章節 56: The new S-class
"Here for awakening?" A man in a golfer asked Alden.
"Reawakening," It was basically the same thing, only Alden was doing it a second time.
"Reawakening?" The man asked, seemingly amused.
"Yes."
"Alright, you've got your cash with you?" He asked.
"Yes," Alden replied.
The man nodded before directing Alden to the stands. Alden complied.
Soon, Alden was seated, watching others awaken. Because he was finding a residence for the old man, he had arrived at the office a little late. It was 11:00 AM, so others had come before him already.
It was nerve-wracking. Time was like a crippled bird: it was unable to fly, and all it could do was crawl pitifully and slowly.
Alden watched with a distracted mind until finally, he heard his name called. It was like a judges hammer determining his fate, it would determine whether he'd remain chained by his weak identity or whether he would fly freely in the sky, and take his place at the top with the powerful.
His every step was heavy, even as he descended the many stairs of the stands. Even, as he ascended the platform, and even when he placed his hands on the cold surface of the machine.
It was in moments like these, moments that decided your life, and your fate, that doubts made themselves more present than ever. Each action became more difficult than the last one, until he was forcing himself to move.
Could he do it?
Was he ready for the result?
No, unless all of the life threatening experiences he had been through were mere hallucinations, he knew he was strong. He wouldn't gaslight himself into believing anything else.
He closed his eyes and waited. A familiar sensation embraced his fingers, a strange tingling it was. A light crept up his arms, and covered his entire body. Suddenly something strange happened.
The machine began to groan loudly, and smoke sneaked out of the small gaps in the machine.
"What is going on?" A female who stood nearby with a notepad asked, her voice worried and panicky.
"I don't kn...wait, don't tell me?" A tall African man who stood nearby exclaimed with surprise, then he rushed to the machine, probably to switch it off.
Though Alden had long lifted his hand, the machine continued its crying. Suddenly, a loud sound filled the room. Yellow flames jumped forth, as the podium like machine exploded.
Horror filled screams mixed in with the explosive sound, making a tone filled to the brim with cacaphony.
Smoke had taken away the clarity within the room, and it took a few seconds before sight was possible.
As the smoke cleared, all those on the stands had prepared themselves for the unpleasant sight of torched bodies, because it looked like nobody near the machine had survived the blast.
"I can see something! They're alive!" Someone shouted.
They were even more shocked when they realized that at the bottom, standing in one corner, was everyone that had been at the bottom and, standing in front of them was a boy.
Long curly hair, a simple hoodie and pants, and the most noticeable thing? A blue energy, mixed in with streaks of whirled around his body, and the energy seemed to make his clothes flutter and flap, and it made his hair whip. It was like he was standing in a windy day.
"Did he save them?"
"Who is he?"
"He must be of a high class..."
"Probably S-class, explains why the machine burst."
"Yeah, I heard that if the machine isn't advanced enough, it can overload and explode!"
Meanwhile, Alden looked behind him, at the association workers who were lying on the ground, surprised. They probably hadn't come back to terms with what had just happened.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Y-yes,thank you sir," The lady from before said. The others seemed to still be in shock.
"Hey, do you know what happened?" Alden asked the association worker who had attempted to switch off the machine.
"Of course... Uh... You might have been at S-class, which explains the machine overloading."
"Might?" Alden narrowed his eyes. "is there any way of confirming my class?"
The man nodded, "we have a more advanced version of the machine but, I think you've already awakened, so we just need to check your stats. For that too, we have a machine."
Alden nodded before putting forth his request, "Can I use it?"
"Yes, of course! Follow me!"
The man got up, before he began to leave. At the top, he exchanged a few words with the officials that had come to check on the explosion.
As Alden stood next to him, waiting, he could feel the awe-filled gazes of all those within the room wash over him.
Like a boy dying of thirst, Alden made sure to take in every last drop of those gazes, he felt he deserved to, after all his whole life he had only experienced the exact opposite.
That's why, he allowed himself to be intoxicated by those looks, until he was beyond reason and logic. All that stood was a proud ego.
Suddenly, he closed his eyes and stopped himself from going any further because, the more he consumed those envious gazes, the more his pride and ego would consume him. Then, those would flood his path and become an ocean tide that pushed against him, preventing him from reaching his ultimate goal.
He had no time for such.
Rescuing from the sea of his thoughts and emotions was the official, who left the room. Alden followed. It took a few good minutes before they reached the desired room. On arrival, Alden was directed toward a different machine.
This one was not too different from the first one, let alone one fast.
The surface upon which Alden would place his hands was not flat. It was like a half sphere, and when Alden put his hands above it, he did not feel any sensation.
CLASS: PUPETEER/MOON CONJURER
ABILITIES:MOON MASTERY; PUPPET MASTERY;FLAME CONTROL;MOON SOLDIER CREATOR
STRENGTH:99
DURABILITY: 99
ENERGY: 99
STAMINA: 99
GRADE:S
"this is all it shows?" Alden asked. He had expected it to show all of his stats, similar to the last time.
"Yes sir, this machine was made only to show the class of the person using it."
Alden nodded in reply.
"So sir, there will be some lengthy procedures after this, and you will be expected to say a few words to the press."
"The press?"
"Yes, you are now an S-class hero after all."
Alden let out a troubled sigh before he nodded in reply.
The official did not lie, the procedures were indeed lengthy. Whether it was filling in or receiving documents, it took a while to complete the paperwork.
After he was done, Alden headed to the lobby. On the way there, he bumped into the secretary.
"Congratulations, sir," She said to him immediately upon seeing him. A genuine smile lit up her face which glistened like oiled mahogany.
"Thanks," Alden returned her smile.
"Also, the press are waiting for you in the lobby."
Alden nodded, as the woman turned around to continue walking, Alden's following words stopped her in her tracks.
"Thank you so much, for everything."
Without waiting for a reply, he was gone.
~~~
Lily Parker relaxed on the Sofa of her lounge, as she ran her hands through the thick and fluffy fur of her pet tiger.
The animal relaxed on the seat next to her, occasionally opening its mouth wide as it yawned. Rather lazily, the animal rested with its eyes closed, and it seemed to be asleep.
Lily cast a gaze around the room, the oversized, empty and dismal room. Her heart pained as she took in the emptiness.
On a "normal" day, her brothers would be there. Be it Justin's sophisticated presence, Arnu's silent composure or Lyle's annoying optimism. She missed it all.
She didn't bother crying, she'd done that too many times. Crying didn't mean anything to her anymore.
If she wanted to do something meaningful, it was avenge her brothers. But she was weak, so how could she do that?
Her hopes lay in creating a guild powerful enough to go against Light McKing himself. However, she had to wait for him...
Alden...he was a strange boy. She had first met him in that dungeon mission, and honestly, she had unconsciously looked down on him.
Her, Lily Park, Dual class ranger, Tamer of a midnight tiger and healer had come face-to-face with Alden Park, the F-class ranger. He was a rare failure, since there were less than 30 F-class Rangers in the whole of South Africa. She found herself harboring nothing but pity toward him.
But he humbled her. He was the personification of the quote, don't judge a book by its cover. He showed her there was more to him then what showed on the surface.
He originally seemed troubled both physically and mentally but now he had changed. She remembered the day before, when she had seen his fit, healthy body. It was a stark contrast from his old emaciated self. His rock hard confidence, originally it was just a facade he put up but now she could tell how real it was. He had truly changed.
Skip, her pet, opened his mouth and let out a bored roar.
"Mhm? What do you mean, the little boy?" Lilly questioned, due to their link, she could somewhat understand what he said.
Another roar followed, and the tiger jumped off the couch and stuttered to the television which was playing. It had been in low, so she didn't hear what it was saying.
Lily tried to see what the tiger was showing her, and her eyes widened when she saw Aldens face on the screen. What shocked her more was the letters below.
SOUTH AFRICA HAS A NEW S-CLASS RANGER!
~~~
A loud knock on Light McKings room door made his face furrow in annoyance. He was currently relaxing in an indoor pool, which had a view of the Johannesburg city, through the buildings glass facade.
"Come in!" he called, in annoyance.
A female worker opened the door and rushed in, a tablet in her hands.
"What is it now !" he asked, a frown on his face.
"South Africa has a new S-class hero!" She cried out.
He watched her closely for a few seconds, making her fidget uncomfortably. Then he stood up and turned, before grabbing a dry towel and covering himself. The lady turned away, embarrassed.
"It doesn't matter, they're just another obstacle in my path, I've just got to crush them, right?"
"But sir, you have to see this..."
"I said it doesn't matter!"
The woman stayed silent, before carefully saying her next words. Knowing her boss, it could be her last ones if she wasn't perfect.
"He seemed to challenge you, sir."
Light McKing paused halfway through wearing his shirt.
"let me see," he said quickly pulling on his shirt.
On the screen, was a long haired man whose face was quite familiar. The reporters were asking him questions.
"So, Mr Hall! How does it feel to be an S-class hero."
"It feels good."
"uhh, so you were previously an F-class hero before Reawakening as an S-class. Sounds like a story out of a book doesn't it? Are you relieved, or shocked by the experience."
"I was surprised and happy. I'm glad I was this lucky."
"Okayyy, so thank you Mr Alden, any last words."
Alden seemed to take a few minutes to think, before he directed his gaze at the camera.
"Light McKing, be careful. There are consequences to your actions, good or bad."
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