All the new recruits gathered on the stage. I stood to the side with my leaders in the Shadow Legion. Marlos was clearly pulling the show even though I started this whole thing… well the drunktards did but it was through my actions and decisions that ended up leading us here.
Marlos was talking to some of the people in his group. Once they finished, Marlos turned to the new recruits and addressed them first.
"70,000 coins is just the starter for the new recruits budget. This money will be used to train you guys for the upcoming Kingdom's Strongest competition. We have always came in second place and that is not good enough. I want our kingdom to be first. To achieve this, we have now a budget for you all. We always have the strongest warriors in this kingdom but we put our resources to the elites and not our rookies. There will definitely be a change this year and 70,000 coins is definitely a start. Not only that but if everything goes as I hoped they will, then you, Ryan might be chosen to be one of our ten representatives for the main competition."
"Wait… me a representative?!" I exclaimed at the mere thought that I would be competing too.
"Yes. Because you might be the key for our first success. I have complete faith in you."
I scratched the back of my head at his words…
"Now then. I would like to introduce to you, Ryan, two very important people. The first will be this fine lady here, director of the Guild's Core, Allison Hamlock."
A talk and muscular woman stepped forward, she wore light armoured clothing that only covered the bare minimum and showed off her quite muscular features. Her face was quite feminine with slender cheeks and plump pinkish lips. She has short blond hair and a bandanna around her head.
"Hi there hon. I'm Allison from Guild's Core." Allison bowed her head as she greeted me.
"The little prince brought me here today to validate you. If the validation is a success, then you will be placed in selection as a candidate for a spot to become one of Royal capital's ten representatives. Now then, before I get the validation process underway, I would like to say something. When the prince asked me do a validation test for a potential candidate, I was intrigued but then he said it was an 'otherworlder', I questioned him. But in the end I agreed because he said that you was special and after what I've just witnessed, you indeed have potential. I was very impressed with the match, your summon is very powerful, summoner. It's like the summon has an identity of it's own. There aren't many mages in the royal capital that could summon a powerful creature such as the one you have on stage."
"Eh… Director, I think you're mistaken about something. Mr Huang isn't a mage. He's a support." Marlos corrected Allison.
"What?!! A support?" Allison exclaimed. "How can a support have such a powerful summon? And what about the others, they looked powerful as well. Especially that beast that defeated the Beast Master Corp! Hey prince, you're pulling my leg aren't ya, there's no recorded history of a support that could summon high class creatures."
"Do the validation test. You'll see."
Allison clicked her tongue as she waved her hand and a flashy looking guy handed something that looked like a chest over to her. Allison unlocked the chest and took an object out. Allison then raised the object up high and peered into it. The object looked like a clear crystal as it sparkled in the light of the battle arena.
"Hold out your hand." Allison instructed.
I held out my hand and she placed the crystal, vertically on my hand. The crystal's point floated on the palm of my hand. The crystal was definitely clear however when I peered into it, I didn't see my fingers through the crystal but instead a myriad of coloured orbs.
The crystal flashed once, in the colour of white before it cracked and ultimately disintegrated in my hand.
"Oh my." Allison covered her mouth with her hands.
"What's the matter?" Asked Marlos. "Why did the crystal turned to nothingness?"
"His indeed a support but this is most definitely unexpected. The crystal at best can determine a person's grade up to a Grade A level but if the person is higher than a Grade A then the crystal would break. But to disintegrate? That only means one thing…"
"And what's that?"
"Well… if the crystal breaks it means his an S Grade or above but for it to disintegrate, it means his either a SSS Grade or an awakened."
The whole arena fell silent. I looked around and everyone was intensely staring at me like if I was the most important piece of relic in a museum.
"What's the matter?" I asked. "Why is everyone staring at me?"
"Ryan." Marlos said my name with a smile in his tone. "SSS Grade is a grade that is the highest Grade someone could get normally. If you achieved a grade higher then that means you're an awakened."
"Correct hon. but right now we don't know if he's a SSS Grade or an awakened. So I'm placing him as an undetermined until he's grade is determined. We need to head back to the Guild's Core and get the God Seer to determine his Grade. If his an awakened, we need to know how many stars so we can place him in the awakened top tier list accordingly. So far there's only been ten other people in the whole of Allure Kingdom that has an awakened grade. Thirty five in total for the whole of western region. Would you be the thirty sixth one, I wonder."
"Alright. I will take Ryan to the Guild's Core Headquarters tomorrow."
"Little prince, I've never seen you like this. You've changed."
"Have I?"
"Yup."
"Ahem! Can you introduce me now?" The owner of the voice asked.
I turned my head to where the voice came from and as soon as I made eye contact with the guy, he flashed me a bright toothy smile.
He was the guy who had handed over the chest of the clear crystal to Allison. Though he looked flashy and awkwardly flamboyant, he had a very intense aura around him.
"This is Lupin Mars, leader of the High Flyers Guild. And he's an awakened seven stars."
My eyes widened as Lupin's profile popped up in front of me. So far only the profile's of my allies would pop up but this was the first time that the profile of someone that wasn't my ally, would pop up…
Name: Lupin Mars
Title: The Bringer [God's Servant] (Hidden)
[God: Titania] (Hidden)
World's Rank: #10
Grade: Awakened (7 Stars)
Guild: High Flyers [Leader]
Guild's Rank: #25
Speciality Role: Bruiser
God's servant?
{Ryan, this is not good.}
What's wrong… Wait you don't mean that he's…
{Yes. That's right, he's a champion.}
Oh… shit.
"Hey there young man. I'm Lupin, nice to meet ya." Lupin held out his hand.
"Likewise…" I held out mine to complete the hand shake.
As we shook hands I felt his grip strength and I knew if I gave in even just a little, my hand would be crushed under his grip.
"Say, whether you're a SSS Grade or an awakeneder, it really doesn't matter considering there aren't much awakeneders to begin with as well as with the SSS Grade. It's already remarkable to even be considered for the the top two grades. So, as the leader of a top notch guild, we the High Flyers would like you to join us."
I heard a collective gasps from everyone in the arena. Looking at the rank of the guild, their reaction was justified. Ranked 25th wasn't anything to be snuffed about. That being said, and I knew that there would be tones of benefits in joining such a prestigious guild, I just couldn't do it. I couldn't leave my students alone.
"I uh… I'm afraid, I'll have to decline the offer…"
Lupin raised an eyebrow.
"What?!" I heard Sam's voice called out from the stands.
"Oh? Well then, I'm sorry to hear that. No matter,
I'll just do my best to persuade you to join. This coming Sunday, I'll be organising a raid team to explore a S Grade dungeon. Would you like to be apart of that raid team?"
"What time would the raid be held?" I asked, joining a raid team did intrigued me but I couldn't do it if it was held in the morning because of the new recruits training.
"In the mornings, why? would that be a problem?"
"Well, I have morning training with the new recruits…"
"Oh?"
"Ryan, I'll get Loc to help me on Sunday, don't worry about it and go see what being in a raid feels like." Grayson said as he stood with the new recruits. The new recruits who all looked dumbfounded by all of this, nodded in agreement.
"Alright, sure I'll join."
"Perfect! Come by our guild at around eight on Sunday. Our base is located close to the palace. You can identify our base by our logo." Lupin walked over to me and handed me a card. On the card was a logo of a sword wrapped around with a pair of wings.
"Show this card to our receptionist and she would guide you to the raid team."
"And how many people will be in this raid team?"
"About 19, with you, we will meet the maximum amount of 20. You would be perfect for our team since we have a very few numbers of support members in our team. With you on the team, the team is complete. Now, as for the loot, we would share it equally amongst all participating members in the raid team but we would give you the first dibs on an artifact since you will be our guest on this raid."
"Alright thanks, I'll be there at eight on Sunday."
"Good. Good. Well this was an unexpected ride with my time. Little prince I'll be off. I have some business to attend to."
"Alright."
"See ya!"
Lupin waved and gave me a toothy grin before heading up the stairs.
"I'll be leaving too hons. I'll see you both tomorrow but for now goodbye."
The director of the Guild's Core waved her hand before she too went up the stairs.
"Well that was an interesting afternoon event. Couldn't have gone better even in my imagination."
"What do you mean by that Marlos?"
"Well, I was thinking up ways on how to get Allison to validate you. Even though she looked like a nice lady, she in fact is very strict with her code and I had a hard time trying to even convince her to come but when she watched the battle between Lucifer and the others, I saw flames in her eyes for the first time in a long time. And as for Lupin, I have very close connection with his guild, they're one of the best in the Royal Capital and if I could get him to agree for you to join his guild then we would have a powerhouse on our side. I never thought you would decline his offer…"
"Well, my duty is to my students and besides, we can't trust him."
Marlos eyes widened.
"I can't tell you yet why we can't trust him but believe me, it's better if we don't."
"Then why did you accept the raid? If we can't trust him then we have to decline it now!"
"The reason I accepted it was because well one I wanted to experience a raid, two the loot and three the support."
"The support?"
"Yes. I have a feeling something might happen in the raid and the support will suffer due to it. There is in no way a team of twenty will only have a few supports for an efficient successful raid. If my guess is correct, he is going for a more offensive formation, I bet most of the members in this team will consist of mostly damage dealers which sounds good but is a disaster for us supports."
"Ah… I see your point. The supports will be overwhelmed in such a team."
"If the place were going to has enemies that are smart and we have such little support meant that we the support will be the biggest target and the weakest point on the team. If that is to be correct then the natural conclusion is that the support will be used as bait and sacrifice. It's just my guess but that's the main reason I should be on the team. I'll be there to support the support if need-be."
"Amazing, even if it's just a theory, I can see your point. I was surprised too when I heard that the raid team has only a few of supports on the team but if what you say is true then, you might just be those supports, guardian angel."
"Mmm. I just hope I'm wrong and the raid goes smoothly and that there's a reason why he has so little support on the team…"
"I hope there's a reason too but if something does happen on the raid, tell me."
"I will."
After the eventful little lunch entertainment, Grayson and I took the new recruits for their second half of today's training but when we arrived, we didn't do much of anything, instead the new recruits swarmed me with a billion questions and praises. Somehow I've became their idol.
After today's event, I fear that by tomorrow, the news that I might be an awakened and the fact that I could summon powerful creatures would spread like wildfire… so much for confidentiality…