Soon enough, his session for the day came to an end, and Nightingale reluctantly bid Joel farewell before leaving the gym. Naturally, he didn't forget to grab the man's number first.
Even though today's training had pushed him far beyond what he had expected, Nightingale couldn't help but feel satisfied with the results. On top of that, by sheer coincidence, he had witnessed a Saint with his own eyes.
A Saint!
A real Saint in the flesh! He wouldn't have been able to fandom such a scenario even if someone told him that it would occur.
After all, there were only a handful of Saints throughout the world. For that matter, the possibility of encountering a Saint was far lower than winning the lottery multiple times in a row. Such individuals possessed abilities that transcended normal limits and whose very presence could shift the balance of power in any situation.
To the average person, they were nothing but legend and a fragment of memory. Even among the Awakened and Espers, who already possessed abilities beyond ordinary humans could acquire, meeting a Saint was a once-in-a-lifetime event. Their appearances were rare, fleeting, and often shrouded in mystery.
Therefore, encountering Ms. Vespera — or, more accurately, Mistress of the Veil — was nothing short of a fragment of pure luck. Lu Song could say with absolute certainty that she embodied everything he had imagined a Saint to be:
Glorious, breathtakingly beautiful, and radiating a powerful presence. More importantly...
'Her glare was particularly fierce. It felt like I was going to die just from her stare alone. Did I get a slap on the wrist?'
Given the vast difference in their ranks, that thought wasn't far off. If she had actually slapped him, he was certain his head would fly clean off; if she so much as sneezed in his direction, he'd probably vanish without a trace.
In short, had Vespera been offended by his rude staring, he would have ascended straight to heaven.
His body shivered involuntarily.
'How scary… I really need to be more careful about who I offend.'
Lu Song let a shaky sigh.
Without wasting another moment, he pulled his phone from his pocket and opened the InterCom website, a hub known as the Awakened Online Forum. Primarily, it served as a place for Espers to find cohorts, whether as permanent members or temporary allies. Beyond that, Clans could also post requests to hire mercenaries for one-off jobs and offer compensation in return.
In short, it was the equivalent of a marketplace for talent, connections, and opportunities in the world of the Awakened.
'Hmm. What to do? What to do?'
Lu Song scratched the back of his head, unsure of what to do next.
Truth be told, this was his first time using InterCom. Ideally, he would have liked to join a permanent cohort, but given his reputation as a lowly starting Squire, it was unlikely that any prominent groups would accept him. Creating his own cohort was out of the question, of course.
That left only one realistic option: seek out a temporary party with players around his own level. The catch, however, was that countless Espers out there had personalities and behaviors completely unknown to him.
Curious, he glanced at his own profile and noticed that the profile picture looked oddly reminiscent of the pink icon from a stripper club, among other quirky details.
| Username: [Devil Crybaby]
| Floors Cleared: [None]
| Classification: [Archer]
| Affiliation: [None]
"Yeah, this definitely looks promising," Lu Song muttered beneath his breath and clicked his tongue in distaste.
He scrolled down through the list of active cohorts, quickly scanning the brief descriptions that each leader had left. Most were generic: "Looking for reliable teammates," "Casual dungeon runs," "Beginner-friendly party." A few boasted more ambitious goals but the majority seemed more like placeholders than serious groups.
One entry, however, caught his eye.
[Party Name: Azure Tiger]
Leader: Kaelith
Level Range: Squire–Knight
Requirements: Mature, dependable, and adaptable.
The description was concise but professional, the kind of group that actually seemed to take their work seriously. More importantly, the level range matched his own, which meant he wouldn't be completely outclassed or worse, a liability.
'Mature, dependable, adaptable…' Lu Song murmured. He wasn't entirely sure he fit the bill, but it was better than blindly joining some random cohort that might kick him at the first mistake.
He hesitated for a moment, thinking about sending a request.
'If I don't try, I'll just waste more time staring at this list.'
Nodding to himself, he tapped the "Join Request" button and typed a brief message:
ㄴHello, I'm Devil Crybaby, a Squire looking to gain experience and contribute to your party. I'm reliable and quick to adapt. Looking forward to joining Azure Tiger in a damn descent! ^^
'Well, that's done. Now we wait.'
Fortunately, Lu Song didn't have to wait long.
Perhaps by sheer coincidence, Kaelith happened to be online, because within a minute or so, a reply appeared. Yet, the response was hardly anything worth writing home about.
ㄴDevil Crybaby, thank you for your interest in Azure Tiger. Your enthusiasm is noted. However, I don't believe your experience or capabilities align with the current needs of the party. While I'm sure you'll improve with time, our group is seeking individuals who can contribute immediately and reliably. Perhaps once you've grown stronger and proven your skills elsewhere, you might be a better fit.
The message ended politely, but the message was unmistakable:
You are not strong enough to meet our standards so screw off.
He stared at the screen for a long moment, feeling a mix of disappointment and resolve.
'...Yeah, screw that guy! Who cares what he thinks anyway! When I get strong enough, he'll beg me to join his stupid group!'
Growing determinated, Lu Song proceeded to send a few more messages. Within the next hour, Lu Song sent out requests to three more parties that seemed compatible with his level range.
One by one, responses trickled in.
[Crimson Fang] – Leader: Veylan
ㄴDevil Crybaby, thanks for your request. Unfortunately, we can't accept new members who haven't cleared at least one dungeon. Your lack of experience would slow down the team. Keep training, and maybe we can consider you in the future.
[Iron Wolf] – Leader: Korrin
ㄴAppreciate the interest, but we're only taking players who can follow precise tactics and adapt under pressure. Your Squire rank is too low to handle our current runs. Try again when you've proven yourself.
[Silent Raven] – Leader: Maelis
ㄴYour enthusiasm is commendable, Devil Crybaby, but we require members who have some combat records. As of now, you'd be a liability rather than an asset. Best of luck improving your skills!
'Damn… every single one…'
Nightingale began chewing on his fingernail, clearly tense and stressed.
Apparently, the life of a Squire was full of misfortune. Sitting at the very bottom of the hierarchy meant no one wanted them in their parties because they were liabilities, likely to falter and bring others down. Even other Squires preferred to recruit someone stronger, leaving rookies like him to scuttle about, groveling like worms just to secure a chance.
"Goddamn it!"
His sudden cry made a little girl, walking alongside her mother, flinch. The movement caused her vanilla ice cream to topple from its cone and splattered messily onto the ground.
Like any ordinary child who had just lost something precious, the little girl's eyes welled up with tears, and her mother shot him a sharp glare.
As if that alone weren't enough, the people nearby also turned to glare at him, silently blaming the bastard for the girl's misfortune. In that moment, he felt as though he had been cast as the villain in some tragic "narrative."
'Just great. Everyone's staring at me like this… Oh my... my poor, weak heart can't handle all this 'love'!'
Nightingale took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm his racing heart. He knew he had to get out of the spotlight before it got worse. Muttering under his breath, he shuffled past the crowd, avoiding eye contact and mumbling awkward apologies to the girl and her mother.
Once a safe distance away, he slumped against a nearby wall, letting out a long sigh. His day had gone from exhausting to humiliating in record time. Not only had he been rejected by every party he applied to, but now he'd also unintentionally upset a child and drawn the ire of an entire street of onlookers.
'Why is my life like this?'
After a moment, he peeked behind him. The little girl was still sniffing and wiping her tears, while her mother gave him one last piercing glare before moving along.
'Okay, maybe I shouldn't shout in public spaces! Also... couldn't I have just bought that girl another ice cream?'
Certainly, that was true but in the heat of trying to escape, his mind hadn't even considered taking responsibility whatsoever. His heart ached at having made the little girl cry, but there was nothing he could do anymore.
The child and her mother had already moved on.
Shaking off the lingering embarrassment, Nightingale checked his phone once more. Notifications from InterCom had piled up, yet none of them brought any comfort. Each rejection message seemed to sneer at him, like a pack of mocking hyenas circling their prey.
'What rotten luck… I guess there's no other way but the independent route.'
Gutted and defeated, he was just about to close InterCom when a new message popped up.
[Flaming Rose]
ㄴHey, I heard you're looking for a party. Interested in teaming up?