Chapter Ten: Two Abnormalities
Warmth returned before awareness fully settled in.
It was softer this time—gentler than the last. Not the numbing void of near-death, but the quiet, steady warmth of morning light brushing against his skin. Vael lay still for a moment, eyes closed, breathing slow and controlled, as if testing whether the world would remain intact if he moved.
"…another morning."
His voice came out low, dry, but alive.
He opened his eyes.
The same ceiling greeted him, smooth and unbroken. Sunlight streamed in through the window, cutting across the room in pale gold lines. For a brief second, everything felt peaceful—too peaceful.
Then the pain reminded him.
"…ah."
It wasn't overwhelming, not like before. But it was there—deep, persistent, spreading through his body like a dull echo of everything he had endured. Vael shifted slightly, and that was when he noticed it.
Bandages.
Wrapped around his torso, his arms, even across parts of his shoulders.
"…Seriously?"
He let out a quiet breath, staring down at himself.
"Is this the life I actually want…"
The question lingered longer than he expected.
"…ever since I unlocked this system… no rest for me."
There was no bitterness in his tone—just a simple observation. A truth he hadn't fully accepted until now.
Still, he moved.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Vael pushed himself up, muscles tightening in protest as his body resisted. His arms trembled slightly under his own weight, but he didn't stop. Inch by inch, he forced himself upright until he was sitting on the edge of the bed.
His body felt heavier.
But stronger.
It was a strange contradiction.
"…yeah," he muttered under his breath. "I can feel it."
The pain from yesterday's fight was still there—sharp in some places, dull in others—but beneath it, something had changed. Something had settled deeper into him.
Growth.
The familiar flicker appeared.
Light gathered in front of him.
[UNBOUND SYSTEM — STATUS]
Name: Vael Thorne
Rank: E
[CORE STATS]
Strength: E (4%)
Speed: E (5%)
Endurance: E (10%)
Perception: E (1%)
Cognition: E (15%)
Recovery: E (20%)
Vael stared at it.
"…wow."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"E rank in three days…"
He leaned back slightly, exhaling.
"…I'm actually getting stronger."
For a moment, his mind wandered.
S rank.
Lucien.
That overwhelming presence.
"…can I get there that fast?"
The thought lingered—tempting, almost dangerous.
Then he shook his head, letting out a quiet chuckle.
"…nah. No way."
His gaze returned to the stats.
"The higher my rank…"
He clenched his fist slightly.
"…the harder it'll be to grow."
That made sense.
It had to.
Otherwise, this would be too easy.
And nothing about his life had been easy so far.
Vael stood up.
His legs wavered for half a second before stabilizing. He rolled his shoulders slightly, ignoring the tight pull of bandages and the dull ache beneath them.
"…still works."
With that, he stepped out of the room.
The hallway was quiet, just like before. Clean. Ordered. Calm in a way that felt almost unnatural compared to the chaos he had been through.
As he made his way toward the stairs, his thoughts drifted.
"…yesterday was crazy though."
Images flashed in his mind.
The beasts.
The way they moved—unnatural, violent.
And then—
Silas.
Those daggers.
That unstable energy.
Vael's expression tightened slightly.
"…that guy…"
He exhaled slowly.
Then—
Voices.
Faint at first.
Two people.
Talking.
Vael slowed his steps as he descended the stairs, his senses sharpening slightly.
"…already awake, huh…"
The moment he stepped fully into view—
"He is finally awake."
Lucien's voice.
Calm as always.
Standing near the center of the room, relaxed, composed—
And beside him—
A girl.
She wore a church robe, similar to Lucien's, though lighter, more fitted. Her posture was straight, confident, almost rigid in its composure. In her hand, a pair of closed fans rested lightly, tapping against her palm.
Her eyes shifted toward Vael.
Sharp.
Evaluating.
"So that's the guy?"
Her tone was unimpressed.
"Doesn't look special."
Her gaze lingered briefly on his black hair, his eyes—then she turned away slightly.
"Except his appearance."
Vael blinked.
Then, without thinking—
"…you his girlfriend?"
Silence.
Lucien didn't react.
The girl did.
"…oh great," she said flatly, snapping one of her fans open slightly before closing it again with a sharp flick. "He's also dumb."
Vael smirked faintly.
Lucien sighed—just slightly.
"This is Lyra," he said calmly. "Your new partner."
Vael paused.
"…my what?"
"Your partner."
Lucien's tone didn't change.
"I'll be sending you both on missions."
A short pause.
"So I want you to get along."
Vael looked at Lyra.
Lyra looked at Vael.
Neither looked impressed.
"…right," Vael muttered.
Then something clicked.
His gaze narrowed slightly.
"…wait."
He looked at her again.
More carefully this time.
"…she has a beast with her."
A pause.
"And divine affinity…"
His brow furrowed slightly.
"…that's rare."
Lucien's lips curved slightly.
"You noticed?"
Vael didn't answer immediately.
Lyra's eyes sharpened.
"…how?"
She took a step forward.
"I don't sense anything from you."
Her gaze locked onto him.
"No energy. No affinity. Nothing."
"…and yet you noticed me?"
Vael tilted his head slightly.
"…guess I just knew."
A lie.
But a simple one.
Because right then—
[Scan Activated]
A faint shift passed through his vision.
[Target Identified]
[Race: Beast]
[Rank: ???]
Vael's eyes flickered slightly.
"…so it's real."
And then—
He saw it.
Faint.
Almost invisible.
Behind Lyra—
An eye.
Floating, Watching.
It opened slowly.
Just for a moment.
Glowing.
Then—
Gone.
Vael didn't react outwardly.
But inside—
"…what the hell…"
Lucien spoke again.
"It's good that you noticed."
His tone remained calm.
"She's… a rare case."
Lyra clicked her tongue softly.
"Don't make it sound like a spectacle."
Lucien ignored that.
"I'll be heading out."
He turned slightly.
"I have a meeting to attend."
Vael frowned.
"…about yesterday?"
Lucien nodded.
"I need to report everything."
His gaze shifted briefly between them.
"Try not to kill each other."
And just like that—
He left.
Silence followed.
Vael and Lyra stood there.
Looking at each other.
"…beast tamers…" Vael thought.
"They exist outside the Church…"
He recalled bits and pieces.
"They rely on contracts… fight alongside beasts… some even work with Holy Knights…"
His gaze shifted slightly.
"…guess I can try to get along."
He exhaled.
"…she's about my age anyway."
Then—
"Hey."
Lyra's voice cut through his thoughts.
Vael looked at her.
She snapped her fan open fully this time.
"Let's spar."
Vael blinked.
"…what?"
—
The massive structure stood unmoving beneath the open sky, its white stone catching the morning light while gold-lined edges traced its form like quiet authority made visible. High above the entrance, the Church's symbol was etched deep into the stone—ancient, unyielding, watching over all who entered beneath it.
Lucien stepped inside without hesitation.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the world outside seemed to fall away.
The noise, the movement, the unpredictability—
Gone.
What remained was something else entirely.
Silence.
Not empty silence, but controlled silence. The kind that pressed gently against the senses, reminding you that this was a place where power was not displayed—it was contained.
His footsteps echoed softly against the polished floor as he moved through the long corridor, passing tall pillars and dim light filtering through high windows. The deeper he went, the heavier the air became—not suffocating, but deliberate. Intentional.
Until he reached the doors.
They were already open.
Inside, the room waited.
Twelve figures occupied the space, each one carrying a presence that could not be ignored. Some sat, composed and still, while others stood with arms crossed or hands resting lightly at their sides. No one spoke loudly. No one needed to.
S-rank.
A-rank.
Power, refined and sharpened through years of experience.
And all of them—
Aware.
Eyes shifted toward Lucien as he stepped in.
"…you're late," one of them said, voice low but edged.
Lucien didn't respond.
Didn't explain.
He simply walked forward and took his place among them, calm as ever, as though the comment held no weight worth acknowledging.
Time passed.
A few seconds.
Maybe more.
Then—
Something changed.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't sudden.
But everyone felt it.
The air softened.
Not weaker—no.
Quieter.
Like the room itself had exhaled.
The door opened.
And she entered.
No announcement.
No grand display.
Yet the moment her foot crossed into the room, every presence within it adjusted—subtly, instinctively.
Silence followed her.
Not forced.
Not commanded.
Natural.
The Saintess walked forward with measured steps, her movements neither slow nor hurried, each one placed with quiet certainty. Her robes flowed gently with her motion, white layered with faint gold, untouched and pristine. There was no overwhelming aura pressing down on the room—no suffocating force.
And yet…
No one could look away.
Her gaze lifted, sweeping across the room—not sharply, not critically, but with a calm awareness that seemed to see more than what was shown. When her eyes passed over each operative, it felt less like being observed…
And more like being understood.
She stopped at the head of the room.
For a brief moment, she said nothing.
Then, softly—
"Thank you all for coming."
Her voice was gentle.
Warm.
Yet it carried effortlessly, reaching every corner of the room without strain.
"I trust your journeys here were without difficulty."
A few operatives straightened slightly. One gave a small nod. Another murmured a quiet confirmation. No one dared respond casually—but the tension from earlier had shifted.
Not gone.
But steadied.
She inclined her head just slightly, acknowledging them all before taking her seat.
Only then did her presence settle fully.
Only then did the room feel complete.
Her hands rested lightly before her.
"Let us begin."
No force.
No command.
And yet, it was absolute.
Lucien stepped forward.
"The incident involved corrupted beasts," he began, voice calm and measured. "D-rank. Smuggled into the eastern district."
The room reacted—not loudly, but noticeably. Eyes sharpened. Postures shifted. Attention deepened.
"Handled," Lucien continued. "Eliminated."
A brief pause.
Then—
"There was a survivor."
That changed things.
The shift this time was sharper.
"A man," Lucien said. "Name: Silas."
Silence followed.
"His weapon—dual daggers infused with demonic energy. Capable of interfering with divine constructs."
A few of the operatives exchanged glances now.
That—
Was not normal.
Lucien didn't stop.
"He demonstrated resistance to restraint techniques. High instability. Increasing strength through continued exposure to the weapon."
The Saintess listened without interruption.
Her gaze steady.
Focused.
"He escaped," Lucien finished.
This time, the silence lingered longer.
Not tense.
But heavy.
The Saintess leaned back slightly, her expression unchanged, though something behind her eyes had sharpened—just enough to be noticed by those paying close attention.
"…this is not an isolated incident," she said quietly.
The room stilled.
"Reports have come in from multiple districts."
Her fingers rested gently against the armrest, unmoving.
"Beasts… taken."
"Corruption… introduced."
"Movement… concealed."
Each word landed softly.
But carried weight.
"Patterns are forming."
No one spoke.
No one interrupted.
Because they understood.
This wasn't random.
Her gaze moved again—slowly this time, deliberately, meeting each operative for just a moment before moving on.
"And we have yet to see the whole of it."
A faint pause followed.
Then—
"There is intent behind this."
Her voice didn't rise.
Didn't harden.
But something within it shifted—something colder beneath the warmth.
"Someone is not merely creating chaos."
Her eyes settled forward.
"They are preparing something."
The room felt tighter now.
Not from pressure—
From realization.
A breath passed through the space.
Then she spoke once more.
"Remain observant."
"Act with precision."
"No unnecessary exposure."
Each instruction came gently.
But none could be ignored.
Then, after the slightest pause—
Her gaze flickered, just briefly.
Almost imperceptibly.
Toward Lucien.
"Some anomalies… are worth watching."
It was subtle.
So subtle that most would miss it.
But it was there.
And then—
She closed her eyes for the briefest moment, as if concluding something only she could see.
When she opened them again, her voice returned to that same calm warmth.
"This is only the beginning."
Silence followed.
Not empty.
But knowing.
And far beyond the walls of the Church—
Something had already begun moving