered Reyna.

She slumped farther into the chair I'd put her in, her hair streaming down, still damp from the rough treatment I gave her.

"I think I get it now," she murmured as she gripped her head with both hands. "Gosh... My head's still aching..."

"So you pushed yourself to mana depletion to figure out what? How does it feel?" I asked, crossing my arms to show how upset I was. "Are you an idiot, or do you enjoy acting like one? No, that question is meaningless in and of itself. Reyna, you're a moron. There is no room for debate."

Any rational individual would not harm themselves just for the thrill of it.

"Hey, Gray," she called. "Mind if I tell you a little bit more about Greg?"

"The dummy?"

Is she drunk?

I was sure she didn't knock her head on the ground when she fainted. Perhaps Reyna still hasn't woken up entirely yet. That was the only conclusion I could reach as I took a step toward the sink.

"Mom was the one that named it," came out, leaving me stunned for a brief moment. "I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of it, despite being one of the older models."

Her mother was a scientist affiliated with Blake Guild. Many were opposed to the relationship between her and the chairman because she wasn't a hunter. Marriages between those who could wield mana were frequently arranged to ensure that ability was handed down to their children.

Some may have exploited that excuse as a means to elevate the prestige of their own families, though. I thought the whole thing was just a political ruse. Nothing out of the ordinary.

But she died a few years ago, due to reasons I've never dared to pry into. Connor and Reyna didn't delve too deeply into my private affairs, either, but I knew they'd at least hear me out if something were to happen. That's most likely why we get along so well.

"Do you want to be like her?"

If she wants to talk about it, I'm more than willing to listen.

"Uh-huh," Reyna said, nodding her head. "She was mostly interested in research, leaving all Blake's affairs to my dad. I resemble her in that regard, but I'm not going to dump any of it on you, Gray."

"Your mother was quite scary," I uttered but shook my head after a moment. "No, maybe stern is the word I'm looking for."

The kind of person that wouldn't hesitate to tell you just how much you screwed up. That's how I remembered her.

Reyna held her cheek, her elbow resting on the arm of the chair. In contrast to her typically solemn manner, it was quite an amusing way of sitting. Although I would have liked to point it out, because the matter at hand was quite delicate, I fought to keep a straight face.

"Do you recall her?"

"Not as well as I'd want to," I admitted.

Years had passed since I last saw her. My memories were hazy.

"Well," she paused, probably thinking of a better way to put it. "...Now that she isn't around anymore, this place is all mine."

"So you're the only one that has access to this place."

"Only if we don't include—"

The door to the lab slid open, revealing my companion whose name Reyna didn't get the chance to pronounce. Connor stood there with a smile on his face, as if something good happened, clutching a dark box in one hand while a glittering suitcase rested beside his foot.

"Look at what we got," he boasted, grasping the suitcase with his free hand before entering the laboratory. The door closed behind him just after a few steps.

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"A suitcase?" I inquired since that was exactly with appeared to be to me.

"Don't be silly, I know it's a suitcase. What's more important is what's inside, but first, let me give you this, sis," he grumbled as he strolled through, then laid the box on the desk.

"What the hell did you bring me, Connor?"

"Do I have to spill the surprise for you?"

Unable to contain her curiosity, she ripped the box apart, revealing a—

"A laptop," she mumbled, raising the corners of her mouth slightly as she brought it out. "Father, he—"

"Yup, he forgave you," her brother confirmed. "Your punishment is now officially over."

Strangely, it was her dad's way of demonstrating his support.

"Make sure you don't smash this one like you did the other," I said, peering over her shoulder.

Reyna turned to face me, slightly annoyed, and replied, "I'm not going to."

"She's going to break it again," Connor chuckled as he tossed the suitcase on top of the bench. "Now let's see what our old man has in store for me."

He opened it to reveal a thin blade with a slightly curved tip. Except for the cerulean runes that ran across its surface, it was fully colored in onyx. He then turned to face us, his eyes gleaming as he wondered if what he saw was real.

"Is it an artifact?" I questioned in recognition.

Hunters could channel mana through their bodies to enhance their abilities, but they couldn't do so with other objects. Because of the tremendous amount of power some Hunters could generate, any weapon might tilt, shatter, and become dull as it gets smeared in blood.

Artifacts, on the other hand, were created specifically for hunters to utilize. Its principal advantage over a regular weapon was that it could be used for extended periods without diminishing in quality.

Without a doubt, such artifacts are magnificent, but their true worth could be seen once they are filled with mana. They're made to cut through even the thickest monster's skin with relative ease as long as mana's channeled into them.

"Yes, it is," Reyna confirmed my concerns while frowning, her gaze focused on the runes. "Are those fragments of a shattered mana core? That's how you can channel mana into the blade..."

As I focused my attention on the bracelet on Reyna's wrist, I realized that the operators might work underneath the same premise. To activate an SCO, you had to pour in the required amount of mana for the encoded spell to manifest. Artifacts, however, did not necessitate a specific quantity of mana to get the job done.

And although I wasn't certain, it was feasible that one day a spell may be encoded directly into an artifact.

"I don't care about all those fancy explanations," Connor replied as he seized the handle and whistled before swinging it down in a smooth motion. From the looks of it, the weapon was also pretty light.

"Make sure you don't stab yourself with it," murmured Reyna, returning to her laptop and losing interest in the sword.

To which Connor replied with a grin, "You're just jealous."

"Why don't you use it to get Greg out of there?" I said, pointing down the observatory window. "He's kind of stuck in there."

"You managed to pull it off?!" Connor reasoned, surprised by the dummy's skeletal frame. "A spell that automatically binds itself to its target... That will make hurling fireballs a lot easier for you, Rey."

"That's the gist of it." She shrugged, pride blazing across her face despite her disinterested reply. "But I wouldn't use it if I were you. It clings to the person who is nearest to where the SCO is aimed at. It makes no distinction between humans and monsters, nor between allies and enemies. It's just a prototype, so don't expect too much from it."

That also explains her odd way of phrasing it before. Since she didn't aim specifically toward me or Greg, there was a chance that spell would have clung to me instead... As I thought that, a shudder ran down my spine.

"And they're linked," Reyna licked her lips as she said. By clasping her hands together, she drew our attention toward both, the laptop and the computer, which now shared the same crimson sun as their wallpaper. "Enough with the chit-chat. You're here to compete, right? Connor, please move the dummy out of the way. Thanks in advance."

To be honest, Reyna's sudden burst of energy didn't sit well with me. It seemed odd, especially given her condition before Connor arrived. More importantly, just what does she hope to achieve by taking the initiative in the conversation?

"Yeah, yeah... whatever you say, sis," her brother snarled as he made his way downstairs, dismissing any possible questions regarding the spell. The runes glowed brighter, and the shackles wrapped around Greg crumbled to pieces, easily cut through by the blade. He must have imbued it with some mana. That's what I assumed.

"Don't be startled when you see it, Gray," he grumbled, dropping the dummy he'd been carrying on his shoulder into the corner.

That immediately triggered an alarm in my mind.

"See what...?"

"Tsk. You just had to blurt it out, Connor." Reyna snapped her tongue.

I turned around, my attention stolen by the sound of her fingers typing on the keyboard. The entire laboratory shook as fissures spread on the walls. Then they retracted, forming something entirely different. A scenery I never thought I'd see here, not like this.

It was impossible for me not to recognize it. Not only were there images all over the internet, but I've been there before. "How..." I squeezed out.

"Money!" Connor replied, bemused by my reaction as he threw an arm around my neck. "That's what money can do for you, pal."

"Can't argue with that logic," Reyna replied, readjusting her glasses, which had almost fallen off as a result of the quake. "It's exactly as you imagine, Gray. This place resembles a part of the 4th District following the Overflow."

I gulped, unable to think of anything to say.

Before my eyes formed a world on the verge of ruin.