In this world, power levels are categorized into tiers ranging from 1 to 7. Or, with Raymond's Detection, he can see these tiers in a spectrum of colours: Red, Orange, and five unknown ones. And right now, the orange aura girl was talking to him.
"You appeared exhausted yesterday, so we didn't disturb you. But, we are holding a strategy meeting, so if you could join us..." the girl with silver hair spoke, her enchanting fragrance filling the air. Her blue eyes mirrored Raymond's own. Her petite stature required her to look up at him, which momentarily stirred his heart. Yet, he swiftly reminded himself, 'Focus on the mission. Besides, this is lust, not love.'
Raymond composed himself and responded impassively, "My name is Raymond. I have a peak Tier 1 Aura manipulator bloodline."
He closed his eyes briefly, acknowledging his own perceived weakness. 'Yeah, I am weak. I'm sorry to be your teammate—'
Interrupting his self-doubt, the girl rested her hands on her chin, contemplating, "Hmm, it's a miracle that you have reached the peak of tier one. Your current abilities must be active Detection and passive Super Body, right?"
Raymond nodded with a surprised face, impressed by her knowledge.
She stayed quiet for a while and continued with a smile, "We need to put in extra effort from now on. Don't you agree, guys?"
The brown guy with a black dress and golden necklace raised his hands and declared, "Everything is by Allah's will."
Meanwhile, the blonde man fixed Raymond with an intense gaze, showing no interest in anything or anyone else.
"Why don't you ask your mother for help, Raymond? Like you always did."
Raymond attempted to recall the identity of the blonde man, but no name came to his mind. "Do I know you by any chance? And what is this about mother?" he said while looking for his weapons on the bed. The blonde smirked a bit with some sweat on his forehead.
"How typical of you to mock me after destroying my life..." He gulped once and forced a smile. "Is this what you're searching for?"
Raymond turned around and saw the guy putting his feet over his katana with the axe in his hand.
"Isn't this the knight captain's- your dad's weapon?" He stared at the katana and a solitary thought came on his mind. 'Kill.'
He leaped toward the guy. He knee-struck the blonde, but he dodged. He punched with one hand, another at his jaw in a barrage. But dodge, dodge, dodge. The blonde grasped Raymond's right fist tightly, attempting to crush it. Unfazed, Raymond concentrated all his aura into his left hand, sacrificing his right hand which had already been injured by a bear. He struck the blonde's jaw, causing him to lose consciousness.
TWO SECONDS.
Before Raymond could continue his assault, the brown-skinned individual intervened, grasping Raymond's hand and remarking, "Allah does not permit internal conflicts."
Raymond glared at the man. "Your Allah didn't come up your ass when this bitch here stole my weapon, did it?"
The brown man's expression remained dark as he bit his lower lip, his voice filled with anger. "Everything happens for a reason, yeah. Sorry, brother. It was our fault that we weren't guarding your weapon."
Observing the tension in the girl's face and the seething hatred emanating from the other two guys, he pondered, 'Someone who can't socialize was thinking of revenge... In just two days of interacting with people other than Father, I think I know where I belong in this world...'
Abruptly, he withdrew his hand and stated, "Make some strategies for the three of you. I can adapt to them," before leaving the room.
Although he could walk fine physically, he had come to a standstill. He didn't know where he was going, nor did he understand why. But the only thing he could do right now was escape; escape from this seemingly bottomless hole.
'If I had stuck to killing criminals, this wouldn't have happened. This is all my fault. There was no reason to get riled up over that woman as well.'
The candidates around him chattered with each other, completely disregarding his existence.
THE WORLD DOESN'T CARE.
'I thought I already understood that. Father taught me for years just for this and helped me get the upper hand than others, but I'm acting like a child.'
As he stepped outside, he broke into a sprint. Only then did a few people take notice.
"What is that clown doing?"
"Training early. We should aspire to be like him."
"Did a girl speak to him?"
He ran, his pace unrelenting, until the rainbow forest came into view. When he realized no one was around, he halted on the cliff with his heart aching for some breathing room.
'Did that girl and all other felt like this?... They probably had worse experience and I even let that girl live with that.'
He tried to think of some other thing but his mind dragged him even further.
'After a simple plan broke down, I have fallen to the lowest. I am weak, running away is a sign of weakness.'
He sat down on the grass, his gaze fixed upon the picturesque scenery, with its irregular hills and a towering rock.
"Yes, nature calms people," he thought, though deep down, he knew he was trying to convince himself of it. Unexpectedly, a voice responded from behind him, "Yes, it does."
Startled, Raymond turned around swiftly, his Detection activated. "Huh?" he stammered, his eyes releasing a drop of sweat. He hastily wiped it away, only to find it had an unusual reddish hue.
A single thought dominated his mind, 'This person is at least Green rank. The same as my father...'
And then, he finally caught sight of the figure standing there.
An elderly man, muscular and weathered, clad in a black shirt and military pants, held a cigar between his lips. He sported untamed white hair that cascaded down his neck.
"You're weak, kid. The last aura manipulator I encountered from the East could see through me as if I were naked," he uttered, exhaling a cloud of smoke. Raymond didn't reply so both of them stayed silent while the old man enjoyed his smoke. He looked at Raymond's back and visualizes some other kid who turned back with a smile, shot in the head right after.
"Look, I can't fathom the depths of your pain right now, and I honestly don't even care. But, as an older man, I want to pose a question to you..."
Raymond met the old man's gaze, accepting the proposition laid before him. The old man grinned and exhaled the smoke toward the heavens. "Will you be satisfied?" he asked, with an unmoving expression. Raymond knew the context of this vague question. He thought, he genuinely thought for five minutes, trying to persuade himself into believing that yes, he will work a lowly job, get a lowly income, live in lowly places, forget about revenge, eat lowly food, and die lowly with no one even knowing who you are.
. . .I can't accept mediocrity.
He stood up, a bit resolved. He turned to express his gratitude and apology to the old man, but to his surprise, there was nothing but a dissipating mist in the air, leaving behind a written message: "Bring some chocolates next time you come."
Raymond covered his face, his smile peeking through, as he muttered, "What troublesome people I'm meeting nowadays."
He made his way to the bustling stables, filled with an array of horses. There, he found Noir sleeping soundly with a distended belly, while the other horses grazed on the grass under the care of a lone handler. Raymond positioned himself in front of Noir, whose acute senses quickly detected his presence. Noir glanced at him but remained silent, as always.
"You're still healthy, I guess."
He nodded to the only worker around and the worker nodded back. The worker noticed something and remarked, "Shouldn't you go to the nurse to mend that hand?"
Raymond glanced at his injured hand and replied with a smile, "My Bloodline can suppress pain." Yet, deep down, he knew the truth behind his ability to endure most physical suffering.
Shaking off the negative thoughts, he sighed and redirected his focus. The worker gave him a thumbs-up, and he reciprocated the gesture.
As he traversed the hallway which was still oblivious to his presence where people continued to gossip. He arrived once again at door 928, solidifying his mind for the upcoming attack.
"I don't like that bastard, okay? We were friends a few years ago and his mother tried to kill me. Only we knew about that place so how did that happen? I won't work with him."
Raymond took a step back, contemplating a return at a later time, but today he learned that running away wouldn't solve his problems. With his heart racing, he mustered the courage to open the door, stepping back into the real world. The three people looked at him.
"I want to talk to you all."