The reporters from various media channels surrounded them, blocking the newly awakened Resonants from leaving the scene. Moreover, the security guards were nowhere in sight to manage these masses.
They asked many questions at the same time, making their voices mixed and become inaudible. After a few minutes, the security guards finally appeared to handle the situation.
A man with a large build wearing a formal suit approached the Resonants. Meanwhile, the guards formed a barrier to stop the reporters from getting too close.
He looked at the young Resonants with raised eyebrows. Then his eyes widened as he took a proper look at Argent.
Recognizing who she was and that she was injured, the man shouted at the guards:
"Someone call a medic, hurry!"
Looking at Argent again, he asked, "Where is the rest of your group? What is happening?"
"Instructor. You must stop-""
The instructor raised his hand with his palm open.
"Nevermind. You should take a rest first. Just visit my office tomorrow and give me your report."
"But-"
Argent got cut off again.
"Rest. First."
Argent gritted. "Yes, sir."
Then, the instructor glanced at Noir briefly.
"You, too. Go get yourself treated," the instructor said to Noir coldly.
Although Noir didn't like how rude that man was to him, he had no choice but to take it obediently, just as his past self did. It was not yet the time to act like a different persona. One person was enough to know about his secret.
"Noir," Argent called him.
She was sitting on a floating chair, which only a person of importance could afford to use in some of this city's hospitals. Before she could speak again, the medic teams and her chair were already moving fast.
Even so, Noir could catch some phrases when she shouted. It was 'meet again.'
Shaking his head, Noir walked away from the crowd as one of the medics guided him to the ambulance. He still kept with his act.
As he got into the ambulance, the crowd suddenly riled up again. This time, it was not because someone had finished the test. Instead, it was because a new group of people were ready to enter the tower that soared into the sky.
On his way to one of the "League" hospitals, Noir's eyes never left the tower. He wanted to see how tall that tower was, but that was a futile attempt.
No matter how advanced humanity's technology was in this world, they could not see the peak of the mysterious tower that suddenly appeared a hundred years ago.
According to what Noir saw in the memories, humanity had tried to investigate the tower from the moon and through the satellites. However, a strange occurrence happened. The tall structure was not visible when being viewed outside the planet.
"The voice. The tower. Sovereign," Noir mumbled. "With so many outsiders helping this world, I guess it'll be easy for them to stop something like what has occurred in my world... if there is one."
He shifted his attention toward the crowd, where the tower gate had recently closed, indicating the new group had entered the test.
Recalling the recent event where the instructor interrupted Argent while she tried to warn him, Noir sighed.
'Well. It's not that girl's fault if no one passed the test.'
***
"You're all good!"
Noir came out from the room in the Resonant ward, looking annoyed because he had to answer questions about his health.
With a sigh, he began walking down the hall of the section dedicated to the Resonant treatments. It was the largest section of this hospital, precisely located at the west wing.
Noir walked eastward until he reached the elevator. Inside, the nurse smiled at him. The nurse was talking about the situation with the hospital and the Resonant, whereas Noir was listening as they went down.
The west wing was empty since not many Resonants got injured at this peaceful time, or maybe because the "Supports" had awakened recently.
Support was the term used to refer to an awakened or Resonant who received a non-combat Resonance. Meanwhile, those who possessed a combat Resonance were called Vanguard.
'Since I have two Resonances, and them being combat and non-combat, what am I, then? A hybrid?'
They separated as they arrived on the lobby floor. While walking, Noir checked his status and the first Resonance description.
//Name: Noir Teundre
Class: Neophyte
Soul Depth: Surface
Resonance: [Stormbringer], [Truth Seeker]
Arts: [Azure Lightning], [Memorization]
===
[Stormbringer]
Rank: 1 Star
The storm is always lurking in the darkness. And you are the only person who can bring it to the surface. However, your influence on the storm is not enough for you to call them your allies.
Resonance Art:
[Azure Lightning]
The Azure clan is the fastest and flashiest in the storm. They are also more loyal to you than the other clans. So, it's only logical for them to heed your call and follow you the moment you become the Ruler.//
Noir stopped in his tracks, shaking his head when the memory of that day resurfaced.
Sighing, he continued walking.
'The descriptions feel like they want to tell me I was the Lord of The Storm when I can only use lightning all this time? Shouldn't it be more believable if I can use wind, too?'
He smiled and then swiped the air, closing the screen.
'Well. Maybe I will be able to use it after I raise its stars.'
Resonance was the power that every Resonant possessed after receiving it from the oh-so-called "Sovereign."
No one knew who or what was Sovereign. It could be a God, a cosmic being, or a higher-dimension entity. But they all knew, or at least believed, that Sovereign was helping them from the "evil" that tried to consume Earth a century ago.
Back to the Resonance. Just like how skill and equipment in games had their grades or ranks, the Resonance also had its hierarchy system.
However, it was not the stars that displayed on the Resonant status that defined its hierarchy. But it would be revealed later when a Resonant took and passed the third test.
In other words, when someone succeeded in raising their Resonance stars up to three stars, the "system" would then reveal to them their Resonance tier.
Again, no one knew why it was like that. But, some had a theory that was to spark one curiosity and encourage one to get stronger before they had the chance to give up early.
Everyone seemed to think it was unnecessary because they gambled with their life to receive a superpower. Only an idiot would give up just because they received a low-tier Resonance.
That was the basic knowledge that every person in this world, whether a Resonant or an ordinary human, knew because every school had added a curriculum about them.
The past Noir Teundre was quite a nerd about the superhuman world. So that would make things easier for the present him even though not every memory and information was included in the merging process.
'It could be because of the past me's passion that I end up receiving the [Truth Seeker]. Anyway, I hope this one too will generate useful Art when it reaches 2 stars.'
That's true. Other than as the measure for unlocking the full potential of a Resonance, it could also get you a new Art or evolve the existing one.
Noir stretched as the sunlight greeted him from above. Smiling at himself, he put his hand under his chin.
"Now. Where should I go?"