~Elite Headquarters~
I finished dressing, checking my reflection. I had opted for a crisp white shirt paired with a black, short-sleeved outer layer that stopped at my waist, accented by crimson layers at the edges. With my black fitted trousers, the look was sharp and functional.
"Alright, see you guys later," I said, heading for the door.
"..."
Kageno offered his usual silence, and Kael simply gave a small, curt nod—his minimalist way of acknowledging he'd heard me.
I walked toward the transportation loop, a complex mechanism designed for spatial redirection. As I stepped inside, analyzing the faint hum of the machinery, a magic circle erupted beneath my feet. Strange, glowing codes spiraled around me in a blur.
My body fractured into light particles, only to reshape a heartbeat later.
I found myself in a sprawling private chamber. A lone figure stood by the high windows. He wore a long black coat draped over his shoulders, the sleeves hanging empty; the fabric billowed in the fresh breeze gusting through the open window.
He suddenly averted his gaze from the skyline and turned toward me.
"Yoo," he greeted.
"Hello, Shera. I saw your message…" I said, walking to join him at the window's edge.
"So… any new missions? Or what did you want to tell me?" I asked.
"Nah… no missions. I just wanted to have a talk with you," he replied, giving my shoulder a firm pat.
"Just a talk? Is that all?" I asked, skeptical.
"Well… it's not just any talk. I wanted to bring this to your attention before you lot head into any more raids. It's about the fitness training you'll need to undergo before attempting further missions. And, more importantly, your weapons."
"Fitness training? Weapons? I don't need any of that, Shera," I countered.
"C'mon, Oliver. Don't be overconfident in your current skills. That's exactly what catches you off guard in a raid. As your current captain, I have every right to organize and hone your training. Okay?"
"Yeah? Okay," I conceded. Although I had been training under the God Sage's tutelage, but I was genuinely curious to see what kind of regimen a man like Sherach had in store.
"Alright. It commences tomorrow morning. There will be others training alongside you, but no need to feel intimidated. Just do your best," Sherach added.
"Others? State their Tiers," I demanded.
"Likely from Tier 6 to 8, I suppose," he said casually.
My eyebrows twitched when I heard the Tier-8 elites are going to be present.
'Tier 8? Elite warriors at the Emerald rank?'
"No way, Shera. That's just bullying."
"I wouldn't call it bullying if I were you, Oliver. I'd call it a race you need to win," he replied.
I sighed deeply and nodded, approving of his perspective. Ever since my reincarnation, I had vowed to become stronger than anyone else in this world. No--stronger than any god that dared pose a threat to my goals. I wouldn't let this second chance slip by without achieving the impossible.
As I was lost in thought, Sherach's voice boomed in my ears.
"By the way, Oliver… how far have you learned to control it?"
"Control what?" I asked, momentarily blank.
He raised an eyebrow, wondering if I was joking.
"Oh. That!" I quickly corrected as my brain caught up.
"Well… I haven't been able to control it, let alone trigger it." I responded while making a tired gesture.
"What? You couldn't even trigger the Kaishi-state?" he asked.
"Umm… you see, Shera, I don't think the Kaishi-state is my thing. I've given up on it for now. I've tried my absolute best to trigger it, but it resulted in nothing but failure." I said while lettingvout a weary sigh.
Sherach stared at me with a look of concern, his lips parting slightly before curling into a gentle smile.
WHACK!
"Don't say you give up, you fool," he said, delivering a small knock to my head which felt as heavy as a falling rock.
"Ouch!" I massaged my head to ease the dull throb.
"If you can't trigger the Kaishi-state, release your mind and try again when you're under pressure. For starters, you won't be able to activate it on a whim. It usually requires the heat of an extreme battle to trigger," he added with a warm smile.
"Thanks for the advice, Sherach. I'll give it a try."
"Please do."
"Sherach?" I called out.
"Yeah, kid?"
"When we were back at the Academy… you weren't a Captain then, were you?"
Sherach turned slowly, looking up at the high ceilings of the chamber before looking back at me.
"Well, you see, Oliver, I came to the academy for two purposes. The first was to pass the time and play around. The second was to supervise the academy instructors since I was their superior. Back then, I was overly qualified to be a captain, but I chose not to take the post because… well, a lot of work." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.
"Then how are you one now?"
He stopped laughing. A hint of seriousness crossed his face as he turned back to the window, folding his arms behind his back.
"Immediately after you lot qualified as elite warriors, you were supposed to be assigned a new captain after a week. But there was no one available for the post, so I took the initiative. That's why I'm your captain today."
"Ohh.Now that makes sense," I said with a gentle smile.
"You've grown," he said, ruffling my hair with a rough hand.
"But don't get cocky. You managed to kill a Dreadlord, but you haven't fought a real monster yet."
PFFT.
I scoffed at the remark.
"Yeah, easy for you to say. You've probably fought gods already."
We both laughed.
"Stop with the exaggerations, Oliver. I've faced real monsters more times than I can count, but I haven't encountered a god yet."
"What if you did?" I asked, curious.
"It would be an honor," Sherach replied with a confident, sharp smile.
I stared at him, feeling a mix of awe. I couldn't quite figure him out. He had a natural charisma that made him stand out effortlessly. I hadn't even seen a glimpse of his true strength yet.
'What is this guy's real power level exactly? How strong is he as a Tier 9?' I wondered.
'System sage any hint?'
[NOTICE]
[SCAN FAILED: Target Sherach Leon is operating on a transcendent high-level scale.]
[The individual, Sherach Leon, possesses a spiritual density that exceeds current processing limits. Right now, the host cannot probe into Sherach's power stats or core resonance. Host must reach the same Tier or higher before a transparency link can be established.]
'Now way men. As expected he's on another whole level. But that doesn't matter. I am still getting there anyway.'
"Now, about the weapons..." Sherach continued.
"You're going to need them badly. After your training tomorrow, one of the fellow warriors will lead you to where you can forge your own special armaments," he said.
"Wait… weapons? But we already have some," I protested.
"Hahaha! Don't make me laugh. You were lucky the demons you fought weren't resistant to minor weapons."
"What do you mean?"
"You see, every monsters and demons we hunt, each has a specific power hierarchy, just like we humans do. We have the 'Monsters,' which are mutated humans corrupted by mana or dark emotions. Minor weapons can slay them. Then we have the low-tier and high-tier Demon races. It is extremely rare for minor weapons to kill them. Looking at your comrades, Kageno and Sinata. Their weapons are special. Sinata's noble blood makes her weapon a natural fit for slaying low-tier monsters and demons, but Kageno's… that might be a very special case."
He turned away from the window, staring deeply at me.
"Which is why you, especially, will need a weapon."
I blinked a couple of times before letting out a long sigh.
"Yeah, yeah. I got you. I'll get a weapon. But Sherach? We defeated the Dreadlord with Shidan magic. That means weapons aren't the only way to kill high-level demons, right?"
"Hmm… yeah, but that's a rare case. Only certain mage-type captains can pull that off by spamming high-level destructive magic. It's incredibly risky for a low-tier elite to try that against something like a Dreadlord due to the mana pool requirements. The fact that you guys pulled it off with intelligent tactics… that was impressive." Sherach rubbed his chin, looking genuinely pleased.
I rubbed the back of my neck, laughing sheepishly.
"Haha. We achieved that through teamwork."
"But Oliver, it's becoming strange. Are you sure you're a Tier 1? Not even a Tier 1 should be able to stand comfortably in my presence, let alone cast Shidan magic."
A single bead of sweat traced a cold line down my jaw. My mind raced, franticly searching for a lie or a half-truth that could cover my tracks before Sherach looked too closely.
"Honestly, when I awakened, the scanner reflected Tier 1, which is why—"
Before I could finish the sentence, a voice cut through the room like a whip.
"Shera! You lecherous old man!"
"Huh?"
"Heh?"
Sherach and I spoke in sync, our eyes snapping toward the lone figure standing in the doorway.