"Pupil?" Azrael arched an eyebrow. "When did I agree to that?"
Seyra tilted her head to the side and blinked a few times. "This is what it means to have my recommendation. I am liable for you and your actions, otherwise everyone would be recommending whatever they wanted, stirring chaos."
He was about to protest but stopped himself. For someone to be his teacher, they had to meet two criteria: First, they had to be strong. He wasn't going to learn anything from weak people—that was certain. And second, they had to share his wavelength. If their values clashed, it could hinder his growth.
His dark eyes studied the woman in front of him. Her crimson gaze remained calm as she absentmindedly ruffled his messy hair. 'She is both powerhouse and insane… the perfect match,' he concluded.
"Then I'm honored you've decided to take me in," he said, trying to mimic a formal tone, though he wasn't sure he pulled it off.
Seeing that the boy before her had accepted the role of her pupil, Seyra sighed in relief. "Good, now follow me."
She turned sharply and exited the examination room. Azrael followed without hesitation.
'Since I'm her pupil, it should be fine to ask questions,' he thought, eyeing her back.
"Speak your mind." Now that the two were out of the room, her edge of insanity was nowhere to be seen. Azrael noted that change; she was fine showing him her unhinged side but not to the rest of the world.
He cleared his throat and began, "It's about the skill all Chosen receive upon getting a system, [Inspect]. Can I use it on anyone I see? Are there any hidden dangers?"
Seyra waved her hand dismissively. "Using it should be fine as long as you don't do it to the strongest. They are wild cards. Who knows if they have a skill that can sense such things and what they would do to you should you try it."
She scoffed. "But don't rely on it too much. It only shows four things: name, race—whether you're looking at a human or a monster—their Ascender Level and Purity Rank… or Danger Level and Corruption Rank in the case of monsters."
Azrael frowned. "But isn't that plenty?"
"Oh, you naive child," Seyra shook her head. "For monsters, it's fine; it gives you a rough sense of their threat level. But humans? They're trickier. Someone could look weak but have a devastating skill… or an Inborn Trait of the Divine Rank, for example. Unless you have a specific ability to see someone's full capability, don't rely on [Inspect] too much."
'Is that so?' he thought and tried using the skill on her.
Unlike last time when he had used it on the Skinwalker, nothing came up. 'Did I do something wrong?' he wondered, activating it several times in order.
"Whoa…" he gasped, his knees feeling like they were about to buckle.
His heart raced as a dull pressure built in his chest.
"That's what happens when you overuse Divine energy," Seyra said calmly. "Since your Purity Rank is still only 'Chosen,' you need to conserve it."
She eyed him suspiciously. "On what did you use it?"
An awkward smile appeared on his face. "I used [Inspect] several times on you, yet nothing came up."
"Hmm~," Seyra hummed, an amused smile spreading across her face as she offered him her shoulder to lean on. He was still just fifteen, already taller than average at one meter eighty (~6 feet), yet she was still noticeably taller than him.
"You didn't see anything because the info can be blocked or altered using skills or items. Like I said, don't rely on it too much. The skill's been around since the system first appeared, people have developed countless ways to counter it."
Azrael nodded in understanding.
First, she let him take a quick bath and change of clothes. It was a relief not having to wear his bloodied ones.
After that they soon found themselves inside a sleek limousine, Seyra seated across from him.
"Where are we going?"
"We will take a ride to the military school. It's quite far from here," she said softly. "During that time, you can ask me any questions that you have about the Chosen or the way the power structure in the world works."
With a flick of her finger, a stack of papers appeared in her hand. "But first, sign this contract. It confirms you've agreed to be under my guidance and to enroll in the military school."
Azrael skimmed through it quickly. He didn't find any loopholes that could put him in danger; in fact, it was quite the opposite. Seyra was taking on significant risk. If he broke any laws, harmed other Chosen, or caused trouble, she would be held responsible for his actions.
He looked at her, suspicious.
'She said humans can't see others' Inborn Traits… so she can't know that I have a Divine Trait. Then why go so far? I guess people as insane as her—and me—are pretty rare. She'll most likely want something from me in the future.'
Still, things were in his favor, so he signed the contract.
Seyra did as well, making a copy and giving it to him.
"I made it into an item," she explained. "You can store it with your system."
With a raised brow, he took it and focused. Just like she said, it vanished and reappeared in his system interface.
'Convenient,' he thought with a smirk.
"I know the general terms," he said. "But can you explain the deeper stuff… in simpler terms?"
Seyra studied him for a moment, then nodded.
"Humans have two power metrics: Ascended Level and Purity Rank. The Ascended Level is your physical and spiritual strength. It increases when you clear Rifts that rival your current level. The higher your level, the better you can wield Divine powers. Purity Rank reflects how much Divine power you can hold and how well you resist and fight against Corruption. It rises when you kill monsters and, by doing so, purify their souls. You should be able to see a number for it in your system."
She paused to let it sink in.
"For monsters, it's similar. Their version of Ascended Level is called Danger Level, and their equivalent of Purity Rank is Corruption Rank. Ascended Levels are divided into six tiers: Marked, Proven, Champion, Sentinel, Herald and Paragon. Danger Levels follow the same six-tier system: Feral, Savage, Reaver, Apex, Calamity, and Genocide."
She sighed.
"That should be enough for now—you'll learn more at the military school."
Azrael nodded. Things began to make sense when there was a knowledgeable person to explain it to him, but one thing still bugged him.
"So Purity is exclusive to humans, and Corruption to monsters. Is there anything—or anyone—that has both?" he asked. If there was, he thought, maybe he could follow their path.
Seyra stared at him for several seconds, then chuckled at the question. "No. Not to my knowledge. And at least not according to [Inspect]. No being has ever displayed both."
'Figures…' Azrael didn't show the disappointment on his face. He leaned back into the seat, eyes drifting to the passing scenery outside the window.
'So it's official. Out of every human and monster in existence… my powers are unique. Just like the description said—only I can walk this path.'
A slow smirk curled his lips. 'Good.'
Seyra watched him, crimson eyes shining with something unreadable. "But then again," she mused, "the system has been wrong before."
Azrael grimaced. "What do you mean?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she turned toward the window, her reflection smiling back at him.
"You'll find out soon enough, pupil."