Conrad's mind slowly surfaced back from unconsciousness.
"A different ceiling"
As his senses began to register his surroundings, he found himself lying in a bed with a sterile white sheet tucked around him.
The room was illuminated by the soft glow of sunlight filtering through the blinds. There was also a beeping noise that sounded off with each second.
He had been in the Health Care Centre before, so he was pretty familiar with the environment. Knowing there's nothing he can do about the sound, he sat up then moved his hand to his face then to his chest. This was to search for the wounds he was certain he had sustained during his hellish session with Meliora.
But just like before.
There was no pain, no bruises and not even a scar. He somehow managed to walk out of that without a single mark.
Connie ran his hand across his hair as he lowered his head.
"What was that?"
How he had survived that psycho was no mystery to him. He remembered how he had a sudden outburst of power, fighting on equal grounds with Mel and the arm she sliced off was attached to his body perfectly and fully functional, like it had always been there.
The problem with that, however, is that he was a just a mere spectator to it all.
"Good to see you awake, Conrad"
Connie turned his head in the direction of this familiar voice.
It came from a woman standing by the door. She had messy hair styled in a ponytail and wore a skirt underneath her long white coat. Her soft brown eyes gave off the impression that she was as innocent as a child.
"It's you again? What happened?"
"That's not a very nice way of greeting someone, you know? Especially someone who spent an entire night nursing you back to health."
It was Mae, the first person he first saw when he woke up in this cursed building. She was right though; his mother had taught him manners over and over again. So, he should have been considerate of someone who had shown him kindness.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that"
"It's fine, no need to apologize. At any rate, welcome to the Medic Room"
Mae waved her hand while pulling up a chair to sit beside the bed.
"Besides, I shouldn't take all the credit. You were in bad shape when they brought you here, even worse than Mel, no surprise there. But you've been out for hours. In that time, your body repaired itself, except for the arm that was severed. I had to take care of that myself. Your Avatar really does give you a regeneration skill, albeit limited. But still, it's remarkable"
Connie smiled in his heart. That would mean he had passed the test; all of that suffering wasn't for nothing after all. He had awakened as an Avatar. Before he could think about it any further, the image of Mel came to mind.
"What about Mel, is she ok?"
"She's fine…"
With a small smile on her face, Mae turned her face in the direction of the room's corner. Connie saw a bed with sheets neatly folded.
"She recovered faster than you. It's to be expected really, she is a Special Hydra Ranked Assassin after all"
"Special Hydra? So, assassins also have ranks like that?"
The smile on her face grew as she settled back into her chair.
"I'm so glad you asked! Ahem… Since you weren't informed, I might as well tell you what you're getting into"
For a moment she expressed excitement before immediately calming herself down. Connie didn't question it, instead he leaned forward. So far, he had been processing everything he has learnt up to this point. Naturally he did have questions he felt would be stepping over the line. But wanting to know the kind of world he was being thrusted into was to be expected.
Mae ran a finger across her cheek while tilting her head to the left.
"Now where to begin? Oh, I got it. Ranks in the assassin world serve as a way of measuring an assassin's skill, experience and overall threat level. In total there are five ranks"
She lifted up five fingers as she began to explain.
"Let's start with the lowest rank. Sprite. They are weak and inexperienced, usually people who are just starting out or still learning the ropes and developing their skill fall under this rank. Conrad, given that you're new to all of this. It's likely you'd start at Sprite Rank"
"So basically, I'd be a rookie?"
"Exactly. It's nothing to be ashamed of though. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?"
"I guess"
She began counting down her fingers. Somehow, she seemed to be excited by the topic, or was that just her personality? Either way, she seemed to be having fun talking about it, which was disturbing since she was talking about the classes of murders.
"Going up the ladder is the Griffin Rank. Typically, it's what most assassins fall under. This means they are your average skilled and competent professional. They are reliable but they don't have as much power and influence as those in higher ranks"
Connie nodded.
_Is she really going to explain each one? She could just tell me which one is the strongest in a simple and quicker way. But I can't cut her off like that. I still owe her some gratitude_
Plus, he needed to learn as much as he can about this new world.
Mae continued.
"Then we have the Hydra Rank. They are more than capable of handling serious tasks, often taking on missions that would be too dangerous for lower ranked assassins_
"Mel falls under that rank, right? I didn't think she would be that exceptional."
Another reason why Mel was far superior than him. Connie was a bit envious that someone so younger than him had achieved something like that, even thought it was about killing people.
However, Mae shrugged.
"Well Mel's rank is a bit different. Diviners in the assassination line often have the word 'Special' next to their rank. Since their abilities go beyond the normal norms. It helps to categorize them in their own specific class. Even a Special Sprite rank can be troublesome when against a Hydra Rank"
From her coat pocket she pulled out a card and showed it to Connie.
It was an Arcana Card. It depicted a serene woman seated between two pillars, completely distinct from one another.
"I'm The High Priestess Diviner. If I was an assassin, I would have been fit into the Special Rank category"
So, she is one of them. Connie had suspected as much when he first interacted with her. Mae's Arcana skills were a mystery to him but one of them was clearly some kind of advanced healing.
There was another thing which caught his attention.
_She seems so interested in this assassins thing then how come she isn't one??_
As he was about to ask, Mae cut him off immediately.
"Before we get off topic I should continue with the remaining two. The Phoenix Rank is the second highest. It's what most assassins strive to reach. This rank is for those who have been recognized as incredibly strong and highly exceptional. The kind you'd send in to take out high profile targets or dismantle powerful organizations. The man who brought you here is an example of one of them"
Connie took a moment to process who that is before asking with a surprised expression.
"Fern?"
"Yes"
"Woah, I didn't realize he's such a big shot"
"Most of Sardes' heavy hitters do fill up the Phoenix Rank"
So almost everyone here is that crazy strong. It's as if Mel wasn't enough by herself. He laid back on the bed's pillows. Mae must have taken that as a sign of sorts because she stood from the chair and fixed the loosened bed sheets before settling back to her seat.
"And finally, the most interesting and highest rank is known as Dragon. Assassins with this title are walking anomalies, legends in their own right. Their strength and skills are so extraordinary that they are said to be on par with an entire country. Imagine someone who could topple governments or lead a revolution by themselves. Isn't that impressive?!"
Connie's eyes widened while Mae's excitement seemed to have increased.
"Do people like that really exist?"
"More or less"
She nodded with a brimming smile.
"They are incredibly rare. Only four being known. An assassin could go on their entire lifetime without meeting one. And no, Sardes doesn't have a Dragon Rank. I can't imagine the uproar the State Court would have if that was the case"
As Mae concluded with her explanation, Connie lowered his head towards her.
"Thanks for taking the time to teach me about this. I appreciate it"
"It's no problem at all, really. Lys should have been the one to explain all of this to you, but it looks like I beat her to it"
Mae yawned as she rose from her seat. Whereas Connie shifted on the bed while trying to process everything she just told him about the world he was now a part of.
She opened the curtains; the whole room was illuminated with sunlight and the cool morning breeze settled into the room nicely.
"We've been talking for a while now. I should leave before my work piles up. One more thing before I leave"
She leaned in closer to Connie's ear then whispered.
"Tessa is waiting for you outside the door. Be careful when you walk out ok?"
_What? Who? Waiting for me? For what? _
He asked himself internally. The name 'Tessa' didn't ring a bell at all. Then again, he did not remember every name he was told by the boss lady. It probably must have slipped his mind.
Mae turned her back on Connie as she began to walk towards the door.
"I wouldn't worry about Mel. She left a while ago to attend her classes. She's quite diligent in her studies despite everything else she's involved in. Also, Lys wants to talk to you. She's waiting for you at the main office."
That said, she left the room.
Connie sat on the edge of the bed for a moment. His body was in good working condition so there was no need for him to stay in the Medic Room any longer.
_Two of them have these magical cards. Makes me wonder if the rest of them do_
So far, he had only seen the Arcana Cards of both Mae and Mel. He had seen Mel's card in action two times already now, and in both instances, it materialized a katana. There was nothing beyond that.
_It can't be an ordinary weapon. It must have some kind of skill. No doubt it has a sharp edge, maybe it can shoot projectiles too_
That was just about it from Mel's side, anything else he might have thought of would have been pure speculation.
Mae on the other hand had displayed her skills, although most of the time he had been unconscious, and she had not shown anything flashy in both instances.
_ First was when she calmed me down and the next was when she healed my body. I'm guessing her Avatar is some kind of priest_
The other person that came to mind was Fern. He had displayed magical ability so it was clear that it must have been the work of an Arcana Card. But he hasn't revealed it to me.
_Revealing your hand to an enemy is dangerous. Unlike those two, he doesn't seem to be trusting easily_
It was still frustrating. If everyone here has an Arcana, then it would definitely be difficult for him to deal with all of them and rescue his mother and father.
_Dammit all_
His body had gone through a drastic change, albeit not a physically visible change, but he could still feel it. No doubt he had awakened into a Diviner. However, his 'The Devil' card was nowhere in sight.
"It's probably with that woman"
Connie mused.
When he really thought about it. It seemed funny. Against Mel, he proclaimed to himself that he was going to kill everyone in this hotel, but how would someone who has never killed before be so bold in announcing such a statement? Sooner or later, he will be forced to kill someone. How will he react to that and how will that effect his mentality in the future?
It seemed arrogant, foolish even. His only motivation was saving the lives of his parents. That can be accomplished if he just plays to their rules. Also, it wasn't like anyone of his soon to be rank will be able to do anything about those in higher ranks.
"I should get going. The boss wants to see me and there's the person waiting to also see me by the door. Probably shouldn't keep them waiting any longer"
Mae's warning echoed in his mind. She had told him to be careful when exiting the room, but what did she mean by that? Be careful in what way? He couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him, but there was no way around it.
Connie stood up and pulled on his grey hoodie and slipped into his jeans and sneakers, which were neatly folded on the table next to his bed.
Then he crossed the room.
After a brief pause in gathering his thoughts, he took a deep breath and opened the door. As he stepped into the hallway, he saw a figure to his right.
There was a girl leaning on the wall. She didn't look much older than him. Her pale skin was unsettling though, it was as if she was knocking on death's door. She had black shoulder length hair, and the piercing gaze of her yellow-colored eyes made him a bit anxious.
She wore a black snow jacket with a skull pin on her collar. Beneath it, she had on a white shirt with a tie and a short skirt. She looked every bit the part of a high school delinquent. And that uniform belonged to Emberwind Secondary.
"Uh hey, are you Tessa—"
In a flash, she was in front of him. Her expression was one of pure irritation. The next thing he knew, her hand gripped the front of his hoodie then slammed him against the wall. Surprisingly, it did not hurt.
Tessa held him in place with surprising arm strength.
"You bastard. Just who the hell do you think you are?"
She hissed in a low and menacing voice.