Chapter 302: The Awakening Stone
Old 5 decided to remain silent, though his eyes reflected a mix of astonishment and deep suspicion. Alexander, oblivious to his companion’s thoughts, looked at the woman with renewed interest.
"What is this awakening stone?" Alexander asked, taking a step forward.
"It is an indispensable item in this world," the supervisor answered, maintaining her professional stance. "It allows you to awaken your body’s true nature and become one with the world itself. It will unlock a hidden ability within you and grant you power... a tremendous amount of power."
"Will I be able to shoot fire?" Alexander asked, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.
"Yes, of course, that’s a possibility," the supervisor answered, flashing a calm smile. "In fact, you could say the fire element is the most common manifestation of all."
Alexander turned excitedly toward his companion.
"Did you hear that!" Alexander said, looking for the veteran’s reaction.
Old 5, his face serious and tense, placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Walk with me for a second, captain," Old 5 said in an urgent tone.
"Go ahead, you can consult with your friend and come back whenever you wish," the supervisor added, giving a slight bow.
Old 5 didn’t wait any longer and guided Alexander at a brisk pace out of the guild, power-walking back to the tavern.
"What’s going on? Why the hurry?" Alexander asked, confused by the man’s sudden shift in attitude.
"This is a major event! I have to contact TMC main headquarters immediately!" Old 5 shouted, breaking into a run the moment they crossed the tavern’s threshold.
However, halfway down the hallway, he froze in his tracks. He turned abruptly toward Alexander and lowered his head in visible panic.
"Forgive me, leader!" Old 5 said, bowing low. "I made an impulsive call as if I were still the one in charge of this place. I ask that you punish me for stepping over your authority."
Alexander stood there bewildered, staring at the man without understanding the reason for such a sudden display of submission.
Due to Old 5’s shouting, the doors to the second-floor rooms swung open, and the other four men emerged groggy, scratching their heads and wearing only light trousers.
"What the hell is going on this early?" one of them grumbled, letting out a yawn. "Let us sleep a bit longer..."
"SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU IDIOTS!" Old 5 roared, turning toward them with a murderous ferocity that made the inn’s woodwork rattle.
Seeing Old 5 furious, all four men snapped out of their sleepiness. Terror flashed across their faces, turning pale before scrambling to line up in a military formation in front of him. Although the five of them were close friends and treated each other with familiarity, Old 5 had been the undisputed leader of the outpost before Alexander’s arrival.
Old 5 let out a sigh and looked Alexander in the eye, regaining a bit of his composure while the other four men remained standing stiff as statues.
"Captain, as I told you a while ago, I was the first to arrive at this outpost," Old 5 began to explain, his voice grave. "And that wasn’t a lie, though I omitted telling you why I abandoned my original zone and why I have no desire whatsoever to go back to Earth."
He paused briefly and continued.
"It was all because of a fight I got into back in my old sector. You see, these awakening stones are rare. I had no idea the Adventurers’ Guild had one in their possession, or I would’ve applied to be an adventurer myself. Unfortunately, if I go now, I’m not sure they’d give it to me. They’ve tried to recruit all of us before, but I’ve never heard of them handing one over this easily. That’s why, no matter what, you have to accept it! Trust me, it will give you all the power you want, even if the outcome is random."
Alexander listened, processing every word as the veteran kept going.
"I don’t know which section of Earth you come from," Old 5 continued, "but I’m sure you’ve always wondered why the corporate factions and human governments stay neutral with one another instead of tearing each other apart. It’s because of these awakening stones. They’re divided into tiers. We don’t know what tier of stone they’ll give you, but the most powerful ones are under the strict control of this dimension’s major realms. We still don’t know much about the whole system because it’s a secret the beings of this world guard and don’t share easily. If you really want to boost your strength and take whatever you want, you need these stones."
Old 5 stepped closer and lowered his voice, his eyes gleaming with intensity.
"From the ones I’ve heard of—and just like the clerk told you—the fireball is the most common manifestation. However, I’ve witnessed mind-blowing things: massive boosts in physical strength, superhuman speed, and even supernatural abilities like summoning lightning, mind control, or animal control... Trust me, captain, this changes the game."
Alexander nodded in silence, weighing the experienced fighter’s words.
"I understand," Alexander said, adjusting his jacket cuffs. "Then I’ll head back to the guild right now, before they change their minds."
"No, wait, captain!" Old 5 interrupted raising a hand to stop him. "You must report this to central command immediately. This is an extremely rare event. Those who manage to acquire these items within the corporation are promoted and headquarters offers massive rewards for finding or securing awakening stones. I’m sure that if you report this first, you’ll be able to land the best deals and perks. But you have to do it beforehand, if only out of loyalty to TMC."
Deep down, Alexander didn’t feel the slightest bit of loyalty toward TMC; to him, they were nothing more than a ruthless corporate conglomerate. However, he understood how advantageous the situation was. Furthermore, the corporation held his family and friends back on Earth under surveillance and control to keep him from making any moves against them, so reporting this achievement away would help clear up any lingering suspicions they had about him and keep his loved ones safe.
"You’re right," Alexander said calmly, keeping his expression unreadable. "We’ll report the find to headquarters before taking the next step."