'B-but... what is this man? This pressure...'
In front of Evan stood a man wearing a black pitbull mask, dressed in a white suit with golden details, while holding a beautiful blade between his fingers.
Ranqueorini, better known as the Chief, was the man who intimidated even the empire's greatest powers. Ranqueorini did not hold much direct relevance in the story, although his actions as the leader of the largest underground group influenced some things indirectly.
'That aura... he's probably far beyond B+ level.'
All Evan could do at that moment was try to endure the aura the man was deliberately releasing.
"Come on, boy. Don't tell me some animal ate your tongue."
The man spoke impatiently, while lightly cutting the upper part of his right hand.
Trying to keep control over his own breathing, Evan replied:
"I-I came to bring something you would certainly be interested in."
Before the man could intimidate the boy any further, Evan poured two Litidium stones onto the table.
Even with his face hidden under the mask, Evan believed that the mere presence of those stones would have caught the man's attention.
'Checkmate.'
Evan thought proudly. From what little he knew about Ranqueorini, he understood that this man would do anything to maintain his hegemony in power.
Those stones represented Evan's first step toward securing his place within the organization.
"These stones... what are they, boy?"
Trying to maintain his composure, Evan answered calmly:
"Sir, these stones represent a new step in weapons production... they go far beyond the materials currently available."
And so Evan continued explaining what Litidium could offer in terms of advancement.
"This stone is called Litidium. In its composition, it has an energy generation and storage capacity around 50x greater than the best resources we currently have available."
After a few more minutes explaining the ore, Ranqueorini seemed completely interested.
"Come on, boy... tell me what you want. Tell me what you desire, because I'm willing to negotiate."
The man announced.
Keeping a firm expression on his face, Evan finally revealed what he wanted.
"Sir, I want to be part of Requiem. I want to join as an official member."
Upon hearing Evan's proposal, the man remained silent, while sinking the dagger even deeper into his hand. Soon after, a loud laugh echoed through the room.
"HAHAHAHA!"
"You're a very interesting boy!!"
The man finally regained his composure, placing the dagger on the table.
"If you're truly willing to join this group, know that bringing these ores is not enough, boy. Prove it... prove that you're willing to sacrifice yourself for Requiem."
Evan tried to maintain his posture, already anticipating what the man was about to say.
"Drive this dagger into the palm of your right hand, boy... If you do it, I'll accept you as one of us."
'Ah, that bastard!' Evan sighed.
'If I truly want to survive in this world, I can't hesitate in a situation like this.'
With a sharp look on his face, Evan immediately grabbed the dagger and stabbed it into his hand.
Plshh!
"Aarghh!!"
The table was completely drenched in Evan's crimson blood, while Ranqueorini watched the scene in silence.
The masked man collected a sample of Evan's blood, dripping it onto a kind of paper.
"From this day forward, I declare you a member of Requiem, boy... Show up here tomorrow and you'll receive your first instructions."
The man finished, turning his back to Evan.
With his hand still bleeding, Evan removed the scarf from his neck and tied it around his wound, before leaving the Chief's room.
Even with an injury on his hand, he left that place with a smile on his face.
"Mission accomplished."
...
{17:02 – Friday, January 23rd, 2087}
"Ah, my body is completely exhausted."
Evan was sprawled out on his bed, after Professor Darius' class had completely drained his energy.
During class this time, he had gone through a series of physical exercises combined with increased body weight.
{Gravitational Bracelet 30x} – Rarity (C
A bracelet capable of increasing body weight by up to 30x
.The bracelet's purpose was to simulate the capabilities of the gravitational chamber, with the advantage of allowing students to use the small device for a longer period of time.
According to Darius, his initial goal was to maximize our physical capabilities before we actually learned combat techniques.
Unlike some students, Evan decided not to remove the bracelet, choosing instead to keep it on his body for as long as possible.
"Let's start with 5x, that should be enough for now."
As he got up to take a shower, Evan knew he needed to look well-presented. After all, it would be his first day as an official member of Requiem.
...
With his hair combed back, wearing a black formal outfit along with a suit of the same color, Evan walked toward the same place where he had first met the leader of Requiem.
Unlike the previous day, he didn't need to use codes to enter the place. As soon as the same man wearing the chameleon mask saw Evan's face, he opened the door for the boy.
"The Chief asked me to accompany you today. Follow me."
The man ordered in a stern tone.
Evan simply nodded as he followed the man through the dark corridors of the place.
As they walked, the masked man revealed information Evan had already suspected.
"This is just a small meeting center. We have several bases spread across the continent, but I can't tell you yet where they are."
Following the man into a dark room, a lantern suddenly lit up, revealing about six masks of different animals.
White Bear, Leopard, Gorilla, Wolf, Eagle, and Swan.
"Choose one of these. The one you choose will be your identity here."
Said the man with the chameleon mask.
'The choice here is pretty obvious.'
Walking up to the shelf where the six masks were displayed, Evan picked the one representing the Wolf and placed it over his head.
Stepping closer to Evan, the man ordered coldly:
"Show me the palm of your right hand."
Even while wearing the mask, Evan could still see perfectly. Following the man's orders, he pulled back the sleeves of his suit and turned his palm upward.
Holding a silver pen, the man drew a kind of kanji on Evan's palm.
"From today on, Lupo is your codename within the organization. I wish you luck."
The man concluded.
Suddenly, the spot where the kanji had been written on Evan's palm began to burn fiercely.
"Aarg! W-what is this?!"
Evan shouted, trying to endure the intense pain.
The man only replied bluntly:
"It'll pass soon... I left your first instructions under the table in the corner of the room."
After that, the man left the room, walking slowly away.
After a few minutes agonizing in pain, Evan felt that cursed sensation fading.
When he tried to wipe the kanji away with his own saliva, he realized the ink used would not come off so easily.
As he examined the kanji, Evan felt a strange sensation.
'That feeling... these guys are truly insane.'
Trying to recall his own romance, Evan remembered exactly what that kanji on his palm meant.
When Evan stabbed his hand with the Chief's dagger, that man had collected a sample of Evan's blood.
And it was with part of the boy's blood that the man known as Chameleon had written that kanji.
'It's like some kind of contract, but with blood itself...'
If Evan ever betrayed the organization, he would die instantly.
"Hahahaha..."
"Completely insane..."
Walking over to a small table in the corner of the room, Evan picked up an envelope resting on top of it.
Port of Kaliste at 21:00
Meet with Scarabeo
After finishing reading what was written on the envelope, Evan couldn't help but grin beneath that mask.
'Looks like fate found a way for me to meet you... Scarabeo.'