Rein carrased the surface of the shard slightly, then looked back at midas as he continued.
"The entire population of monolithos is only around 14 thousand, with only 23 Awakeneds.... Which is not nearly enough to protect the city itself" he looked towards a open window, gazing at the clouds at showed signs of rain.
"Unawakeneds can fight and perhaps even kill monsters, especially at a distance, but it would still be putting a life on the line with lower chances of survival."
"At... A distance as well?"
Midas looked back at him and sighed bitterly "well, it's not so much their life that is in danger but the significant drop in effectiveness due to their.... Intent to kill or will not being carried after only about 5 meters or so, which isn't the case with awakeners"
'even more complications'
"So... To be fully clear, you want me to ascend and protect the city?"
"Basically, yes"
Rein shifted uncomfortably under midas's gaze, both of them knew that rein wouldn't refuse the offer. Not because he had no other choice but because there was no reason not to.
Rein did not have any other way of getting out of this world other then getting stronger, and he wasn't even sure if that would work. Just that getting stronger allowed one to do things that normal people couldn't hope to do.
'there has got to be a way'
And that hope was all rein was betting on.
And... There was a opportunity to get stronger right in front of him.
"Alright"
And with that, rein crushed the shard in his hand.
'!'
Immediately, the shard disintegrsted into a whirlwind of sparks and a strange sense kf warmth permeated his hand.
"H—hey!, you were supposed to break it on your chest"
"Is that so"
Rain said imperturbubly.
He focused on guiding the warth that was starting to disappear at a alarming rate.
He had to find the tool to focus on it firstly... Which as it turned out, was his focus itself.
It was like the warmth became a part of his own body, as if connected to his own nervous system, it was insultingly easy to know how to move it, which didn't mean he cojld actually move it.
The warmth moved at the snails pace. Rein felt it was like pushing a boulder up a hill, it was as if somebody had tied multiple hundred kilos of weight on his hand and he had to do curls with them.
It fact, the warmth only moved up to his wrist before dissipating.
"Huh..."
"So, uh, could you move it?"
The middle aged man asked with a skightly concerned look, more for the shards then rein himself.
"No, not really" rein said somewhat inpassively.
"What i meant was do you think you have the capabilities to move it? As in, did it feel cinnected to you?"
Rein tilted his head. "Yes?"
Midas's face flashed with relief.
"Ah, then you can ascend"
He then stood up, prompting rein to also stand up, alongside the box.
"How about you join the expedition team alongside seriché, deski and shionelle. They will teach you on how to ascend, as well as get you some experience on how to navigate the wilderness"
"Hm"
Rein nodded.
Midas led him back to the inn, and then to his room.
"So... Tommarow morning, at 9?"
"Sure" rein said, not wanting to make any small talk. It wasnt that he didn't like small talk, well he didn't, but because he was really tired.
"Click"
'ah, i forgot severer there'
Rein felt stupid for realizing this late, though he did make the excuse that midas was blabbering to him for the entire duration of their walk together, like a parrot.
'what the....'
There, in his hand... Was a beautiful longsword, sheathed.
'i... I am pretty sure I didn't bring it with me... Did i?'
Rein dicided to think about it later and went to sleep.
.
.
.
Rein stood at the stone pavement outside the inn, the stones of the pavement were still wet from last night's rain, and cold permeated the air around him.
He looked up. Towards the east The stripes that decorated the sky in thin stripes where tinted in shades of orange due to the sun of dawn.
Towards the west, the cold darkness of the night still hid a the clouds in it.
Rein rubbed his arms, his body shivering in the cold of early morning.
"Hooo"
He looked around for a moment, it was early in the morning, around 5, perhaps 5:30. He then shifted on his feet, took of jogging.
Rein didn't put too much effort into jogging, as he only wanted his body to warm up, but not get tired.
As he ran along the pavement, he passed by the empty market stalls that were decorared with red ribbons and intricate ingravings that were barely visible in the dimness of dawn.
Eventually, when rein's body warmed up to his desires degree, he was running along rhe edge of the city, the unvisible barrier created by the spirit stone that protected the town lay only a few dozen meters from the pavement of the outskirts of the town.
'hm?'
A distant activity stole rein's attention while he was admiring monolithos.
There, beyond the invisible berrier, he could observe vague shapes moving between rhe woods. As rein slowed down and eventually came to a two, he saw the shapes slowly disappear deeper into the forest. The shapes were humanoid, that rein was of sure.
Though he couldn't tell if it was actually a human or a monster due to inexperience.
'..creepy'
He thought as he composed himself and jogged towards the tall western watchtower.
.
.
.
"Yes, there were around 3 or them"
"I see, do you know what they were?"
"Ah no, it's pretty dim right now"
Rein looked out rhe window and noticed the sun had risen beyond rhe horizen, chasing away the kast vestiges of darkness from the town
"Well, had been, about 30 minutes ago"
The officer.... Watchman? Looked at him with doubt barely hidden behind his eyes, yet still took his words as truth because of the very nature of this world.
'how am i supposed to know anything, u just came here yesterday'
Rein didn't like the way the officer was looking at him.
.... He eeached back to the inn after about half an hour, took a quick shower, ate breakfast and got ready to reach midas's home.
.
.
.
Rein turned the corner to see a few people outside midas's estate.
Seriché was standing tall, with he hand on the hilt of his sword, wearing a dark blue haori. It seemed as if he was currently exchanging greetings with a bunch of girls.
'he's popular huh... Figures'
Deski stood leaning against a wall, her frame hidden behind layers of colourful baggy clothe armour that would stood out among even the biggest crowds.
And there was someone else talking to deski, She was tall and slender, built with long lines rather than curves. Her caramel skin caught the light in a soft tone. Short black hair fell in loose waves around her face. She looked to be around 22 or 23, only five or so years older then rien.
Rein had to do a double take because of how.... Striking she was.
'That's shionelle i assume'
As rein approached the group and the group of girls left seriché alone, seriché noticed rein appreached and said something to both women, who turned to stare him.
Rein nodded towards seriché and deski, who gave the nod back, and extended his hand towards shionelle, who stared at him up and down with a bored expression before accepting a handshake.
"Shionelle gyle"
"Rein shenhe"
It seemed that seriché had already brought shionelle up to news as she didn't as any question, so seriché turned to rein and said softly.
"Rein, he are going to scout the westerns part of the forest, recently, there was some activity observed there"
"Yeah, i know. I am the one who reported that activity. Saw some sort lf strange shapes between the woods."
"Oh" seriché said, then said with a soft smile.
"So you're the person toppel mentioned"
'was that the officer?'
Rein smiled. Then, shionelle mentioned with a uninterested expression.
"So, we'll leave after old man dias arrives"
Rein stared at her impassivly
"Midas only mentioned you, seriche and deski... Who's dias?"
Shionelle looked down to meet his eyes, then said with a slight tug at the corner of her lips.
"Midas prompted him to join, i am pretty sure he'll be your instructor until you awaken, thats what he mostly does anyway, aside from lazing around his house"
As shionelle completed, a sharp voice cut through the chatter.
"Y'all kids had yer greetin's an' stuff? Aight, now let's get ta workin', kay?"
Rein turned to look at the source of the voice. It was tall and muscualar man, he wasn't big or anything, he was actually more on the leaner side, but even behind his jacket, his toned muscles could be somewhat observed.
He had a messy beard with sreakes of gray, his hair was slicked back and had dark cirlces beneath his eyes. And yet, he looked very handsome, if a little sick.
The man stared straight at rein.
" i am assumin' yer rein?"