Sero laid in bed, his mind whirling with thoughts as the quiet buzzing of the city provided some ambient noise. Amaya had left quickly after getting an alert of an estimated C-rank monster outbreak and refused to let Sero accompany her, emphasizing that he needed to rest for tomorrow’s match. He wondered if she also knew of the pending extension to the tournament.

Earlier, he had tried reaching out to Aphiel, but she was surprisingly unresponsive, the first time in a while that they hadn’t spoken at night. He figured she was with the other goddesses, and didn’t want to bother her.

Sero rolled over on his side and shut his eyes, trying to go to sleep. After a while, he gave up, deciding to test out his newly acquired Joker skill. Even though he copied the other four suits, Sero was more interested in what his Joker would look like.

He walked out into his spacious living room, his body buzzing with power as he conjured a green playing card. He tossed it in front of him, watching as the card exploded with an emerald light, shaping itself into a humanoid shape. Just like Anya's Joker, the familiar had the same attire, but it had a black and neon green pattern instead. The Joker's opera mask that covered the top half of its face was trimmed with a brilliant jade as it stood up, gazing at Sero with its green eyes.

"Master." The Joker bowed its head. Sero licked his lips eagerly.

The Joker was feminine as he hoped, with straight black hair that stopped below her chin. Her pale skin shone brightly underneath the moonlight. The black and green outfit she wore also emphasized her curves, though she wasn't as shapely as Anya's Joker. That was all right with Sero.

"Hmm... you're very beautiful." Sero murmured to himself, noting that she was slightly taller than he was.

The Joker tilted her head, a small blush appearing on her pale cheeks. "Thank you, Master." She took a step closer, her green eyes glinting with curiosity. "What is it you'd like me to do?"

Sero folded his arms, tapping his finger on his chin. "Anya's Joker seemed to have a mind of its own. Are you the same way?"

The Joker tilted her head to the other side, her expression contemplative. "I do possess my own will and desires, Master. However, I am bound to obey your commands and serve you as you see fit. If you wish for me to act independently, I can attempt to do so."

Sero clicked his tongue, unsatisfied with her answer. "Ah, but can you think for yourself?"

The Joker paused for a moment, her eyes flickering with a spark of determination. "I can certainly attempt to do so, Master. However, I must warn you that my capabilities in that aspect are still untested and may not be as developed as Anya's Joker's. It may take some time for me to fully understand the extent of my independence."

"Really?" Sero raised an eyebrow. "So, you're saying that summoning you for the first time is kinda like being born?"

The Joker considered his words carefully before responding. "It's an interesting comparison, Master. I suppose it could be said that, in a way, I am experiencing a sort of rebirth within your presence. However, I must stress that I am still very much your servant and will always obey your commands."

Sero sighed, begrudgingly accepting her answer. He'd have more time to understand how the Joker worked later. For now, he was content to learn that his Joker was a woman, and a cute one at that.

"Assuming you can do everything Anya's Joker could, I'm guessing you're very strong, then?"

Without warning, the Joker flicked her hand forward, conjuring a razor-sharp rapier that pierced the air next to Sero's head. His face remained stoic, but his heart was racing. She didn't give off any intent to harm him; still, Sero was unprepared for her demonstration. At least he didn’t flinch.

"Is this what you wanted to see, Master?" The Joker asked, her voice calm and controlled. Her green eyes never left his face as she slowly withdrew the rapier, causing it to vanish with a soft pop. "I can fight on par with Anya's Joker, but my true strength lies in my versatility. I can adapt to any situation you throw at me, from close-quarters combat to long-range attacks. But I must warn you, Master. Anya's Joker is unique. She's been with her for a long time, and they share a deep bond. It will take time for us to develop that same connection. For now, I am here to serve you as your faithful companion and servant."

"R-right." Sero cleared his throat. "Then, I look forward to fighting alongside you, Joker."

He paused, making a face. "Nah, 'Joker' sounds weird. Do you have another name you'd want me to call you by?"

The Joker blinked, her green eyes narrowing. "My name is Joker, Master. It has been given to me by the Cardian race. It is who I am. However, if you insist on using another name, I will obey your command."

"Cardian race?" Sero was unfamiliar with the term. Was there more to Anya's class? If that was the case, then Sero started to wonder about the origins behind her Courtmancer class. What if his Scholar class had deeper layers to it? Did every class have unique origins?

Sero shook his head, remembering that summoning the Joker was supposed to stop him from thinking too much.

"Ok, I've decided," he said, sitting down on the armrest of his chair. "Your new name will be... Sting." Judging by how fast her rapier was, it seemed like a fitting name.

The Joker nodded, her expression neutral. "As you wish, Master. From now on, you may call me Sting." She paused for a moment, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Master, if I may ask, what is your favorite color?"

"Huh?" Sero paused for a moment. "I never really thought about it, but I guess it'd be blue. Why?"

Sting tilted her head curiously. "No reason. I simply wish to learn more about my master."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Sero felt a small smile growing on his face as he realized that Sting was indeed a sentient being capable of thinking for herself. Somehow, his penthouse didn't seem so empty anymore.

"How long can you stay summoned?" Sero asked her.

Sting raised an eyebrow. "I am bound to you, Master. In terms that you can understand, as long as you have the mana for it, I can remain out here indefinitely."

Sero closed his eyes for a moment, sensing out his mana reserves. After he came back to Earth, he recalled his mana reserves comparable to a bathtub. Now, it seemed like a sizable lake, but it was draining rapidly, funneling towards keeping Sting summoned.

"Damn," Sero sighed as he opened his eyes. Even as he activated his mana efficiency, it was still draining him quicker than he could replenish his reserves. Raul had mentioned that Ascendants with Mage backgrounds could potentially draw mana from their surroundings, but it was a difficult ability to master. Perhaps Sero would fare better in increasing his reserves, since his mana efficiency was already at the peak of its caliber.

"Well, it seems like I can’t have you out forever," Sero grimaced. "But, I’ll be calling you out very often from now on. Especially during my match tomorrow."

"Understood, Master." Sting bowed her head. With a wave of his hand, Sero dismissed the Joker, leaving him feeling lonely once again.

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

The next morning, Sero woke up feeling apprehensive about the day. Before he had gone to bed, Sero tried out the other suits, finding them pretty much identical to Anya’s familiars. He was able to summon the full 12 face cards, and noticed they drained his mana significantly faster than if he had Sting out by herself.

Glancing at his phone, he saw that Gregor had texted him that the extension would be announced before the start of the fourth round, so only the qualifiers and the semi-finals would take place today. Though he was relieved that he wouldn’t have to fight 3 rounds back to back in the case that he did win the first two, he nonetheless felt worried about his performance. Especially since his father would go into surgery later today.

Opting for comfort and ease of movement, Sero tossed on black track pants and a light athletic t-shirt as he walked out of his penthouse towards the elevator. As he rode it down, he ran through every skill he had acquired thus far.

Aside from his Perfect Analysis, Copy, and Recall, he had copied the Mana Sword conjuring, Mana Enhancement, Water Blast, and Fire Blast from Amaya.

From Nala: Mana Knives, Shadow Sneak, Detect, and Shadow Shift.

Kanna: his staple Nuke and Railgun.

Raul: the ever useful Mana and Energy Efficiency.

The succubi outbreak: a Mage’s Inspiration and Recovery, along with a Warrior’s Iron Skin.

Enzo: Fairness, Revenge, the Jury Axe, and Hellfire, though he couldn't really use it.

Sal: Mana Cannon, Starfall, Blast Zone, and Force Field.

Anya: Spades, Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and the Joker.

And finally, from Casssandra and Max respectively: Glassmake and Form Shift.

Despite his repertoire being impressively extensive, Sero still felt like it wasn’t enough, mostly because of his undying obsession with copying more skills, but also because of the overwhelming show that Gregor revealed last night. It made Sero believe that it didn’t matter how many skills he copied if they couldn’t do anything to someone as powerful as the Conqueror.

"Champion?"

Sero blinked, not registering Aphiel’s voice right away.

"Oh, Aphiel. Where were you last night?"

"My apologies, champion. I was discussing something urgent with the other gods." Aphiel paused. "I think it’s time to let you in on what I know."

"And that is?"

The goddess sounded hesitant. "About today… it appears that members of the organization you know as Culling seem to have established a connection with the evil gods."

The elevator stopped with a ding, opening its doors. Sero stepped out, seeing Amaya waiting for him near the entrance. A swarm of people was gathered outside once again.

"Evil gods? Are they different from regular gods?" Sero switched to his thoughts as he nodded to Amaya.

"In a sense, yes. In terms of how you mortals understand morality, they are considered evil, but to us, they are simply those who have been banished."

"Banished?" Sero and Amaya managed to slip through the crowd and into her car.

"Those you call Sponsors are gods who are more or less on the side of humanity. We want to see you prosper, since our relationship can be described as symbiotic. Your faith, devotion, and memories are what gives us power and meaning. On the other hand, the banished gods have all but lost their true selves, reduced to nothing but corrupted and starved existences that only seek to consume and destroy."

As Amaya began driving them to the stadium, Sero shivered from the thought.

"So, you're saying some of the Culling have come into contact with these banished gods?"

"It's more complicated than that. The banished gods are beyond mere physical contact. They can't directly interact with the mortal world. Instead, they lurk in the shadows, whispering into the ears of those who are weak-willed, corrupting them and using them as puppets to do their bidding. In the case of Culling, they are the perfect vessel for their malevolent influence."

"And those who were corrupted by the banished gods have been at the tournament?"

"I'm... not sure." Aphiel admitted. "Regular gods are able to sense each other, but banished gods have a completely different presence that makes it hard to detect. Even the strongest among my kind wouldn't know until they reveal themselves."

"That's a little worrying," Sero glanced at Amaya, who was focused on navigating through the traffic. "I should let the others know, huh?"

"Actually, I'd rather you keep this quiet. The other champions will know of this through their own gods, so I would appreciate it if you would keep this to yourself."

Sero considered this for a moment.

"You weren't supposed to tell me this right now, were you?"

"...No. But, I figured you'd want to at least be prepared in case something does happen."

"Fine," Sero sighed. "Thanks, Aphiel."

"Good luck today, champion."