"Alright!" Iane clapped his hands together, standing at the head of the table with a grin. "Since everyone's here, let's start with introductions."
He placed his hands on his hips and puffed his chest proudly.
"I'm Iane Crystar, Rank 2 Tool Master, and your team leader. I'm fifteen."
Arah didn't react, but he noticed the others exchanging glances at Iane's age. Iane seemed to expect it and only grinned wider.
"Ahh, to be talented... Don't worry, I'm qualified to lead you, heck, I would say I am more than qualified."
Next was a boy who looked slightly malnourished. His clothes were too loose and hung off his thin frame, likely hand-me-downs. He had unkempt black hair, tired green eyes, and a quiet presence.
"M-my name is Terent," he muttered. "Semi-Rank 1 Soul Weapon Master... and I'm fourteen."
He didn't say anything more and glanced away, eyes slightly downcast.
Tares was next. She gave a polite nod and raised her soul tool, the same book she had spoken through before.
"I am Tares Tatenia. Thirteen years old. Unranked Soul Beast Master. I apologize, but I am mute, so I cannot personally introduce myself."
That got a few raised eyebrows, and not because of her disability, but most likely because she possessed a soul tool.
Soul tools in general weren't cheap, and from what he had seen during his shopping trip, a soul tool with a simple function cost over 200 gold rings, and that was more than his entire budget of silver and iron rings.
He caught Terent muttering under his breath, "Rich."
Then the next girl stood. She had dirty blonde hair cascading down her back, brown eyes, and a frown on her face. She had a slim build that indicated she preferred agility rather than strength; she had no other notable features.
"I'm Sofise," she said with a shrug. "Thirteen. Unawakened Soul Weapon Master."
She didn't seem to be happy about introducing herself, and her tone had a sharp edge to it.
Finally, it was Arah's turn.
"My name is Arah Kianthu, I'm thirteen and an unawakened Soul Weapon Master."
The moment he said his full name, a flicker of recognition passed through a few eyes. Even Tares glanced up from her book.
Sofise squinted at him, then scoffed.
"Seriously? Arah Kianthu? Same name as the Sun God? Your parents must be messed up in the head or simply hate your guts to name after 'that' god of all."
Arah said nothing. His expression didn't change.
Before anyone else could speak, Iane smiled slightly.
"Oh my... that's impolite, surely that's no way to treat someone who you will have to rely on to survive," he said.
His voice was friendly, but the smile on his face was cold, sharp.
Sofise blinked, then nodded stiffly. She didn't bother to apologize, but Arah didn't care either way.
Just then, Iane clapped his hands, stepping forward with an easy smile.
"Now that everyone's introduced themselves, let's talk about what you can actually do." He paused. "The awakened will go first..I will go first, and the unawakened last. Do show your soul path off!"
He smiled again, waved his hand, and summoned a small blue wooden gourd. It shimmered faintly with soul energy.
"My innate ability gives me high talent in making drinks," he explained, and he sounded weirdly proud about it. "Also lets me breathe underwater."
He uncorked the gourd, and a stream of water spiraled into the air. With a flick of his hand, it shifted into the shape of a small wolf that landed on his palm, made entirely of liquid.
"My first awakened ability lets me create any animal or beast I can imagine using water. I can control its size and shape," he added with a grin.
Arah was slightly impressed. That was indeed a very versatile ability. He could already think of ways to use it, and his subconscious was already thinking of ways to fight against it.
Iane wasn't done.
"Oh, and my second awakened ability can trap enemies in a water prison. It's hard to break from the outside, so it has defensive properties, and even harder once you're in."
Terent was next. He summoned a dagger, its blade shimmering with a faint green hue.
"My innate ability enhances my reflexes and speed," he said. "N-not... by much, and my awakened ability lets me walk on air."
He stood up, stepped lightly, and for a moment, both his feet hovered above the ground as if there were an invisible step.
It was Sofise's turn next forward. She frowned slightly as she summoned a bow.
"My innate ability is speed," she said flatly. "It allows me to have fast movement and fast reflexes. That's it."
She didn't bother demonstrating as she dismissed her bow.
Tares closed her book and tapped it once. Her voice rang out again.
"I have a high fire resistance. Also, my vision and hearing are enhanced. I can see clearly for up to a mile. I am sorry I can't summon my beast as it's an elemental type."
She reopened the book and went back to reading.
'I wonder what she is reading... isn't that just her soul tool? Does it have other functions?'
Iane gave a nod of approval. "Excellent. And you, Arah?"
He stood up as he summoned his spear.
"My innate ability accelerates healing. Cuts clot faster, so... it's harder for me to bleed out."
There was a short silence. Iane's eyes widened and were practically beaming.
"That's rare. It's not every day I get to meet a rare affinity user, especially blood affinity."
Arah gave a slight nod, but said nothing.
With all the abilities now revealed, Iane reached into his bag and pulled out three small, thick books.
"Now that we know each other's abilities, it's time to go over what we'll be facing."
He dropped the books on the table with a solid thump.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, will be your lifeline."
He opened it slowly, revealing page after page filled with detailed sketches, soul beast descriptions, habitats, behavior patterns, strengths, and weaknesses.
"It contains everything the Association knows about the beasts in the forest. Rank, species, danger rating, aggression levels, soul disc it generates... everything."
He looked at each of them seriously.
"If you get separated, forget your formation, or get ambushed, this will be your guide. Study it, sleep with it if you have to, whatever gets you learning, but memorize it." He paused for a second to let his words sink in before he continued. "Of course, I don't expect you to have it ingrained in your head by tomorrow, but at least skim over the beasts in the black and red zones to prepare."
He then glanced at Terent. "I am sure you already know all this, correct?"
Terent nodded.
Arah's eyes lingered on the book. Despite all the information the book could have, he knew something crucial.
No book ever truly prepared anyone for the wild. You could read a lifetime's worth of books and study the beasts all you like, but it's never absolute. A fight with a beast is always unpredictable. Things could always turn for the worse.
Knowing is only one part of fighting, but not its entirety. Letting your guard down just because you think you know everything your enemy has in their arsenal is the fastest way to court death.
Even if he knew he was fighting a weaker enemy, Arah had never let his guard down.
Iane clapped his hands again and said, "Alright, you're all dismissed. We'll rendezvous tomorrow morning at first light, right outside the Association. Until then, you're free to socialize or do whatever you like."
The first to leave was Terent, who quietly stood and walked out without a word.
Sofise was about to follow, pushing her chair back, when Iane suddenly called out, "Sofise, mind staying back for a moment?"
She frowned but nodded, settling back into her seat. Arah had no reason to stay, nor did he care to socialize, so he left.
When he arrived at Kren's house, the man himself was outside, tending to his wife's garden. He glanced up as Arah approached and raised an eyebrow.
"So? How did it go?"
"It was okay," Arah replied flatly.
Kren stopped what he was doing and walked over, wiping his hands on a cloth. "Kid, although I don't need to tell you... Be careful out there, okay?"
Arah was slightly taken aback.
He knew that he and Kren had been getting closer, but he hadn't realized it had reached that level. He'd always assumed Kren was keeping an eye on him solely because of his connection to the Sun Cult and simply felt pity because he reminded him of his past... or maybe it was a bit of both.
He could only nod in response.
"Who's your team leader, kid?"
"His name is Iane Crystar."
The moment he said the name, Kren's worried expression vanished.
"Oh, that brat..." Kren chuckled. "Hah! Then I've got nothing to worry about."
Arah frowned slightly. "Is there a reason why?"
Kren laughed again, shaking his head with a fond smile. "Two years ago, I taught that kid myself. I was his group leader, you could say. And two years... that's all it took for him to become as strong as me."
He gave a low whistle. "Even though he is a lower rank than I! Crazy, right?"
Arah's eyes widened.