All four of us stood quietly inside Arkas' office after I revealed the details of my talent to him and Edgar.
Edgar pulled out a folded piece of paper and a pen from his pocket, then handed them to me.
"Write down the numbers for all your attributes," he said.
I nodded and pulled up my status to check.
[Status]
----------------------------------------------
Name : Billion Ironhart
Race : Human
Class : N/A
Laws : N/A
Level : 25
Talent :
- Generator 3
- Essence : 20/20 (+10)
Attributes :
- Strength: 66
- Constitution: 86
- Dexterity: 66
- Psynapse : 90
Unused Stats: 0
Skills:
- Essence Shaping (Innate) Level 1
- Psynapse Boost (Innate) Level 4
- Seismic Burst Level 2
Abilities:
- Apex Body – I (Passive)
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The only noticeable change was the extra Essence (+10). After condensing the Essence earlier, the freed-up space allowed me to generate more. So while my actual storage only held 20 units, the total Essence at my disposal was effectively 30.
I quickly noted down all my attributes and handed the paper to Edgar.
He scanned the numbers and muttered under his breath, "Crazy."
Steve, ever curious, leaned over and read the stats himself.
His eyes widened, and he shot me an incredulous look. "Lucky bastard."
Edgar chuckled and walked over to Arkas, passing him the paper.
"These numbers… at level 25."
Arkas took the paper, his gaze flicking over the stats in silence. A few seconds passed before lightning flickered across his palm. Then, without a word, he disintegrated the paper into ash.
He turned his sharp eyes on me.
"So, while most people gain a total of 125 points to distribute by level 25, and if we assume they started with a base of 10 in each attribute, they'd have around 165 in total. But you…" His eyes narrowed slightly. "You have 308."
I cleared my throat.
"Just a small correction, Commander. I also gained +10 in all stats when I unlocked my passive ability."
Arkas raised an eyebrow.
"You unlocked an ability as well?"
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
"Uh… yeah." Then, I quickly explained the passive.
Arkas listened carefully, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he stood from his chair and looked up at the ceiling.
A sudden shift in the atmosphere sent a chill down my spine. The air grew dense, pressing against my skin like an invisible force. Every hair on my body stood on end. Then, lightning flickered across Arkas' body almost in slow motion, crackling with raw energy.
Beside me, I heard Edgar mutter.
"Uh oh."
Before I could react, Edgar flicked his wrist, and shadows surged from the ground, swallowing both Steve and me in complete darkness.
My vision was cut off entirely, but I could feel the ground beneath us rumbling, shaking like an earthquake was tearing through the foundation.
A few seconds later, the shadows dissipated, revealing the scene before me and I nearly forgot how to breathe.
The entire roof of the commander's building was gone. Completely. Nothing but open sky stretched above us. This was a five-story building. And now? Just air.
Arkas casually adjusted his suit, as if nothing had happened, and said, "I apologize for that outburst."
Arkas returned to his chair and sat down with an air of finality.
I clenched my fists.
I wanted to do that too. I wanted my outburst to be so powerful, so overwhelming, that I could stomp my foot and make an entire city tremble. How cool would that be?
I shook my head and pushed the ridiculous thought aside, forcing my emotions back under control.
Edgar broke the silence with an easy grin.
"Billion, first of all, congratulations on such an awesome talent." He raised his hand for a fist bump.
I returned it without hesitation.
Then, he turned away, walking toward the large map covering the wall.
He studied it for a moment before speaking again.
"Arkas came to me yesterday with a plan for you. At first, I was skeptical. It's not the first time he's tried something risky with a new young soldier, and… let's just say those past attempts didn't end well."
He turned back around, silver eyes gleaming.
"But after what I saw today, specifically that sheet of paper, I'm willing to take a chance on you."
Then, he faced Arkas.
"Go ahead and explain your plan. I'll handle my part."
For the first time since we stepped into the office, a small smile tugged at the corners of Arkas' lips.
He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk.
"Both of you, sit down and relax. This is going to be a long discussion."
We sank into the chairs.
Arkas leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk.
"First, let's talk about your talent, Billion. Eventually, people will figure out that you have one, but you must keep the details hidden. There are powerful forces, both within our world and beyond, that want to maintain the current power structure. If they see you as a threat, they won't hesitate to act."
I nodded. The warning was clear.
Arkas continued.
"Yesterday, when I realized you had a talent, I formed a plan. After learning the details from you now, I will made some adjustments but still nothing wrong with hearing what I had planned. I assume you've read about the Throne Wars?"
I nodded again.
"The war decided the fate of the Empire," he said, not waiting for a response.
"Three families fought for control in the end. My family, the Rayleighs, the Winters, and the Holts. When the war ended, the Rayleighs took the throne. The Winters aligned with us, securing their place in the ruling structure.
"The Holts, however… They were our fiercest competitors. We fought many wars with each other but over time, things settled, and we coexisted."
His voice sharpened.
"Until the invasion from Peanu."
A heavy silence followed.
"When the humans from Peanu attacked, the Holts saw an opportunity. They didn't outright betray us, but they worked with the invaders just enough to weaken the Empire. Naturally, this enraged us. The backlash was severe.
They lost allies. Their influence crumbled. But even so, we couldn't destroy them. After the royal family, the Holts have the highest number of Grandmaster-ranked individuals. The Empire can't afford a war with them."
Arkas exhaled, pausing for a moment before continuing.
"The reason I'm telling you this is because your next mission will take you into Holt territory."
I stiffened slightly.
"We've now confirmed that the Holts have fully aligned with outside forces, forces whose goals do not align with the Empire's. They've been a problem for years, but recently, they made a move that directly threatens our world."
His eyes locked onto mine.
"Two months ago, they captured a convoy of Feran people."
That got my full attention.
"We don't know exactly where the convoy was headed, but we can guess what the Holts are planning. If they use this to turn the Ferans against Vaythos, we could be facing a much bigger war than we're prepared for."
He let that sink in before delivering the final blow.
"Your mission is to free them."
A shudder ran through me. Before I could say anything, Steve suddenly blurted out, "I'll do it."
I snapped my head toward him.
'What the hell?'
Even Arkas and Edgar turned to stare.
Steve cleared his throat.
"What I meant was, how can we allow such a thing to happen? It would be a stain on the Empire."
Then, as if he hadn't just made things weird, his eyes twinkled.
"Also, were any of the captured Ferans from the Cat or Fox clans?"
I nearly smacked my forehead.
I had completely forgotten; Steve was obsessed with other races, and the Ferans were among his favorites. But what happened next threw me off even more.
Edgar hummed, then coughed into his fist.
"Unfortunately—" He hesitated before quickly correcting himself.
"I mean, fortunately, no Cat or Fox clan members were among the captives. Otherwise, I would've stormed the Holt family by now."
I blinked.
'What the hell?'
I glanced between Steve and Edgar. Their gazes locked, and for a moment, I swore I saw the same spark of enthusiasm in both their eyes.
Steve gulped, his voice laced with barely restrained excitement.
"Sir… have you ever met the Ferans?"
Edgar casually adjusted his sleeve.
"Of course. I meet them every year."