"Although it has been fifteen months since the Ragnarok, frankly, humanity hasn't had as much time to adjust yet. The vast majority of sleepers woke up about six months after the incident, many went into hiding, some isolated themselves while others, like you, have been searching for their family members."
"How long have you been awake for?" Maximilian looked at the handsome youth walking alongside him, Rhashan. He was the talkative of the party, aside from Suho that is. But the latter had cast away his playful demeanour the moment they stepped away from the camp.
"Four months. I'm the second oldest awakener in the group." Rhashan beamed with pride. Maximilian nodded in thought.
I assumed they have all been awake since the beginning…
"Willow woke up first, six months ago, hence she's the leader of the group. Murphy woke up two weeks after I did. Then Kazuya woke up a month after that. Midori is the youngest, not age wise, awakening wise, that's before you anyway. She woke up a month and three weeks ago."
"Wait, I thought Suho was the group leader." Maximilian furrowed his brows as he glanced at the muscular youth at the head of the group, leading them deeper into the ruins.
"No, he's more like a trainer. He has his own hunting party and I heard he's quite close to the baron. But as the youngest hunting party, someone needs to train us until we reach knight level." Rhashan poured on and on. Maximilian stared at him, incredulously, trying to keep up with everything being said.
"I understand you, but at the same time I don't." He chuckled, "I'm guessing the baron is the leader of the camp?"
"Yes. No one knows much about him. He's a mysterious fellow, but I heard he's one of the most powerful humans currently. There are even rumours that he can take on multiple Copper level monsters without breaking a sweat."
"Hmm." Maximilian nodded, his mind drifting away. He was pulled back by a hand resting on his shoulder, he met Rhashan's gaze.
"Your brother?" he asked. Maximilian nodded. "Wanna talk about it?"
"I don't know…" Maximilian looked around at the ruins they were walking through, buildings half collapsed, the ground uneven from piled up debris, the quiet sneaking in the shadows to avoid a few unranked monsters that mindlessly patrolled the streets. He sighed.
"We had an argument," Maximilian paused, looking back at Rhashan, "Before all this happened. Just a few minutes before actually."
"I said some things I shouldn't have, and it pains me that those were my last words to him before he was plunged into such a chaotic world."
"Heh, I can't say I relate. I lived with my grandma before Ragnarok. She died after the explosion, just before I blacked out. I miss her dearly and we weren't even that close. So, although I can't relate, I sort of understand." Rhashan paused for a moment, heading forward. Ahead, the group had climbed up a broken wall for higher vantage point.
Rhashan placed his hand in the wall, the air changed, followed by a slight jarring sound. The young boy's hand began to harden, like he was being petrified. Soon, it became like the wall, the entirety of his forearm, stopping just past his elbow.
With the transmuted arm, he dug into the wall and pulled himself up in one strong movement, soaring a bit into the air before landing on the wall. He turned around, a smile still on his face, as he reached down to give Maximilian a lift.
Maximilian dashed at the wall, using it as leverage, he ran up a few steps before grabbing Rhashan's outstretched arm. The latter swiftly pulled him up.
"Nice. I couldn't do that right after waking up." Rhashan complimented.
"I didn't believe I could do it too, just decided to try it and everything worked out. It's white strange actually, I feel like I have a crazy level of control over my body. It's quite refr–" Maximilian paused his words, walking past Rhashan with his head tilted. A few feet away from them was a large shard of reflective glass and within was a youth who looked familiar yet unfamiliar.
Maximilian had that above average look that wasn't anything great but good enough to pass, along with average height and physique. He was familiar with his body, but looking into the reflective surface of the glass, he saw himself for the first time since he woke up from his coma.
"Did you guys dye my hair?" he asked Rhashan, his rtone suggesting he didn't think they did.
The handsome boy laughed, reaching out to touch Maximilian's wild green locks. "Of course not. It probably has something to do with your Powers."
Maximilian raised a brow. Copying his every move in the mirror was the reflection of a boy that looked to be in his late teens. His looks were still slightly above average, but he now possessed a certain charm, a charisma that made him seem more than he was.
During the coma, his hair had grown to reach his neck and it also changed colour from brown to an eerie moss green.
This is unsettling. It's like I look younger yet older at the same time. Did I get taller?... And my eyes
Maximilian leaned in closer to the glass, his fingers pulling his lower eyelid down to give him a better view of his pupils. They were a deep dark green with a murky, crystalline hue.
"Usually, people would have settled in for at least a week, time ample enough to process all the changes they went through. But you jumped to action right away so, there's a lot to learn about this new you."
"We are almost there!" Suho's voice came from afar, pulling the attention of both boys. Rhashan pulled Maximilian from the mirror, hurrying towards the rest of the party. "You should check out your Status window, it can shed some light."
The duo soon caught up to the party who now stood at the edge of a small hill, looking down at the ruins from above. Maximilian took in the view, once more understanding the gravity of the current situation. The party remained still, waiting.
Maximilian looked to Rhashan for answers but even the talkative youth was silent, his smile gone.
"It's coming." An alluring voice sounded in Maximilian's mind. His eyes widened a bit, but before he had time to process what had just happened, his attention shifted as he caught a silhouette moving from the corner of his eyes.
What the… Holy shit!!
"What the hell is that?" Maximilian asked, his voice barely registering against the loud crashing sounds in the background. No one replied him, everyone's attention focused on the calamity emerging before them.
Thud! Thud!
Loud crashing sounds echoes through the ruins as a massive shadow moved, landing on the side of a building. It was a hand, a gigantic hand. It grabbed and pulled, the concrete walls of the buildings cracking and shattering beneath its horrendous grip.
Grooooan!!!
A sound akin to metal being ripped apart and compressed spread through the surroundings, and a few moments later, a looming shadow emerged from behind the large buildings, pulling itself up.
The hunting party watched the entire process, the atmosphere somber around them. When the dust and noise finally settled, what stood before them was a horrifyingly gigantic creature.
It was roughly thirty feet tall, with hard grey skin and nails that looked like concrete. It looked a bit human, but the ferocity in it's dull eyes told that it was anything but. One hand held an equally gigantic club, the other crushed what was left of the chunks of building it ripped apart while trying to get up from the ruins into dust.
"That is a stone giant, a Copper-rank monster." Suho introduced. He looked back at the party, eyes focused on Maximilian as he pointed,
"That is our prey."