Having higher-potential descendants secures their future—but having a Brand Skill at awakening secures their present.
Elias didn't know much about other families, but this was clearly superior to Grimhammer in terms of growth.
"Great. Noble families really have it easy," Elias said, his shoulders slumped. "How did you even combine your powers?"
"I don't know, he did it. Maybe my lightning wasn't enough. After I released it, I just saw him dragging me out—at the same pace as me!"
Sasha smiled smugly. "You know, after repeated use and failure, I grasped another aspect of my Brand Skill." v'Voice tinged with pride she said, "As long as I make the circle with enough energy, even if I move away, it will only dim for a second. Once I step back, it reappears in front of me. That's how we tricked it—me and Buddhist Hand!"
Elias gave a short laugh. "Ha, that's great. But one second is steep in a high-speed battle."
"Indeed."
Footsteps echoed behind them. They turned to see Explorers in black uniforms—five in total—frozen as the hat-covered head of Sasha and Elias turned to them.
But the tension in the group wasn't only from surprise. The oppressive sensation from the distant calamity beast still lingered, rattling their nerves. The only thing calming them was the dome of barrages formed from the Buddhist Family's Brand Skill and Sasha's lightning.
"Y-you guys fought it?" one boy asked. No answer. He wisely dropped it.
"It's obvious. If it was just yellow, we'd assume it was a Buddhist Hand. But that lightning—I'd recognize it anywhere. Thunderspark."
"Ah, the combustion light. That's one kind of lightning you don't want to be near when it explodes."
The girl among them looked at Elias. "Who's the other guy?"
Their tension began to ease as the conversation stretched. Soon, more footsteps echoed in. Elias was snoozing lightly on the floor when everything came to a stop.
Sasha had never taken her eyes off the yellow dome. She nudged Elias. "Let's go see our handiwork?"
"Yes, boss!" He struggled to stand.
"Quit it with that 'boss' thing."
They walked forward but hadn't gone far when someone ahead muttered, "He's badly injured. But she looks fine—zero injuries."
Sasha reached toward Elias, then froze. "Wait... are you alright?"
"I'm fine. My left hand's just stinging—I must've shaken it too much!"
"I'm sorry. I forgot you're still healing."
"Thank you, boss!" Elias raised his voice with a grin.
"Will you quit that?!"
Experience had taught them caution. Though the device read the beast as inactive with no emitted presence, they stayed at a distance and observed the alley.
It was a wreck. Walls cracked and crumbling, the ground torn and battered. The only thing untouched was the wall pinning the beast in place with chains.
The calamity beast wasn't dead—but it had been pushed to the edge of life. In this state, it was no more dangerous than a dying dog.
Its body had shrunk—bony chest with three visible ribs, skeletal hind legs ending in cracked donkey hooves. No flesh, no fluids, only dry, rigid corpse.
Steam still rose off it. Sometimes the ribs shuddered, a murky vein rising just to burst and evaporate. Lightning continued to course through it in irregular pulses.
"Your lightning is dangerous. Even now, it's still... effective!"
"I don't know about that. Is that supposed to happen?" Sasha looked equally confused.
They both flinched as a deep voice sounded right beside them.
"It's my Absolute Skill that makes that possible."
Sasha first sighed in relief—then flared. "Could you please stop sneaking up on us?!"
"Apologies," Buddhist Hand said, stepping forward to inspect the beast. "Still alive. Confirmed. Rank 1 Awakeners can't kill a Rank 1 Calamity Beast without a proper weapon."
"What?" Sasha blinked. "I never heard about that. Did the beasts evolve to counter us newbies?"
"It's always been that way," said Buddhist Hand with his usual stoicism. Then, he gave a small, weary smile. "They're called 'calamity' for a reason. That Core up there—it's one of humanity's many mysteries."
He walked ahead, each step heavy and purposeful. Sasha wondered how he'd managed to get so close earlier without them noticing.
They followed him into the alley.
"These rocks are incredible," Elias muttered. "They cleanse the atmosphere constantly. Keeps the ancient structure untouched by life."
"Another one of the top ten mysteries, like the dome," Sasha added, excitement in her voice. "If we left it alone, months or years later, this place would heal itself."
They stood five meters from the beast. A carved stone rose before them, marked with strange symbols.
"It acknowledged us!" Sasha beamed and jumped.
The stone expanded and shattered toward the dried beast, enveloping it. A sarcophagus formed, spiked and hardened, sealing the body. A black, unevenly round crystal appeared on its chest and flew toward them.
Sasha trembled with delight, eyes wide. She looked ready to pounce, but restrained herself. The crystal turned white. The blackness seeped into the ground.
Her fingers crackled with lightning as she picked it up, cauterizing it in her grasp.
"Oop!" She juggled it a few times before it cooled and settled in her palms. "Ladies and gentlemen—we got ourselves a Neutral Relic Gem."
She held it toward Buddhist Hand. He glanced and nodded. Elias peered at it, unimpressed.
"Looks like a normal crystal to me."
"Ha!" Sasha's face twisted with exaggerated offense. "Someone without the spirit of discovery is primitive. You hunters are so stale. Argh!"
It was like Elias had just insulted her ancestors.
Maybe he should've faked being impressed—but that was his honest opinion.
"This place will close," Buddhist Hand said. They turned to leave. The alley slowly sealed behind them. Red-hot molten steel flowed from cracks, creating wall after wall until the whole place was barricaded.
"Noble Brand Skill embedded here," Elias commented, reminded of his book's Brand Skill theory.
"No brainer. Hmph!"
Elias glanced at Sasha. She's upset I didn't act surprised about the crystal.
Then he saw Buddhist Hand holding back laughter, facing away near the molten wall.
Elias sighed, then spoke loudly, "WOW. Let me see that crystal again. Maybe the gloomy alley messed with my sense of awe."
"Ha!" Buddhist Hand burst into laughter before quickly stifling it.
"Hmph!" Sasha snorted, turning away with a dramatic flick.
Elias called out after her, "Sasha Thunderspark, Buddhist Hand SS8, Red Skin Bodyguard—the Rank 1...!"
Sasha halted mid-step. Her annoyance faded as she returned to Elias, who was reading aloud.
It was a brief summary of what happened, etched in golden ink.