Shoun was distractedly putting things away in his locker, lost in thought, until a hand tapped his shoulder firmly. When he turned around, the young man saw Robin, who was smiling while holding a government card in their other hand.
—Hey Shoun, today's the big day, right?—Robin said as the young man took the card and tossed it into a nearby trash can.
—Hi Robin, yeah, today's the big day—No matter how much he tried to hide it, Shoun was a bit nervous.
—Don't worry, I won't tell you the test is easy, but if you've made it this far, it means you have what it takes to pass—Of course, Robin was referring to Shoun's ascension test. If all went well, the young man would become an Apprentice today.
—It's true, Shoun, you're more than ready!—Sein exclaimed excitedly as he approached the two. Seeing him arrive, Robin pulled another card from their pocket and handed it to the small boy, who politely accepted it and tucked it into his pocket. He'd throw it away later, but not in front of Robin—Plus, we'll be there to support you.
—That's right, we'll be there to cheer you on—When Shoun heard the first part from Sein, he imagined that he and Deuz would be watching him fight, but it seemed Robin would also be there. Seeing Shoun's questioning look, Robin quickly clarified—I'm your recruiter, remember? For events like this, I have to be present and give you incentives.
—Aaaah, today's going to be a long day—After saying that, everyone went to their classes. Nervously, Shoun kept checking his status window, even as he walked with Sein toward the designated government center.
[Name: Shoun Foster»
«Age: 17»
«Rank: Seeker»
«Title:...»
«Ascension Points: 100/100. Start trial?»
«Abilities»
«Electric Flow: Your very essence has been touched by electricity since birth, to the point where you can control and use it to your advantage»
«Basic Electric Core: It's a part of your being, both there and not there, in your physical and spiritual body. It's where all your electricity is stored and generated, and it also allows the user to absorb electricity from other sources»
«Visado: Congratulations! You are now able to enter and exit the other world.]
It had been less than three weeks since they went to the City of Ashes. Due to their lack of strength to complete the mission, they had been hunting remnants around the park area, sometimes even venturing near the City of Ashes itself. But fearing the creature inside the mausoleum, they always tried to keep their distance.
That is, until last night, when during a small nighttime excursion with Kaze, Shoun killed a group of Wretched and grunts, finally gathering all the points he needed.
The two young men arrived shortly after at the large government building. It was a towering skyscraper that even from the outside looked quite luxurious. Outside stood Deuz in his usual attire.
—Hi Deuz, we didn't keep you waiting too long, did we?
—Hi Deuz!
—Don't worry, I just got here... Are you ready?
—...As ready as I'll ever be—Without saying much more, the three entered the government building. Since quite a few people would be monitoring Shoun during his test, they all agreed that Kaze should stay home. After all, technically, he was a criminal for being an unregistered Codex bearer. So, after the boy with the beret pointed it out, they decided not to take any risks this time.
Upon entering and checking in at reception, they were quickly guided to a training hall. Unlike when Sein became a Seeker, they didn't have to pay anything, as the trials protected the environment with a barrier, preventing anything from entering or leaving until it was completed. Because of this, the government and the guild provided their spaces for these trials, so that if a Codex bearer failed their trial and the remnant was set loose, it could be quickly eliminated.
The training hall was quite similar to an indoor sports arena, but you could see various panels and machines around. After all, these high-tech facilities were used by affiliated Codex bearers.
Shortly after, a new person entered the hall, none other than Robin.
—Hi guys... Who's your friend?—Robin asked, pointing at Deuz.
—I'm Deuz Hale, adventurer—Deuz and Robin shook hands, and then the recruiter checked their tablet to confirm that Deuz was indeed an adventurer. Nodding, Robin looked at Shoun—We're ready. You can start whenever you want... Good luck, Shoun.
—Good luck, Shoun!
—Thanks—Shoun thanked them as he took off his hoodie and denim jacket, handing them to Sein. He wasn't wearing his uniform because he didn't want Robin to know he had one, which, coincidentally, was also customized. So, he had to fight in his normal clothes: a white t-shirt and jeans.
—Break a leg, or better yet, break the remnant's leg—Shoun tuned out all the words of encouragement from his companions, focusing entirely on his goal. His life depended on defeating a Wretched completely alone, something he hadn't done before. As he prepared, Iron Serpent manifested, coiling around his right arm. It was normal for all Codex bearers to have at least one artifact, so he didn't bother hiding it.
—...Fuuu—Taking a deep breath and exhaling, the young man reopened his status window and focused on his ascension. He could feel the electricity inside his body stirring, expanding and contracting. He felt something was about to happen, but that feeling was quickly halted as a message appeared before his eyes.
[Start ascension trial? Yes/No]
Nodding and accepting the trial, a familiar red barrier covered the surroundings. Except for the edges, the entire court was instantly covered by the barrier. The dust in the environment began to swirl and gather at a single point in front of Shoun.
—(Pretty similar to the Visado trials... I guess this is because both are trials facilitated by the Codex)—He thought distractedly as the dust began to form a remnant—(It's now or never. Today's the day I become an Apprentice.)
In the center of the training hall, a humanoid figure began to take shape. It was hunched over, with large, elongated limbs and massive claws at the end of each finger. The creature's skin was translucent, and the most striking feature of its expressionless face was the slits where its eyes should have been, which pulsed repeatedly.
When the remnant's body was fully formed, you could see small yellow streaks running through its translucent skin.
—(Does it have electric powers? Heh, then I guess this won't be so hard)—The young man was confident that if it attacked him with electricity, he could at least absorb it. Still, he didn't let his guard down. Recent experiences had taught him that remnants could have all sorts of strange abilities. Letting his guard down was an invitation to death.
Without further delay, the young man charged his limbs and shot toward the remnant. Fearing the creature might share his ability to absorb electricity, he didn't charge Iron Serpent.
When he was just a few meters away from the remnant, something unexpected happened. The creature's entire body began to pulse, just like its eye slits. The artificial lights inside and outside the barrier dimmed, and to Shoun's surprise, he felt the electricity in his legs and arms begin to fade. Before he could react, everything inside the barrier was blinded by a powerful flash of light emanating from the remnant's body.
His world went white. He knew the monster was probably about to slice him apart, so he crossed his arms in front of his face to protect his vital organs.
Just as he predicted, the remnant used its claws to slash at his neck, but they were intercepted by Iron Serpent. Still, the massive claws left deep, bleeding wounds on his arms. The blinding light began to fade, and knowing he wasn't safe yet, the young man kicked in the direction where the remnant should have been. Thanks to the sensory feedback, he could tell he had hit it.
Gradually, his vision returned. He saw the creature had retreated five meters, its grotesque eye slits still pulsing.
—(This thing absorbs energy from its surroundings, including the electricity outside my core. That must be how it generates its blinding light... That should be correct. So why isn't it attacking me?)—To test his deduction, Shoun took a step forward toward the remnant. It continued to pulse, and the light around the area grew dimmer. But the moment the young man stepped forward, the remnant took a step back in the opposite direction. This step didn't slow or stop the creature's energy absorption—(Damn! So why isn't it attacking me? I need to think of something fast before it attacks again.)
Unfortunately, Shoun was running out of time. The remnant knew where he would likely defend, so it was probable that when it unleashed its flash, it would attack an unprotected spot, essentially taking him out of the fight.
—(...I don't think I can stop its burst... but maybe... I could do that... Yes, that should work)—As if struck by inspiration, Shoun quickly resolved the dilemma. He injected Iron Serpent with a ridiculous amount of electricity, forcing it to grow. He could feel the remnant absorbing the electricity from his artifact, but not fast enough, which was all Shoun needed.
As the artifact took on a longer form, the young man spread it across the ground around him, keeping the "head" of his artifact attached to his wrist.
Then it finally happened. A blinding flash of light enveloped the entire barrier. Blinded and in a terrible situation, Shoun still kept his guard up. It wasn't until he felt a sensation from Iron Serpent that he smiled, then dodged a strike from the remnant. He felt the air being sliced near his abdomen but couldn't see how. He ordered the "tail" of Iron Serpent to coil around the remnant's wrist as it attacked.
Thanks to the chain connecting them, Shoun could more clearly sense where his enemy was, so dodging the other attacks wasn't a problem. When the flash finally subsided, without even giving himself time to adjust to the normal light, the young man charged both arms. With his right, he pulled the creature toward him, and with his left, he delivered a powerful blow to the remnant's chest, sending it flying into the barrier.
—Looks like my theory was right—Shoun said calmly as he approached the remnant, which was bleeding a large amount of purple blood from its now shattered chest as it tried to recover—You don't actually absorb energy to create your flash. You absorb energy to power up your body—Shoun confirmed this thanks to Iron Serpent. By spreading it across the ground during the flash, he could feel where the remnant was because it was still absorbing electricity from his artifact—That's why you kept your distance from me. You needed to recharge your now useless body... What a shame—Shoun reached this conclusion thanks to his experience. He remembered that while remnants were beings with little intelligence, they were still good at combat. They knew their strengths and weaknesses. That's why, for example, the deer-like remnants Shoun defeated with Kaze during their first trip to the mirror world didn't attack him with their bodies, even though they were stronger than Shoun's. They didn't know how to fight with their bodies; they weren't good at it. They fought under the condition of keeping their distance. This didn't change even with the Alpha remnant of their pack.
Without further concern, when he was close enough, Shoun fired the still elongated Iron Serpent at his enemy, which tightly gripped one of the Wretched's legs. Charging his entire body with a large portion of his core's electricity—so much that the creature couldn't absorb it all at once—he dragged it within reach.
—You really didn't stand a chance against me—Shoun commented briefly as his charged right leg came down on the creature's skull, crushing it and scattering its meager contents across the sand. The Codex sang without delay:
[You have killed the Wretched "Cursed Fulgor"]
[You have completed the Ascension Trial. Congratulations, Apprentice!]
As the red barrier dissolved, a flash of pure white light emerged from within. Shoun felt the electricity in his body fuse even more with his being, as if his core suddenly felt deeper, as did his very existence.
—Haaah—He sighed briefly, enjoying the pleasant sensation. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. The light quickly faded, revealing his "new" body, now healed thanks to the ascension.
—Shoun!—Sein quickly jumped on his friend, almost knocking him over—You did it, you really did it! Congratulations!
—Damn it, Sein, be careful!—Even with his now stronger body, Shoun still struggled to withstand the small boy's overwhelming charge.
—Sorry…
—Congratulations, Shoun.
—You did well, Shoun. Sure you're not interested in joining the government? We could use someone who can fight like that—Robin joked as the now Apprentice glared at them—Well, let's get to the good part. What rewards did you get? I have to say, if it's less than a Grade C ability, I'll be disappointed—Robin themselves had a Grade C ability, so knowing Shoun's talent, they expected nothing less.
—That's right, Shoun! What did you get?
—Alright, alright, I'll tell you... I'm supposed to be the one excited about this, you know—Shoun joked a bit as he opened his status window. A few seconds later, his expression froze, and he let out a groan.
—What's wrong, Shoun?—Sein asked, looking at his friend. Meanwhile, Deuz looked around Shoun to see if he was hurt. Robin simply looked at him with a confused expression. Since the young man had frozen, everyone waited expectantly. It wasn't until he regained control that he uttered the following sentence:
—I have a title... and a Grade S ability.