Chapter 2: Interrogation

Ezra's reflection body ran through the wall and rushed at him.

He didn't wait for his reflection body to meet him before he stood up and bolted toward the bronze door with a thick, long bone in his grasp.

He planned to hit the door to get the attention of those in front.

But before he reached the door, it slowly opened as if pushed from behind by an invisible hand.

Ezra didn't have time to think about why, but rushed and slipped through the slight opening. His reflection body struck and merged with him at that junction.

Unbeknownst to him, his eyes flickered with an eerie red glow when the reflection body merged with his before returning to normal.

When he came out on the other side, he was greeted by a huge black body hurtling his way.

Ezra's eyes widened when he realized it was one of those wolves the girls were fighting, and he instinctively thrust the broken, sharp end of the bone at the creature.

The sharp end found its way into one of the wolf's wounds, sending Ezra tumbling off the rail of the stairs as it crashed into the bone on the stairs.

[Second Order Mortal killed: Shadowhunter!]

[+1 Gear acquired: Nightfall.]

[+1 Soul Vitalis acquired!]

A warm feeling enveloped him before a sudden dizziness struck him.

He instinctively suspected it to be the workings of the lady statue sitting on the throne, so he escaped toward the entrance while whispering to the ladies staring at him as if he owed them something, "Run!"

He didn't wait to check if they took his advice and sprinted outside, where many wandering monsters were in the distance. Ezra rushed toward the path he remembered, but the dizziness intensified as he continued his escape. His vision was already spinning.

He tried to resist, but it kept getting stronger until he collapsed just as he got outside the ruin site.

"Damn…" That was his last whisper before he passed out.

***

Ezra's eyes flew open, and he quickly sat up, scanning his surroundings.

When he found himself in a dimly lit room on a white bed, his tensed body relaxed as he realized he was in civilization, not in the den of a beast that had reserved him for dinner.

The door flung open, and a lady with white hair, dressed in a white lab coat, entered, followed by another tall lady.

"Hello, Mr. Ezra, how are you doing?" the lady with white hair asked with a friendly smile.

"Hungry," Ezra replied, and his stomach grumbled in approval.

"We will just ask a few questions, and then you can go and eat. It's on me," the lady smiled, pulled up a chair, and sat across from Ezra. The lady trailing behind, with a stern expression, stood behind her.

"Okay," Ezra answered calmly.

"My name is Miss Aliya Whitethorn, and I'm investigating the ruin site that disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Ezra arched an eyebrow.

"Yes. The ruin site disappeared, and everybody was found asleep on a plain field," Aliya explained patiently.

'Is it that lady statue?' Ezra thought, his eyes becoming a bit lost, but he promptly composed himself.

Aliya didn't miss that momentary daze.

"What do you want to know?" Ezra asked calmly.

"Ezra, what did you see behind that door?" she leaned forward, her eyes sharp.

Ezra answered after a short silence, "A pile of bones."

"Is that all?"

"Yes. That is what I saw behind the door."

Both of them gazed into each other's eyes for a few seconds before Aliya reclined into her chair.

Aliya clasped her hands.

"How old are you, Ezra?"

"Seventeen and a few days."

"You are awakened, but your name isn't registered in the government database. Are you a rogue?" Her eyes sharpened.

Ezra shivered, and he couldn't tell if it was from her pressure or the fear of being labeled as a rogue. His brain worked fast.

He quickly admonished vehemently, his expression twisted with spite, "I can never be a rogue. I can never hunt my kind just because they can give mana, and worse, hunt unawakened humans just for the minuscule mana. All rogues should be born on stakes! Besides, I'm still a First Order Mortal—the bottom of the bottom! So it is proof that I haven't killed any humans for mana."

Aliya chuckled at the way Ezra tried to extricate himself.

She waved her hand. "Okay. I know you're not a rogue. But I am curious: what have you been doing for the past two years since you awakened? There is a Rank 1 Plane in this city. You just need to enter the plane, spawn at a random site, then make your way to the Haven. From there, you hunt and increase your rank. Easy peasy. Or, do you want to become a rogue?"

"No." Ezra decided to stay silent after that reply as he realized awakening at 17 was strange.

Aliya crossed her legs.

"Ezra, do you know all ruin sites are important to the government? And it disappeared with some people who might need rescue. Now, I want you to tell me all you witnessed at the ruin site. As for your reward, I will give you cash for good food and a new gear that will increase your chances of survival. Lastly, I will use my connections to get the map of a Rank 1 Plane, which will enable you to avoid dangerous zones."

Ezra quieted, but his brain worked fast.

Ezra's expression became solemn as he stared at Aliya, finally coming to a conclusion.

"The room was empty, but behind the wall were eight statues."

Aliya stared at him like she was trying to see through him.

"What do you think about them?"

"Nothing," Ezra said offhandedly to hide his feelings.

"Stop lying. This is your last chance," her voice hardened, displaying undisguised threat.

"Fine!" Ezra snapped. "I think they were alive! Don't ask me how. It has to do with my abilities, and I hope you wouldn't probe someone's secret, right?"

Aliya stared into his eyes as if she were trying to see through him.

A tense silence enveloped them, punctuated only by their soft breathing.

Then, unexpectedly, she smiled and leaned back in her chair.

"Give me your hand."

Ezra stretched out his hand, and Aliya shook it.

A message popped up in his vision.

[+1 Gear acquired: Silver Edge.]

"Silver Edge?" Ezra asked with an arched eyebrow.

The eyes of the lady behind Aliya widened when he mentioned the name.

"Treat it well. It's a good sword. Don't sell it because I will come for it."

With that, Aliya stood up, dropped a thousand credits on the bed, and walked toward the entrance but paused at the door. "You are fit to leave. Don't forget to register as a Mortal Elite and get yourself a badge, or those military guys will come for you. I will send the map to your house. Remember to do your research before entering the Rank 1 Plane, so as not to die a useless death due to ignorance."

Ezra nodded and watched them disappear.

He muttered, "I forgot to ask them for my clothes. Well, they were already torn beyond repair, and I will keep this blue gown."

A smile tugged at his lips as his eyes landed on the one thousand credit note. "First, I'll treat myself to a survival meal, then arrange my belongings, register with the council association, and buy a phone to gather information before entering the Rank 1 Plane."

He had forgotten most of the information he learned during his basic education because he hadn't awakened.

Ezra stood up, arranged his gown, ran his fingers through his hair to fix it, and walked out of the room, only to bump into a person just outside the door.

Lowering his head, he noticed a short girl staring at him. It was the girl who had been battling the wolves with twin axes.

"You?!" Ezra blurted.

"Good. You remember me! Now, let's settle our scores," she replied with a stern and solemn expression.

Ezra's expression faltered as he remembered that he had stolen her kill and even taken the gear.