Noah's heart began to race, and although he tried not to show it, he was sweating profusely inside.
".."
The white-haired man remained silent for a few minutes, the only thing he did was stare at Noah. This only intensified the fear gnawing at Noah's heart.
'That strange white streak I saw in the sky… it was coming towards me. Could it have been real? Was I hallucinating? Could it be what killed the kaju beast?'
The thought suddenly flashed in his mind, but he brushed it aside, feeling that the white line was merely a figment of his imagination.
He had no idea why he even entertained such thoughts in the first place.
The man watched him for a long moment, his eyes searching Noah's face for any sign of deception. Then, he nodded, seemingly satisfied.
'He can't be the one,' the man thought. 'But if it wasn't him, then who killed that Kaiju? It's as if it had been… erased from existence.'
With a slight smile, he leaned forward. "You're safe now, Noah. But I'll need to ask you more questions later. We must get to the bottom of this."
Noah nodded, feeling a sense of relief mixed with dread. "Alright," he replied, trying to swallow his anxiety. "Just… just don't ask me about any strange powers, okay?"
".."
".."
The white-haired man chuckled softly, and for a moment, the tension in the room eased. "I promise, Noah. For now, let's focus on your recovery."
"Alright!"
The white-haired man finally eased the pressure, clearly believing Noah was telling the truth. After all, he couldn't lie even if he wanted to under such scrutiny.
He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny bloody brownstone, glancing at it for a few seconds before finally passing it over to Noah.
Noah stared at the stone in shock. This was the first time he had ever seen a Blood Crystal!
Blood Crystals were extracted from the hearts of Kaiju monsters and beasts, and humans used them to upgrade and store energy in their artifacts and weapons varying by ranks.
They could be utilized for many things, from crafting weapons and powering artifacts to absorbing "Alliance Spots"—essentially a type of treasure sold for currency. And they were also exorbitantly expensive!
The other man chuckled lightly as he watched Noah's expression.
"Just take it. The Adventurers' Association has no use for it and decided to give it to you as compensation," he said.
Even though he said this, it wasn't entirely true. A Blood Crystal could never be useless, even for the Adventurers' Association.
The real reason for giving it to Noah was that he didn't think they deserved to keep it—after all, they weren't the ones who killed the Kaiju beast.
For him, it didn't sit well, though some of the adventurers were unhappy about his decision; they didn't dare complain.
When Noah finally recovered from his previous shock, he shut his mouth. A slight wave of embarrassment washed over him as the slight pain in his jaw reminded him just how long he had kept his mouth open.
"Are you sure you want to give me this?" he asked, still uncertain whether the man was joking or genuinely offering him a Kaiju monster Blood Crystal.
"Yes… you can sell it and use the money for whatever you want," the man replied with a gentle smile.
Noah nodded slightly, his eyes sparkling as he stared at the Blood Crystal. He slowly reached out to take it.
The white-haired man smirked sarcastically as he placed the Blood Crystal in Noah's hand.
"If you sell this… I could get a ton of money from it," Noah thought, still astonished by the crystal.
".."
"Do you want to wake up?" Suddenly, the handsome man's tone shifted to one of seriousness.
Noah didn't know why the man's expression went from relaxed to serious in an instant, but anyway, those simple words caused his own expression to change even more swiftly.
If anyone else had asked him this question, it would have been a joke. But for him, this question held tremendous weight, as it didn't come from just any random guy but from someone who seemed to command great respect, even among the Adventurers' Association. So, Noah's heart raced violently at those words.
"Yes," Noah said, his troubled expression trembling as he spoke seriously.
Given Noah's ambitious character, who never backed down in the face of bullying, oppression, and despair he had faced numerous times, it was no surprise to see where this discussion was headed.
"Well, today's your lucky day." Signs of seriousness mixed with a light hum of relief slowly seeped into the handsome man's face.
"Take this," he suddenly tossed a circular bronze badge into Noah's lap.
"It's the Adventurers' Association membership badge!" Noah muttered in disbelief, feeling as if he were in a dream.
The membership badge of the Adventurers' Association was something incredibly valuable for an ordinary person like Noah, as he would have to awaken his "Alliance Spot" first before even thinking of joining as an adventurer.
"You can join as a porter for one of the dungeon-clearing missions as soon as you register with this badge.
Normally, the unawakened can join the Adventurers' Association in logistical operations, but due to special circumstances, the city of Onrad is currently short on porters. You can become one of the few porters authorized to enter the dungeon, which might increase your chances of awakening." He continued speaking without waiting to see Noah's reaction.
"I know this may not compensate for what you've been through, Noah Nightshade, but it could be your only chance to prove your father's innocence and save your older brother."
" Usually, the leaders wouldn't allow the son of a traitor to grow, so I can't help you much, but consider this a gift. Make sure to grow stronger; otherwise, believe me, you won't want to know the consequences. And now, this is our farewell."
"Huh?" Noah muttered in disbelief, struggling to wrap his mind around what was happening. Confusion swirled in his thoughts like a storm, leaving him grappling with a myriad of questions.
".."
The white-haired man didn't give Noah any chance to calm his thoughts; he stood up and quickly left the medical wing, leaving Noah in stunned silence. The door clicked shut behind him, echoing in the stillness, as Noah felt the weight of unspoken words pressing down on him.
"So he knew from the start?", Noah spoke in a lower tone feeling a mixture of sorrow and anger.
"Is he against them if I may guess?", He clenched his fists, frustration bubbling to the surface. But no one was there to respond to him, only the lingering shadows of doubt.