Silver looks at all the different models of smartphones available to him: one screen, two screens, three screens? Folding ? Expanding ?
It's official; he's completely lost. He never had any real interest in technology before, and it's special, Awakener tech ? Yeah, no chance in hell he'll understand any of that.
He goes to point to a model in the display before Sarah snaps him back to reality.
"I'll recommend you this one." she goes while pointing to one of the phones.
Silver takes a look at it: the DPhone 19 Ultimax. A bit pricey, but the specs listed here seem to be the best out of everything else.
"Ok, I'll go with your choice." says Silver.
"Sweet. You should also get a DWatch; it can be pretty handy." she says as she calls for a salesperson.
In an instant, Silver had both products in his hands. With some simple math, he realized that all in all, it was probably worth more than everything he has in his apartment. But he can afford it, so why not ?
He stiffly walked toward the counter to pay, under the amused look of Sarah. She could feel how awkward it was for him and took amusement in that.
After he has blown more money than ever in a single payment, Sarah drags him into a small café. They quickly order and sit.
"Thank you, Sarah." finally says Silver, the high of his insane expense coming back down. "I don't know what I would have done without you.'
"Come on, it's not like I've saved your life." she retorts, sipping her coffee.
"No, it's just... people have been so nice to me recently; it still feels a bit weird."
"I'd tell you that I understand what you're feeling, but that would be a half truth."
After a moment, she continues. "Have you ever heard of Queen Aria ?"
"The B rank Awakener TV star ? Yes, of course, who doesn't ?"
"Well, she's my mom."
Silver nearly choked on his coffee hearing that. He remembers hearing one time that Queen Aria did have a daughter, but he's sitting right next to her ?
"For the longest time people have been nice to me, but never genuinely, always a ploy to try to get close to my mother. As I grew up, this frustrated me more and more, and I realized that I was not really me, just my mom's daughter. So I decided to follow another path."
"And you decided to become a Dungeonaut ? Something your mother never was." wonders Silver.
"Exactly. Here, she doesn't count. For the rest of the world, an E rank or A rank Awakener is mostly the same, but here only strength counts. Of course there is still a fair share of nepotism, especially on the higher spheres, but as a Dungeonaut, only your own power counts."
Silver nods in acknowledgement; he can understand what she feels. For him also, the Dungeon was a place to escape his previous life, almost a full reset.
"What about you, Silver?" asks Sarah
"Huh ?" says Silver, a little taken aback.
"I've shared a part of my story; it's only fair you do too. I mean, only if you want to—I don't want to force you to."
"Nah, it's fine. My story's not as glamorous as yours, tho."
As he starts to talk, Silver starts to reminisce.
"I was born in a small village in England, Danburough. My family has lived there for generations, and it was my fate to inherit our ancestral shop, but…"
He relives the numerous arguments with his parents, the nosy neighbors trying to get their words in, and the other kids accepting their roles as successors to their parents businesses.
"But I was interested in the Dungeon, in what it could offer to the world, in the fantasy of slaying beasts and finding treasures. But the pressure was too much, and at one point I decided to bury this dream in me. Then one day, I was watching TV and saw the interview of a man who left everything behind to live his dream at 60 ! It was beautiful, and when he said that he never regretted it, I was set. The following day I packed my bag and left to come here. I've never had any contact with my family since."
Silver was looking into his cup, his mind still in that place and time. As he looks up, he sees Sarah, looking at him surprised.
"I'm sorry for kinda trauma dumping." he says awkwardly.
"Oh no, it's just that it's heavier than what I was expecting. But at the end of the day, we all have a reason to be here."
"I guess you're right."
"Just so you know, I still have a good relationship with my mom." adds Sarah.
"Well, at least one of us does." jokes Silver
After finishing their coffee, they separate. Silver wanders around for a bit, pensive. What would happen if he came back home now ? Would they accept it ? Would they berate him and kick him out ? Would they even be proud of who he became on his own ?
As those questions spin in his head, he gets back home. Pushing those thoughts aside for a moment, he starts to set up his newly acquired phone and smart watch, which takes him some time.
When all is ready, he goes to sleep, wanting to be in the best shape possible for the mission. As he closes his eyes, he starts to feel the world spin.
He winces, trying to fight off the terrible sensation, forcing himself to keep his eyes closed. As the sensation becomes stronger and stronger, images of the test flash in his mind, especially how to actually take it.
"Don't try to resist it; let it through."
He takes a deep breath and relaxes, letting the sensation pass through him. A bit disagreeable at first, soon the sensation becomes almost pleasant; he could really feel the earth spinning and his blood circulating in him.
He tries to go deeper in the sensation, soon starting to unconsciously liberate some Mana. At first it was just coating him, but he tried to make it move, to make it circulate on himself.
As he lay down, he could feel his Mana "spinning" on him, enveloping him in an agreeable feeling.
Soon, his alarm rings. He fell asleep without even realising it.
Silver gets up, feeling more energized, rested, and calm than he ever had. He closes his eyes again, and the spinning sensation is still there, but now it feels natural, just a part of the world.
He gets up and goes to make himself some coffee before cleaning his face. But as he does, he realizes something: he hasn't opened his eyes. He turns around, easily being able to tell what's where even with his eyes shut.
He finally opens them and gets blinded a little. As his vision stabilizes, he looks at himself in the mirror; nothing has changed, except now he is completely coated in a moving Mana mass.
He chuckles before drinking his coffee; he cannot physically be in better condition for this mission. He grabs his clothes and puts them on. Immediately his Mana goes through them and feels reinforced as it circulates. Is it thanks to the enchantment ?
He goes to his mirror one last time to tie up his hair before setting out. His steps feel light, and, in an instant, he is at the rally point.
"Hello everyone." he says as he approaches the rest of the Team.
"Wow, you look marginally better than yesterday." remarks Armando.
"Yes, it feels like something clicked in me. But still no color, tho."
"What did you expect ?" asks Lin. "You may be a prodigy or whatever, but nobody's that good."
"Yes, I can see that something's changed in you." says V, completely ignoring what Lin said.
"I'm at my peak right now; I'll make honor to what Miller gave me." says Silver while showing his shirt.
"Miller ? Well anyway, let's meet with the Mercenaries for the mission."
Standing a bit further is a group of around 15 Mercenaries, all wearing their armor and masks. Silver approaches; this time he's one of the others, not one of them. He looks at the Mercenaries and nods.
The reaction he gets is way different from what he was expecting; while some simply nodded back or saluted, a majority seemed genuinely excited to see him.
"Hello, I'm Captain George, the one leading the Mercenaries." says the captain while extending his hand.
"Nice to meet you." responds Armando while shaking his hand. "I'm Armando. Those here are V, Sarah, Lin and-"
"Silver, huh. He's well known by the Mercenaries. I mean, it's not everyday that one of us stays a Mercenary for so long and manages to become a goddamn Dungeonaut. We're proud of you, kid."
What ? How did his story spread so much that even Mercenaries know about him ?
In her office, Amanda Den smiles.