The two of them just kept looking at each other for ten more seconds.
Kyle hadn't believed that the sense of danger could grow even stronger, but he was wrong.
He felt like he was about to die.
His heart rate had already shot through the roof, and his breathing had quickened a lot.
Yet, he just showed an awkward smile.
"Is this some kind of test to see how I do under stress?" Kyle asked.
Karl just looked at Kyle.
Then, the feeling of danger completely vanished.
"Yes," Karl answered, his demeanor more relaxed than before but still quite serious.
Kyle released a sigh of relief. "You're scary, dude."
"Dude?" Karl asked with a raised brow.
"Guy, man, bro, dude, you know," Kyle said.
"You're acting very familiar with me. Do we know each other?" he asked.
"Nah. This is the first time we've met," Kyle said.
"Then, why are you acting so casual?" Karl asked.
"Why not? It's not like we're in the army. We're just a bunch of guys that want to earn some money to grow stronger," Kyle said.
"I am running a reputable organization," Karl said. "You're not."
"You know," Kyle said with a bit of annoyance. "You're right, but you didn't have to say it like that."
Karl remained silent for a while.
"You're also right," he said.
Then, more silence happened.
'Dude, this is one of the most awkward conversations I've ever had. It's like I'm talking to an Ore Fiend or something.'
"Do you know what Momentum is?" Karl suddenly asked.
"It's like when an object moves and keeps moving. Kinetic energy or something," Kyle said.
"That was not what I was referring to," Karl answered evenly.
"Then, no," Kyle said.
"I feel no Momentum coming from you. Why is that?" Karl asked.
"How am I supposed to know that? Apparently, I don't even know what Momentum is," Kyle said.
"Momentum is the accumulated confidence and experience you have gained by winning dangerous battles," Karl explained. "Imagine two identical men with the same weight and body. One of them has won ten brawls, while the other has never been in a brawl."
"Do you believe the two of them can feel the difference in experience when looking at each other?"
Kyle rubbed the back of his head. "I guess so. The more experienced guy probably holds himself differently."
"That is an indication, yes, but that is not what I was referring to," Karl answered. "Everyone has an Aura. You have been in contact with many powerful beasts, correct?"
Kyle nodded.
"Imagine two identical beasts.One of them is a Mid Ferocious Beast. The other one is a Mid Beast. Would you be able to feel their powers?"
"Of course," Kyle answered immediately.
"How?" Karl asked.
"They just feel different. One is scary. The other isn't," Kyle answered.
"That's because you are sensing the Ether passively emanating from their body," Karl said. "What if there were two humans with the same attributes? Would you be able to feel the difference?"
Kyle nodded. "Yep. One is scary. The other one isn't."
"But humans do not emanate a lot of Ether. How can you tell the difference?" Karl asked.
"They don't?" Kyle asked. "I thought they did as well."
"No, they don't," Karl answered.
"Then, I have no idea. Based on the topic of conversation, I would assume it's Momentum."
"Correct," Karl answered calmly. "Your experience and confidence resonate with the Ether in your surroundings. The Ether starts to distort and move slightly differently around you."
"Most humans can't feel this consciously, but their instincts pick up on these signs."
"This distortion of Ether is called Momentum, and it can have a significant impact on a battle."
"I have heard that you have had a little contest with Luke. During this contest, did you feel like there was no point in even trying to fight him?" Karl asked.
Kyle nodded. "Yeah, I felt like I wouldn't be able to win, no matter what I do."
"That's because Luke's Momentum when it comes to fighting other humans is much higher than yours. Your instincts pick up on the Momentum and tell you that you should not even try to fight."
"You can still force yourself through this feeling, but your attacks will be filled with hesitation and will lack confidence."
"If you two had the same power and fighting style, a battle between you two could go either way."
"However, if one of you is filled with hesitation, the other one will definitely win."
"Momentum can be the difference between victory and defeat," Karl explained.
"You know," Kyle answered. "I've heard the word Momentum several times, but every time I ask about it, everyone is all hush-hush about it. After hearing the explanation, I still don't get why nobody wanted to tell me until now."
"Because that makes its existence real," Karl answered. "You know now how important Momentum is. That is why you will work on preserving and strengthening it."
"If you lose an important battle, your Momentum will decrease significantly. If you don't know about it, you won't care. In your mind, your power has not decreased. In fact, you might even believe that you have grown stronger due to gaining experience during the battle."
"But after knowing about Momentum, you notice how it grows weaker. That actually makes you weaker. Your power decreases, and your confidence in your power decreases, which will further damage your Momentum."
"Knowing about Momentum makes losing much harder."
"Okay," Kyle answered, casually scratching the back of his head like this wasn't a big deal. "So, why did you tell me?"
"Why wouldn't I tell you?" Karl asked.
"Because, if it's so important, a nice guy wouldn't tell me about it. So, either you don't like me, or this is another test. Which is it?" Kyle asked.
Karl looked at Kyle for a couple of seconds.
"You may leave. Noah will tell you about my decision later," Karl said.
"That's it?" Kyle asked. "That's the interview?"
"Yes," Karl answered.
"Well, okay then," Kyle said, turning around and opening the door.
He looked at the examiner and held the door for him out of politeness.
The examiner walked back in and closed the door behind him.
Kyle just scratched his head and glanced at Tracy, who was looking back.
"I have no idea how this went," Kyle said. "It was super weird."
Tracy was a bit surprised that Kyle was so openly talking about the interview.
"Me neither," she answered with a sigh.
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