Mark froze in shock as he recognized Smith. "What the hell are you doing here?" Mark asked, glaring at him. Smith, unfazed, ignored the question and instead said, "Don't worry about taking that girl to the hospital. I've already sent agents to treat her. They'll be here soon."
Mark's eyes narrowed. "How do you even know about this?"
Smith smirked. "Haven't you figured it out yet? I followed you."
Mark was momentarily stunned. "You seriously went that far just to recruit me? Even—"
"Yes. Anything," Smith interrupted sharply, cutting him off. He began walking away. "Come on, follow me."
Mark, shaking off his annoyance, decided to drop the stalking topic for now. Instead, he asked, "Why send agents? Shouldn't she be taken to a proper hospital for medical treatment?"
Smith glanced back. "She is. The boss of the Seirei Exorcist Group also runs the hospital. It's a dual operation."
Mark raised an eyebrow, confused. "Wait... He runs both the Seirei Exorcist Group and a hospital?"
Smith nodded. "Yes. All Seirei Exorcist Group buildings or agencies are hidden. If a Seirei were to pass by one, it could bring disaster—natural or otherwise. To avoid detection, the boss built the exorcist headquarters beneath the hospital. It's the perfect cover."
Mark processed this information as they walked. After a few minutes, Mark's phone buzzed. It was Chard calling.
"Some people are here to help Bri," Chard said.
Mark sighed in relief. "Good. Let them help her. How's Gramps?"
"He's asleep for now," Chard replied.
Mark hung up and turned to Smith. "Alright, I guess I'm in."
Smith chuckled. "Who knows? The boss has the final say. But if I had to guess, I'd say there's an 80% chance he'll be interested in you."
Mark crossed his arms. "You were so determined to recruit me that you even stalked me. You weren't going to take no for an answer, were you?"
Smith grinned. "Let's just say you're... different."
Mark rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you've said that before."
"No, not like that," Smith said seriously. "Do you remember how I explained that everything has Standz—humans, objects, even the tiniest things? For example to show how small an object standz is compared to a human well for instance imagine if human Standz is like a sea, while for objects, it's just a drop of water. But you... you have none. Not even a trace. You're like a walking corpse."
Mark stared at him, baffled. "Why the hell am I different?"
Smith shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. This hasn't happened before. But what's remarkable is that you still function—and not just function, but exhibit strength and speed beyond human limits. You're a mystery, Mark. And mysteries interest us."
Mark remained silent, unable to process everything, as they arrived at the hospital. Smith walked up to the counter, flashed a badge, and was led with Mark to an elevator at the back.
Inside the elevator, Smith leaned against the wall. "So, what do you think? Pretty cool, huh?"
Mark, glancing around emotionlessly, replied, "You could've used a better color scheme."
Smith forced a smile and pressed the final button on the panel, entering a secret pin. The elevator began its descent.
Mark broke the silence. "How are you so sure I don't have Standz?"
"Simple," Smith replied. "It's called Standz Sensing. Anyone with training can do it. You focus your Standz pressure on someone, and their Standz reacts to yours. It shows you how big or small theirs is."
"And what did you sense with me?" Mark asked.
"Nothing," Smith said bluntly. "No reaction at all. It was like sensing an empty void."
Mark thought for a moment. "What happens if you sense someone with more Standz pressure than you?"
Smith laughed dryly. "If their pressure is less than mine, I feel a slight tickle or shiver. But if it's greater, it's like being crushed by double gravity. Trust me, it's not fun. And some people have such immense Standz pressure that sensing them can kill you outright."
Mark raised an eyebrow. "Why not train to increase your Standz, then?"
"You can't," Smith explained. "The Standz you're born with is the one you'll have until you die. Training only helps refine your abilities—it doesn't increase your Standz level."
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened, revealing the Seirei Exorcist Group's underground headquarters. Mark stepped out, momentarily stunned by the grandeur of the facility.
"Wow..." he muttered, before quickly regaining his stoic expression upon noticing Smith's amused smile.
"One favor," Smith said, turning serious. "Don't tell the newbies you're Standz-less. It would contradict everything we've told them and could cause chaos. Keep it to yourself until the high-ups figure out why, or until they're strong enough to sense it for themselves."
"Don't worry," Mark replied. "I barely talk to people anyway."
Smith smirked. "Well, you'll have to, since you'll be working with them. Actually, we're meeting them now before your meeting with the boss. He's not here at the moment."
Mark sighed. "Fine. How many?"
Smith opened a nearby door. "About four."
Inside, four individuals—Jack, Miwafe, Vanessa, and Rin—turned to stare at Mark.