"A Bronze Saint?" I repeated, unable to keep a note of incredulity out of my voice. "That's your goal? To be at the bottom of the totem pole?"
We were walking through a more populated area of the training grounds now, a dusty expanse dotted with sparring rings and weight-lifting apparatuses that looked like they'd been carved from a single piece of marble. Aiolia looked at me, his expression earnest and slightly wounded by my tone.
"Being a Saint, any Saint, is the greatest honor imaginable! To be chosen by a Cloth, to fight for Athena… it's a sacred duty."
As he spoke, my system was busy converting his passionate speech into cold, hard data, building a codex in my mind.
[Codex Updated: Artifact Class – Sacred Cloth]
➤ Tier Classification:
→ Bronze (48 Constellations)
→ Silver (24 Constellations)
→ Gold (12 Zodiac Constellations)
➤ Material Composition: Orichalcum, Gammanium, Stardust Sand
➤ Artifact Traits: Symbiotic Bonding, Self-Repair, Dimensional Storage (Cloth Box)
➤ Bonding Protocol: Requires recognition by the Cloth's resident 'Will' or Spirit Core.
➤ Note: High-tier Cloths exhibit strong Cosmo resonance. High probability of Longinus Shard integration.
I processed the information instantly. The Cloths weren't just armor; they were sentient artifacts. And more importantly, they were prime candidates for hosting a shard. Aiolia's simple dream had just become a critical part of my mission strategy. The system even overlaid a small profile next to him.
[Companion Profile: Aiolia]
➤ Current Goal: Achieve Bronze Saint Status
➤ Future Projection: Leo Gold Saint – Sanctuary Defender
➤ Trust Level: 82% | Bond Growth Potential: High
I patted his shoulder, my tone shifting to one of brotherly encouragement. "You're right. It's a noble goal. And you'll definitely achieve it." And once you're the Leo Gold Saint, I added silently, you'll be my key to the Gold Cloth armory.
"But it's not easy," Aiolia said, his voice dropping. He gestured to a nearby ring where two trainees were engaged in a brutal spar. One of them went down hard, not moving. Instructors rushed over, but there was no sense of panic, only grim routine. "Lots of people get hurt. Some even… die."
The cheerful shonen atmosphere of the anime was a lie. This place was a meat grinder. The Sanctuary didn't just train heroes; it forged them through a brutal process of elimination, a gauntlet where only the strongest and luckiest survived. A stark warning flashed in my UI.
[World Hazard Alert]
➤ Training Environment: High Mortality Risk
➤ Death during sanctioned training constitutes Permanent Character Death.
➤ Advised Protocol: Maintain Host Body Vitality > 60% at all times.
This wasn't a game with respawns. My one shot was all I had.
"They say the last Pope was much kinder," Aiolia murmured, his eyes distant. "Before the Gemini Gold Saint, Saga, went mad. They say he had two sides, one good and one evil, constantly at war. The good side vanished, and the evil side tried to usurp the throne. He was defeated, but the new Pope has been much stricter ever since."
The casual mention sent a jolt through my system.
[Story Flag Set: Boss Encounter – Gemini Saga]
➤ Status: Locked
➤ Trigger Condition: Sanctuary Political Arc – Pope's Throne Usurpation
➤ Warning: Target possesses a multi-realm combat rating. Current capabilities are insufficient. Avoid engagement.
The system was warning me away from one of the biggest villains in the series. It seemed my path to the shard would require navigating a political minefield that was about to explode. My own quest log updated itself, clarifying my objectives with brutal simplicity.
[Main Quest Updated]
➤ Title: Shard Hunt – Sanctuary Arc
➤ Objectives:
1. Acquire fundamental combat proficiency via Sanctuary Training.
2. Gain recognition from at least one Bronze Cloth (for access & survival).
3. Identify Shard Host Artifact.
4. Secure Shard (Destruction/Extraction Protocol may be necessary).
➤ Optional Sub-Quest: Companion Recruitment – Athena.
I almost snorted at the optional quest. Marry Athena? In the original story, Aiolos was her sworn protector. It seemed my new role came with some predetermined romantic subplots. I filed it away under 'Problems for Later.'
For now, the biggest problem was me. I had been given the ultimate hardware—the body of Aiolos, a vessel with the potential to become one of the most powerful beings in this dimension. But my software, my own mind and will, were lagging far behind. I was Alan from Queens, a guy whose greatest physical exertion was the walk to the subway. I lacked the iron will, the indomitable courage, the very essence of what made a Saint a Saint.
My internal monologue was cut short as a man approached our training group. He was tall and built like a mountain, with a face that looked like it had been carved from granite and then used to punch other rocks. A jagged scar ran from his temple to his jaw, and his eyes held a cold, predatory light. A collective wave of fear rippled through the trainees.
My Omnitrix scanned him instantly.
[NPC Profile: Christie Pauli]
➤ Rank: S-Class Fighter
➤ Specialty: Close Quarters Brutality, Disciplinary Enforcement
➤ Combat Rating: B (without Cloth)
➤ Disposition: Hostile / Volatile
➤ Bond Potential: Medium (Requires display of exceptional resilience or defiance)
➤ Threat Level: Moderate to High (within sanctioned training context)
"Listen up, maggots!" Christie's voice was a gravelly roar that commanded immediate silence. "Your usual instructor is in the infirmary tending to the last batch of failures. I'll be overseeing your training today. My name is Christie Pauli. You will learn to fear it."
His gaze swept over the group and landed on me. A cruel smirk twisted his lips. "Well, if it isn't the golden boy. Aiolos. Everyone whispers about your great destiny. Let's see if you can survive a warm-up."
My system flashed a final, daunting assessment of my own capabilities.
[Status Check]
➤ Base Body: Aiolos-Class Human Elite
- Strength: A-
- Speed: B+
- Cosmo Potential: C
- Willpower: E
- Courage: E+
➤ Recommendation: Unlock 'Mental Fortitude' module. Requires earning 100 Bond Points with Trainer NPC [Christie Pauli].
The path to getting stronger, it seemed, was through the very man who looked like he wanted to break me in half. This wasn't just a training session; it was my first mini-boss fight, and a social one at that. My life in the Sanctuary was about to get a lot more painful.