"The first thing you need to understand is this energy." Konnor said, releasing soft amounts of energy, "It is what all living beings are made up of. Regardless of where they're from, what race they are, or who they are. There hasn't been an official term coined for it, so you can call it whatever you want."
Emery followed after, doing the exact same thing.
"Awakened are different. Normal humans or animals can't even feel this energy. Awakened with enough talent and potential can tap into this energy from as early as Class Ten."
The chef let out a small gasp in realization.
"Yes. I won't be able to help you past the basics since everyone's powers and Awakenings are not the same. But even the basics alone will be able to help you kill Class Eights at your measly level," Konnor said.
Class Eight. It was easy to forget that he'd been doing this for less than a week. What would happen after a month, then?
Would he suddenly be able to kill Class Five Monsters? Would he be able to put an end to that wretched dog, then?
Konnor seemed to sense what Emery was thinking.
"Get your head out of the gutter. Nothing after Class Seven is easy anymore. You are advancing quickly yes, but your speed should be evened out sooner or later from now,"
He nodded, reminding himself to stay focused.
"Back to the energy, now. The most basic concept of it is simple. A collection of independent veins with similar functions."
Circuits.
"But why are they independent, though?" he asked, after giving it some thought.
"We don't know why that is so yet. But essentially, the goal in improving your ability to use this energy is to connect them together and unite them. Make them less independent of each other. The goal here will be that, precisely. How you will achieve, I don't know. My task here is to teach you how to simply apply that energy for yourself."
That made sense. It was just like school. They weren't responsible for teaching you how to get a job, perhaps they were on paper, but in real life not so much.
They would give you the tools you needed and it was up to you to figure out a way about that and get the job.
Konnor interrupted his thoughts, trailing a finger against his arm. "You know what veins look like right?"
Emery nodded.
"Right, now I want you to imagine a separate set of veins, which aren't responsible for transporting blood or any nutrients. Instead, for this energy in your body,"
It wasn't a particularly very difficult task. That was how Emery had been doing it ever since he figured out how to tap into it the first time. He got better with each try.
"You're done? Good. Imagine that energy like water flowing through a stream. Now I want you to think of something like a bucket, or a straw. Anything at all that could draw out that water. Pull on it and grab what you need."
It was a lot more of imagining, but Emery didn't mind. It gave him some idea of how things worked out for others. For him, this energy came naturally.
"Do you have any problem with it at all?"
He shook his head.
Konnor continued on after confirming that, "Good that you don't. Now, the interesting stuff. Personality, powers and pride. My personal three P's on the properties of a person's aura. You don't have to take my words as is, but remember something important. You can tell a lot about a person from their aura."
Emery let those thoughts sink in after a while. Hemp's aura was some of the most frightening and mild he had ever seen. What exactly did that say about him?
"You have all that covered, right?" Konnor asked once more.
"I do."
"Good. But that wasn't the reason I brought you here. Hemp and Carlos are still, after all, enemies. Enemies do what enemies do. So our job here today is different."
Emery frowned, "I'm not killing anyone."
"Didn't ask you to. We only came here to disrupt a few things. Seeing as you are now under the direct command of our boss, then you are privy to a few things."
"Such as?"
"The balance has been broken," Konnor said, leaning in slightly. "That fragile balance that held us from attacking Carlos. It has been broken, overtaken. Whatever you choose to call it."
That really was big. It could alter the entire trajectory of the city.
"When?"
"In a month or so. We want to take our time to prepare and reduce all possibilities of loss."
Meaning that the bastard would finally be dead. All in a month. And he could possibly get to take part in that. Hypocritical of him, but knowing what Carlos had done to so many human souls, he could not possibly even condone his existence.
But that caused him to realize an important question.
"Why?"
"What do you mean, why?"
He elaborated, "Why is Hemp going to such lengths to get rid of Carlos? He is doing good where he is, and apart from the skirmishes, it's been good for Hemp especially,"
The large man's expression turned cold.
"You are asking far too many questions for someone who wants to see Carlos dead. Does it really matter what the reason is? Don't you at least want to finally see that pest gone?"
"That's true-"
"It is. Now, shut up and just focus on the task at hand," the man snapped, forcing the chef into silence.
'Right. Need to avoid distraction,'
"What is it?" he asked.
Konnor drew a few circles in the ground with his spear, then pointed at two in particular.
"This is you. This is the treasury. Your mission is simple. Steal certain things from the treasury and get out. These circles in the middle are simpler. Grunts. Footsoldiers. You don't want to kill them. So just rough them up a little."
"Oh, and one more thing. No help from the girl or the rat. You're going to do this by yourself."