Chapter 2 - True Techniques

Hunter, One, and I finally reach the outskirts of One's mission center, a sprawling complex of gleaming towers and bustling marketplaces. One smirks, glancing at us. "First of all, I don't want anyone looking like newbies. I register you guys anonymously." Hunter and I shrug it off, but One doesn't stop there. "Second, I am the highest-ranked here, so we take on lower-level missions." One enters the area, which is a vibrant city filled with Zejins, semi-humans, and other diverse beings.

We reach the "mission giver," a tall, slender figure whose features seem to shift and blur. "Greetings," he says, his voice echoing in our minds without his lips moving. I glance at One. "Alright then, One. Let's do some bandit beating." I smile, hoping he'd choose a challenging quest. One's face remains impassive. He doesn't even react at all to what I say but takes a scroll marked C-class: "MONSTER?"

"You don't fight other Zejins at lower levels," Hunter says as he finishes modifying the robot, his movements almost imperceptible. "I am Fred! I feel great... alive... like I have a purpose!" The robot seems more expressive, its movements and voice now imbued with a newfound sense of emotion.

One leaves towards our destination. He doesn't notify Hunter and I, but expects us to know.

Hunter and I run to catch up to him and end up outside the mission center, which reverts back into a normal town.

We run as if our lives depend on it until we enter a large forest. Hunter and I are extremely exhausted after running for what felt like hours, and I am relieved, panting as if my lungs don't work anymore. "You... did-...didn't ex-...explain," I say, too tired to even stand up. "The ranks determine how strong an entity is." One doesn't even sound like he broke a sweat. "C-rank means that they have enough power to cause minor damage to large cities, making it the weakest." Hunter looks like he's collapsed after One finishes speaking. He's also exhausted, I guess.

"Which is why C-rank consists mainly of monsters. Monsters are made of Zejin Shards and act only off instinct. They tend to look more like beasts and have no control over what techniques they can use." One walks forward, and a terrifying figure jumps at him. The figure turns out to be a monster and it has veiny horns in turn for eyes, it is incredibly muscular and its fingers as sharp claws made it more terrifying.

"Zero, you'll be first to fight," he says, my heart drops and I start shaking. One jumps on to a branch and watches me; comfortably.

I start panicking. 'I have never fought anything but a dummy before. What if it kills me? What if—' Before I can finish thinking, the monster jumps at me. I form a fist, charge shards into it, and release a powerful but small explosion that sends the monster flying into a tree. When the monster gets up, confidence starts to fill me, and I feel confident enough to use a technique. The monster runs at me faster than I thought it could move. It runs past me and straight to Hunter, who's still on the floor. 'If I don't react, Hunter will be dead. My only option is to use a technique. Although it is unstable, screw it!'

I center my gravity and stance, my palm facing the monster, I break a sweat, anxious if it will even work. I start to feel my shards drain, and a small ball of fire manifests, the fire radiates intense, concentrated heat. "Flame Technique: Fireball!" I shout. The monster turns around and charges towards the fireball. My lack of mastery becomes prevalent, as my hands sizzle, and parts of my hand start to peel. I release the fireball into the monster and grab my palm, watching parts of it peel and burn red.

The fireball lands, and the monster combusts. As the ball of fire explodes, One appears behind me and pats my shoulder. "Well done," he says as he wraps bandages around my wrists, not around my palm. This confuses me.

"I forgot to mention that monsters don't die easily. You'll need to absorb them or turne them into orbs." One makes a fist, and I feel an immense build-up of shards around his hand.

"Allow me to introduce you to the True Techniques," he says. A gauntlet, a white, elegant iron glove with gold edges and immense power, manifests around his fist. "Second technique: Gauntlets of Light."