Sero knew he should’ve returned to the meeting, but a part of him wanted to stay outside a little bit longer. The dragon twins Moss and Lime had materialized without his command, nuzzling him comfortingly as if they knew he was troubled.

The warmth of their scales and the softness of their breath were a comfort he hadn't realized he needed. He sighed, leaning back in the chair. No use in wallowing about it. Sero decided to just keep moving forward, even if he was lost on what to do next.

Recalling the dragon twins, Sero reentered the meeting room, his steps hesitant. The others had continued their discussion without him, and he didn't want to interrupt. As he took his seat, he noticed Dante glance over at him briefly before returning his attention to the others.

"...and so, Sero, we were hoping you might have some input on that. What are your thoughts?" asked Elizabeth, gesturing for him to join the conversation.

"Pardon?" He blinked, not realizing the conversation had moved on without him. "Oh, sorry. Yes, um..." Sero cleared his throat, gathering his thoughts. "I think... it's important that we focus on gathering as much information as we can about the Pillars. If we know what we're up against, we can come up with a plan to deal with them. And I trust my allies, including you all, to help me in that regard." He glanced around the room, meeting each person's gaze in turn.

His words seemed to reassure the others, and there were nods of agreement. Dante looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking. "Yes, information is key. We'll need to gather as much as we can on the Pillars, as well as their location."

Elizabeth nodded. "And we'll need to coordinate our efforts carefully. If we all go after them at once, it could lead to confusion and disarray. We must strike at the right moment, with the right strategy. A.R.E.S. will be able to help with timing."

Eventually, Sero tuned out the meeting once again as they discussed plans to coordinate with other Ascendants in other Zones. He had no direct influence over those groups and didn't see the point in discussing them. Instead, he focused on Amaya, who sat silently beside him. He reached over and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently. She squeezed back, her grip reassuring.

It felt like an eternity by the time the meeting finished. Sero sat back in his chair, exhausted from both the mental and emotional strain of the day's events. He glanced over at Amaya, who seemed equally fatigued but was still trying to stay alert. He reached out a hand and placed it on hers, offering what little comfort he could in that moment. She smiled weakly back at him.

"So much for our break," he remarked wryly.

Amaya gave a soft laugh. "I suppose it was too much to hope for. But at least we have each other."

Sero became aware of a pair of eyes watching them. He turned, catching sight of Elizabeth hurriedly turning away, blushing.

With a jolt, Sero recalled his earlier conversation with Amaya, slowly sensing the emotions Elizabeth had for him. He didn't know how to react, so he pretended not to notice.

"Sero, if I could have a word with you?" Gregor quietly rumbled behind him as he approached the two.

Sero glanced at the burly man, then looked over at Amaya, who nodded reassuringly. He rose from his chair and followed Gregor out of the room. As they walked down the hall, he could feel the weight of the other man's gaze upon him.

"What is it you wanted to talk about, Gregor?" Sero asked, trying to sound casual.

"Sero, has joining the Janitors ever crossed your mind?" the Conqueror asked in response.

Sero blinked, surprised by the question. He'd never really thought about it. "I... I suppose I hadn't considered it," he admitted. "Why, do you think I should?"

Gregor chuckled. "It is completely up to your discretion, however, I do believe you would be a great fit for us. Your strength has exponentially grown since the first time I met you, and that very strength would be incredibly beneficial to our cause."

"Well... what would I even do?"

"Aside from going off on missions I believe you may be familiar with doing, my Janitors are no strangers to walking the line," Gregor quietly replied. "We work to keep the peace, but if things were to get out of hand, we have the means to put them back in their place. Your strength- particularly your ability to copy nearly infinite Skills, would be invaluable to us in that regard."

Sero considered this for a moment. Joining the Janitors meant giving up his life as a freelancer, but it also meant working alongside people he respected and trusted. Well, he trusted Gregor, Cassandra, Gwyndolyn, and possibly Enzo.

"I'll think about it," he finally said. "Thank you for your offer."

Gregor gave him a pat on the shoulders before walking off. Sero heard the door open; Amaya and Elizabeth exited the meeting room. He noticed the awkward atmosphere between the two and figured Amaya had talked to Elizabeth about... him.

"Hey, Sero," Amaya said as she approached. "I hope everything went well with Gregor."

"Er, yeah," Sero replied, watching Elizabeth slink away from them out of the corner of his eye. "He just wanted to offer me a place in the Janitors' mercenary branch."

Amaya raised an eyebrow. "And what did you tell him?"

Sero hesitated for a moment, unsure how to answer. "I told him I'd think about it," he finally said, trying to sound noncommittal. "I'm not sure if it's the right fit for me."

"Why not?" The two of them began to walk back to the liaison office.

"Well," Sero began, "They're super fucking strong. Like, I'm aware that I've also grown a lot, but compared to them?" He trailed off, lost in thought. Amaya placed a reassuring hand on his arm.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Hey, don't say that. You literally survived against a Catastrophe all by yourself until they came to help. If anything, I think you deserve to stand next to them. You're an S-rank, after all."

Sero smiled, feeling a bit better about himself. "Thanks, Amaya. I'll think about it. And hey, if I do decide to join, I'm sure I'll have you to thank for convincing me."

They reached the liaison office and walked inside. Sero took a seat across from Amaya at her desk, fiddling with a pen. He glanced over at Amaya, who was busily typing away at her computer. She seemed so confident and sure of herself, unlike him. He wondered if she ever felt the same doubts and insecurities that he did.

"Hey," she said, noticing his gaze. "You really should consider it. The Janitors could use someone like you. And who knows? Maybe you'd learn a thing or two from them." She flashed him a reassuring smile. "If you didn't realize, I meant you could pick up-"

"Pick up their Skills, yeah, I know," Sero smiled back wryly.

He thought about it, about being a part of something bigger, something that could make a real difference in this war. But there was still that nagging doubt in the back of his mind. What if he couldn't live up to their expectations? What if he failed and let everyone down? It was easier to hide in the shadows, to fight alone.

Sero's Rationality kicked in to quell his doubts. He was overthinking things. Of course he could learn from them. He could improve. And maybe, just maybe, he could make a difference. He had come this far, hadn't he? He'd survived the Catastrophe, found a purpose, made friends. He couldn't let that all go to waste.

"Champion? What do you plan to do now?" Aphiel's voice telepathically echoed in his mind.

Sero flinched slightly, startled by the sudden intrusion. He glanced around, making sure no one else had noticed. Thankfully, Amaya was too engrossed in her work. "Um... I'm considering joining the Janitors' mercenary branch."

"And of the plan to search for Pillars?"

"I'm not sure," Sero admitted. "I haven't got a clue on where I should start."

"Perhaps back to the site of the abandoned house? Where you had been taken to that underground area?" Aphiel suggested thoughtfully. "I was curious about that place ever since my connection with you had been restored after you were rescued. There may be a chance that I could detect traces of any residual energy."

Sero nodded, considering the idea. It was as good a place to start as any. "Yeah, that's a good idea. We could check it out. Maybe there's something there that could lead us to something." He glanced over at Amaya. "Hey, I'm going to head back to the abandoned house to check something out with my Sponsor."

"Alone?" Amaya frowned, looking up from her keyboard. "Do you want me to come with?"

Sero smirked. "You know, I'm a big boy. I can handle myself."

Amaya didn't seem convinced. "But what if you run into trouble?"

"Nothing short of a Catastrophe will be enough to take me down, remember?" Sero quipped, trying to lighten the mood. He saw the concern in her eyes and felt a pang of guilt for his flippant remark. "But, I'll be careful, I promise. I've got an entire army at my disposal and countless Skills to use."

Amaya sighed, giving in to his stubbornness. "Fine, but keep in touch. I'll be waiting for you to get back. And try not to die."

"I will… and won’t. Don't worry about me too much," Sero said with a small smile, trying to reassure her. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips, before heading out the door. "I'll be back soon."

----------------------------------------

"You sense anything?" Sero murmured to Aphiel's projection as he surveyed the sanctioned abandoned house. Moss and Lime sniffed around the perimeters, their emerald eyes gleaming in the shade. The house stood tall and ominous, a stark reminder of the horrors that lurked beneath its crumbling foundation.

"No unusual energy signatures or magical residue," Aphiel replied, her voice calm and reassuring. "But perhaps that is because we are on the surface-level. The majority of the battle took place within the sub-basement, correct?"

"Yeah, that's right," Sero said, glancing around the yard. "Let's head inside." He led them through the front door and into the dusty, dimly lit living room. The air was stale and heavy with an unsettling sense of foreboding. "I think the sub-basement entrance is over there."

With his Detect on high alert, Sero summoned a couple of face card familiars and stationed them around the abandoned house as he recalled Moss and Lime to his side. The duo nodded solemnly as they returned to their master's side, ready to protect him at a moment's notice. Sero motioned for Aphiel to follow and led them down the dark hallway towards the sub-basement entrance. The air grew colder and more oppressive the further they went, the weight of the past seeming to press down upon them.

Breaking into the chamber once more, Sero grimaced, recalling the memory of how he went berserk after seeing Casey die in front of him. He forced himself to focus on the task at hand, scanning the room with his Detect Skill. The familiar altar up ahead was stained with the blood of the sacrificed children, an unpleasant odor filling the air.

"Oh," Aphiel gasped, "Champion, I am picking up on something faint... something... evil."

Sero's heart skipped a beat. "Where?" he demanded, his voice barely above a whisper. In truth, Sero had already sensed the evil energy, but he didn’t want to come to terms with how… familiar it felt. He figured it might be the residual energy from Thaddeus or Malek from his fight against them.

Aphiel pointed toward the altar. "I do not know, but it seems to be coming from there."

Sero swallowed hard. The very altar that he, Amaya, and Elizabeth watched Casey get sacrificed upon. The place where Sero had lost all reasoning and control for the first time. Where he killed Thaddeus, and where Dr. Malek had escaped from his clutches.

Moss and Lime growled softly as Sero approached the altar. The two dragon familiars seemed unnerved by whatever presence was lurking nearby. As Sero knelt down beside Aphiel, he closed his eyes and focused on the sensation of evil emanating from the altar.

"It's... familiar," he muttered. "I've felt it before, but not this strong." He took a deep breath, steadying himself before continuing. "It's like... when I used Apep's skills for the first time."

The goddess glanced at him worriedly. "A Catastrophe is usually guided by the banished gods, so it is not far off to assume that the energy you are feeling is the very same. Champion... are you... have you felt corrupted?"

Sero felt a chill run down his spine at her words. "I... don't know. I can't say for sure. I mean, when I had lost control before, I didn't feel anything like this. It was more like... a fog. But now it's... it's sharp."

Aphiel continued to stare at him, her concern growing by the second. "I desperately hope that it is not true, but champion... it appears as if you copied more than just their Skills."

Sero didn't reply right away, averting his gaze from the goddess.

"It's because they're incompatible, isn't it?" Sero quietly confided. "I'm guessing there's a good explanation, but using non-Ascendant skills has an adverse effect on me, doesn't it?"

"I... do not wish to say for certain, but it appears as if... you may have copied their essence," Aphiel said softly, her voice barely audible over the throbbing pain in Sero's head. "It is a possibility. I would advise you to be careful with using any non-Ascendant skills, as it may lead to... unforeseen consequences."

She didn't have to say it out loud for Sero to know she either meant full corruption, or death.