Assad stepped out of Vonessia's office, gently closing the door behind him with a soft click.
He figured he might as well take another look at the jacket. It didn't disappoint; it was seriously cool. The stitching, the Chinatown-inspired patterns, and the bold Sweepers lettering across the back all of it felt official, like he had finally stepped into something much bigger than himself.
"So why don't the others wear this…?" he wondered aloud, tilting his head to examine the sleeve logo of a flying broom leaving a trail of smoke.
To him, it was fire. It was a real mystery why they didn't sport it.
'Maybe they just didn't get it.'
With a sigh, Assad continued down the hallway until he reached the elevator. He pressed the open button, and the doors slid apart. As he stepped inside, he paused.
"Wait, which button was it? I didn't catch which one they pressed," he muttered to himself.
He glanced at the buttons, but there was only one. Oddly enough, it didn't indicate whether it was going up or down.
"Guess I'll have to take a chance."
He pressed the button, and the doors closed, starting the descent. He let out a breath of relief. As the elevator descended to the lower floor, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the door and smirked.
Yeah, it was official he was really part of the Sweepers now.
The elevator finally reached the bottom floor where the others are hanging out at.The doors opens and he walks out of it, then he starts walking to Shuren's office even if he is happy he still needs more information about this world and somehow a way to get back home.
Even though within the few days that he has been in this world and the small memories that he has shared with the sweepers. This is not where he lives or where he is from, he truly misses his parents from earth.
"I wonder how they are doing right now, are they worried or crying for my return." he whispered to himself.
He starts walking, around the hallway until he passes by the medical bay. Assad remembers that Mya is inside, maybe he should visit her.
Then he hears talking, wondering who it might be so he takes a peek only to see Shuren and Sévon in the room. Shuren is seated on a chair, legs crossed while Sévon is on the wall, arms crossed and they are both talking while looking at Mya.
If the both of them are having a conversation, it's possible that it might be about the True Failure thing and also maybe Mya awakening as a Sionel now. Assad really wants to listen but the words of Vonessia ring in his head. He can't have assistance for finding out about what is a True Failure.
So he gives up the easy dropping and decides to knock on the door, as soon as he does that both Shuren and Sévon gaze in his direction.
"Oh hey Assad you doin' good." Sévon asked.
"Yea, still alive and kicking." Assad replied.
Shuren wanted to talk until she saw the jacket that Assad was wearing and did nothing. She takes out the cigarette that she was smoking and throws it away as it was her last puff.
"So let me guess the boss gave you that right."
"Yeah, she did, doesn't look cool." Assad replied
Sévon also saw that and nodded with a thumbs up.
"Damn right it looks cool," Sévon said with a grin. "Most of us don't really wear ours, but on you? Yeah, it totally fits."
Shuren didn't say a word; she just kept staring at the jacket, her face giving nothing away.
"Actually, that's what I wanted to ask, why don't you guys wear yours?" Assad chimed in.
Sévon turned to the window, a smile creeping onto his face.
"No particular reason, at least for me. I can't speak for the others, though."
Assad titled his head in confusion.
"What kind of answer is that?" Assad asked.
Sévon has a slight chuckle.
"You won't get it, anyway. Looking at the design and color scheme of your jacket means that is your Qi layer." Sévon said.
"Qi layer, what's that?"
"The boss didn't tell you what a bummer anyway, in other words it's your aura if you want it in our style of speech." Sévon said.
Assad nodded in understanding, knowing what he must train and earn more about.
'Sounds like a really good concept,I gotta learn more about it.'
"You ain't learning sh*t."
Sévon and Assad look at Shuren's direction, both having confusion on their faces.
"Even if you both look at me like that, Assad you're not learning the Qi layer." Shuren said.
"Is there a problem if I do learn Shuren? Assad asked.
Shuren clicked her tongue and fished out another cigarette from her jacket. Even though the pack was already empty, she seemed to realize it, tossed it aside, and leaned against the table instead.
"I'm not gonna waste my breath talking about it, just don't learn Qi Layer for your own safety, otherwise your bird days will finally arrive." Shuren said as she stood up from her chair and walked out of the medical bay.
Assad is just fully confused on why Shuren even said that? Is something dangerous incoming? Maybe a major threat or something else?
"Listen I don't know her deal but you can learn about Qi layer." Sévon said.
"Can I? But wait I got injected with the sacred water so practically I'm a Kaku user so can Qi and Kaku collide with each other?" Assad asked.
"Well yea of course just because you are a Kaku user doesn't mean you can't use some parts of Qi. Almost every Kaku user can use some Qi techniques to amplify themselves to either advance in the chain or just for fun."
"Okay that makes sense. Does that mean you are a Qi user Sévon?"
Sévon smiled and flicked Assad on the forehead and then nodded to him. Then he started to leave for the medical bay, while doing so he spoke without making a sound.
"I'll teach you more about it when she is not around."
Assad understood and nodded back,Sévon then left the room. Assad sat at Shuren's chair next to the sleeping Mya who is still recovering from the bullet shot that disabled her awakening for a while by Shuren.
'I'm happy that I get to learn more about the magic system of this world but still, one thing still flows in my mind though. What is a true failure?'
Assad then stood up from the chair before leaving. He wished Mya a speedy recovery and then he walked out the room as well.
Assad took the long trip in the hallway back to his room. There are still many things that he wants to figure out, especially with the intense information that he has received and he wants to process them all with a gentle quiet mind, meaning he wants to be alone in his room.
He finally arrives and opens the door, he takes off the jacket and puts it on a hanger then jumps on his bead.
'Okay now with all the info that I have received. I think it's time for me to try to solve this puzzle. First, this world is so far from what I have seen and heard. It resembles a murim world from the webtoons that I used to read back on earth, then you mix it with a fantasy setting straight out of a manga. Then there is the concept of the walls which do sound familiar but I can't get my mind on to it.'
The many things he has heard just from the setting of this world do not make sense to him. If this is a murim type of world he should have at least heard something about the sects, the problem is that both Shuren and Vonessia never told him about them. Maybe they just don't exist.
The next thing is the empire before becoming this type of murim fantasy type setting just from thought, it would have resembled 19th Century Europe. Then there is the founding emperor, the way he built this empire himself, must lead to one thing.
'Was the founding emperor a transmigrator like me?'
The thought was in Assad's mind but instead of shrugging it off he decided to keep it in mind. Who knows they might actually meet somewhere, and they could have a chat about how he brought ideas from earth to this world.