Resting in the soft embrace of the lofty ivory bed, Damien gazed upon the empty ceiling in an idle stupor. His mind was drowned by thoughts about what had occurred after their arrival at the headquarters of SIGIL.
It was far from peaceful, to say the least.
'I'm glad those guys backed off. Otherwise, things would have been troublesome.' The black-suited men who blocked them were a part of Block 6, the sentinels of New York.
To describe them was one word. Rigid. They were the type of group that would consider the rules inscribed to them as their personal covenant. In simpler terms, they were utterly inflexible.
Although those black-suited men impeded them, he wasn't particularly concerned about their capabilities and identities. Instead, he was worried about the reaction of his current boss, Miss Alastair.
Even the interlopers understood that they were playing with fire when daring to even hinder a moment from the supposed strongest and the seventh Paragon of SIGIL.
The black-suited men were behaving discreetly as though they were children talking to a respected adult. It was an intriguing sight, but also a poignant reminder. She wasn't joking around. Her Power was legitimate.
It demanded respect.
Fortunately for the black-suited men, although arrogant, Alastair wasn't the type to throw her weight around. Instead, she would merely treat them like bugs on the sidewalk and continue on her way.
In fact, from her tone alone, she didn't consider them the elites of Block 6, but deemed them the mutts of the sixth Paragon. The one she dubbed a senile old man.
'That must have been embarrassing.' Damien sighed to himself, acknowledging that it was their fault for pretending that she would stand on the same ground as them.
He was only acquainted with her for not too long, and he already understood that there was no use in demanding equality from her. She doesn't care. Why would she?
'At the very least, she didn't beat them up.' After spending time understanding the intricacies of the New World, one thing was clear. Power mattered. Only the strongest can do whatever they want.
Before Heaven's Fall, or perhaps during the Old World, the complexities of society assured three concepts of competence. Wealth, influence, and Authority.
Since then, the one pillar that stood against the cataclysm of the black towers was Power. Alongside the awakening of nonsensical abilities, it became the only truth.
"In any case, I should investigate what an Aberrant meant," Damien muttered in his breath, recollecting the gaze of those around him as he followed behind Alastair, traversing the grandiose hall of the SIGIL HQ.
He could sense fear from their eyes as if a monster stood before them. None of them even bothered to hide it. Though, in all honesty, he wasn't that bothered about it.
Whether it was the effect of the Monster Gacha System or his so-called identity as an Aberrant remained unclear. What mattered was the future.
'Speaking of fear, my Terror Points should have grown significantly by now.' He ascertained, bearing in mind the chaos he had caused during his escape. There was also the fear of those around him.
Promptly, the summon banner window materialized, displaying the gacha aspect of the system in a neon hue. His sable-tinted eyes narrowed.
---
| Summon Banner |
-| Terrestrial (100 TP) |
-| Paranormal (500 TP) |
-| Extraterrestrial (1000 TP) |
<| Terror Point(s) : 353 |>
---
'That is quite a lot, but not as much as I expected.' He understood that he might have been asking too much, but it was unavoidable, as standards must be set. He needed more.
'There are three banners, two of which I cannot purchase.' The terrestrial banner was the most affordable one. Judging from the name alone, it should probably summon normal monsters.
How normal these creatures could be remains to be seen. Especially when there were monsters that could be considered terrestrial, but were beyond logic. 'I wonder if movie monsters could be in the banner.'
'Eh, I highly doubt it.' There were no confirmations of their existence within the banners. Besides, a prideful hundred-meter lizard was probably too much for him to handle.
Though the so-called king would probably make it easier for him to acquire Terror Points in bulk.
Following the terrestrial banner was the paranormal and extraterrestrial. From the name alone, paranormal banners probably comprised spectral monsters such as ghosts, wraiths, demons, and many more.
These monsters were capable of farming more Terror Points without causing actual damage, as they tend to affect the mind before the body.
Finally, there was the extraterrestrial banner. It was the gacha banner that Damien was the most interested in. Primarily due to the simple fact that his first summon, Eclipse, might have belonged to it.
'At first, I thought that EX referred to the rank or rarity of the summoned monster. However, it seemed that the number of stars was the actual rarity. It means that EX could be their type.'
If EX truly was related to the type of monster, there was no doubt that Eclipse was an extraterrestrial monster. 'Well, it's not like the way it emerges from a fracture of reality doesn't already denote that.'
Damien closed his eyelids and took a deep breath. The room was filled to the brim with silence, calming and isolating. A great deal has happened since those towers descended from the heavens.
The world forever changed, and humanity was thrown from the summit, left to wander a broken world for eternity.
'Sam-' Without warning, a deafening headache pummeled his head. His eyes furrowed, displeased by the echoing ache that bellowed throughout his mind. 'Why does a mere thought cause so much pain?'
He was confused, ignorant, and desired an answer. But the world wouldn't explain itself to him, so he had to find it himself.
With this in mind, Damien decided that there was no time to waste. Instead of dawdling around in a bedroom thinking about things that he couldn't change, he should focus on subjects he could control.
Such as his Monster Gacha System.
From the burning resolve of his heart, he decided that it was time to acquire his second summoned monster. A terrestrial one.
Not idling for a moment, the digital window of the gacha system transformed into a giant wheel representing the terrestrial banner. Names glowed with an emerald hue as the revolution commenced.
The gacha wheel spun in accelerated rotation, blurring the once clear names. The arrow above the wheel remained steady, awaiting the monster it would be pointed towards.
Damien observed with intrigue as his sable-tinted eyes watched the massive wheel decelerate. Shortly after, the gacha wheel halted as the arrow highlighted the rewarded monster.
His eyes soon widened, astounded by what he had received.
---
Somewhere inside the monumental headquarters of SIGIL, the Paragon of Block 7 stood before the higher-ups who reigned over the current structure of law that maintained the peace of the New World.
The dimmed meeting room shaded their faces, concealing them. Yet, none could obscure the pearl-white irises of the supposed strongest.
She gazed upon them as though darkness meant nothing, meeting their gaze with the same conceited arrogance she always had. It was disrespectful, but no one complained.
After a few seconds of eerie silence, one of the higher-ups finally opened their mouth. Their stern voice resounded throughout the darkened meeting room. "Alastair, you have broken the law of our foundation."
"Instead of containing the Aberrant as per orders, you let it loose without a tinge of constraints. That monster has caused many of our special forces to be injured during delivery. It must be taken care of."
The higher-ups nearby nodded in agreement, glaring at the gorgeous white-haired lady for breaking their covenant, which had stood since the establishment of SIGIL.
All have given their oaths to contain the abominations brought by the black towers that loomed over their cities. It was an offense much worse than shielding a criminal.
The air seemed to harden, crackling like glass. It gave structure for Alastair to rest upon. The edges of her lips rose as she sat in the shattered air and crossed her legs together. She didn't find the need to entertain the old fools.
"The Aberrant is capable of language and retains intelligence. It considers itself a human, a citizen of the United States of America." Her soothing voice echoed, earning the dumbfounded gaze of the higher-ups.
"That country does not exist anymore. The abomination is feigning to be coherent, waiting for a chance to bring forth destruction. We already have too many adversaries to worry about, Alastair. You shall not bring more."
"If you do not follow the will of SIGIL..."
Another higher-up rambled, his voice sharp and venomous. The rest furrowed their eyebrows as the situation was escalating. All of them glanced at the rambling higher-up, who appeared ignorant of their gazes.
"If I do not? What will you do about it?" Alastair tilted her head as strands of her silver hair swayed with unnerving calm. The question fastened the mouth of the higher-up, asking for some assistance from nearby peers.
However, none stood up for him except for the black-suited middle-aged man who decided to de-escalate the situation. "There's not much we can do, Miss Alastair. I believe that all of us are aware of that."
"But nonetheless, you have broken the established laws of SIGIL. The Aberrant will be your responsibility. Its crimes shall be yours to shoulder." The middle-aged man affirmed with a tone of authority.
"You will be judged for its sins regardless of your preconceived identity."