The familiar face registered instantly in Gray's mind. The one person who he considered a 'friend', the entirety of his previous life. Which is why he subconsciously said what he said when he first met him in the 'past'.
"Are you someone's Grandpa?"
The Guardian in front of Gray was his 'past's' adoptive parent. Gray, after all, never had any parents to begin with. He had 'parents' who gave him his last name and siblings who came with it... but they weren't his actual parents.
It was at this brief moment that Gray remembered the 400 meter tall golem gazing with an intense longing at the stars before looking back at Sebastian, who gave off the impression he had an eyebrow raised at Gray.
Everyone was silent until they became speechless.
The Guardian, Sebastian, was still quiet. The Nagi, however, was in the midst of an outburst of laughter at the sudden, unwarranted comment.
"PFFT~ He called you a Grandpa! I guess you ARE reaching that age aren'tcha you GEEZER!"
Her laughter made her shudder and consequently, Laine as well. Only, this was much worse than a 'shudder', it felt like he was upside down and being thrown like a ragdoll.
By the time his face turned green, the Nagi let him down and bent over, covering over her mouth and trying to stop laughing.
This event was the first they encountered. Not the the first in this life after the previous, no.
This was the first time they had ever seen this. Both Gray, Laine and the 'others' who were aboard the ship.
Anyways, the entire time the Guardian, Sebastian, just emanated the feeling that he carried a straight face.
That changed soon, into the feeling that he wore a sly grin.
"Indeed!"
He suddenly guffawed.
"I have long forgotten my age but I should be around that time! I'm glad the friend I've had since I was young, the great Evelyn, still remembers!"
He guffawed fearlessly, ignoring the hint the size of a hydrogen bomb that he dropped.
He could not ignore the gaze for long though. What gaze you ask? The gaze of a woman who's going to take your ass-virginity and string you into pieces.
No joke, Gray saw that gruesome scene at one point.
He made it a point never to offend the Nagi, Evelyn. Ever.
The smile Evelyn showed volumes into the nature of her sadistic tendencies.
"Shall I take that as another challenge?"
"Go right ahead!"
Sebastian absentmindedly replied.
Only to have a moment of instant regret when he heard the next sentence.
"Sebastian, my friend here, is a shit-eater. Literally."
Blank stares made the silence deafening.
1,
14,
42,
Eventually, all 108 stares were fixed on the Nagi, Evelyn, only to turn towards Sebastian, the Guardian.
No words were needed after that, Sebastian and Evelyn put Laine and Gray outside the arena and Sebastian spoke in a no-nonsense voice.
"One Attack or First Hit?"
"One Attack."
In an instant, the shield broke and people fell on their butts, staring at the cracked shield and two beings.
Sebastian had his right palm outstretched and his left fist curled behind his back while in a sideways horse stance.
Evelyn showcased her yellow, white and brown scaled tail for the first time as she had it coiled with her hands away from her sides.
Gray stared at the two like they were behemoths.
This, this was the gap between a normal Rank 12, and a normal Rank 11.
An unsurpassable gap of strength.
Seeing this, Gray clenched his fists as his eyes were in a near needle diameter focused state.
He couldn't even see the afterimages.
Laine, with his state, was able to see a small glimpse.
That 'small' glimpse, however, utterly terrified him.
Laine had never met these people in his previous life while Gray hadn't seen them use their strength much at all.
Now, once more.
They saw the difference between the Higher and Lower Ranks.
The Ranks Lower Numbered than them.
Were utter monsters.
Foolishly thinking he could distract himself from the battle between the higher ranks, Gray brought up his status, hoping to erase some of the hopelessness to reaching that level in a short amount of time. What could he do though? He was 11, the year before your body starts adapting to your blood and all the bloodlines stored within you, creating your Origin Path.
(AN: Plot, are we implementing 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?)
\Plot: None of your business...
But yes.\
==========================================
Self Analysis Spell: 1st Circle, 4th Compendium.
Name:
[Gray Helnes][Rank: 12 {Human: Normal]
New Details:
10% Progress {Left} | = / ↣ {◉}
5% Progress {Left} | - {○}
Physique:
[ 2/14 | 0% ===↣◉◉◉◉◉◉ 100% (40%) ]
[Affinities]『Understanding』:
〘Lightning〙
[ 4/11 | 0% ====↣◉◉◉◉◉ 100% (50%) ] 『0th Root: 𝓞𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓲𝓷』
〘Order〙
[ 6/11 | 0% ======↣-○◉◉ 100% (75%) ] 『19th Root: In depth Learning』
〘Time〙
[ 1/11 | 0% =↣-○◉◉◉◉◉◉ 100% (25%) ] 『24th Root: Learned of』
Purities:
[ 2/10 | 0% ===↣◉◉◉◉◉◉ 100% (40%) ] 『Lightning Root:-0-』
[ 0/10 - Error | 0/5 - Error ] 『No Order Origin Root Usable』
[ 0/10 - Error | 0/5 - Error ] 『No Time Origin Root Usable』
--------------------------------------------------------------
Elemental/Martial/Neutral Skills:
"Origin Lightning" - Half-Ascended Skill
"D̶r̶a̶g̶o̶n̶ ̶F̶o̶r̶m̶ ̶[̶I̶I/̶V̶I̶I̶]̶" (Sealed)
"B̶l̶o̶o̶d̶l̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶P̶u̶r̶i̶f̶i̶c̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶" (Unusable)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Bloodlines:
None
==========================================
Gray perused his status looking satisfied at his advancements, only to find the [No Origin Root Usable] messages annoying.
Eventually, he turned his attention to his parents -|(AN: PLOT! EXPLAIN!) \Plot: No.\|- and smiled at their continuous bickering over their age.
A thought soon disturbed him slightly.
'I wonder how Xyla will respond to the timeline and fate being fucked up. After all, I was supposed to become blind.'
Trying to toss the thoughts out, his pessimistic and cruel way of thinking soon took over as he grimaced for a mere millisecond before fixing his expression.
'Capture Target: Anastasia Fae.
Kill Targets: Laine Wyatt...
and Marina Cyrus.'
Without anyone hearing nor feeling nor sensing it, Gray's mind clicked hundreds of thousands of memories into place and began formulating a chain reaction.
One that would cause the downfall of the Bandits.
And hopefully, a part of the favor he owes Seraphina would be payed.
Gray hated debts after all.