After deciding to go hunting to get used to working as a team before the big battle, everyone went off to do their own thing. Kaze left the base in search of potential targets. He was the most suited for the task due to his skills and general knowledge of the mirror world.
Sein, on the other hand, went to try out the base's training room. Shoun was surprised by how dedicated the boy was to his training. He had always known that his friend wanted to become a Codex bearer to protect humanity, but he never expected him to put his heart and soul into it so completely.
Meanwhile, Deuz found some books on the shelves and started flipping through them, having nothing better to do. Shoun, for his part, took it upon himself to keep an eye on their new "companion."
While no one exactly had a problem with Deuz, it was true that he was an unpredictable variable in their quest to grow stronger without drawing the government's attention. Among the potential Codex bearers they could have dragged into this, the beret-wearing boy was at the top of the list in terms of good impressions. After all, he wasn't affiliated with the guild or the government. The worst-case scenario would have been dragging someone like Robin, who was loyal and affiliated with the government.
But Shoun was still worried about their new companion. Now, his fate didn't depend solely on his own strength or actions, which made him feel completely powerless.
—Are you worried?— Deuz asked as he turned a page in the book he was reading. Both young men were sitting on opposite ends of the base's comfortable sofa.
—Why do you ask?
—You haven't taken your eyes off me since we met. You look like a predator stalking its prey.
—...I guess I am worried. I mean, you could decide to sell us out to the government about this place and make a lot of money— Shoun decided to be honest. He knew all too well what dishonesty could do to a team, and his priority right now was to get Sein and (to a lesser extent) Deuz out of the mirror world. What happened after could be dealt with later, but he didn't want any friction during a fight.
—What makes you think I'd tell the government about this place?— Deuz asked again, closing the book and picking up another.
—I don't know you well enough to say you wouldn't.
—Well, I'm happy to inform you that I'm not on good terms with the government. The guild is just annoying, but I don't particularly like them either— This new piece of information about their new companion caught Shoun's attention, so he decided to ask:
—If you don't mind answering, why is that?
—They don't protect people. They're the main reason why the mortality rate is higher in the poorer sectors. Plus, they're incapable of managing anything related to Codex bearers properly. You know how chaotic things get when two or more rifts of different levels open in the city— Shoun had the exact same issues. In fact, recently during Sein and Kaze's afternoon training, he had ranted about it while bored out of his mind watching them fight for hours.
From that moment on, Deuz and Shoun started talking about various things related to the guild and government's management of the city, vestiges, information about the mirror world, and other topics.
—(In the end, this guy is pretty likable)— Shoun thought as he listened to Deuz ramble a bit about his life as an adventurer. The young man had asked for advice on improving his alibi with Robin— By the way, Deuz, what are your abilities? It's important to know if we're going to fight together.
—That's true, but I'd rather explain it when we're all together. I don't like repeating myself— Deuz explained kindly to Shoun— During our conversation, I realized something... something potentially problematic.
—What is it?
—Well... obviously, you know about rifts. Anyone living in this world knows about them. No one knows where they lead, but whenever they appear, they bring a tide of vestiges with them. So I thought, what if the rifts are a gateway for the vestiges in this world to enter ours? I mean, this place seems like the perfect base for those abominations.
—...I can't deny that I've thought about that before, but I can't be sure, not with the information we have now.
—That's true, but there's a way to get more information about this world, one you should already know about.
—The missions?
—Yes. With all the chaos you've told me about, I think this place holds many more secrets than we imagine. If we can unravel them by completing missions, maybe we'll even find a way to stop rifts from opening. And if that happens, the vestiges will inevitably go extinct on Earth one day.
—...that sounds too idealistic to be true.
—But it doesn't mean it's impossible. With everything I know now, I'd like to keep coming to the mirror world with you all to learn more. Does that sound good to you?
—...that's not a decision I can make alone.
—I'm fine with it!— Sein responded as he walked into the living room, drying off the sweat with a towel— You seem like a good guy, Deuz. I'm sure you'll be a great addition to the team.
—I don't have any complaints either— Kaze appeared out of nowhere in the room after removing his wind cloak.
—How long have you been there?
—I just got back. I found some potential targets.
—Well... about your request, Deuz, I guess you can keep coming with us. Welcome to the team.
—Hehe, I assure you, you won't regret it.
—Before we head out, are you sure you don't want a uniform? We still have one use left after making one for Sein.
—I'm already wearing mine.
—Oh...— After those words, Shoun started examining Deuz's uniform more closely. The shirt had a few holes, and the pants and jacket had some stitches—something impossible, since uniforms repaired themselves. Therefore, that had to be its base design— (Wow... customizing that design must have cost him a lot of money... and yet he chose to dress like a hobo.)
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Now the group of four began to venture deeper into the mirror world. The streets remained as lifeless as usual, though in the distance, something unusual could be seen: cars and other objects were floating in the air.
—This area seems to have a slight lack of gravity. Not enough to tear buildings from their foundations, but enough to make objects float. We're no exception— Kaze explained as he stepped into the zone, starting to float almost immediately.
—This is so cool! It's like being in space— Sein said as he followed Kaze's example and began floating in the zone.
—Not having your feet on the ground during a fight can be dangerous. Isn't there a way to avoid floating?— Deuz asked, looking at the edge of the zone where the other two were floating.
—There is. You just need to channel spiritual energy into your feet— Kaze replied before landing firmly on the asphalt. Sein imitated him and landed on the ground— Still, it's ideal to conserve energy before a fight, so we can float until we reach our targets.
Shoun and Deuz stepped into the low-gravity zone, immediately starting to float. Surprisingly, it felt natural to them, and they began moving through the streets quite quickly.
—I guess it's time to tell you about my abilities— Deuz said, looking around for his companions' attention. Seeing everyone looking at him, he smiled and began to explain— My first ability allows me to mold shadows. They can take any shape I want, of course, at the cost of spiritual energy, and there needs to be a shadow large enough to do what I want. For example— Deuz moved his wrist slightly, and the shadow under his jacket began to move, gathering in his palm and finally forming a feather— Thanks to this ability, I don't need to use artifacts. Everything I need, I can mold on the spot.
—That sounds pretty good for just a basic ability— Shoun commented briefly as he looked at the feather.
—It is. I'm very grateful to have been lucky in that regard. Moving on, my second ability is simpler. As long as I'm in the shadows, my spiritual energy recharges much faster. Thanks to it, I rarely have energy problems. Lastly, my apprentice ability is rank B. It has two effects. The first, you already know—when I'm in a shadow, I become almost undetectable. The second is that I can become a shadow and "jump" from shadow to shadow. It's like a short-range teleportation, with a maximum range of about 20 meters. It's quite costly to use, though.
—(His abilities are certainly quite strong. He probably received a lot of offers from the guild and the government to join them... though, knowing his opinion of them, it's no surprise he's still just an adventurer.)
—You're really strong, Deuz!
—Hahaha, thanks, Sein. I'll make sure we can defeat the vestiges without any problems.
—By the way, what are the vestiges we're up against?— Shoun asked, turning his head toward Kaze.
—There's a brute among them. In total, there are seven: four grunts, two wretches, and the brute. Also, they're intangible... I think they're called specters.
Specters are a special type of vestige. While it's important to remember that vestige types are classifications invented by Codex bearers to make it easier to categorize the abominations, the line between magical and physical vestiges is often blurred. But specters are more special. They aren't a major threat to Codex bearers, as they usually don't have great physical abilities, and their magic-like powers aren't particularly impressive at lower ranks. However, they are especially destructive to infrastructure and ordinary citizens.
This is because specters can only be attacked using spiritual energy, which prevents ordinary people from defending themselves with firearms or tools.
Fortunately for humanity, this type of vestige is much rarer than the other two types. But whenever they appear, they're almost guaranteed to be a nuisance, as they are very elusive in addition to all their previously mentioned traits.
—I think I see them— Sein mentioned, pointing at a group of floating creatures. The group of vestiges was elongated and had four legs. The grunts were between 1 and 2 meters tall, the wretches between 4 and 5 meters, and the brute around 6 meters.
They all looked somewhat like weasels, but their skin was pure white with black accents in some places. Their eyes were black, making them look like empty holes. Finally, the feature that identified them as specters was that these creatures were almost completely transparent.
—Get ready to attack— Shoun ordered as he channeled electricity into his feet, followed by the others— Sein and I will take the front. Kaze will cover us while taking the rear. That's what we planned earlier. What are you going to do, Deuz?
—Hmmm, you had it all figured out... Well, then I have no choice but to cover your backs— The beret-wearing boy approached the shadow of a floating car. The shadow detached from the ground and began crawling toward his hand, eventually taking the shape of a beautiful black bow with winged accents on each edge— Don't worry, I never miss a shot.