Titania Astro's first morning as an Outcast began with attempted murder.
A wooden blade tore through the pillow beside her head.
The impact launched feathers across the small bedroom.
Titania's eyes snapped open.
For half a second, she stared at the ceiling in confusion. Her mind struggled to remember where she was, why she was sleeping in an unfamiliar room, and why something had just tried to cave her skull in.
Then the training dummy swung again.
Titania rolled from the bed.
The wooden sword smashed through the mattress.
[What the hell?!]
She hit the floor, tangled in the blanket, and barely managed to crawl away before the dummy brought its weapon down for a third time.
The room shook.
Titania scrambled upright.
The attacker was a human-shaped training construct made from dark wood and reinforced metal. Blue magical lines glowed across its arms and chest. Someone had attached a small piece of paper to its forehead.
Written across it in terrible handwriting were the words:
GOOD MORNING.
Titania stared at the note.
The dummy charged.
[CREST WATER SHOT!]
A blue magic circle flashed before her palm.
Water blasted across the room and struck the construct in the chest. It flew backward, crashed through the bedroom door, and landed in the hallway.
Titania stood amid the destruction, breathing heavily.
Her long black hair was tangled around her face. She wore an oversized nightshirt she had found folded at the foot of the bed, one sleeve hanging farther than the other.
The dummy twitched.
Titania pointed at it.
[Stay down.]
Its head rotated toward her.
Blue light returned to its eyes.
Titania's face fell.
[You have got to be joking.]
The construct kicked itself upright and sprinted down the corridor.
Titania screamed and ran.
[Sin!]
Her bare feet slapped against the wooden floor as she raced through the Outcast Base. The dummy pursued her, hacking pieces from doors, tables, and anything else unfortunate enough to enter its path.
Titania turned a corner.
The training sword swept past her hair.
[Sin! Your furniture is trying to kill me!]
A tired voice answered from somewhere below.
[That narrows it down surprisingly little.]
Titania rushed into the main hall.
Sin was lying across the central table with his cloak rolled beneath his head like a pillow. One boot rested on a map of western Xadia. His mask sat crooked across his face, and a piece of bread was balanced on his chest.
He had not moved.
Titania stopped beside him.
[Wake up!]
[No.]
The dummy stormed into the hall behind her.
Titania pointed frantically.
[That thing tried to murder me!]
Sin opened one eye.
[It's the alarm.]
[That is not an alarm!]
[You woke up, didn't you?]
The construct swung at Titania.
She ducked.
Its sword continued toward Sin's face.
Without sitting up, he lifted two fingers and caught the blade between them.
The dummy froze.
Sin stared at it.
[You're being rude.]
The construct tried to pull its weapon free.
It could not.
Sin flicked his fingers.
The entire dummy flew across the hall, broke through a chair, bounced off the wall, and collapsed into a pile of twitching wooden limbs.
Silence returned.
The bread rolled from Sin's chest and landed on the floor.
He stared at it.
Titania stared at him.
Sin slowly sat upright.
[Breakfast is ruined.]
Titania's eyebrow twitched.
[That was breakfast?]
[It was bread.]
[It was on your chest.]
[Warm bread.]
[It fell on the floor.]
Sin picked it up.
[Still bread.]
Titania slapped it out of his hand.
[You are not eating that!]
Sin watched the bread roll beneath a cabinet.
[Wasteful.]
[You set a weapon loose in my room!]
[Training dummy.]
[It broke the bed!]
[Then it works.]
[It tried to split my head open!]
[That means your reflexes need work.]
Titania stood perfectly still.
A dangerous calm settled over her face.
[Sin.]
[Hmm?]
[I have known you for less than two days.]
[Congratulations.]
[And I already understand why your guild members are never home.]
Sin looked around the empty base.
[They're on missions.]
[They fled.]
[Both can be true.]
Titania raised both hands toward him.
A blue crest began forming.
Sin immediately pointed toward the kitchen.
[There might be eggs.]
The magic circle vanished.
Titania narrowed her eyes.
[Might?]
[We had eggs last month.]
[Last month?]
[Eggs are patient.]
[Eggs rot!]
[Impatient eggs.]
Titania pressed both hands over her face.
She had escaped slavery for this.
Somewhere, fate was laughing at her.
The Outcast Base possessed a kitchen.
Technically.
It contained a stove, several pans, three cracked bowls, one spoon, and a large black stain across the ceiling that no amount of scrubbing had apparently been able to remove.
Titania stood in the doorway.
[What happened up there?]
Sin looked at the ceiling.
[Luna made soup.]
[Soup does not explode.]
[That one had ambition.]
Titania decided not to ask any more questions.
She opened the cabinets.
Empty.
She checked another.
Empty.
The third cabinet contained two throwing knives, a jar labeled VENOM, and a single potato that had grown roots long enough to begin claiming territory.
Titania slowly shut it.
[There's no food.]
Sin leaned against the counter.
[There's a potato.]
[It has become a plant.]
[So we have vegetables.]
Titania glared at him.
Sin reached into his cloak and pulled out a small wrapped package.
He placed it on the counter.
Inside were fresh rolls, cheese, dried meat, and two red apples.
Titania stared.
[You had food?]
[Yes.]
[Then why did you let me search the entire kitchen?]
Sin took an apple.
[You needed to learn where things are.]
[There is nothing anywhere!]
[Lesson learned quickly.]
Titania's fingers curled.
Sin took a bite from the apple and walked toward the main hall.
[Eat. We're leaving in ten minutes.]
She looked down at the food.
[Where are we going?]
[Training.]
Titania glanced toward the broken dummy lying in the hall.
[I thought that was training.]
[That was waking up.]
A chunk of the bedroom ceiling collapsed in the distance.
Titania closed her eyes.
Her new life was going beautifully.
Ten minutes later, Titania followed Sin through one of the base's rear passages.
She had changed back into her dark traveling clothes and fastened her new guild plate around her neck. The metal emblem rested against her chest, marking her as an official E-Rank adventurer.
It still felt strange.
Yesterday, she had worn a slave collar.
Today, she wore proof that she belonged to herself.
The difference made the weight feel almost comforting.
Sin walked ahead of her with both hands inside his pockets. Nova Insanity rested across his back, wrapped in dark cloth. His white hair shifted beneath his hood, and his fox-like ears occasionally twitched at distant noises.
He moved like someone going for a lazy morning stroll.
Titania had already learned that this meant absolutely nothing.
Sin could look half asleep while standing in the middle of a massacre.
They emerged from the tunnel onto a high stone ledge overlooking the older outskirts of Rize.
The Radiant City stretched before them.
Even after seeing it the day before, Titania still found it difficult to breathe whenever she looked upon its true scale.
White towers climbed toward the clouds. Blue canals threaded between countless districts. Floating platforms crossed the air above the rooftops, carrying merchants and travelers toward the shining circular center of the city.
Morning sunlight struck the central crown and scattered across Rize in a thousand brilliant reflections.
The metropolis glimmered like heaven had broken into pieces and fallen upon the earth.
Sin yawned.
Titania looked at him.
[Does nothing impress you?]
[Food.]
[Of course.]
[Sleep.]
[Naturally.]
[Pretty women.]
Titania stared at him.
Sin glanced sideways.
[That was a test.]
[Of what?]
[Your patience.]
[Did I pass?]
[No.]
Titania punched his arm.
Sin did not react.
She hurt her hand.
[Ow!]
[You attacked an A-Rank adventurer.]
[You deserved it.]
[Most people I fight say that.]
They descended the path toward the city.
Titania rubbed her knuckles.
[You said we were training.]
[We are.]
[Where?]
[Outside.]
[That explains nothing.]
[You ask too many questions.]
[You explain too little.]
[Balance.]
Titania hurried until she walked beside him.
[Then explain what I'm supposed to learn.]
Sin thought about it.
[How not to die.]
Titania waited.
Sin kept walking.
[That's all?]
[It's important.]
[How do I learn that?]
[By almost dying.]
She stopped.
Sin continued several steps before noticing she was no longer beside him.
He looked back.
Titania's expression had become blank.
[No.]
[No?]
[I refuse.]
[You joined the Outcasts.]
[I joined a party, not a suicide cult.]
[The uniforms would be better if we were a cult.]
Titania pointed toward him.
[This is exactly why you are a terrible teacher.]
Sin looked genuinely surprised.
[I haven't started teaching.]
[You tried to kill me before breakfast.]
[The dummy tried to kill you.]
[You activated it!]
[Allegedly.]
[Your handwriting was on its face!]
Sin looked away.
[Weak evidence.]
Titania stormed after him.
[There is nobody else here!]
[The potato looked suspicious.]
She considered pushing him from the ledge.
The fact that he would probably survive only made it more tempting.
They reached one of Rize's smaller guild branches near the western gate.
Unlike the enormous central guild hall, this building was quiet and practical. Adventurers moved in and out carrying tools, weapons, and sacks of monster materials. A large mission board stood beside the entrance.
Sin stopped in front of it.
Titania folded her arms.
[What exactly are we doing?]
[Your first job.]
Her irritation faded slightly.
[Already?]
[Field experience is the best teacher.]
[You just admitted you aren't teaching me.]
[I said experience was.]
Sin began reading the postings.
Titania moved beside him.
The jobs were divided by color and rank.
White notices covered most of the F-Rank section.
Deliver bread to the eastern barracks.
Find a missing cat.
Clean the northern fountain.
Titania frowned.
[Those are adventurer jobs?]
[F-Rank work.]
[That first one is delivery work.]
[Delivery people can be stabbed.]
[Why would someone stab a bread delivery?]
[People get emotional about breakfast.]
Titania looked toward the E-Rank section.
The requests were slightly more dangerous.
Remove horned rabbits from farmland.
Gather moonleaf herbs near the western aqueduct.
Escort a merchant caravan to the neighboring village.
Investigate strange noises beneath a warehouse.
Sin reached for the moonleaf request.
Titania slapped his hand away.
[Herbs?]
[Yes.]
[I did not become an adventurer to pick flowers.]
[They're leaves.]
[That's worse.]
Sin reached for it again.
Titania blocked him.
[Choose something worthy of a mage.]
Sin scanned the board.
Then he removed the request about the warehouse.
Titania read it.
[Strange noises?]
[Very mysterious.]
[It pays twelve silver.]
[We can buy eggs.]
Titania sighed.
[Fine.]
Sin took the request to the receptionist, returned a few minutes later, and tossed Titania a small copy of the mission document.
She caught it.
E-Rank Investigation Request
Location: Warehouse Seventeen, Western Trade District
Reported Threat: Unknown scratching beneath storage floor
Possible Cause: Giant rats or minor burrowing monsters
Recommended Party Size: Two to four E-Rank adventurers
Titania looked up.
[Giant rats?]
Sin nodded.
[Probably.]
[Probably?]
[Sometimes they're spiders.]
[That is not better.]
[Sometimes the spiders eat the rats.]
Titania stared at the mission sheet.
[Why are you like this?]
[Genetics, probably.]
They began walking toward the western trade district.
After several minutes, Titania looked down at her guild plate.
[Yesterday, Lyra said rank determines what missions we can accept.]
[Correct.]
[But you're A-Rank. Why are you taking an E-Rank request?]
[Because you're E-Rank.]
[Couldn't you accept something higher and bring me along?]
[Yes.]
Titania waited.
Sin did not continue.
[Then why didn't you?]
[Because you'd die.]
She almost walked into a streetlamp.
Sin continued casually.
Titania hurried beside him.
[You said that far too easily.]
[It's true.]
[You don't think I could survive a higher-ranked mission?]
Sin finally looked at her.
[No.]
Titania felt her pride twist.
He must have noticed because his expression became slightly more serious.
[Ranks exist for a reason, Titania.]
She remained quiet.
Sin pointed toward the metal plate around her neck.
[F and E-Ranks are beginners. F-Rank adventurers usually stay inside cities or handle controlled work. E-Ranks are allowed into the field, but only against minor threats.]
[What comes after E?]
[D-Rank means the guild trusts you not to die the moment something bites you.]
[Very reassuring.]
[C-Rank adventurers are experienced. They can lead smaller parties, protect towns, and clear ordinary monster nests.]
They passed beneath a bridge carrying one of Rize's elevated canals. Blue water shimmered above them through enchanted glass.
[B-Rank adventurers are elites,] Sin continued. [They handle large dungeons, dangerous beasts, and missions that affect entire cities or territories.]
Titania glanced at him.
[And A-Rank?]
Sin stuffed his hands deeper into his pockets.
[A-Ranks are sent when the guild expects things to go badly.]
[That sounds vague.]
[It means large-scale disasters, powerful criminals, monsters capable of destroying districts, and missions where dozens of normal adventurers would die.]
Titania studied him more carefully.
It was easy to forget what he was when he behaved like an irresponsible idiot.
The night before, she had watched him kill six men before any of them could react.
Yesterday, he had cracked the ground by hitting his own palm.
This morning, he had tossed an enchanted training dummy across an entire room without sitting up.
[A-Rank adventurers are that rare?]
[Yes.]
[What about S-Rank?]
Sin's fox ear twitched.
[S-Ranks are calamity hunters. The kind of people kingdoms treat as military forces instead of adventurers.]
Titania's eyes widened.
[And SS?]
[Continental monsters wearing human faces.]
She was not sure whether he was joking.
[SSS-Rank?]
For once, Sin did not answer immediately.
His eyes drifted toward Rize's central district.
The emblem of Silver Wind could be seen flying above distant towers.
[Legends,] he said quietly. [People whose names become part of history whether they deserve it or not.]
Titania followed his gaze.
[Silver Wind.]
Sin's expression became unreadable.
[Yes.]
She wanted to ask more.
Something in his voice stopped her.
Instead, she looked back at the mission sheet.
[So rank measures power.]
[Not exactly.]
Titania frowned.
Sin tapped her guild plate.
[Rank measures what the guild has verified. Strength matters, but so do experience, completed missions, judgment, reputation, and survivability.]
[Then someone's rank can be lower than their actual strength?]
[Very.]
[Or higher?]
[Sometimes.]
[That sounds unreliable.]
[People are unreliable.]
That was difficult to argue with.
Sin continued down the road.
[A high level doesn't guarantee a high rank either.]
Titania looked at him.
[Levels are different?]
[Levels represent growth.]
Sin raised one hand and held it in front of him, searching for the words.
Titania waited.
[Mana and life experience strengthen the soul,] he finally said. [Defeating monsters, surviving danger, training, overcoming limits. All of it can increase someone's level.]
[Can everyone level up?]
[Anything with a soul can grow.]
[Humans, elves, monsters…]
[Dragons. Vampires. Demons. Very angry chickens.]
Titania gave him a flat look.
[There are no angry chickens on that list.]
[You've never met one.]
Sin resumed his explanation before she could respond.
[Levels raise a person's potential. Strength, vitality, mana, speed. But numbers aren't everything. A level thirty swordsman with twenty years of experience can kill a level forty idiot.]
[Is that your official teaching language?]
[Yes.]
["Level forty idiot"?]
[Common species.]
Titania nearly smiled.
Nearly.
[Then what are stats?]
[Measurements of how your growth is distributed. Strength determines raw physical force. Vitality affects endurance and resistance. Dexterity controls speed, coordination, and precision. Intelligence affects mental processing and magical control. Mana measures the size and quality of your magical reserves. Luck is…]
Sin paused.
[Luck.]
[That explanation was useless.]
[It's the least polite stat.]
[How are stats measured?]
[Appraisal crystals, certain magic, or Unique Skills.]
Titania's attention sharpened.
[Unique Skills.]
Sin nodded.
She had heard stories about them as a child. Noble families whispered about inherited blessings. Archmages spent fortunes searching for people born with abilities that ignored ordinary magical laws.
But her family had never explained much to her.
Perhaps they had not believed she deserved to know.
[What exactly is a Unique Skill?] Titania asked.
Sin looked ahead.
[A rule written into someone's soul.]
The humor left his voice.
Titania listened carefully.
[Normal magic follows structures. Mana enters a formula, the formula shapes the spell, and the spell creates an effect. Fire burns. Water flows. Wind cuts.]
He raised his hand.
A tiny spark of pale light appeared above his fingertips.
[Unique Skills break those structures.]
The spark froze.
Not faded.
Froze.
A tiny flame of light remained suspended above his finger, perfectly still.
[They can be inherited through bloodlines, awakened from intense desire, formed through trauma, or granted by something powerful enough to alter a soul.]
The frozen light shattered into glittering fragments.
[No two Unique Skills are completely identical. Even abilities with similar names can behave differently depending on their owner.]
Titania looked down at her hands.
[Can they be learned?]
[No.]
Her expression tightened.
Sin glanced at her.
[Normal magic can be studied, copied, improved, or stolen. Unique Skills belong to the soul that created them.]
Titania's voice became quieter.
[What if someone possesses a skill that allows them to learn magic by seeing it?]
Sin stopped walking.
Titania did too.
People moved around them, unaware that the conversation had shifted.
Sin turned toward her fully.
[Do you?]
Titania hesitated.
She had hidden it for years.
Her father had called it dangerous.
Her brothers had called it unfair.
Her tutors had warned her never to reveal it outside the family.
And when the family turned against her, she had wondered whether that ability had been one of the reasons they wanted her gone.
Titania slowly nodded.
[I think so.]
Sin's eyes sharpened.
[Name?]
[God's Wisdom.]
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Titania suddenly felt exposed.
[It allows me to understand magic I witness,] she explained. [If the spell or caster isn't far beyond me, I can reproduce it.]
[All magic?]
[I don't know.]
[Can you copy Unique Skills?]
[No.]
[Divine magic?]
[I've never seen any.]
[Ancient spells?]
[I don't know.]
[Monster magic?]
Titania hesitated.
[I've never tried.]
Sin stared at her.
Then a slow grin formed across his face.
Titania immediately disliked that grin.
[Why are you smiling?]
[Your training just became easier.]
[For me?]
[No.]
Her stomach dropped.
[Sin.]
He resumed walking.
[You should hurry. The rats may know magic.]
[Those words should not exist in that order!]
Warehouse Seventeen stood near the western edge of Rize's trade district.
The shining towers and marble streets were still visible in the distance, but this part of the city was built for labor rather than beauty. Huge storage buildings lined the canals. Cargo cranes moved crates between boats and platforms. Merchants shouted at workers while enchanted carts carried supplies along stone roads.
The warehouse owner met them outside.
He was a round man with a thin mustache and clothes that looked far too expensive for manual labor.
[You're the adventurers?]
Titania held up her guild plate.
[Yes. We're here regarding the noises beneath your warehouse.]
The man looked at Titania.
Then at Sin.
Then back at Titania.
[You're rather young.]
Titania's eyebrow twitched.
Sin pointed at her.
[She's the responsible one.]
The merchant seemed relieved.
Titania was not.
[When did the noises begin?] she asked.
[Three nights ago. Scratching, mostly. Then some of my workers heard growling beneath the floor.]
[Has anyone gone below?]
[One guard tried.]
Titania waited.
[And?]
The merchant looked toward the warehouse.
[He resigned.]
Sin nodded thoughtfully.
[Smart man.]
Titania elbowed him.
The merchant handed them a ring of keys.
[The entrance to the old storage cellar is inside. Whatever is down there, remove it. I have imported silk arriving tomorrow.]
Titania accepted the keys.
Sin walked toward the warehouse door.
[What if it damaged the foundations?] Titania asked.
The merchant paled.
[Don't let it do that.]
[That is not how questions work.]
Sin opened the door.
[Come on.]
Titania followed him inside.
The warehouse was enormous, filled with stacked crates, barrels, folded cloth, and imported goods from across Xadia. Sunlight entered through high windows, illuminating dust drifting through the air.
A scraping noise came from beneath the floor.
Titania froze.
Sin did not.
He walked between the crates, looking for the cellar entrance.
Scratch.
Scratch.
Crunch.
Titania tightened her grip on the Gemini Staff she had brought from the base. The ornate staff's blue gem gave off a faint glow as mana moved through it.
[That does not sound like a rat.]
Sin found a square hatch in the floor.
[Big rat.]
The hatch shook.
Something struck it from below.
Titania stepped back.
[Very big rat.]
Sin crouched and unlocked it.
[Maybe it ate breakfast.]
[Do not open that yet.]
He opened it.
A gray creature launched out of the darkness.
Titania screamed.
Sin leaned aside.
The creature flew past his face, struck a crate, and scrambled upright.
It resembled a rat only in the most insulting sense.
The monster was nearly the size of a large dog. Black quills ran along its spine. Its front claws were long enough to cut through wood, and pale green saliva dripped from its mouth.
Titania raised her staff.
[That is not a normal rat!]
[Correct.]
[You said giant rats!]
[It is a giant rat.]
[It has armor!]
[Fashionable rat.]
The monster shrieked and charged.
Titania thrust her staff forward.
[Crest Water Shot!]
The blast struck the rat and sent it tumbling across the floor.
Before it could recover, another creature burst from the hatch.
Then another.
Then five more.
Titania stared at the growing pack.
Sin stepped onto a crate and sat down.
She looked at him.
[What are you doing?]
[Teaching.]
[Get down here!]
[You need experience.]
A rat lunged.
Titania swung her staff and struck it across the jaw. The impact barely turned its head.
Its claws flashed.
She leaped backward.
The attack tore through the front of her cloak.
Titania felt cold air against her stomach.
Her eyes widened.
[That was expensive!]
The rat hissed.
Titania's mana surged.
[Aqua Bind!]
Water burst from beneath the monster and wrapped around its legs. It toppled sideways.
Titania fired another water shot directly into its head.
The creature went still.
A faint pulse of energy moved through her body.
Warmth spread across her muscles, then vanished.
She understood instantly.
Experience.
Not enough to increase her level, but enough for her soul to recognize the victory.
The other rats surrounded her.
Sin bit into an apple.
[Watch your left.]
Titania turned.
A rat's tail struck her side.
She flew into a stack of cloth and disappeared beneath it.
Sin chewed.
[Other left.]
Titania exploded from the pile.
[You said it too late!]
[Now you'll remember.]
[That is not teaching!]
Two rats charged together.
Titania raised her staff, forming a barrier of water.
The first rat struck it.
The shield bent but held.
The second creature dug its claws into the floor and vaulted over the barrier.
Titania looked up.
[Illusion Veil!]
Her figure shimmered.
The rat passed through an image of her and crashed into the ground.
The real Titania appeared several feet away.
She spun her staff.
[Water Spear!]
A narrow lance of pressurized water pierced the monster's shoulder and pinned it against a crate.
Sin nodded.
[Good.]
Titania glared at him while backing away from another attack.
[You sound surprised!]
[I expected crying.]
[I am going to kill you!]
[Motivation.]
The remaining rats attacked as a group.
Titania slammed the bottom of her staff against the floor.
[Hydro Pulse!]
Water erupted in every direction.
Three creatures were knocked away.
One dug its claws into the stone and resisted.
Its body began to glow.
Brown light traveled across its quills.
Stone formed over its skin in layered plates.
Titania's eyes widened.
[Monster magic?]
Sin leaned forward.
[Watch carefully.]
The armored rat charged through the remaining water.
Titania tried to move, but another creature blocked her path.
The stone-covered beast slammed into her.
Pain exploded through her ribs.
She was thrown across the warehouse and struck the floor hard enough to drive the air from her lungs.
Her staff rolled away.
The rats advanced.
Titania tried to rise.
Her body refused.
The stone armor across the leading creature's body pulsed with earth mana.
She could see it.
Not merely the magic itself.
The pattern.
Mana gathered around the monster's heart, flowed through channels beneath its skin, then hardened into layered protection.
The world around Titania became strangely quiet.
Something opened inside her mind.
A vast sensation, like the turning of pages in a book without an ending.
Knowledge entered her.
Not words.
Understanding.
The flow of mana.
The shape of the spell.
The law behind the earth.
A pale blue message appeared within her vision.
Unique Skill: God's Wisdom has been activated.
Magic observed: Stonehide.
Compatibility confirmed.
Reconstruction available.
Titania's breath caught.
The armored rat leaped.
She threw both hands forward.
[Stonehide!]
Brown magic surged across her arms and torso.
Thin layers of stone formed over her skin just before the monster struck.
The impact still hurt.
But instead of tearing into her body, its claws scraped across the earthen armor.
Titania rolled with the collision, grabbed the creature's foreleg, and used its momentum to throw it into the floor.
The stone plates around her body cracked.
She did not care.
Titania rose with fury blazing in her eyes.
[You ugly little creature ruined my cloak.]
The rat hissed.
She raised one fist.
[And I have had a terrible morning.]
Water spiraled around her arm.
[So I am taking it out on you.]
She punched the monster.
The water-enhanced blow shattered its stone armor and drove its head into the warehouse floor.
The remaining rats froze.
Titania stood over their fallen leader, panting heavily.
She pointed toward the open hatch.
[Run.]
The creatures fled.
They scrambled into the cellar so quickly that one collided with the wall before disappearing below.
Silence filled the warehouse.
Titania remained standing for three seconds.
Then she collapsed onto her back.
[Everything hurts.]
Sin hopped down from the crate.
He walked over and looked at the dead monsters.
[You did well.]
Titania stared at the ceiling.
[You sat on a box.]
[Strategically.]
[You ate an apple.]
[Also strategically.]
[One of them broke my ribs.]
Sin crouched beside her.
[Only bruised.]
[How do you know?]
He poked her side.
Titania screamed and struck him with her staff.
The weapon bounced off his head.
Sin rubbed the spot.
[Rude.]
[You poked me!]
[Medical examination.]
[You are not a healer!]
[Neither are you yet.]
Titania's expression changed.
She looked down at the bruising along her side.
Then she placed one hand over it.
A small green-white magic circle formed.
The glow was weak and unstable, but the pain slowly began to ease.
Sin watched closely.
[Healing Magic too?]
[Basic healing,] Titania muttered. [It was one of the few things my tutors allowed me to study.]
[Why?]
[They said it was appropriate for a noble daughter to support stronger mages.]
Sin's eyes cooled.
Titania noticed.
[What?]
[Nothing.]
[That was not a "nothing" face.]
[I only have one face.]
[You wear a mask.]
[Exactly.]
Titania rolled her eyes and focused on healing.
Sin looked toward the open cellar hatch.
His ears twitched.
The humor vanished from his expression.
Titania noticed immediately.
[What is it?]
Sin raised one finger to his lips.
A low sound came from beneath the floor.
Not scratching.
Breathing.
Deep.
Wet.
Heavy enough to shake dust from the beams.
Titania slowly sat upright.
[That is not a rat.]
Sin stared into the dark opening.
[No.]
Two pale lights appeared below.
Eyes.
The cellar hatch exploded.
Wood and stone erupted into the warehouse.
Sin grabbed Titania by the collar of her cloak and pulled her backward before the debris could strike.
A massive creature forced itself through the opening.
It resembled the smaller rats only in shape.
The monster was nearly as large as a carriage. Black mineral plates covered its body. Jagged crystal growths rose from its spine. Its front teeth were thick, curved, and stained with old blood.
Mana rolled from it in waves.
Titania felt the pressure against her skin.
The creature's appearance was followed by a glowing appraisal message from the guild plate at her neck.
Monster Identified: Obsidian Burrower
Estimated Threat: C-Rank
Titania stared at the message.
Then at Sin.
[This was an E-Rank mission.]
[The report was wrong.]
[That is your explanation?]
[Reports lie.]
[You knew something felt wrong!]
[I suspected.]
Titania's eye twitched.
[And you still brought me inside?]
Sin shrugged.
[Good training.]
The Obsidian Burrower roared.
The sound shattered windows.
Titania raised her staff with shaking hands.
Sin stepped in front of her.
She blinked.
He had been careless all morning.
Lazy.
Annoying.
Completely unhelpful.
But the instant that monster appeared, something changed.
The air around Sin became still.
The foolishness disappeared from his posture. His shoulders lowered. His hand moved toward the wrapped sword across his back.
The Burrower charged.
Sin did not draw Nova Insanity.
He stepped forward and punched it.
The impact sounded like thunder trapped inside a building.
A visible shockwave tore through the warehouse.
Crates burst apart.
The enormous monster was ripped from the ground and launched backward. It flew across the building, smashed through three support pillars, and crashed against the far wall.
The entire warehouse groaned.
Titania stood frozen.
Sin looked at the damaged pillars.
[That might affect the foundation.]
Titania's mouth dropped open.
[You think?!]
The Burrower dragged itself from the rubble.
Half of its armor had shattered, but the creature was still alive.
It screamed and released a wave of gravity.
The floor cracked.
Crates collapsed.
Titania was forced to one knee.
Sin remained standing.
His cloak pressed against his body beneath the immense weight.
[Gravity Magic,] he said.
Titania fought to lift her head.
Sin glanced back at her.
[Can you copy it?]
[It's stronger than me!]
[Then no.]
[Thank you for the observation!]
The monster opened its mouth.
Dark energy gathered between its teeth.
Sin scratched his cheek.
[This might be loud.]
[What might be—]
He vanished.
Titania only saw a blur.
Sin appeared above the Burrower and drove his heel into the top of its head.
The monster's attack collapsed inside its mouth.
Its entire body slammed into the floor.
Stone erupted upward.
The pressure vanished.
Titania gasped and fell onto both hands.
When the dust cleared, Sin stood on the creature's head.
The Burrower lay unconscious inside a crater.
He looked down at it.
Then toward Titania.
[Lesson complete.]
Titania slowly rose.
Her hair was filled with dust.
Her cloak was torn.
Her ribs hurt.
The warehouse looked as if a war had happened inside it.
She pointed at him with a trembling hand.
[You knew there was something beneath the floor.]
[I heard it.]
[Before we entered?]
[Yes.]
Her voice became frighteningly calm.
[And you let me fight alone.]
[I knew you could handle the small ones.]
[One broke my ribs.]
[Bruised.]
[That does not make it better!]
Sin stepped down from the monster.
[You learned new magic.]
Titania stopped.
He was right.
That made her angrier.
[You used me as bait for educational purposes.]
[When you say it like that, it sounds bad.]
[There is no good way to say it!]
Sin considered this.
[Practical demonstration.]
Titania formed five water circles around him.
[Run.]
Sin looked at the spells.
Then at her.
[Are you sure?]
[Yes.]
He smiled.
[Good.]
Sin sprinted.
Titania chased him through the destroyed warehouse, firing water spells and screaming threats loud enough for every worker outside to hear.
The merchant watched through the open doorway as his property collapsed one section at a time.
His mustache trembled.
[My silk…]
They returned to the Outcast Base after sunset.
Titania limped through the front door.
Her clothes were torn, her hair was tangled, and dirt covered most of her face. She carried her damaged cloak over one shoulder and the mission payment in one hand.
Sin walked behind her carrying a sack of monster materials they had harvested from the Burrower.
He looked exactly the same as when they left.
Titania hated him for it.
She dropped into the nearest chair.
[Everything hurts.]
Sin placed the sack on the table.
[That means you survived.]
[Your lessons are terrible.]
[You learned about ranks.]
[While walking.]
[Magic.]
[While being attacked.]
[Unique Skills.]
[While being attacked.]
[Field awareness.]
[While being attacked!]
Sin nodded.
[Consistent teaching method.]
Titania let her head fall onto the table.
[I am going back to slavery.]
[That seems dramatic.]
[At least the slave traders explained when they were going to hit me.]
Sin sat across from her.
[You did well.]
Titania lifted her head slightly.
His voice had changed.
There was no teasing in it.
No lazy humor.
He looked directly at her.
[You stayed calm after being injured. You observed the monster's magic. You trusted your Unique Skill, adapted, and won.]
Titania stared at him.
Praise had always been rare in the Astro household.
When she succeeded, she had merely met expectations.
When she failed, everyone remembered.
She looked away before he could see how much his words affected her.
[I still needed you to defeat the large one.]
[It was C-Rank.]
[I know.]
[You're E-Rank.]
Titania frowned.
[You said rank doesn't always determine strength.]
[Correct.]
[Then I could have fought it.]
[You would have died.]
Her pride deflated.
Sin leaned back.
[Knowing when something is beyond you is part of surviving.]
Titania's fingers tightened around the damaged cloak.
[Then what am I supposed to do when I meet something stronger and you aren't there?]
[Run.]
She blinked.
[That's it?]
[Running is an advanced technique.]
[You're mocking me.]
[I'm serious.]
Sin pointed toward the guild plate around her neck.
[Adventurers die because they think retreat is shameful. Heroes die because they think everyone is watching. Outcasts survive because we don't care how victory looks.]
Titania listened.
[If you can win, fight. If you can't, escape. If someone you care about can't escape…]
His eyes darkened.
[Then become dangerous enough to create a way out.]
Titania stared at him.
For several seconds, Sin did not look goofy.
He did not look lazy.
He looked like someone who had learned that lesson by losing people.
Then he leaned back too far.
The chair tipped over.
Sin crashed onto the floor.
Titania stared.
Sin remained there.
[Planned.]
A laugh escaped her before she could stop it.
She covered her mouth.
Sin looked up at her.
[Did you laugh?]
[No.]
[You did.]
[Prove it.]
Sin narrowed his eyes.
Titania smiled despite herself.
Perhaps living here would not be unbearable.
Then the front doors opened.
Cold wind swept into the hall.
Every blue crystal lamp inside the base flickered.
Titania's smile disappeared.
A woman stood in the entrance.
She was tall and athletic, dressed in a dark navy swordmage uniform beneath elegant silver armor. Her vivid blue hair was tied in a loose ponytail, with one long strand falling across her face.
A pale blue cloak hung behind her.
At her side rested an extraordinary sword.
Its pale blade was wrapped in living, branch-like gold. White crystals were embedded along its guard and sheath, glowing with cold magical light.
The Helios Fusion Blade.
Frost spread across the floor beneath the woman's boots.
In one hand, she carried a leather travel bag.
In the other, she dragged an unconscious man bound in chains.
The prisoner's clothes bore the crest of a noble house. Blood covered his mouth. A layer of ice sealed both of his hands together.
The woman looked around the hall.
Her pale blue eyes settled on Sin, who was still lying beside the overturned chair.
Her expression remained perfectly calm.
[You've been busy.]
Sin lifted one hand.
[Welcome back.]
Her gaze shifted toward the destroyed training dummy.
Then toward the mud across the floor.
Then toward Titania.
Titania straightened in her chair.
The woman's eyes moved over her torn clothes, bruised face, damaged cloak, and newly issued guild plate.
A faint smile appeared.
It was beautiful.
Polite.
And somehow more dangerous than Sin's killing stare.
[Who is this?]
Sin pointed lazily toward Titania.
[Found her in the forest.]
Titania's eye twitched.
[I am not a stray animal.]
[She says that a lot,] Sin added.
The woman released the prisoner's chain.
His face struck the floor.
She walked toward Titania.
Each step left a delicate pattern of frost across the wood.
Titania gripped her staff.
The woman stopped in front of her and leaned down slightly.
Her pale eyes examined Titania with amused curiosity.
[Astro blood.]
Titania froze.
[How did you know?]
[The eyes. The mana. The ridiculous pride.]
Titania stood.
[Who are you?]
The woman smiled wider.
[Someone who dislikes being replaced.]
Titania glanced toward Sin.
[Replaced?]
Sin remained on the floor.
[She's being dramatic.]
The woman placed one boot against his chest and pressed him flat.
[You disappeared for three weeks, returned without sending a message, and brought a noble girl into our home.]
Sin stared up at her.
[I was busy.]
[You were sleeping when I entered.]
[Recovering.]
[The chair defeated you.]
[It was A-Rank.]
Titania looked between them.
The blue-haired woman closed her eyes and took a slow breath.
The temperature inside the base dropped.
Sin's fox ears flattened.
Titania noticed.
This was the first thing she had seen make him nervous.
The woman looked back at Titania.
[My name is Venus.]
She lifted one hand.
A snowflake formed above her palm, rotating within rings of pale blue mana.
[Vice Captain of the Outcasts.]
Her smile was elegant enough to belong in a royal court.
The pressure behind it belonged on a battlefield.
Titania swallowed.
Venus released the spell.
The snowflake vanished.
[I assume Sin has been teaching you.]
Titania looked at the ruined dummy.
Then at her torn cloak.
Then at Sin beneath Venus's boot.
[He attempted to.]
Venus nodded as if this confirmed something unfortunate.
[I see.]
Sin raised one finger.
[She learned a lot.]
[She looks as though you threw her into a monster den.]
Silence.
Venus looked down.
Sin looked away.
Titania pointed at him.
[He did!]
Venus's smile disappeared.
The entire hall froze.
Ice raced across the floor, climbed the walls, and sealed every door except the entrance behind her.
Sin slowly pushed himself upright.
[In my defense—]
[No.]
[It was educational.]
[No.]
[She copied monster magic.]
Venus paused.
Her gaze returned to Titania.
[She did what?]
Titania hesitated.
[My Unique Skill allows me to learn magic that I witness.]
The room became quiet.
Venus studied her more carefully.
Not as a child.
Not as a rescued slave.
As something valuable.
Something dangerous.
A new smile formed.
This one held calculation behind its beauty.
[Interesting.]
Titania felt a chill that had nothing to do with the ice.
Venus turned toward Sin.
[I'll handle her training tomorrow.]
Titania looked between them.
[You'll teach me?]
[Properly.]
Titania slowly glanced toward Sin.
[How much worse can she be?]
Sin climbed to his feet.
His face was completely serious.
[Run.]
Venus turned her smile toward him.
[What was that?]
Sin picked up the unconscious prisoner.
[I said I'll put this somewhere.]
He vanished down the corridor.
Venus watched him flee.
Then she looked back at Titania.
Titania gripped the Gemini Staff with both hands.
Venus stepped closer.
[Rest tonight, little mage.]
Frost curled around her boots like living mist.
[Tomorrow, we discover whether you truly belong among the Outcasts.]
The lamps flickered again.
Somewhere down the corridor, Sin locked three doors behind himself.
Titania stared at the beautiful woman standing before her.
Sin had been careless.
Lazy.
Annoying.
Dangerous.
Venus was different.
Venus looked prepared.
Titania suddenly missed the rats.
And so ended her first day as an Outcast.
She had fought enchanted furniture, survived a monster nest, awakened new magic, discovered that her teacher was an irresponsible lunatic, and met the woman who apparently frightened that lunatic enough to make him run.
Titania had wanted freedom.
She was beginning to learn that freedom came with consequences.
In the Outcast Guild, those consequences had names.
The newest one was Venus.