"Let's continue with the reason why we're here." Shawn said and tapped on a button on the conference table revealing the images of some strange beasts.
"To the new lieutenants, I know this is your first time but pay attention. This is a Grimlore." Shawn said and pointed at a humanoid object, its form appeared humanoid but was composed of shifting words, phrases, and symbols that glowed faintly.
"So this is a grimlore." Ethan thought.
"Lieutenant Melwen, just guess the rank of it from one to seven." Shawn said to Melwen.
"Prime, I think this one will be at least the second rank." Melwen said from her point of view.
"Sorry to disappoint you but this is the lowest rank of grimlores, the Shadeborn." Shawn explained.
"They are normal grimlores that spawn from residual dark energy. They are the most spawned grimlores amongst the ranks. They are mostly used as pawns for greater grimlores or sorcerers who have gained better control over forbidden lexicons. Their common attacks are shadow attacks, meld with darkness and surprisingly they have fear-inducing presence. The fear of them is one of the reasons for failed forbidden Lexicon experiments." Shawn explained further.
"For you lieutenants again there are seven ranks of we the Scriptweavers and the Grimlores. Each rank holds five levels.
The ranks from lowest to highest are; Threadling, Syntax Adept, Logic Weaver, Code sage, Runic Architect, Master Scriptweaver and Grand Compiler. With the grimlores their ranks strongest to weakest; Primordial Manuscripts, Scripture sovereign, Lorelords, Codexfiends, Runebeasts, Glyphspawns and Shadeborn.
Each of these ranks, of both grimlores and Scriptweavers, have minor ranking beneath the major ranks which are the levels from 1 to 5. So the first image was a level 5 Shadeborn. Hope you've got it?" Shawn asked after his explanation.
"Yes, sir." All the lieutenants responded in chorus.
"So now, I'll give a little detail about the Glyphspawns rank of the Grimlores then after that you can leave the captains here for their meeting." Shawn said and swiped his hands across the holographic image of the Shadeborn to display a different image.
"This is one of the examples of level 5 Glyphspawns. It's own name is shade leopards. Their spots are shaped like ancient symbols and sigils instead of the normal dots you see on the natural leopards we have in our world.
The symbols on the fur glow as they move, that is one thing you can use to identify them quickly. One of their unofficial names are story spinners. They can weave stories with their quick movements to create illusions drawing their prey into a false reality.
I hope you've got it now? Now I'd like to meet only the captains so the lieutenants leave and socialise with each other." Shawn ordered.
"Yes, Prime." All the lieutenants responded and left the office.
"Hey! Ethan, you never told me you would be joining the Scriptweavers." Melwen lushed out at Ethan.
"Shaw...uh Prime wanted me to join." Ethan changed his choice of words before he could be punished for calling the Prime Protector's name casually in front of the other lieutenants.
"Let's have a mock battle in the base training room." Ethan said and walked with Melwen, following the other lieutenants to the training room.
"Now I understand why our school's enchanted training room is one of the top tier training rooms you can ever get in Runebridge." Ethan said in surprise after comparing the military base training room to their school's training room.
Although the military base training room was somehow higher-spec than that in their school Ethan still felt some similarities between them.
"Oh, Prime's lieutenant. I'm Ian Fletcher, acting lieutenant of Captain Zephyr Gale.Would you mind having a mock battle with me?" Ian, a muscular boy almost like his master, the muscular captain who asked about Ethan during the joint meeting asked with a wild grin on his face.
"I can't disgrace Shawn in front of these mocking guys." Ethan thought.
"Ok, I accept." Ethan said and moved to the center training room where he took his stance in front of Ian.
"He even closed his eyes." Ian said mockingly aloud to the hearing of the other lieutenants around who started laughing.
Kestrel Vale, a tall and slender girl with soft features took her place as a referee for the mock battle.
"Fight!" Kestrel shouted and immediately Ian dashed forward with a punch while holding a shield with his left hand. Quickly, Ethan dodged the punch but before he could land a downward slash across Ian's chest, Ian blocked it with his shield and immediately came out with a hook punch right to Ethan's jaw which sent Ethan flying backwards.
Before Ethan could get back up on his feet, Ian was already there with a hammer fist to his back slamming him down again.
"Someone this weak is the Prime's lieutenant. What a weakling." Ian said with another hammer fist to Ethan's back before kicking him away.
"I would not disgrace Shawn in a place like this." Ethan kept telling himself but before he could get up again Ian came in with an axe kick at his back again. This time Ethan dodged it by a few centimetres but since he was still lying on the floor, Ian got the chance and landed another axe kick at his back again.
"Haha! I wish I was in the same class as the Prime. I would've competed with you and taken the lieutenant position from you. It's a pity I'm in the guardian class." Ian said. All this while Ethan laid on the ground unable to move from the severe pain he felt.
In an instant, Ethan felt as if a needle had been pushed through his heart as he could feel danger approaching. Quickly, he started looking around at the other lieutenants who looked at him with eyes that seemed to be telling him that he was a disgrace on his own but Ethan ignored all of them and turned to look at Melwen.
That was when he saw the reason why he felt like the danger was approaching as he could see a creepy figure approaching Melwen from behind but it seemed no one had sensed it.
"Melwen!" Ethan shouted, instinctively manifesting his lightning Lexicon and in a flash Ethan was behind Melwen with his sheathed sword planted in the head of a wolf-like beast while panting.
"How did he get there?" Ian asked but got shocked after seeing what Ethan had done.
No one had sensed the Grimlore that had neared them yet Ethan did.
"No wonder Prime chose you as his lieutenant." Captain Fiona Frostbane, a medium height woman in her early twenties with an athletic and toned body entered the training room with a smile followed by Captain Zephyr.
"Captain Fiona!" Kestrel called out and ran to her captain. Ethan was still panting as he didn't manifest the Lexicon at will which took a toll on his learning body.
"What? He has a lexicon." Ian said in shock.
"Killing a level 3 Shadeborn rank on your first day." Fiona congratulated Ethan.
"What?!" The lieutenants shouted in shock.
"Congratulations. We had sensed something bad happening around you guys and so we came here to check only to see Ethan killing a level 3 Shadeborn. Just amazing." Fiona continued congratulating Ethan but Ethan had long gone unconscious while still standing.
"Wait, there is something wrong. He is unconscious." Captain Mason Campbell, the healer class captain, a medium build young man ran to Ethan's side and laid Ethan on the floor. He then placed his hands on Ethan's chest and started exuding a green aura which healed all the sores on Ethan's body.
In mere seconds, Ethan was up again.
"Well done, acting Prime lieutenant Ethan." You've proved your worth of being the Prime's Lieutenant." Mason said with a smile.
"He defeated the unexpected guest in mere seconds. Which means indirectly he is the strongest lieutenant as of now." Zephyr said with a pat on Ethan's shoulders.
"I've ruined Shawn's plans" Ethan thought as he concealed his Lexicon.
Melwen walked up to Ethan and then bowed, "Thank you very much." She said with an angry look.
"You're welcome." Ethan responded with a shaky voice.
" You never said you had awakened your Lexicon." Melwen said with a smile. "But I'm happy for you." She said again.
" Can you excuse us?" Ethan asked and walked with Melwen to one of the training room's corners.
"I'm sorry but I never wanted to keep it from you." Ethan said in a sorrowful tone.
Melwen had always been encouraging him and keeping his awakening a secret was something he never wanted to do but Shawn had instructed him to.
"So Sir Shawn told you to keep it secret?" Melwen questioned.
"Yes, he did." Ethan replied.
"You have a long story to tell me after this meeting." Melwen said and turned away from Ethan.
"Don't worry, I think I'll come up with a way to briefly describe the story." Ethan replied thinking of a way to keep the abduction side of the story out of the description when the time comes.