[May 19th, 4023]
"So, what is it that you want to discuss?" Ying put down his newspaper and looked directly at Derrick. "This is supposed to be my 'me' time. Summarize your topic in one sentence or beat it."
"I've come to talk to you about an operation, you ass. I'm hunting down a man named Reed Rowley. He's currently laying low somewhere within Naraka territory under the protection of the Alchemic Order. I need your help in infiltrating the Order and retrieving Rowley."
Ying nearly choked on his coffee upon hearing the absurd require, "T-The Alchemic Order? Are...are you serious right now? As a Rank 6, you have absolutely no chance of even stepping foot into their domain, let alone beating them."
"That isn't what I meant. I have zero intention of directly confronting the organization right now. In fact, I don't even hold a personal grudge against them. I simply need one of their members. Wait a moment...what even is the difference in power between ranks? You've never explained it to me."
"Well..." Ying put down the newspaper, "That wasn't one sentence, but I'll let it pass just this once, brat. First I'll answer your question about ranks, then I'll show you just how insane you are in tackling the Alchemic Order."
Ying pulled out a whiteboard and dry-erase marker from the kitchen cabinet and draw out an explanation for Derrick.
"...So you just keep a whiteboard around the house? For what?"
"Shut up. That isn't important right now."
"The ranking system works on a qualitative scale for strength, not a strictly quantitative one. Each rank gets exponentially stronger than the last. The difference between a Rank 7 Civilian and a Rank 6 Novice isn't very significant. A Civilian could beat a Novice under specific circumstances. However, the gap between a Rank 6 Novice and a Rank 5 Soldier is substantial. It is practically impossible for a Novice to win against a Soldier unless you had the luck and strategic mind of a God. This isn't the most accurate depiction, but this will give you a general idea."
[Rank 7 Civilian -> Building]
[Rank 6 Novice -> Neighborhood]
[Rank 5 Soldier -> City]
[Rank 4 Devotee -> Country]
[Rank 3 Saint -> Continent]
"As for Rank 2 and above...I'm not actually sure. I've never seen someone that powerful."
Derrick looked at the poorly drawn diagram with a surprised expression, "from a neighborhood to an entire city...? Isn't that too big of a gap."
Ying lit up a cigarette to ease his mood as he replied, "Isn't that what I just told you? The gaps of power get exponentially larger with each Rank. Rumor has it that the Alchemic Order might have a Rank 4 Devotee in their midst. We can't go against that as we are now. It's like a level 1 slime facing a level 50 warlock. It's impossible."
He plays videogames? I didn't know old people liked that sorta thing... Derrick jotted down the observation in his mind for later uses. Perhaps he could play some games with him after the operation.
"Look kid, the moral of the story here is that I'm not gonna help you with this. It's too dangerous. Honestly, I might have to force you to stay out of that mess. It'll do both of us bad."
Looks like negotiations didn't work.
"Alright, I'll drop it. I'm going on a run to the shop, need anything?"
"Yeah...how old are you again?" Ying looked at Derrick with confusion. After all, he never actually bothered asking for the boy's age.
"I'm 17."
"Damn, so you can't buy cigarettes. Oh well, get me one of those Lorina Bars. The square cooks with the yellow color. Those are the best."
"Hm, didn't take you for a sweet tooth."
___
Derrick left the apartment and walked towards the corner store on 156th street, Wells Avenue. He picked up a few Lorinas, as well as a hot sandwich and a bottle of water.
"That'll be 100 Dan."
"Yup." Derrick handed the man the money. As he left the store, a young man to his left lifted up his hat and said, "you like Lorinas too? Those are my favorite!" His cadence, facial expressions, and beast-like features were all far to familiar to him. The man that stood before him was one of the three executives of [Testament], Callos.
Derrick's body was frozen with terror. He tried to open his mouth, but the words couldn't escape his lips.
Should I run? Should I scream for help? No! I'll die! I'm going...I'm going to die!
Callos had a cunning, almost snake-like smile on his face. "Haha! Man you look tense. Let's get out of here and find a place to rest."
Derrick shook his head in compliance.
Callos playfully frolicked through the crowded streets of East Borough as if it were an open prairie. Derrick wasn't sure how he felt from watching Callos in such a light mood. Was he terrified of him? Definitely, but there was also another strange feeling. He carries himself in such a jovial manner. Despite being physically similar ages, Callos felt far more child-like...more free than Derrick himself.
"I didn't know you lived in such a dump! There's trash everywhere you look!"
"I'm practically a mercenary, I don't exactly have the option of a cozy life..." Derrick said in a pathetic tone.
"Oh, I didn't mean it as a bad thing, I actually like it."
"...What do you mean?"
"Well...I don't really remember anything about my childhood. Whenever I look back on it, it's just a big blur. For some reason, I feel at ease when I'm in the slums, like it's always been my home. The cushy life that those elites live makes me sick. It fills me with anger."
"Home..." Derrick recounted his days as a child. He had no responsibilities to uphold and no knowledge of the world. As far as he was concerned, the world ended at himself and his family. He didn't have enough room in his heart for others. Now, things are different. Very, very different.
They stopped at a small apartment "Ah, we're here! You can get comfortable if you like."
"O-Okay..."
Callos forced the door open with his beast-like strength. The lock broke instantly and Callos confidently walked in. "I'm home!"
A young boy around 9 years of age entered the hallway, "who are you mis-"
SPLAT
The boy's head flew off of his body and hit the wall at the end of the hallway. The body slowly fell over and let out a large "thud" upon hitting the ground.
A woman let out a head-splitting scream upon witnessing the gruesome act. She ran to her child and held what was left of his body in her arms. "Henry! Henry! This can't be happening."
Callos kicked her aside, the force of the kick split open her body and spilled her organs across the wall. The Father left his work study upon hearing the wails of his wife. "Honey? What's going on!" Just outside of his room door lie the corpses of his family. Upon witnessing the gruesome sight, the man froze like a statue, enveloped in shock and despair. The man had no time to grieve as Callos sliced the Father's body into three pieces, dyeing the hallway with innocent blood.
Derrick stood there in shock as he witnessed the pointless slaughter in front of him.
Come on! Move!
Move move move move move!
So why won't my damn body move?!
In the haunting stillness of the room, Derrick's desire to protect the innocent family clashed with an unsettling paralysis. A profound helplessness anchored him in place as Callos, an overpowering force, moved unchecked. In the pit of Derrick's stomach, a primal sensation unfurled – the stark realization of submission to a strength beyond his own. It was the curse of the weak, a visceral acknowledgment that the feeble bowed to the mighty, and even the mighty succumbed to those mightier still. Today, Derrick confronted this unyielding reality.
His aspirations of heroism crumbled, exposed as mere veils for the deeper truth – without power, he was impotent to safeguard anything.
Without a word spoken, Callos seized Derrick and unceremoniously tossed him onto the living room couch. The room echoed with the hollowness of silence as Callos, an ominous presence, seated himself beside Derrick. In a bizarre shift, he turned on the television, absentmindedly flicking through channels until he settled on one airing cartoons.
"Doodle Quest is on, I actually kinda like this show."
[May 19th, 4023]
"So, what is it that you want to discuss?" Ying put down his newspaper and looked directly at Derrick. "This is supposed to be my 'me' time. Summarize your topic in one sentence or beat it."
"I've come to talk to you about an operation, you ass. I'm hunting down a man named Reed Rowley. He's currently laying low somewhere within Naraka territory under the protection of the Alchemic Order. I need your help in infiltrating the Order and retrieving Rowley."
Ying nearly choked on his coffee upon hearing the absurd require, "T-The Alchemic Order? Are...are you serious right now? As a Rank 6, you have absolutely no chance of even stepping foot into their domain, let alone beating them."
"That isn't what I meant. I have zero intention of directly confronting the organization right now. In fact, I don't even hold a personal grudge against them. I simply need one of their members. Wait a moment...what even is the difference in power between ranks? You've never explained it to me."
"Well..." Ying put down the newspaper, "That wasn't one sentence, but I'll let it pass just this once, brat. First I'll answer your question about ranks, then I'll show you just how insane you are in tackling the Alchemic Order."
Ying pulled out a whiteboard and dry-erase marker from the kitchen cabinet and draw out an explanation for Derrick.
"...So you just keep a whiteboard around the house? For what?"
"Shut up. That isn't important right now."
"The ranking system works on a qualitative scale for strength, not a strictly quantitative one. Each rank gets exponentially stronger than the last. The difference between a Rank 7 Civilian and a Rank 6 Novice isn't very significant. A Civilian could beat a Novice under specific circumstances. However, the gap between a Rank 6 Novice and a Rank 5 Soldier is substantial. It is practically impossible for a Novice to win against a Soldier unless you had the luck and strategic mind of a God. This isn't the most accurate depiction, but this will give you a general idea."
[Rank 7 Civilian -> Building]
[Rank 6 Novice -> Neighborhood]
[Rank 5 Soldier -> City]
[Rank 4 Devotee -> Country]
[Rank 3 Saint -> Continent]
"As for Rank 2 and above...I'm not actually sure. I've never seen someone that powerful."
Derrick looked at the poorly drawn diagram with a surprised expression, "from a neighborhood to an entire city...? Isn't that too big of a gap."
Ying lit up a cigarette to ease his mood as he replied, "Isn't that what I just told you? The gaps of power get exponentially larger with each Rank. Rumor has it that the Alchemic Order might have a Rank 4 Devotee in their midst. We can't go against that as we are now. It's like a level 1 slime facing a level 50 warlock. It's impossible."
He plays videogames? I didn't know old people liked that sorta thing... Derrick jotted down the observation in his mind for later uses. Perhaps he could play some games with him after the operation.
"Look kid, the moral of the story here is that I'm not gonna help you with this. It's too dangerous. Honestly, I might have to force you to stay out of that mess. It'll do both of us bad."
Looks like negotiations didn't work.
"Alright, I'll drop it. I'm going on a run to the shop, need anything?"
"Yeah...how old are you again?" Ying looked at Derrick with confusion. After all, he never actually bothered asking for the boy's age.
"I'm 17."
"Damn, so you can't buy cigarettes. Oh well, get me one of those Lorina Bars. The square cooks with the yellow color. Those are the best."
"Hm, didn't take you for a sweet tooth."
___
Derrick left the apartment and walked towards the corner store on 156th street, Wells Avenue. He picked up a few Lorinas, as well as a hot sandwich and a bottle of water.
"That'll be 100 Dan."
"Yup." Derrick handed the man the money. As he left the store, a young man to his left lifted up his hat and said, "you like Lorinas too? Those are my favorite!" His cadence, facial expressions, and beast-like features were all far to familiar to him. The man that stood before him was one of the three executives of [Testament], Callos.
Derrick's body was frozen with terror. He tried to open his mouth, but the words couldn't escape his lips.
Should I run? Should I scream for help? No! I'll die! I'm going...I'm going to die!
Callos had a cunning, almost snake-like smile on his face. "Haha! Man you look tense. Let's get out of here and find a place to rest."
Derrick shook his head in compliance.
Callos playfully frolicked through the crowded streets of East Borough as if it were an open prairie. Derrick wasn't sure how he felt from watching Callos in such a light mood. Was he terrified of him? Definitely, but there was also another strange feeling. He carries himself in such a jovial manner. Despite being physically similar ages, Callos felt far more child-like...more free than Derrick himself.
"I didn't know you lived in such a dump! There's trash everywhere you look!"
"I'm practically a mercenary, I don't exactly have the option of a cozy life..." Derrick said in a pathetic tone.
"Oh, I didn't mean it as a bad thing, I actually like it."
"...What do you mean?"
"Well...I don't really remember anything about my childhood. Whenever I look back on it, it's just a big blur. For some reason, I feel at ease when I'm in the slums, like it's always been my home. The cushy life that those elites live makes me sick. It fills me with anger."
"Home..." Derrick recounted his days as a child. He had no responsibilities to uphold and no knowledge of the world. As far as he was concerned, the world ended at himself and his family. He didn't have enough room in his heart for others. Now, things are different. Very, very different.
They stopped at a small apartment "Ah, we're here! You can get comfortable if you like."
"O-Okay..."
Callos forced the door open with his beast-like strength. The lock broke instantly and Callos confidently walked in. "I'm home!"
A young boy around 9 years of age entered the hallway, "who are you mis-"
SPLAT
The boy's head flew off of his body and hit the wall at the end of the hallway. The body slowly fell over and let out a large "thud" upon hitting the ground.
A woman let out a head-splitting scream upon witnessing the gruesome act. She ran to her child and held what was left of his body in her arms. "Henry! Henry! This can't be happening."
Callos kicked her aside, the force of the kick split open her body and spilled her organs across the wall. The Father left his work study upon hearing the wails of his wife. "Honey? What's going on!" Just outside of his room door lie the corpses of his family. Upon witnessing the gruesome sight, the man froze like a statue, enveloped in shock and despair. The man had no time to grieve as Callos sliced the Father's body into three pieces, dyeing the hallway with innocent blood.
Derrick stood there in shock as he witnessed the pointless slaughter in front of him.
Come on! Move!
Move move move move move!
So why won't my damn body move?!
In the haunting stillness of the room, Derrick's desire to protect the innocent family clashed with an unsettling paralysis. A profound helplessness anchored him in place as Callos, an overpowering force, moved unchecked. In the pit of Derrick's stomach, a primal sensation unfurled – the stark realization of submission to a strength beyond his own. It was the curse of the weak, a visceral acknowledgment that the feeble bowed to the mighty, and even the mighty succumbed to those mightier still. Today, Derrick confronted this unyielding reality.
His aspirations of heroism crumbled, exposed as mere veils for the deeper truth – without power, he was impotent to safeguard anything.
Without a word spoken, Callos seized Derrick and unceremoniously tossed him onto the living room couch. The room echoed with the hollowness of silence as Callos, an ominous presence, seated himself beside Derrick. In a bizarre shift, he turned on the television, absentmindedly flicking through channels until he settled on one airing cartoons.
"Doodle Quest is on, I actually kinda like this show."
