"Grandpa, I'm gonna get the antidote. I promise," Roke told his grandfather, with the confidence of someone who wouldn't let him down.
Then Roke turned his back and took one last look at his grandfather before heading out.
Roke then went to meet Sevin. They had arranged to meet at the Adventurers' Registry the night before, right before bed and following all that tension with the gods.
The registry tower was located in the center of town, so he headed that way. As he walked, he heard screams coming from an alleyway.
Roke was tempted to ignore it, remembering he was already running late to meet Sevin.
He was about to take another step past the alley and leave it all behind, but his sense of justice hit harder than his logic. In an instant, he stopped, turned right, and headed into the alleyway.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" he said, acting as if he had some kind of authority.
"What does it look like, kid? Now get lost," one of the guys snapped, giving him a look that said he was nothing but a child.
They charged at Roke. Their speed was impressive, but Roke outmatched them, so much so that after he dodged, he lost his footing and hit the ground hard.
Before he could move, one of the men snatched him up with a laugh. "Did you think you stood a chance? Hahaha."
The beating started then; they kicked him and slammed fists into his gut.
The girl behind them screamed in desperation, "Let him go! Let him go!"
But they didn't listen; they just kept laying into Roke.
That's when he looked at his CEF panel.
Power Unlocked
Explosive Light
CEF: ???
He wanted to know how to use this power, but he had never tested it before. Then, in a split second, he focused his mind on "Explosive Light." His body erupted, just like back at the black market, but this time, he remained unharmed by the blast.
Right then, it felt as if his menu had just updated.
Skill Acquired
Explosive Light | Level 1
Power Unlocked
???
CEF: 0000
He didn't understand what this update meant, but he scooped the girl up in his arms and took off. He moved so fast that the thugs couldn't even catch a glimpse of him.
He didn't stop until he reached the front of the Adventurers' Registry tower.
He set her down, leaving her looking a bit flustered. "You're actually pretty strong," she said. "Are you here to register?"
He nodded, signaling that he was.
She headed inside, with Roke following right behind her.
It was incredibly loud inside the tower; adventurers gathered there to joke around, drink, and have a good time.
"Hey, wait!" He tried to call out to her, but the place was so noisy that she didn't hear him and disappeared into the crowd.
He watched her vanish, realizing he hadn't even asked for her name.
Then Sevin popped up behind him with a loud shout. "Yo, bro! Look who finally decided to show up!"
"This way, keep up," Sevin called out, taking the lead.
Mid-stride, Sevin caught a glimpse of Roke's injuries. "Man, what's with the face?"
"Can't I leave you by yourself for a second without you picking a fight with someone?"
"I slipped," Roke said, turning his head as if he were uncomfortable.
They kept walking until they reached the counter. Behind it stood two beautiful attendants, one with blonde hair and the other with black hair, but both with kind eyes.
"Good morning. Here for the registration?" the blonde asked, maintaining a pleasant smile.
"Just him." Sevin said, nudging Roke forward.
"And what's your name, sweetie?" she asked, already pulling up the system to search for him.
"Roke," he replied.
"Wait, what? Are you serious? A CEF of 0?" She looked at him, completely caught off guard.
But before Roke could even get a word out, the black-haired attendant spoke up. She told him the boss had requested to see him and offered to lead the way.
He followed her to the elevator section, a row of ten cars, side by side. Roke looked over at Sevin, his eyes wide with admiration for the place.
One of the doors chimed open and they stepped in, but as Sevin moved to follow, the attendant put her hand out, stopping him from entering.
"The boss said only the white-haired boy," she stated.
Leaving Sevin behind, she pressed the button for the 70th floor. As the elevator ascended, a chill ran down Roke's spine; he had absolutely no clue what was going on.
Even so, he tried his best to stay cool, not wanting her to think he was scared or anything like that.
They finally hit the 70th floor. As they stepped out and headed right, Roke couldn't hide his shock. This place was nothing like the ground floor.
It was quiet and luxurious, the kind of place where everyone looked incredibly wealthy and well-bred.
They climbed a short staircase just before reaching their stop. There, he saw the title "The Boss" etched into the door.
Before she could even knock, a man's voice shouted from inside, "Come in!"
When Roke stepped through the door, he saw the very same girl he had just helped.
"What?" Roke whispered, stunned.
"I'm Mary," she said, smiling.
"Well, I'm Roke," he replied, a smile tugging at his lips too.
"My grandfather wants to talk to you."
When she said that, he took a deep breath, fighting back a wave of panic.
"Okay," he replied shortly, still trying to keep his cool.
Then, her grandfather asked everyone to leave except for Roke, and they followed his orders.
Once the room was empty, the man expressed his deep gratitude for Roke keeping her safe. He was baffled as to how, given the boy's zero CEF or so the system claimed.
He got up and rummaged through some documents. "Aha, found it," he muttered, wearing a grin.
Returning to Roke with an ID in his hand, he asked, "Roke, was it? Take this."
"What? You're giving it to me now?"
"Make sure to thank your grandfather later..."
The man trailed off, leaving the thought hanging. He stood up and reached out his hand. "My granddaughter wants to form a guild with you. Beats me what she sees in you, but she's set on it."
Roke stood up so fast his chair nearly flew. "What?!"