In the dim hall, old man Bramble's playful expression turned serious as he stared at the fading figures of the three youths.
"That Alex kid isn't right…" he muttered. "Even I can't tell where the strangeness comes from. At first, I thought it was seed convergence, but Seed Convergence always leaves a mess," he muttered. "Competing wills. Friction. That boy's aura is singular.
---
As the three friends made their way back toward the main hall, Ellie couldn't help but voice the unease that had been troubling her.
"What's with Mr. Bramble?" she asked softly. "I felt like he was looking straight into my very being."
Connor replied from her side while waving off a merchant who persistently invited them to look at his collection.
"I asked him the same thing back then, when I couldn't hold my curiosity anymore," Connor said. "He told me that there are many skills among integrators that simply can't be explained. I figured his case might be some sort of sight-related ability."
Ellie nodded in understanding.
"Figures," Alex commented, gently stroking his new glowing charm.
"Are you planning to keep that thing active all the time?" Connor asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It doesn't consume much mana," Alex replied. "So I don't see why not."
They began searching for an escort once they reached the bustling main building.
Escorts weren't hard to find even in such a crowded place. Most of them were ordinary humans, usually seen leaning against the tall stone pillars scattered throughout the hall.
After only a few dozen seconds, they found one. He was a young boy of about twelve, dressed in dirty, worn clothing. Escorts, like all other businesses, paid taxes to work within the busy headquarters.
"Mr. Marek," Alex called out slightly loudly as he stopped in front of the boy.
"Four bronze coins," the boy replied curtly, irritation evident in his voice.
Alex nodded. The boy stood up and immediately started walking in a specific direction, with Alex and the others following closely behind.
The boy walked a little too fast, forcing the three students to hasten their pace.
After some time, he stopped in front of a catchy-looking shop displaying upgraded gear.
The escort stretched out a hand toward Alex expectantly.
Alex paid him first. The boy stuffed the coins into his pocket and turned to leave. Only after the payment did Alex step forward and ask the shop owner for identity confirmation.
Mr. Marek appeared slightly old, with a wrinkled face and grey hair. It was easy to tell that the merchant selling high-quality gear was still only an initial awakened integrator, despite having lived for ninety—or perhaps even a hundred—years. This alone showed how important closeness to the world was for integrators.
He scanned the youths calmly before asking what they needed.
Alex described his requirements in detail, and they were invited inside.
Mr. Marek asked Alex about his rank, then, in a friendly tone, whether he had been denied a relic during his breakthroughs.
"I got one when I awakened, and another when I bloomed," Alex replied. "They're good for tanking attacks, but I still feel too exposed in combat."
Mr. Marek showed clear surprise. It was rare for someone to be granted relics in two consecutive breakthroughs.
He walked to a showcase and retrieved a pale-green bangle adorned with intricate carvings.
"This is Gale Guard," he introduced. "A storm-source weapon gear."
"Inject mana to activate it. Its flaw is that it shrinks whenever it takes fatal damage. You may need to deactivate it mid-battle, or it could restrain the wearer. However, it's extremely durable. An awakened would exhaust their mana within minutes if they kept it active, but for a bloomed integrator, the consumption is reasonable. A bloomer can maintain it for two days."
Alex examined the simple-looking bangle despite its lengthy explanation. He slipped it onto his wrist and followed the activation sequence. The runes immediately lit up with a soft green glow.
A thin, almost invisible layer of green, fish-scale-like armor formed around him from neck to toe. There was no restriction in movement—if anything, he felt lighter, though he knew it was only a sensation.
"Wow," Alex exclaimed without thinking.
"Do you have more of these?" he asked, already planning to buy additional pieces.
"There's only one here," Mr. Marek replied. "But I can guarantee it will be extremely difficult to destroy. Even dealing fatal damage to it would require continuous pounding from a decayed-bloom monster."
Alex reluctantly gave up on buying more armor.
After asking the price, he paid thirty-five gold coins. His heart bled as his savings dropped to only forty gold.
They left the Adventurers' Headquarters once the transaction was complete.
"I never asked this before," Connor said as they walked along the road, "but what are your plans after graduation? Normally, students graduate a week after blooming, but the king's intervention changed everything."
Ellie thought for a moment before answering. "The survivors of this training will likely be transferred to the capital, where they'll be able to show their full potential." She paused, then added, "Father already said I'll join my siblings and relatives there and serve the kingdom after graduation."
"I'm not sure what my next step will be," Alex said quietly. "It depends on how much I discover about myself during the training."
"I'll join the Adventurers' Guild immediately," Connor replied, his tone filled with restrained vengeance. "I'll clear as many monsters as I can."
His friends naturally knew about his traumatic past.
Alex frowned slightly and quickened his pace.
Moments later, the other two stiffened as pleading voices echoed from a narrow corner of the road.
"I'm sorry! Please spare me, sir adventurers! I really didn't do it on purpose!" pleaded a young lady, tears lining her smooth cheeks as she knelt.
"You spilled milk all over me and say it wasn't intentional?" a broad-shouldered man with a sword on his back sneered down at her. "Who would believe that?"
"Haha, Charles," one of his companions laughed. "Just find a corner and spill your own milk in her to make it fair."
"Let her go," Alex said coldly. "She already apologized."
Charles looked over in surprise, then waved his hand dismissively.
"A Coeron Arbora student?" he scoffed. "Go back to school, kid. Your teachers must be looking for you."
The men burst into loud laughter, one of them even slapping his knee.
Charles frowned when Alex didn't move.
"Teach the kid a lesson, Rogo," he ordered.
One of the men casually walked toward Alex who's hands rested in his pockets.
Rogo raised his thick hand to slap him. Alex intercepted the strike, gripping the wrist tightly and squeezing.
Crunch.
Rogo dropped to his knees, screaming as he clutched his shattered wrist.
With controlled force, Alex kicked him in the neck, sending him rolling back toward Charles.
Charles frowned deeply. "All of you, together," he barked. "He's just a melee awakened—he can't handle all of you."
The four remaining men rushed forward. Fists came from every direction, but Alex snorted, almost disappointed. He caught one man mid-swing and hurled him into another.
He punched a third square in the face, sending him flying backward.
Alex then turned his gaze toward the last man. His eyes had changed, resembling those of a predatory fox. Orange irises with slit dark pupils.
Teeth clenched, his presence crushed the man's will. His legs gave out as he collapsed, shaking and wetting himself in terror.
Charles was horrified. His first instinct was to turn and flee, but his pride as a somewhat famous awakened adventurer held him back. He made it to harmony stage recently which increased his arrogance.
He gathered his courage, even if it meant using mana and facing punishment from the city guards later.
His eyes darted past Alex—and landed on a cold, beautiful young lady with blazing eyes and the unmistakable hair of the Emberclaw family.
"Was I cursed?" Charles thought as he recognized the city lord's daughter.
He didn't hesitate another second. Turning around, he ran with all his strength.
"Calm yourself, Alex!" Ellie shouted, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. "Snap out of it!"
Alex's eyes slowly returned to normal. A single tear slid down his cheek.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, voice trembling. "I acted on instinct… My body just moved on its own. It felt like—like I'd lose something important if I didn't act this way."
He broke down, sobbing quietly.