The aircraft hissed as it locked into the dock outside Vandrelis.
I stepped off first.
A uniformed attendant was already waiting at the landing pad, tablet in hand.
She glanced up as I approached, then gave a small nod—half formal, half stunned.
"We received the report mid-flight," she said. "From Gold Sigil Eitan Velar."
She tapped the tablet once and turned it toward me.
"Recommendation submitted: Combat-ready. Capable of solo operation. Rapid adaptive instincts."
She looked back up.
"By executive decision, your Sigil rank has been increased to Silver."
I didn't say anything.
She gestured to the terminal nearby. "Place your Sigil here to authorize the update."
I stepped forward and pressed it against the surface.
It flashed once, bright, white-blue, and the console made a deep, clean chime.
Silver Sigil issued. Upgrade: Two-tier acceleration.
The attendant tapped once more on her tablet.
"Expedition payout processed. You've been issued 12,500 DUC for the completion of the mission and confirmation of threat elimination."
The numbers appeared on the terminal beside me, clean, cold.
Digital Universal Credit. Weightless. Stateless. Accepted everywhere.
The attendant hesitated before speaking again. "This doesn't usually happen. Not in one mission. Congratulations."
I didn't know how to react so I just said "Thank you."
She stepped aside after that, like I was something too sharp to stand next to for long.
I realized my Crown was flaring too hard. I dialed my presence down a notch.
The hallway ahead was clean, sterile, polished in that way only mana tech facilities ever managed. No echoes, no footsteps. Just the low thrum of systems deeper underground.
I left without looking back.
Outside, Vandrelis had shifted.
The screens were already flashing headlines.
"Legendary-Tier Explorer Earns Silver in Single Run!"
"New Legendary-Tier Explorer!"
"Just returned to Vandrelis based on newest information!"
The last one had a blurred image of me from behind—walking away from the aircraft, katana wrapped and slung low.
Most things about Explorers were public knowledge.
Along with being protectors, they were also celebrities in a way.
People were staring now.
Not just passing glances.
Recognition.
Reporters had gathered near the outer perimeter, waiting like vultures around a fresh body.
This time, I didn't move fast enough.
"Sir, can you give us a quote?"
"Is it true you solo'd a Severance threat, after just awakening two days ago?"
"Are you affiliated with any known organizations?"
"Was it Hellflame or something new? Are you a Herald?"
"Do you plan to join a squad now that you've reached Silver?"
The words came from every direction, bouncing off the walls, riding over each other.
I kept walking.
Then the crowd went quiet. Split down the center. She didn't speak. She didn't have to.
Everyone moved.
The Executive stepped forward, tall, coat buttoned, expression unreadable. Her heels clicked once against the platform steel, then stopped.
She looked me over like a sculptor appraising something freshly carved.
Sharp features. Pale skin like polished glass. Blonde hair tied in a military knot behind her head, not a strand out of place. Eyes the kind of blue that only ever looked cold, like the ocean if the ocean hated you.
No weapon. No armor.
But she radiated pressure. A presence that didn't come from power alone, but from knowing exactly how much power she could call on if she wanted to.
She stopped two steps away from me.
Her gaze fell to my face. Then my hair.
"…Do you use conditioner?"
I blinked.
"…No."
"Shame," she said. "Your hair looks expensive."
I gave a half shrug. "I've got a trait that handles that."
Her eyes glinted. Just slightly.
"And it stays that dark on its own, too?"
I nodded.
She took a breath like she was filing that away for later.
"You look well for someone who just came back from a Fracture Verdict engagement."
Her eyes flicked down, then back up. Deliberate.
"Look like a war sculpture. All cut lines and quiet fury. Like someone built you to bleed and forgot to program in fear."
Then she smiled.
"You're what, nineteen?"
"Yeah."
She shook her head.
"You wear it like you've buried empires."
The press behind her was silent.
No one dared break the spell.
Inside, she guided me through security with a wave of her wrist.
Private access. No voice scan. The locks just listened to her presence.
I ran a scan out of reflex, quiet, low-frequency, just for information.
[System Scan]
Name: [REDACTED]
Sigil: Executive Class
Ability Tier: Vestige
Vestige-tier.
And she wore an Executive Class Sigil, not an Explorer's. That mattered.
Sigils weren't part of the System. They were assigned. Official, visible, enforced by Accord law. Embedded into your public ID the moment you registered.
Most Explorers wore theirs like status symbols.
Hers wasn't for show. It was authority made visible.
I'd heard Executive-class came with deep-level clearance, command rights, movement overrides, diplomatic immunity in certain zones.
Working as a Sovereign Accord official while carrying a high-tier ability like Vestige?
Interesting.
I hadn't seen a lot of information about her, but she was famous.
She glanced at me sidelong as the elevator doors sealed.
"Curious little hellspawn, aren't you?"
"Just observant."
A beat passed.
Then:
"Are you impressed?"
I didn't answer at first.
She leaned against the elevator wall, loose, but not casual. Like even her stillness had weight.
"I mean it," she said. "Do I impress you?"
Her tone was playful, but it curled at the edges, dangerous, like a blade just under the silk.
I met her gaze.
"You don't need to ask that."
Her lips quirked, half-smirk, half-challenge.
"So that's a yes."
I didn't smile.
But I didn't look away either.
She straightened.
"Good."
She turned, and I followed.
The press didn't dare trail her.
The Office felt different this time. Not colder. Not louder. Just aware.
Like something inside the building had noticed me now.
She took me to the central floor personally. Through a private corridor. Up a lift that didn't respond to voice or handprint.
No words until we reached the door.
She turned.
"I read the report, not bad. I am assuming you want another mission."
"Yes."
"Solo?"
"Yes."
She stared for a second longer than necessary. Then she opened the door.
Inside was a single console glowing with layered data streams.
She brought up the map.
I watched it form—shifting topography, live mana feeds, heat zones.
A jungle. Dense. Shifting. Breathing like a wound.
Target Zone: Amazon Expanse (formerly known as the Amazon Rainforest)
Verdict: High Severance
Evolution Rate: 5x baseline
Confirmed Explorer Casualties: 61%
Warning: Squad deployments recommended.
Solo entry restricted to Gold-Sigil or higher.
She didn't say anything.
Neither did I.
Then finally: "You're not cleared."
"I'm Silver. Silver, gold, same thing."
"And it's your second expedition."
She didn't blink when she said it. Just stared with that dead-even weight in her tone.
"On paper, you're talented. You received an MVP on your first expedition. But this zone doesn't care about any of that."
I stepped forward. "Then override the restriction."
"No."
I stared back.
Her voice dropped, just slightly.
"We've lost Gold-sigils in the area. Entire teams went dark in a couple of hours. Creatures that change faster than we can categorize. Mana pulses so dense they shut down equipment mid-transmission."
A pause.
"You're a Legendary-tier Awakener. We're not throwing you at a region like that alone."
I exhaled.
Didn't argue.
Because I knew she wasn't finished. She tapped a key on the console.
"Which is why he's going with you."
The door behind me hissed open.
Footsteps. Slow. Dragging, but with intent.
A figure entered. Not fast. Not loud.
But absolutely present.