Chương 116: (B2) Chapter 43 - Old faces

Ethan stood at the gates of a large paddock. Beside him was a small house the city used to usher in new arrivals before getting their details. He tapped his foot, feeling slightly impatient. It had felt like forever since he had been on the first level. As such, anxiety had been slowly eating at him whenever he slowed down to rest. The others had still been down there. They had been fighting against time to get everyone through the mirage and onto the next level. Now, that anxious wait was over.

Ethan had been back in Nexus for a week when he finally received word that Mark and Sarah were going to arrive soon. Ethan and Leah had been rushing around, making sure they got everything ready for the young family before they arrived. They had made it work, managing to get an apartment in the same building as Leah and himself. Thankfully, the task wasn't all that difficult. Nexus was one of the three main cities on the second level. Housing was abundant, especially after the mass culling that was the first level.

It made things easy, not having to worry about paying rent or any such thing. But it was a little morbid to think about. Luckily, Ethan didn't need to dwell on the matter any further. The entrance door to the building pulled open, revealing Mark in all his glory.

"Look who finally decided to show up!" Ethan said, a genuine smile forming on his face as he took in the stature of the larger man. He was impressed, honestly. Mark had always been a large man. His shoulders were broad, and he easily stood half a head over everyone else. But Ethan could clearly see solid muscle forming over what used to be a decent dad bod. He also had a scar that poked out the top of his shirt, traveling over his collarbone and stopping just before his throat. He had clearly been through the wars.

Which, quite honestly, wasn't that surprising. But Ethan was glad to see the man looked healthy.

"Is that you, Ethan?" he asked, probably slightly confused as to why Ethan was in full plate armor. Ethan didn't get a chance to respond. A small boy slipped past his dad's legs and ran outside before coming to a sudden stop when he was a few steps away from Ethan. He paused like a possum, and a multitude of emotions ran across his face as he obviously considered why he had just rushed outside. Tom's cheeks began to burn, and he looked back to his parents for help.

Sarah made her way outside, following behind her husband as he cleared the exit. She had fabric strapped against her chest with a small bundle inside. Ethan sensed a hand rise into the air. The small hand reached for Sarah's chin, failing to find purchase and instead just kind of dangling there. She moved forward, tucking Tom under her arm as she made her way closer to Ethan.

"It's good to see you're okay," she said by way of greeting. She leaned in, clearly looking to hug him hello. Ethan hesitated. He looked down at the small child pressed against her chest, worried he might hurt the boy. He settled for an awkward one-armed hug, making sure to keep his armored body away from the baby.

"It's good to see you as well," he said as he took a step back. Sarah gave him a smile.

"Are you going to say hello?" she asked Tom. The boy tucked closer into her side, grabbing the fabric of her pants. Sarah sighed and rolled her eyes.

"He wouldn't stop talking about you the whole time you've been gone. Now look at him. Acting like my little baby again," she said, her voice turning soft and affectionate at the end. Tom grunted.

"I'm not a baby!"

"Your actions say otherwise, boy," Mark said, stopping beside his family and offering Ethan a hand. Ethan grabbed it, giving the older man a firm shake before looking down at Tom.

"Don't worry, mate. I don't think you're a baby." In all honesty, Ethan was just happy to see the entire family healthy. He knew the mirage offered a different test to those who had children yet to activate the System, but it was still good to see their journey had gone without too much trouble. Tom smirked at him, stepping away slightly from his mother's side before giving Ethan a thumbs-up. Ethan returned it, lifting his gauntleted hand. The movement showed the damage still covering his armor.

Something he had yet to get fixed. Never mind that. He could sort it later.

"What's with the armor, then? Going into battle?" Mark continued. Ethan scoffed.

"Not this time. I've just found it's easier to be taken seriously when no one knows what I look like."

"You mean how young you are?" Mark asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Yes. That's exactly what I mean. Now, should we walk and talk, or do you guys want to wait around here a little longer?"

"Lead the way," Mark said. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Ethan didn't need to be told twice. He turned, heading back toward the city. As he walked, they caught him up to speed on everything happening on the first level. It sounded like things had been moving at a far calmer rate than he expected. With the Broken Dawns quite literally taking over the entire level, they had managed to bring things under control as well as could be expected.

Mark had also informed him that they had kept their word to Ethan, helping everyone they could while also handing out the cultivation technique to all new arrivals. It eased some of Ethan's worries to know they hadn't gone back on their promises and confirmed his reasoning for working with them. He also felt slightly optimistic about the future, knowing everyone was being given a fair chance to gain power before they got thrown into the meat grinder. He looked at the couple next to him.

Tom was slightly ahead, looking down a street at one of the many shops. He could sense both of them had awakened their cultivation, though only their cores. It was obviously a good thing, but it confirmed he needed to get his hands on a better method soon. They had told him about their travels to the oasis and the different challenges they had faced along the way. It was actually where Mark had gotten his fresh scar. Apparently, having a healer for a wife helped. The man seemed to be in no pain.

She would benefit greatly from being around Seb. Ethan led them to the train station and back to the apartment complex. Tom had slowly come out of his shell more and more, opening up and beginning to ask questions. Mainly about Leah and where she was. Ethan was beginning to doubt the fact that the boy had been talking about him at all. Not that it mattered. He had broken the news that she was in a dungeon.

Which was, quite honestly, funny to see their varying reactions to, but after a moment, he continued, explaining everything to them, ranging from how the level worked to what his immediate plans were. Ethan had thought about the family and where they fit into things and, to be quite honest, he wanted them as close to him as possible. He had left them in the care of the Broken Dawns on the first level, trusting the guild to bring them to safety, but he would feel more at ease if he knew they were under his wing.

Especially as he opened his own guild and distanced himself slightly from the Broken Dawns. Obviously, the final say was up to Sarah and Mark, but Ethan hoped he had built enough goodwill that they wouldn't go joining the Broken Dawns or anything like that. Still, he would let them settle in more before he started asking future-defining questions. He also needed to go over his options and consider the consequences if they chose not to join him.

Because at the end of the day, one way or the other, Ethan needed to train the Sage. The child's path had been altered too much to be left to his own devices. Ethan needed to ensure he reached his potential, if not surpass it, if he had anything to say about it. When they reached the housing complex, Ethan showed them to the front desk, where they received their key to the room. After that, he left them for a moment, letting them get settled in while he returned to his own room.

After a short while, he heard a knock on the door. Ethan stood up and opened it. Mark was on the opposite side. He had a sword strapped to his waist, and his cotton button-up shirt was slightly undone and tucked into his pants. He glanced inside before speaking.

"How about a friendly spar? It's been a while, eh?" Ethan regarded the man for a moment. He could feel his core thrumming with power. A clear sign of his strength.

"You know what, I think that's a great idea," Ethan said, returning his Farscribe book to his storage.

"There's a park just down the road. How about we take a walk? I've got to meet someone there anyway." Mark inclined his head, turning in the corridor, his wide shoulders filling the entire doorway. —~~— Ethan's greatsword twisted mid-motion as he deflecting the lunging strike from Mark. Their swords clashed from the impact, and Ethan could feel the strength behind the blow. It was impressive, especially for someone who couldn't be higher than level twenty-five.

From their initial exchanges, Ethan could tell the man had been working hard. Mia must have been pushing him just as Ethan had hoped. Mark let his blade carry forward, going with Ethan's deflection before bringing it around in a diagonal slash. Ethan slipped out of range of the shorter sword, letting it slash in front of him. When the blade passed by, he attacked, sending multiple probing strikes to test Mark's guard.

Ethan's attack's were deflected, the short sword slicing through the air with precision as he intercepted each one.

"You've improved a lot," Ethan said, pulling back slightly. Mark wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

"I've had an… intense teacher," he said after a slight pause. Ethan smirked beneath his helm.

"Are you saying I need to go harder?" Mark took a deep breath, falling back into stance, which was an upright position. His knees were slightly bent, and he held his sword in front of him with both hands. Ethan examined him for a moment.

"What are your plans?" he asked, circling the man slowly.

"What do you mean?" Mark answered, not taking his eyes off Ethan.

"I mean, how far are you willing to go? What are you training for?" It sounded stupid. Ethan knew it was stupid. People needed to grow in order to pass the Trials. But not everyone had Ethan's knowledge. Instead, they thought things would be safe, and so they would coast. Ethan couldn't let that happen. Judging from the look on Mark's face, though, he didn't think he had anything to worry about. But there was still something missing with Mark, something Ethan wasn't very happy about.

"It's always been the same, ever since you found us in the desert. I'll do what I must to protect my family," he answered. Ethan stepped forward, infusing himself with mana in order to move faster. His sword came down in a crushing blow. Mark's eyes widened for a fraction of a second as he brought his blade up to block the attack. Their swords clashed. Ethan pushed into the attack, allowing his body to edge closer.

"It's a good goal, but are you doing everything you can?" he asked. Mark looked like he wanted to reply, but his face was straining from the pressure of holding Ethan's attack back. Ethan added to the attack by taking a short step back before kicking out. His boot hit Mark's stomach, knocking the wind from the man and sending him backward onto the grass. He looked up at Ethan, sucking in a deep breath.

"Of course I am. What are you talking about?" he said, heat rising in his voice.

"I'm talking about you," Ethan said, also feeling slightly frustrated.

"What about me?"

"Why haven't you awakened your aura?" Ethan said, lowering his sword and looking at the man with a judgmental gaze.

"I thought you wanted to do it. What happened to that? Did Sarah talk you out of it? I'm telling you now, it's worth having. Most of these other people don't understand. But I thought you did," he continued, looking down at the big man.

"I—I do want to…"

"Am I interrupting something?" a feminine voice asked from behind Ethan. He shook his head.

"No, I just thought I had another believer."

"Believer in what?" Bella asked. Ethan shook his head.

"You wouldn't understand."