After the first trial within the coliseum, most applicants received medical care from Ascended who specialized in healing. They then made their way back to the accommodations provided by the examiners.
The building itself was a modern, multi-story hotel capable of accommodating over a thousand people, excluding staff. It was most commonly used by Ascended in the area but was currently being utilized solely to house the Ascended applicants.
On one of the building's floors, Sandro stood in the hallway outside his room. He had changed into a new set of clothes, as his previous outfit had been destroyed during the battle. Despite some visible injuries, he was doing relatively well. He had even regained function in his arm, as the effects of the Soul Incantation used against him had worn off a couple of hours ago.
Sandro’s new outfit consisted of a bulky button-up sweater paired with fitted black pants and formal shoes. The ensemble was even more fashionable than his usual attire. The reason for dressing up was simple: he was going out to have some fun with a couple of other applicants.
The group he had agreed to join was currently waiting for him in the reception area on the bottom floor. He planned to meet them shortly but first wanted to see if he could convince two more Ascended applicants to join.
He began knocking rapidly on the two doors opposite his own. The door on his right swung open before his knuckles could make contact, while the door on his left began to hum rhythmically under his repeated knocks.
The person who answered the door on his right was Curie. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say a word, Sandro held a finger close to her face, silently shushing her. Curie remained silent, though a slight hint of annoyance was visible on her face.
The door to Sandro’s left was roughly opened by Alexander, whose irritated expression clearly reflected his feelings about the incessant knocking. Before Alexander could speak, Sandro held up a finger close to his face, shushing him as well.
Sandro then took a step back and spoke to the two in a friendly tone. “Well, if it isn’t the two, I would have absolutely demolished in the coliseum. Fancy meeting you guys here! My name’s Sandro. You can tell me yours in a sec, but first, I wanted to ask you something. Do you two want to go out with me and a couple of other applicants tonight?” Sandro paused before gesturing at them. “And now you may speak to give me your questions and/or answers.”
Curie, who was rather analytical by nature, found herself caught off guard by Sandro’s eccentric personality. She simply asked, “Who’s in the group, and why are you going out?” Wanting to be polite, she added, “My name’s Curie, by the way.”
Sandro answered her question in an animated fashion, seemingly trying to compensate for Curie’s lack of energy. “The group consists of me and three others who did pretty well in the first trial. Since we have that in common, I thought it’d be good to get to know each other better. I was hoping to add you two to our little group.”
Alexander didn’t bother asking any questions. Even if he’d wanted to, he wasn’t able to attend because he had something else to take care of. The notion of being invited to a social event he couldn’t attend actually irritated him. He would have appreciated a pleasant distraction from the day’s hard work, especially since the task he needed to complete was particularly unpleasant.
So, Alexander simply declined with a polite, “No, thank you.” He then closed the door and returned to his room.
Curie, on the other hand, contemplated the idea for a while. She briefly tried to get back at Sandro for silencing her earlier, but it seemed to have no effect on him. He waited patiently, smiling as he awaited her answer.
While she found the idea of learning more about other capable applicants appealing—and understood the subtext in Sandro’s words—she also had something she needed to take care of. After careful consideration, Curie declined as well.
Even though Sandro had failed to convince them to join him and the other Ascended, he wasn’t too discouraged.
He walked down the hallway with his hands interlocked behind his neck, heading toward a glass elevator. As the elevator descended to the reception area on the bottom floor, he reflected to himself, while this wasn’t a total loss, the girl seemed to get my message at least. Not to mention, I’m pretty sure my devilish charm will help me befriend Alexander.
Upon reaching the spacious reception area, Sandro was greeted by the sight of his gathering of Ascended applicants. They were lounging on luxurious couches, making idle conversation while waiting for him.
The group consisted of Jackson, who was dressed in a simple outfit: a pair of jeans, sneakers, a shirt, and a jacket. Then there was Lioness, wearing an even simpler ensemble of shorts, a tank top, and sandals. Finally, there was Coraline, who sported a fluffy brown hoodie with cat ears, pajamas pans, and slippers. Her black cat was also resting on her shoulder.
The two women seemed to be getting along well, chatting amiably. They tried to include Jackson in their conversation but he seemed a bit shy and nervous, only offered short responses when spoken to.
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Sandro approached the group with a bright smile and said, “Evening, ladies and gentleman. Unfortunately, I couldn’t convince the other two to join us. But that doesn’t change our plans for the evening too much. So, let’s go out and have some fun, shall we?”
The group’s first stop was a local restaurant renowned for being popular with Ascended. It was famous for serving large quantities of food—perfect for their needs. Even though the Ascended could go for longer periods without eating due to their enhanced vessels, they could still feel hunger and since they led active lives, they required a substantial amount of fuel.
The restaurant wasn’t very busy, so they were able to get a table without waiting too long. As the group ordered and waited for their food, the conversation turned to the types of content they liked to browse on Staircase.
Staircase was a social media platform centered around the Ascended. Factions often used it to promote their organizations to newly Ascended individuals. However, not all Ascended used the platform; some preferred to remain out of the public eye due to the nature of their work.
Sandro was the first to pull out his communicator, a sleek, rectangular device made of transparent glass. He used it to project a holographic display showcasing various artworks created by Ascended, including music, paintings, sculptures, fashion, and even weapon designs.
Lioness followed his lead. Her display featured content such as motorcycles, intricate tattoo designs, and videos of Ascended battling Ascendant Beasts to protect the public.
Sandro observed her tastes with curiosity and remarked, “While those tattoo designs are unique, they pale in comparison to my own artistic abilities. I could create one for you if you'd like.”
Lioness responded with a casual yet amused expression. “I’d have to see how good you are in battle before I let you leave a permanent mark on my skin, no matter how pretty it might be. Besides, the materials needed to make a tattoo that lasts on an Ascended body are rather expensive. I wouldn’t feel right getting one for free.”
Sandro flashed a charming smile. “You can pay me in whatever way you think is fair.”
Lioness smirked, clearly amused. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Their conversation was interrupted when Coraline’s cat suddenly jumped onto the table, disrupting the atmosphere they had created. Coraline, unfazed, began displaying her own interests on Staircase. Her content primarily featured Ascended who had managed to befriend Ascendant Beasts. Her cat, meanwhile, nuzzled up to Jackson, shifting the group’s attention toward him.
With a friendly tone, Coraline asked, “What kind of stuff do you like on Staircase?”
Jackson looked even more nervous with the entire group’s attention on him, but he mustered up the courage to respond. He activated his communicator, projecting a display filled with content about Ascended who were online celebrities with large fanbases.
Upon recognizing a popular Ascended, Coraline exclaimed, “Oh, I love her! She has such a cute Ascendant Beast!”
Jackson’s expression softened with relief. “Yeah, a lot of people like her for her cute and energetic personality. I kind of idolize Ascended who have big, loyal fanbases.”
Internally, he let out a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, I’m glad these guys are so friendly. I was worried they’d think I was weird, because of my awkwardness. As well as the fact that I idolized strangers I've never met before.
The group finally got their food. They continue to converse while eating and when they finish, they played and continued on their fun elsewhere.
...
After the restaurant, the group went to a park to relax for a bit.
A large group of fireflies had gathered at the park, giving it a rather unique atmosphere. Coraline's cat opted to chase after the fireflies. It would be more accurate to say the cat was toying with them, as even in its smaller form, it was still an Ascended beast.
Sandro spent his time lounging on a park bench with Coraline. He decided to sketch the scene in a notebook he always kept on hand. After finishing, he offered the drawing to Coraline, who was impressed by his skill and thankful for his generosity.
Meanwhile, Jackson and Lioness were engaged in a rather unique game of chess. The park had a large chessboard occupied by statues made of black and white marble. The statues themselves were intricately detailed, resembling medieval warriors.
To ordinary people, they were just cool statues. But to the Ascended, they were much more. Ascended could use the energy of their souls to animate and control the pieces, resulting in a dynamic and unique form of combat.
The match between Jackson and Lioness ended rather surprisingly. Despite her aggressive playstyle, his passive and defensive approach allowed him to capitalize on her mistakes. Lioness was a good sport about the match, praising Jackson's skill. Her praise caused Jackson a bit of internal embarrassment, as his cautious play wasn’t born of strategy but of being too intimidated by her to make aggressive moves during the game.
...
Afterward, the group went to a popular arcade known for its challenging games, even for Ascended.
One particular competitive game captivated their attention. The game was set in a large dark room illuminated by neon lights. Participants were given glowing rubber balls, which they had to throw at rapidly moving targets to score points.
Sandro presumed he would win this game, given that his Conscious Mind training allowed him to process large amounts of information quickly. However, he was pleasantly surprised to come in second to Coraline. She had the advantage thanks to her Vessel training, which granted her cat like sight.
...
The group then decided to call it a night and made their way back to the hotel.
They stood outside the glass doors, illuminated by a nearby streetlamp. A more serious atmosphere settled over them. While they had wanted to have fun, their outing had a secondary purpose.
As capable combatants, each member of the group knew they would be targeted by other applicants eager to minimize their competition. Thus, they decided to form an alliance. As long as the trials did not force them to directly combat one another, they would have each other's backs.
This understanding was reached silently, with each person grasping the intent of the others. Their night of fun served as the unspoken signifier of their alliance.