The Anomaly Beyond The System

Within a few seconds, the elevator came to a smooth stop. The metallic doors slid open, revealing the lowest basement floor.

Everyone stepped outside, and both Lucian’s and Seraphina’s gazes swept across the surroundings.

The basement was enormous, looking far more like a professional training facility, to be honest. The floor was covered in polished, reinforced tiles capable of withstanding powerful impacts.

Several practice areas stretched into the distance, separated by thick partitions.

To one side, several strange machines and crystalline artifacts had been neatly arranged upon long, sturdy tables, everything clean and organised, as though they had been prepared especially for them.

Without saying anything...

Cedric and Leonardo walked directly toward the equipment.

Lucian and Seraphina quietly followed behind, and while walking...

Lucian subtly leaned closer.

"...Are you alright?" he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper, a flicker of guilt evident in his tone.

If he hadn’t acted so arrogantly and shown such disrespect...

That man wouldn’t have released his pressure on them.

Seraphina, hearing his words, smiled faintly beneath the mask.

At least he had realised the consequences of his actions.

And he was worried about her.

She gave him a small nod, and after studying her for another brief moment, Lucian turned back toward the two men.

Soon, they came to a stop before the several items resting upon the large table.

Cedric turned around, calmly facing the pair with his arms crossed.

"We’ll conduct your examination here."

He gestured toward the crystals and the few unusual devices placed beside one another.

"First... we’ll measure your rank and your mana capacity."

Lucian slightly tilted his head.

"...Just this?"

A faint look of confusion appeared on his face.

Cedric raised an eyebrow.

"What? Did you expect something grand for your test?"

"Well... I was at least hoping for some large, strange gadget that would let you see my entire Status Window."

Hearing his words, both Cedric and Leonardo chuckled lightly before Cedric answered in an amused tone.

"There is no such artifact.

Nor is there any skill capable of directly viewing another person’s Status Window.

The Status Window is something granted by the gods, belonging solely to its owner.

No one else is capable of seeing it."

Lucian slowly tilted his head.

"...Is that so?"

An amused smile gradually spread across his lips...

Almost...

Almost as though he had just heard something genuinely entertaining.

Why?

Specifically because of Cedric’s very words.

And especially because, at this very moment... he was looking at something that wasn’t meant to be seen.

[STATUS WINDOW]

Name – Cedric Ashwood

Race – Human

Rank – C

Titles – Director of the Awakened Association

Bloodline – Ashen Bloodline

Affinity – None

Talent – A

[Attributes]

Strength: C+

Agility: D-

Endurance: D+

Charisma: C

[Evaluation — A lifelong soldier who dedicated everything to his nation. Upon discovering the supernatural, he stood at the forefront of humanity’s defence and now leads the Association as a director respected by allies and feared by enemies alike.]

[Affection: 5%(Dislikes your arrogance)]

’Ashwood...? So he’s this guy’s grandfather?’

Lucian thought, his gaze briefly shifting from Cedric to Leonardo—the white-suited man who had remained mostly silent beside the director.

Though he didn’t dwell on those thoughts for too long.

The elderly man was clearly someone experienced. Not someone he could simply disrespect because of his own talent...

Though that wouldn’t stop him much.

After all... he was someone who casually poked fun at the Strongest Vampire.

A veteran human soldier wasn’t exactly going to scare him.

The man had just said that the Status Window wasn’t meant to be seen by anyone else.

Yet here Lucian was...

Reading even more information than what a normal Status Window usually displayed.

Cedric was briefly confused by the smile on Lucian’s face, almost as if the young man were mocking his words, and he couldn’t help but feel that something was off.

Though before he could understand what it was—

"So, what should we do now?" Lucian asked, mentally shoving the Status Window aside as he lost interest in the conversation and shifted his attention toward the gadgets resting on the table.

Although each artifact was considerably smaller than he had expected—having imagined large, machine-like artifacts—they looked unlike anything from the modern world.

None of them resembled modern technology.

If anything...

They looked as though they had been taken straight out of a fantasy world.

"We’ll begin shortly."

Cedric smiled faintly, resting one hand on the table.

"But first... who would like to take the examination first?"

Before either of them could answer—

"Wait, actually... let’s at least record your names first."

He interrupted himself and couldn’t help but realise he had forgotten such a simple courtesy.

Perhaps old age was finally catching up to him...

Who knew?

"My name is Lucian Foster," Lucian answered calmly.

Leonardo immediately noted it down before shifting his gaze toward the masked woman.

"Se—"

She had barely uttered a single syllable—

"And she’s my partner," Lucian casually continued before she could finish.

"Selene Frost."

Seraphina’s eyes immediately shifted toward Lucian, who had cut her off.

But more importantly...

’...Selene?’

Though confused for a second, she instantly understood his reasoning.

She had been the one who insisted that she wanted to hide her identity.

Naturally, using her real name would defeat the entire purpose.

Still...

She hadn’t expected Lucian to go this far. He had even changed her name entirely... without asking her beforehand.

Lucian briefly glanced at her. Their eyes met for only a moment.

Seraphina gave the slightest nod, silently telling him that she understood.

And also...

What Lucian had done was probably for the better, since she had no intention of using her surname.

Neither her ex-husband’s surname, Cross... nor that of her biological parents.

Leonardo silently wrote down the name, although his pen paused for the briefest moment after noticing that Lucian had answered in her place.

Yes, under normal circumstances, the Association would have immediately verified every registrant’s identity and made sure they weren’t lying.

However, because of the destruction happening worldwide and the collapse of countless cities...

An enormous amount of data and government records had either been destroyed or become completely inaccessible.

Especially after the deaths of millions of people.

And there was also the possibility that Lucian and Se—Selene belonged to one of the famous ancient families...

People who had already known about the supernatural long before the apocalypse.

They still weren’t certain.

But they had absolutely no intention of leaving a poor impression of the Association before them.

As impressive as the Awakened Association appeared... it was ultimately more akin to a government institution where every known awakened was registered, while the dungeons under its control were primarily used to strengthen its own awakened.

They weren’t truly the ones fighting on the front lines. Nor were they comparable to the strongest guilds.

Just then—

"Wait... partner?"

Seraphina unconsciously repeated under her breath, staring at Lucian with widened eyes.

Even beneath the mask, her expression was filled with confusion, disbelief...

And perhaps... a little embarrassment.

This stupid son of hers had just introduced her as his partner!

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