Ark hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Kuya… can I recruit my sister too?"
James paused.
"I think… you need a certain level of trust and affinity before you can recruit someone to the clan," he said slowly. "That's how it worked with you."
Ark frowned. "So she can't join yet?"
James turned to the system window in front of him.
"System. Is there a way to recruit someone without trust and affinity requirements?"
For a few seconds, nothing happened.
Then a window appeared.
[Yes.]
[Requirement: Item — Clan Recruitment Ticket]
James read it out loud. "Clan… Recruitment Ticket?"
He looked back at the system. "Where do we get that?"
Silence.
No response.
James sighed. "Of course."
Martis, who had been leaning quietly against the wall, finally spoke.
"It will appear in the shop of the Beginner Zone."
Both James and Ark turned to him at the same time.
"…Beginner Zone?" Ark asked.
James' brows furrowed. "We're not already in that?"
Martis shook his head slightly. "No. This world is still in the Tutorial Zone. The angel already explained that."
James and Ark both froze.
The angel.
They had almost forgotten.
"After the Tutorial Zone," Martis continued calmly, "comes the Beginner Zone. That is where Pulsar Energy begins to manifest."
James tilted his head. "Pulsar energy?"
"Mana," Martis replied. "The true form of the energy you use for skills."
Ark swallowed.
Martis' red eyes glinted faintly.
"The Beginner Zone is where things become more dangerous. More types of monsters. Stronger ones. Shops. Blacksmiths. Facilities necessary to survive."
He paused.
Then added with a faint, menacing smirk—
"And Earth… will transform."
A chill ran down both James and Ark's spines.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
James imagined cities reshaping, buildings warping, landscapes twisting into something unrecognizable.
Ark hugged himself unconsciously. "That sounds… really bad."
Martis waved a hand dismissively. "Do not be afraid. The average monster level there is only around 50."
Ark's eyes widened. "I'm still level 4!"
James almost spoke—
"I'm lev—"
A voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
> Don't. Say you are level 15. Not 25.
James froze.
It was Martis.
Telepathy.
> Why?
James thought back.
> Just do it.
Ark looked at him. "Kuya, what's your level?"
The telepathic connection instantly cut.
James swallowed. "…15."
Ark's face lit up. "Already?! That's amazing, Kuya!"
James forced a small smile.
After a few more minutes of talking, Ark finally stood up.
"I'll go find my sister first. I'll come back later."
James nodded. "Be careful."
Ark left.
Silence filled the space after he disappeared down the hallway.
---
James slowly turned to Martis.
"How did you know about the angel?"
Martis answered without hesitation.
"All memories of the summoner are shared with the summons."
James' eyes widened.
A cold, dark expression slowly crept onto his face.
His voice dropped.
"…You know my past?"
Martis looked at him calmly.
"Yes."
The air between them grew heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Tense.
For the first time since Martis appeared, James didn't feel excited or hopeful.
He felt… exposed.