Zephyr wanted to return to his tent, but Zakrox's voice struck him like a blade against his neck. His body moved involuntarily toward the two seated men, and he found himself standing behind them.
Suddenly, Arlund spoke in a teasing tone while continuing to sharpen his sword.
"Standing behind me like that is unsettling, boy. Why don't you sit down?"
Zephyr immediately sat, nervous and anxious not to anger them.
Arlund kept working on his blade without looking at Zephyr, while Zakrox gathered the arrows he'd been preparing and set them beside a quiver next to him.
Minutes passed, though to Zephyr, they felt like years.
Then Arlund said, "There we go," and wiped his sword with a tattered cloth before sliding it back into its sheath. He turned to Zephyr, raising one brow in slight confusion.
"Why so tense, boy? It's not like we're going to eat you."
Zephyr tried to respond.
"I'm not tense, it's just—"
Arlund interrupted mockingly.
"No need to lie. You're about to piss yourself from fear."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Listen, Zephyr. I don't know if you really lost your memories or if you're just a liar pretending to."
Zephyr's fear deepened at those words, but Arlund continued, unbothered.
"And honestly, I don't care either way. Let me explain something to you."
"In this world, power reigns supreme. Powerful people lead sects, organizations, and empires. Beneath them, the ranks descend… until we reach the very bottom. Do you know what that is?"
Zephyr shook his head.
"Slaves," Arlund said. "The most profitable trade in this world is slavery—men, women, children, even animals. You might wonder what that has to do with you."
"Well, we found you on a route used by slave caravans—routes that connect empires hungry for labor to fallen kingdoms teeming with desperate souls."
He paused, his tone darkening.
"You're probably cursing your fate for waking up among mercenaries—greedy killers who care only for gold."
Zephyr remained silent, listening intently.
"But you should thank the stars it was us who found you, and not one of those caravans. Otherwise, you'd already be leashed like a dog and dragged to the nearest slave market."
Zephyr paled at the vivid image.
He wanted to deny it, but the more he thought about it, the more Arlund's words made sense.
Arlund shook his head when he saw Zephyr's expression.
"In this world, everyone needs someone to watch their back. Otherwise, they won't survive."
"There are those rare monsters who can take on hundreds alone—that doesn't concern us. I'm talking about us… the weak."
Arlund looked at his scarred hands, then at the wound he had inflicted on himself earlier that day.
"That's why I formed this mercenary group. A lone man won't survive, but a larger pack might stand a chance."
He raised a finger and poked Zephyr in the shoulder.
"So tell me, do you want to survive alone in a world you claim not to understand? Or join us—and increase your odds?"
"Choose now."
Zephyr fell silent, his mind racing with Arlund's words.
So far, everything he'd seen of this world screamed brutality. The laws that protected him in his old world meant nothing here.
If he wanted to survive, he'd need someone to stand behind.
At least until he had the strength to protect himself.
After a long pause, Zephyr finally said,
"Let me join you."
Arlund laughed.
"Haha! Then prove yourself first."
He nodded toward the sword Zephyr had taken from his first kill.
"Once your arm heals, I'll teach you how to use that."
"Then, I'll teach you how to channel energy—if your body is lucky enough to accept it."
"In short, I'll turn you into a beast among mercenaries."
Arlund spoke casually, but his eyes gleamed with strength and cruelty.
Zakrox shook his head at the sight.
Zephyr looked at him, puzzled.
"What is this energy you keep mentioning? I heard Jones talk about it too."
At that, Arlund looked up toward the sky, gazing at the scattered stars across the vast cosmos.
Then he looked back at Zephyr.
"Listen closely, Zephyr. Everything in this world… has a kind of energy."
"Humans move using energy they get from food and water.
Plants gain energy from sunlight.
Animals feed on plants to fuel themselves."
"That's the small scale."
"But on a cosmic level, the universe itself expands and births worlds, stars are born and die—all because of one force. It's called cosmic energy, or Ascension Energy."
Zephyr's attention was locked, afraid to miss a single word.
"In our world, people are born normal—like you. Over time, they grow stronger through labor and training, but eventually, they hit a wall. A limit. Beyond that, they need external help."
"That help… is Ascension Energy."
Zephyr was fully engrossed, hanging onto every word.
"When fighters reach that threshold, they begin absorbing energy from the world in specific ways. Once they gather enough, a transformation happens. Their bodies grow stronger, faster, more flexible."
"Just like what you saw in today's battle—how the fighters moved with speed and power you couldn't hope to match."
"When someone breaks that limit, they're called an Ascendant."
"An Ascendant can sense this energy more easily. They can use it to boost strength, speed, recovery, and even do things that seem like fantasy to normal people."
Zephyr was stunned. A part of him wanted to reject it—it sounded like fiction.
But he remembered how he came to this world… and how Arlund fought that monstrous man.
He couldn't deny that some part of it rang true.
Arlund gave him a moment to absorb everything.
Then continued:
"When someone crosses that threshold and becomes an Ascendant, it doesn't stop there."
"As they absorb more energy, go through trials, or undergo intense training, they grow stronger. That's why people divided the Ascendant state into stages."
"There are three main stages:
Initial Ascendance,
Mid Ascendance,
and Late Ascendance."
Arlund paused, then added:
"Some even consider a fourth stage—Peak Ascendance. A state where one reaches the pinnacle of their current potential."
"But even Peak Ascendance isn't the end. If one keeps going, something changes inside—
a qualitative transformation. The Ascendant enters a new realm… called Singularity."
"There, people specialize. They start bending the laws of the universe to their will."
Then Arlund fell silent.
Zephyr sat quietly, overwhelmed by it all.
After a long pause, Arlund said,
"Do you have any questions?"
Zephyr answered instantly,
"Yes."