After three years of working for the Cartel, the day of Vince's thirteenth birthday arrived.
He Awakened.
His Origin Card manifested, and in his town, that was rare enough to be considered a divine blessing.
Johan saw potential in him, more than he had ever expected, and began giving Vince priority missions.
He kept him close, and started teaching him things no school would ever dare to teach, giving him what he called his 'invaluable life lessons.'
"Knowledge is power, kid," Johan would say often. "But knowledge alone won't save you. Proper connections, on the other hand, will keep you alive long after your wits fail."
And then things like, "Beware of pretty girls. Girls in general, but especially pretty ones. They'll lie to your face and you'll be too dumbstruck to notice."
That one clearly came from experience.
Or, "Invest in gold!"
That… seemed obvious.
Or even, "Are you dumb?! You slur your words when you talk fast. Talk slowly. You make me look bad."
