Even though Lesley was surprised, she quickly composed herself.
After all, she was a future prospect of the Twilight Crown for a reason.
The meeting ended smoothly.
"Well then, let's meet at Branch Council," Crandall said as he stood up.
"See you at Branch Council then." Alvin shook his hand firmly.
With that, Crandall left, leaving the two of them behind.
Awkward silence.
Alvin's thoughts raced.
'Hah, fine. It was my fault. I was the one who asked her about the Twilight Crown's philosophy.'
'But she should have at least warned me before throwing me into an illusion.'
Just as Alvin was about to apologize, Lesley spoke first.
"I'm leaving, Whisper."
She took a few steps toward the exit but suddenly stopped. Without turning around, she casually said,
"Oh, and by the way"
Her head tilted slightly, voice laced with amusement.
"...it wasn't nice meeting you."
With that, she walked away.
Alvin stared after her, then shook his head with a smirk.
'She's not so bad after all.'
Just as he was about to leave, a waiter approached, placing the bill in front of him.
Alvin checked the total.
'…She really left me with the bill?'
His eyebrow twitched.
'On second thought, she's definitely a weirdo.'
After paying, he left the cafe.
'Looks like I have some free time to train.'
Even though his Sigil had changed, Alvin knew he wasn't naturally talented in progression.
But talent didn't matter.
He had been trained by a man who could alter the structure of an island with sheer power.
For two years, Alvin endured brutal training, mostly in physical conditioning and weapon mastery rather than direct Sigil refinement.
Even though he was only an Early-stage Expert, his battle experience against Exile gave him the ability to hold his own against Late-stage Experts.
As he walked, memories surfaced.
A particular conversation with Exile replayed in his mind.
In Black Forest
"Your control over the elements is shit."
Exile's voice was blunt as he observed Alvin struggling with his techniques.
"You have great compatibility with your elements, yet your body rejects them, disrupting the mana flow."
Alvin wiped the sweat off his forehead, frowning.
"Is there a way to fix it?"
Exile shook his head. "No point crying over something you can't change."
Alvin's frown deepened. "Then what? I just accept that my control sucks?"
Exile smirked, amber eyes gleaming. "Not necessarily."
Sitting on a nearby rock, he motioned for Alvin to listen carefully.
"Every Sigil user is born with a special gift."
"A Clover Sigil grants unnatural mana sense."
"A Beast Sigil sharpens instincts beyond human limits."
"But our case is different."
Alvin's brows furrowed. "Our case?"
Exile's smirk widened.
"Your Sigil is Serpent, but it's not a Beast-type."
A realization dawned on Alvin.
'No way… then that means…'
"It's a Mystic Sigil."
Exile let the words settle before continuing.
"Do you know what the gift of a Mystic Sigil is?"
Alvin shook his head.
"It's mana control."
Alvin's eyes widened slightly.
"Your elemental control might be awful, but your mana control can surpass that flaw. Depending on how you use it… how you understand it…"
A shiver crawled down Alvin's spine as Exile's eyes gleamed.
"Even though your body disrupts elemental energy, I'm sure sigil will amplify your mana control due to the mutation it went through."
Then Exile pointed at the weapons rack.
"Well then, pick up that bow."
Alvin shook his head, pushing away the memory.
'I'd rather not relive those embarrassing moments…'
After a short walk, he arrived at his apartment.
Stepping inside, he removed his earring, allowing his disguise to fade away.
A training room was attached to his bedroom, a standard feature, considering over 40% of the population were Sigil users.
It wasn't anything fancy. But for him, it was enough.
'Let's get started.'
Walking to the center of the room, Alvin sat cross-legged, closing his eyes.
Alvin took a deep breath, releasing his wind elemental mana.
The air grew heavier as the density increased, the pressure subtly weighing down the room.
Then, he called upon his second element—Shadow.
A dark mist slithered across the floor, twisting and curling unnaturally.
'Now, the main part.'
Unlike elemental energy, which required him to release it from his body, mana control was external. It allowed him to manipulate the mana in the environment.
Using the mana control, he started compressing the black mist.
The black mist pulled inward, shrinking rapidly. Alvin kept his breathing steady, ignoring the sweat forming on his brow.
'Faster.'
The mist obeyed. Twisting into a sphere no larger than a marble.
But even that small form radiated a strange pressure.
It pulsed, flickering faintly like a heartbeat.
Alvin held it. Controlled it.
Seconds passed. Then minutes.
When the sphere finally stabilized, it radiated energy, he gave a small nod.
'It's still rough, but I'm getting there.'
The marble although small, the destructive power it contained is anything but ordinary.
Although Alvin didn't exactly know how to use it, he had some idea how it works.
The marble was structured by mana control, once he released his control on it, the marble will explode due to enormous energy it compressed.
With a snap of his fingers, the sphere unraveled and faded.
"Too bad it's useless in battle," Alvin muttered. "But who knows when it'll come in handy."
The air in the room settled. His breathing slowed.
Yet, as the silence lingered, a faint discomfort crept in.
'This mission.... why do I have a bad feeling about it'
Then his mobile buzzed, a message.
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[Mission Grade: Common]
[Status: Urgent]
[Details: Few elves were captured by forest smugglers]
[Objectives: 1. Save the elves, 2. Destroy underground Auction facility in slums]
-------
'Uh shit, looks like I won't be getting sleep before my Elite rank mission'