After only a few seconds, the globe began to shine—bright and blinding. A pale, crystalline light burst forth, flooding the room in radiance for nearly twenty seconds.
Lily's eyes widened briefly. Shock flickered across her face—faint, controlled. For just one moment, she looked at me and muttered,
"So you do possess the Essence. And your potential's top-notch, too."
Essence?
Sir Kane had mentioned something about that—something inside me, something strange.
But Lily… she didn't look particularly impressed. Not the kind of awe you'd expect if I had some world-breaking power.
Still, better to ask than spiral into assumptions. Especially about that blade of hers.
Before I could say a word, Lily turned toward me, reading the thoughts practically etched on my face.
"I know what you're thinking. Let me give you some basic info—listen carefully. I won't repeat myself. Well… not that you'll stay clueless for long, but as your comrade, I'm obligated to give the new guy a crash course."
She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one hip, taking the tone of someone explaining obvious facts to a slow child.
"As you probably know, there are five Ways—paths of the senses. This cult, the one you're standing in, follows the Way of Olfun—the sense of smell. Those who walk this path are called Sages. But not just anyone can become one. To ascend… you need Essence."
She tapped a finger to her neck, where faint veins pulsed beneath her skin.
"Essence isn't some mystical aura floating around. It's in you—running through your veins."
I raised my hand.
Not to interrupt—God no, I wasn't that reckless. I just wanted to ask something without getting stabbed.
She stopped mid-sentence and gave me an incredulous look.
"…What? Why are you raising your hand like we're in school?"
"I have a question," I said calmly.
She sighed. The look she gave me screamed, I regret every life decision that led me here.
"Say it."
"Is Essence… common? Or rare? I mean, Sir Kane said something's inside me—something the Oculis Sage wanted. Was he talking about this Essence?"
Her right eyebrow lifted slightly. A twitch of interest—or maybe judgment.
"Even though I acknowledge your Essence is of top-tier purity—which is impressive—that doesn't mean it's so valuable it could trigger… all this."
She waved her hand vaguely toward the globe, the hall, maybe the world.
"So… not that rare?"
"Rare enough," she said. "But not priceless. You're not the chosen one or anything. Don't let it get to your head."
"Okay. And the blade?" I nodded toward the weapon she'd so casually sliced me with.
"It's a relic."
Then she rolled her eyes, clearly already tired of the conversation.
"Look, if I start explaining everything, we'll be here for hours. If you're that curious, go to the library. That's what it's there for."
She turned and started walking away, her boots clicking softly against the marble floor.
"Anyway, I have things to do. You're not my only problem."
And just like that, I was alone in the Ascension Hall—hand still tingling, mind buzzing, and a hundred new questions clawing their way to the surface.
She didn't even tell me where the library is…
Figures. With that kind of personality, I'm lucky she didn't charge me for the info dump.
Left to wander, I ended up asking around. A few raised brows, a couple of shrugs, and one particularly suspicious stare later, I finally found it.
It wasn't as grand as the USL library back home—no towering halls or cybernetic catalogues—but there was something oddly heavy about it. Like each book was hiding more than just words. Secrets, maybe. Or lies dressed as scripture.
And it was… quiet. Not peaceful-quiet. More like too quiet, like even the air didn't dare make a sound. Only a few people were scattered around—some scribbling notes, others hunched over ancient tomes like they'd forgotten what sunlight looked like.
I stood there, unsure where to even start. There were too many books.
As I scanned the shelves aimlessly, I spotted a man a few feet away. He was browsing intently, his fingers gliding across leather-bound spines like he knew exactly what he was looking for.
I approached him.
"Hello. My name is Marc. I'm new here... could you maybe suggest a book? Something about Essence, Sages, and, uh, relics?"
He looked up—slightly surprised, but not unfriendly.
"Oh, yeah—sure. Name's Elijah, by the way."
He spoke casually, with a calmness that felt rare in this place.
Without much fuss, Elijah led me across a few shelves and pulled out four books. The covers were worn, the titles etched in faded gold:
The Weave of the Five WaysBloodlines and the Birth of EssenceRelics of the Forgotten AgeSagehood: Path, Trial, Ascension
He handed them to me with the ease of someone who's done this before.
"Here. These should give you a solid start."
I nodded, grateful.
"Thank you, Elijah."
"No issue."
He gave a faint smile, then returned to his search—already lost in the inked abyss of another spine.
I found a spot tucked between two towering shelves and sank into a creaky wooden chair. The books Elijah gave me sat like ancient relics on the table. I didn't read them word for word—wasn't trying to become a scholar overnight—but I scanned through the key points, skimming for the things that made my gut twist or my instincts twitch.
An hour per book. Four hours straight. No breaks. Not even to blink properly.
And then—growl.
A very human reminder from my very neglected stomach. Right. I hadn't eaten in… what, eight hours?
Fantastic. Now I'm enlightened and starving.
As I rubbed my temples, trying to decide whether to eat the books or go find actual food, a voice called out behind me.
"You should go home. You look tired."
I turned.
Captain Grey.
He was standing with his arms folded, the same calm-but-don't-mess-with-me aura radiating from him like a seasoned warrior who'd seen enough blood to forget what peace feels like.
I stood quickly out of respect.
"Captain Grey."
He smiled faintly.
"Don't be too modest. I had a word with the higher-ups about your situation. Sir Kane was present too. You'll be joining the cult officially—starting tomorrow."
That hit me harder than expected. Somehow, hearing it spoken aloud made it feel more real. He kept his gaze on me, like he was trying to gauge how much of that reality I could handle.
I nodded slowly.
"Can I ask a question?"
He didn't hesitate.
"Sure."
"What… exactly will I be doing? After joining, I mean?"
Captain Grey's expression darkened slightly, like he'd tasted a bitter truth.
"Well," he said, voice low and steady, "things here aren't as peaceful as they may seem. You've already encountered a Sage—most don't, not this early. But attacks… skirmishes… they're more common on the surface than we like to admit. They just don't make the highlights."
He paused. His eyes sharpened.
"Of course, your case… it's different. Rare. Very rare. After all, a high-level Sage is involved with your file."
I didn't respond.
Because really, what do you say when someone confirms that your blood—your Essence—has painted a target on your back?
Captain Grey continued, like checking off a list.
"We also assist surface authorities—cops, mostly—in certain cases. Rare ones. Not often, but when our expertise is needed, we step in."
I hesitated, voice low.
"And… how much am I expected to work? I mean, I'm alone—"
He cut me off with a soft smile.
"You don't have to worry about that. You'll be paid. We don't recruit extraordinary individuals for free, you know."
Then, casually—as if handing over a receipt—he reached into his coat pocket, pulled out ten crisp 100-paisa notes, and extended them to me.
"Here. One week's advance salary."
I stared at the notes.
A thousand paisa.
Back in USL, I earned 500 paisa per month—and that was decent by most middle-class standards. Some families scraped by on 400 to 700 paisa a month.
But this? Four thousand paisa a month?
It wasn't just good. It was absurd.
I looked up.
"Does everyone get paid like this?"
He chuckled.
"No. It depends on the hierarchy. The lowest-ranked are metal, then bronze, then silver."
Silver…
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the silver badge Sir Kane had given me. I stared at it, dumbfounded.
"Are you saying I'm getting paid this much… because of this?"
Captain Grey simply smiled.
"But I'm not even a Serial 1 Sage yet."
He shrugged slightly.
"Well, technically… you're right. You don't deserve that badge."
My eyelids twitched.
He continued without pause.
"But what can we do? The moment Sir Kane met you, he didn't have a single badge lower than silver on him. And here, demotion isn't exactly a thing. So… count yourself lucky."
Lucky, huh?
One good thing doesn't make you lucky. Not when a high Sage you can't even reach is the one who killed your mother.
Captain Grey started to walk away, then paused mid-step. Without turning, he asked:
"What kind of weapon do you prefer?"