A wicked and gleeful sneer contorted Sero’s face as he took back his Ascendant ID, the rank underneath now displaying ‘A-rank’.

"You know, your expressions could use more work. People might think you’re a villain." Amaya cringed as she stepped back from him.

"Sure, whatever. I don’t really care." Sero tried to contain his happiness to no avail as he put his ID away. "So, how do I get started with official mercenary work?"

Amaya thought for a moment.

"Ah, well the first thing is for you to register with the mercenary union. Similar to Ascendant registration, the mercenary union registration will enable you to officially accept job requests from other mercenary branches."

She glanced at Sero to make sure he was paying attention.

"Anyways," she continued after she confirmed his full focus. "To reinforce what you’ve learned— hopefully you’ve learned something— registering as an Ascendant gives you access to guilds and the mercenary union. Guilds are more team based and require members to do certain things to help further the entirety of the organization. Mercenaries are usually soloists, but can team up sometimes, and they act based on the commission pay of jobs. Mercenary branches offer jobs but often require service fees if you choose to take them."

Sero nodded slowly, on the verge of losing track.

"So, to put it shortly, let’s get you registered as a mercenary at the union, and then you can start accepting jobs from various branches." Amaya finished quickly, sensing his waning attention.

"Ok," Sero hesitated. "Wait, hold on."

"Aphiel?"

There was still no response.

Sero made a face and glanced at Amaya.

"How do I go to my Sponsor’s personal space?"

"Huh? Oh, you just need to think of them and sort of pray. Think along the lines of willing yourself to appear before them. What are you planning to do—"

Sero felt a tugging on his body as he traveled to Aphiel’s personal space.

He found himself standing in a dimly lit room with muted light streaming through a few small windows. The room was cluttered with books, scrolls, and various other trinkets scattered about. A single bed, covered in a patchwork quilt, was tucked into one corner, while a small desk took up another, piled high with parchment and writing utensils. A small fireplace in the opposite corner provided a warm glow and the only source of heat.

Sero saw Aphiel hunched down in front of the fireplace. She wore a black skirt and a white shirt sleeved blouse. Her light brown hair cascaded down her back, shimmering softly under the muted light.

"Aphiel?" Sero slowly approached the goddess.

Her body stiffened, but she kept her back towards him.

"What do you want?" Her voice sounded flat and emotionless.

"Ah," Sero scratched the back of his head. "I wanted to say I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to talk about you like that."

Aphiel stayed silent.

"Look, I’m really sorry for saying all that stuff. I shouldn’t have resorted to using you," Sero sighed, not really sure if his words were getting through. "I do appreciate you helping me."

"You’re just saying that so I won’t be upset." Aphiel mumbled.

"No, really. I don’t show it, but I appreciate your guidance. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you."

For a moment, Aphiel remained quiet. Then she slowly turned around, still crouched.

Her emerald eyes were tinged red, most likely from crying. She sniffed, staring at Sero with a pout.

"Your copy felt sorry for you because you’re the only one who could hear me. And your copy is an exact replica of you, so you probably would’ve felt the same in his position. You just think I’m a nuisance." Her lip trembled.

Sero found her pouting oddly cute and couldn’t stop himself from feeling guilty seeing her expression.

"W-well, I only beat him because that's how I felt before taking the trial. But after that, my mindset changed. I’m now grateful that I’m the only one who can talk to you. You’ve helped me a lot and I don’t think you’re a nuisance. Honest."

Aphiel stared at him for a moment.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Promise?"

"Yeah," Sero scratched the back of his head. "I promise."

The goddess sniffed again. A slow smile began to spread across her face.

"Ok. I believe you." Aphiel beamed at him.

Sero’s guilt increased and he couldn’t accept how gullible and innocent Aphiel was. There was no way anyone else could get over it that quickly.

Aphiel wiped the rest of her tears away and sat properly on the floor, crossing her legs.

"So anyway," Sero quickly avoided staring underneath the goddess’s skirt. "I wanted to thank you again. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have known the true usage of my skills."

Aphiel smiled. Her green eyes sparkled as she nodded. She looked up at Sero, studying him carefully.

"You're welcome," she said softly. "It's been a pleasure guiding you so far, even through the rough patches. You've proven to be a quick learner and an incredibly determined individual. I have no doubt that you'll continue to grow and achieve great things in the future."

Sero swore quietly to himself. Aphiel’s innocence was really adding to his conscience.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks." He awkwardly replied and glanced around the room. "So, this is your personal space? It’s… cozy."

Aphiel immediately glared at him with an accusing gaze. "Are you making fun of my room?" She frowned, tears beginning to form in her eyes again.

"What? No, I’m just noticing the size of your room. I’m not teasing you or anything." Sero quickly tried to calm her down.

Aphiel narrowed her eyes at him, but seemed to relax slightly. She glanced around the room, taking in his words. Then, the goddess huffed and crossed her arms.

"Well... I like it. It's not as big as some of the others, but it's comfortable and feels like home. I've been in here for a very long time... since before your world was even created." She paused, a distant look in her eyes. "It's been my sanctuary, my safe haven. I've met with countless mortals here, guided them, listened to their problems and concerns. This room has seen it all."

"So… if you don’t mind me asking… why do you not have a larger following?"

Aphiel raised an eyebrow at Sero. "My following? You mean mortals who worship me?" She took a deep breath. "Well... it's complicated. You see, there was a time when mortals worshiped the gods freely. They built temples and shrines, held grand festivals and ceremonies in our honor. But over time, things changed. The universe became more secular, and people began to focus on other things. They stopped believing in the gods, or at least, they believed we were no longer relevant."

"Right…" Sero did find some truth to her words. He remembered how he himself wasn’t as particularly big on worship and religion before the apocalypse. "So I assume that the gods with more Ascendants, er, champions have a larger following?"

Aphiel nodded in embarrassment.

"Compared to those gods, I’m still relatively new. So that’s why I’m not as well-known as they are."

"What are you the goddess of?"

Aphiel opened her mouth and paused, caught off guard by Sero’s question.

"Oh, w-well, I’m just a being with divinity. There are others like me, divine beings who don’t belong to any pantheon and are grouped into a lower class. I guess you could say I’m like a… general type of god." Aphiel lowered her head.

"Oh," Sero shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I’m… I’m glad you’re my goddess."

Aphiel smiled, her eyes glimmering with hope. "Thank you, champion. Your loyalty means a lot to me. I'll do my best to help you in any way that I can, just like I promised." She stood up and smoothed down her skirt.

"Yeah. Thanks." Sero nodded. Then he glanced over at her bed. "Do you actually sleep here?"

Aphiel blushed and turned away, shyly covering her mouth with her hand. "Well, I don't exactly need to sleep, but sometimes I just like to... rest my eyes. I can dream and everything, you know." She paused, looking back at Sero. "It's just... comforting, having a bed. A place where I can feel safe and at peace."

"Huh." The more Sero talked to her, the more human she seemed. He wondered if the other gods and goddesses were like Aphiel, or if she was just a special case.

"Shouldn’t you get going, champion? You received your A-rank, yes?" Aphiel seemed to be in a better mood.

"Ah, right. Yeah, I’ll be going now." Sero concentrated on going back to the real world. Aphiel smiled at him warmly and gave a small wave that he found absolutely adorable.

"Wow… I should stop being an asshole to her." He thought to himself as he imagined returning to the real world.

In a flash of white light, he found himself back outside the trial entrance waiting room. Amaya glanced up at him from her chair, an irritated look on her face.

"What took you so long? I was starting to get worried." She stood up, stretching her arms above her head.

"My bad," Sero smiled wryly. "I just needed to chat with my Sponsor for a bit."

Amaya raised an eyebrow. "How’d it go?"

Sero shrugged. "She’s feeling better after I apologized."

The Ascendant Liaison sighed and shook her head.

"Let’s go to the mercenary union and get you registered."

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

A short while later, Sero sat in the passenger seat of a luxurious sports car as Amaya drove them to the mercenary union, on the opposite end from the Ascendants Association.

"I hope you didn’t forget." Amaya said to him as she kept her eyes on the road.

"Forget what?"

"To pay me back after you get situated with the mercenary union."

"Oh."

Sero had completely forgotten about it.

Amaya smirked, as if she had read his thoughts.

"Don’t stress about it too much. Just pay me back whenever you can."

"Thanks." Sero murmured as he stared out of the window.

"Not that it’s any of my business but, how’d you end up so destitute?"

A brief scowl flickered across Sero’s face.

"To put it short, a certain goddess was supposed to watch over me when the apocalypse began. I died the first day and she revived me, only I ended up a year in the future." He didn’t have to imagine what Aphiel’s reaction to his words just now would be.

"Oh." Amaya didn’t know how else to respond. "So that’s what you meant by ‘starting over’."

Sero grunted in agreement.

For the rest of the car ride, the two made idle small talk until they reached the mercenary union building.

The mercenary union building was a sprawling complex nestled between two skyscrapers, its facade a mix of sleek glass and cold stone. The architecture was designed to evoke a sense of power and security, with tall walls and heavily armed guards posted at every entrance. Even from a distance, the building exuded an aura of strength and resilience.

Inside, it was a bustling place, filled with people of all races and backgrounds. The air was thick with the scent of money and danger, and the sounds of weapons being drawn and sheathed echoed through the hallways. Sero followed Amaya to a desk where a middle-aged man with a scarred face sat.

"Can I help y'all?" The man drawled as the pair approached.

"Hello, I'm Liaison Amaya from the Ascendants Association. I'm here to help Ascendant Sero register in the mercenary union."

The man nodded and leaned back in his chair, studying Sero with a critical eye. "What's your class, rank, and age, Ascendant Sero?"

"Uh, Scholar class. A-rank. 22 years old."

"Scholar class?" The man raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of it. Unique?"

Sero nodded hesitantly.

"Interesting. Well, all right, let's get you registered."

The man pulled out a ledger and flipped through a few pages until he found an empty slot for a Sero. He scribbled down Sero's name and rank before typing the same information into a computer. He then printed out a card and handed it to him. "Congratulations, you're now a registered member of the mercenary union. Here's your identification badge. Make sure you always wear it or keep it on you when you're on a job."

Sero took the badge and looked at it. It had his name, class, rank, and a unique identification number. It wasn't all that different from his Ascendant ID, save for the black coloring and the mercenary union tag on the back. "Thanks."

"So, how do I get my first job?" He asked, looking up at Amaya.

Amaya gave a wry smile.

"Well, now that you're a mercenary, you can look at requests here or on the website. The jobs will often be posted by mercenary branches, who'll take a portion of the reward you'll receive."

She guided him over to the center, where several other mercenaries were gathered.

The mercenary union building had a large screen mounted on the wall, displaying the latest job requests from various branches. The screen was divided into several sections: current jobs, high-priority jobs, and completed jobs. Sero scanned through the list, looking for something that suited his skill set.

"See anything you like?" Amaya peered over his shoulders.

"No," Sero shook his head. "Most of them aren't hunting jobs. Which is surprising, but I guess there are mercenaries that do that for free." He thought of Nala, and wondered if she was doing work for free.

"If you work with us, we will make sure you are paid handsomely." A deep voice suddenly rumbled behind them.

The two spun around and were met with a towering and imposing man.

He had streaks of gray in his neatly combed hair and a chiseled, rugged face. Despite wearing a tailored black suit, Sero could tell he was extremely muscular. His eyes were a startling purple as they bore down on Sero.

"Who are you?" Sero asked, failing to keep the nervousness from his voice.

"That's... that's Gregor Stone. He's the S-rank leader of the Janitors mercenary branch." Amaya whispered in awe.

"Your friend is correct," Gregor looked down at the pair in amusement. "I've heard so much about you, Sero Kassel. Please, tell me more about your Scholar class."