SYSTEM ASCENSION

The spacious living room was parked with children, sun streaming in through the large windows.

"You’re Rowen right?"

The question continued to probe Rowen’s mind as he sat a few feet away from Elias.

He hasn’t even begun to ask what happened, because the boy was already plenty weird.

Although he had been here only once, he was familiar with some of the children, but looking at him interacting with them, it was like meeting them for the first time. It was like coming here was mainly muscle memory.

At some point, all the children were questioning Mimi and laughing with her, while Keen chose to stare at Elias like they had a personal beef.

"You have grown taller." Keen said.

"And I don’t even know you." Elias replied.

This confirmed Rowen’s thoughts. Elias had been gone long enough to forget basic things.

"How long has it been?"

Elias raised his hand and casually shoved Keen out of the way. "About a year? I heard?"

"In your perspective?" Rowen leaned forward.

Elias released a smile scoff that looked like a smile. "Long enough."

They decided to drop the case.

Elias himself didn’t remember a lot of things after being stuck in the void and forced to watch a vivid anatomy of existence.

"Welcome back at least." Rowen sighed. "Now I can breathe in relief."

"Why?"

"You died. I was expecting the black empire to throw a fit."

"No signal said I died."

"Like a vital signal?"

"I don’t remember. A part of me is still here too so..."

Rowen laughed. "Right. So what are you up to? Do you want to go home?"

"I would have, if I wanted to."

"Then?"

"The academy."

Rowen’s eyes widened. "We never had a conversation like that."

"I had it with Zeal."

A brief moment of silence followed. Even Mimi sensed the tense atmosphere.

"I’m interested." Elias added.

"I guess you didn’t forget that part."

"If I do, then what’s there to remember?"

"Is it just me or does he talks more than normal?!" Keen yelled.

They both glanced at the boy.

"This is Keen." Rowen pointed to the boy.

"He said it." Elias replied.

"Anyways," Rowen stood up, shoving his hands in his pocket. "To attend the academy, you need a proper identification card, number and a proper awakening test."

"A test?"

"You were already tested, but we need to do it again."

Elias remembered the feeling of the device in his neck. He frowned.

"I don’t think I like it."

Rowen shrugged. "It’s not that bad. I’m already imagining their faces when they realize that you’re an S ranker.

THREE DAYS LATER—

"I got a C rank."

Rowen choked on the wine he was drinking.

Mimi, who somehow hasn’t left, was staring at him in shock.

Even all the children were baffled.

"What?" Rowen laid the glass on the table. "What happened?"

Elias looked up, like he could pull the scene out of tiny air.

FLASHBACK>> AWAKENING CENTER.

The lady approached Elias with the device, smiling calmly.

"This device will test the amount of vital energy you have, and will give you a rank, yes?"

He sat back.

"Yes."

"And it’ll become unbearable if it’s reaching its max. Be sure to tap my hand if you can’t take it."

"Yes."

She gently tilted his head and inserted the device into his neck.

The readings began.

Elias stared at the wall as silence returned, then he began to think about the same time he had gone through this. That damn night.

He grabbed her wrist.

"Oh? Is it unbearable?" She pulled it out and checked the readings. "The vital energy of a C ranker. I’ll have your awakening card ready soon."

FLASHBACK END—

"Puaahahahaha!"

They all burst into laughter after his explanation.

"You scammed yourself." Mimi laughed.

He glanced at her. "Why are you still here?"

"You should do it again," Rowen proposed.

"I’ll pass on that." He rejected the offer.

"Then, it’s fine. A C ranker hiding an S ranked strength shouldn’t be a bad troupe."

"I was ranked A." Mimi was saying to a child who had asked.

"Why are you still here?" He asked again.

"I left, and returned." She gave him a thumbs up.

Elias leaned back and summoned the system.

[Basic information][Ability][Stats][Inventory][Armory]

’The system had gotten more precise. I noticed it after I parted ways with Mona. It was like the system couldn’t read it together. Things like authority were removed too.’

"Where is Mona by the way?"

"Mona?"

"The egg."

Keen huffed and crossed his arms. "Safe in my abode, although it still hasn’t hatched."

"Hmm."

He returned his eyes to the panel and summoned basic information.

[Name: Elias Morail]

[Age: 18]

[Height: 6’10]

[Weight: 120kg]

[Species: Halfling][Description: A Qud and a human]

[Occupation: S rank raider]

[Status: Upholder/Sector seven sole survivor]

’A Qud huh...’

His eyes went up.

"I’m 6’10?! Make it make sense."

"Do you know how tall you are?" Mimi scoffed.

"You don’t need a ladder to reach the top floor. One step is enough." Rowen grinned.

"Very funny." He returned his eyes to the information.

Rowen stared at him, confirming that he was indeed reading something. This justified the actions of Zeal in the past who would stare at the space before him, moving his eyes.

Elias summoned the ability next.

[Innate ability: Creation]

[System ability: Void]

[Level:01]

[Xp: 0/100]

[Skill: void erase]

Under it was a text.

[To level up the void ability, gain xp by completing missions.]

"Hmmm."

’Stats.’

[Strength: 45/100]

[Agility: 51/100]

[Vitality: ???/100]

[Endurance: 40/100]

[Will power: 50/100]

[Luck: 16/100]

[Stamina: 51/100]

[Talent grade: S]

"..."

’I feel like I am destined to not have luck.’

He tilted his head.

’The recent raid has increased my stats though. Seeing hard work paying off is refreshing.’

He dismissed the system and stood up.

"Let’s talk."

Rowen didn’t need a soothsayer to interpret that Elias was talking to him. He simply stood up and followed.

Mimi herself was baffled. "Why is he talking to master Rowen like that?"

"He’s a numbered in the sound league ranking." Keen shrugged.

"Numbered?!" She watched them leave.

’We’re so far apart.’

...

They had taken the elevator to the top floor. The top of the building where you could see half the whole Salvador empire.

"What is it?"

Elias tucked his hands in his pocket. "Zeal’s ability."

Rowen flinched.

"You must have noticed right?" Elias’ hair caught the wind as he spoke. "Zeal told me about it himself."

"He awakened as a C ranker, but had the regeneration ability of an S ranker." Rowen spoke, voice lower than normal. He gripped the railing hard.

"..."

When he noticed that Elias said nothing, he proceeded.

"Those people were able to raise his regeneration speed artificially and it affected his vital core."

"Right and wrong." Elias countered. "They raised his regeneration speed, but that wasn’t needed because he was supposed to be their pawn and enemy."

"You mean..."

"That wasn’t the reason why his core was affected too."

"What?"

"The extraction caused it."

"Extraction?"

"They somehow extracted his abilities,"

Elias pulled out his hand and held it out to the sky.

"Buckle up Rowen. From now on, you’ll come across people artificially made with Zeal’s ability."

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