Chương 6: Decision

The silent air was suffocating. 60. 70 to 90 was average, and he ended up getting below even that? She recommended finding a commercial use for the ability if the affinity was too low, but would he even be able to find a use for his hand? Maybe if it got stronger one day, but as it was now? Evel shook his head and decided to be pragmatic. To make a decision, he considered his options. First, he could quit now, before the end of the week, avoiding the challenge that would likely come.

This would give him safety, but his journey would end here. He could maybe stay in Orsus or return to Yosten and try to start anew. Another option was to quit later on in his journey. According to Monique, he could get to the fourth realm with enough wealth, but that was not a real option for him. He could try regardless, and if there was a roadblock he couldn't overcome, and if his affinity really was the issue, then at least he gave it a shot. Would he have the luxury to choose by then?

Finally, he could continue down the Path, and regardless of how successful his journey was, he would put in everything he had. The latter two options had a high chance of death, especially the last one, but he found it excruciatingly hard to discount them. I don't want to quit, at least not yet. A path to a better life just opened in front of me... His hands curled into a tight fist. He wouldn't quit. A defiant smile slowly formed on his face, and he immediately started planning how he'd use his remaining time.

The second option, then. He fell back on one of the key principles of being a magician: preparation and practice. Glancing around him, Evel saw that everybody was already in the midst of a discussion. Hopefully they got luckier than me.

"Not bad, Leo! I didn't expect a wimp like you to beat me!" Elena seemed happy at least.

"Good results?" Evel asked.

"I got 83, and Leo over here got 86!" Evel's eyes widened as a sense of relief washed over him. It wasn't much, but the stinging of his own affinity hurt a bit less.

"How 'bout you? Any luck?" Her voice was filled with excitement. One Evel wouldn't be able to match. Evel scratched the back of his head and replied with a resigned smile,"I got 60…" Elena's mouth remained agape.

"Oh…" Evel could see the pity in her eyes. He hated that look, but he didn't fault her for it. She just wanted the best for him.

"I'm not planning on quitting," Evel replied, practically reading her mind, "And no need to feel sorry either, as long as I have double digits, I'll find a way to make it work." The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Elena's face lightened, and she nodded. She turned to Fern and Juniper, who were close by but talking amongst themselves.

"How about you guys? Bright future?" It was the green-haired Fern who sheepishly answered with tense shoulders,"I got 73, and Juniper got 80."

"Ah, don't feel too bad, it could be worse." As if realizing the severity of her words, Elena's hands flew to her lips. Evel sighed.

"My wounds are still fresh, and I'm already a campfire story?"

"My bad…" she trailed off. Evel smiled.

"I was joking. Sixty is all I need." Fern chuckled, relaxing a bit, "Well, I guess I can't lose to you if my affinity is so much better!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, I'd like to see you try and keep up." Juniper, who had been quiet until now, offered her condolences, "I suppose it could have been worse." Leo looked at Evel with an innocent flame in his eyes and added, "I'm sure we'll find someone with less than 60!" Evel looked at Leo with pursed lips, once again impressed by the strange ways his brain worked. This is their best attempt at making me feel better?

Just then, Brenton walked out of the building and into the little huddle, a big smirk on his face and directly addressed Elena. Brenton's eyes were wide open in excitement.

"How did you do?" Elena looked back at Brenton with suspicion. He looked far too confident.

"83…"

"83? Pffft. I got 89!" Elena's eyes went wide.

"Th-that's amazing!" Brenton wiped some imaginary dust off his shoulders, "Eh, no big deal for a guy like me." The grin he couldn't suppress gave away his true feelings, however. Elena embraced Brenton in a deep hug. Although she tried not to show it, Elena had shown signs of being very anxious that Brenton wouldn't get a good affinity. If he wasn't able to become powerful, they'd be forced to always live a life on the run. But now?

The future has opened up, and she doesn't need to choose between her father and Brenton. Elena immediately caught Brenton up on everyone's affinity, and when she got to Evel, Brenton's good mood died down. The vibes shifted, but Evel didn't care to ease Brenton's worries. Time was short, and he had to plan how to spend what he had left. A few minutes later, Monique exited the building, along with the last recruit. She had assessed everyone, her job now complete, so she sent out a final message.

"You guys are not officially soldiers yet; you'll have that opportunity next week. There are 123 Core stage recruits in this camp now, and 13 of you will be joining them. You'll have access to the training grounds, the cafeteria, and shops on this layer. You can find the residential area on the lower layer. I'll be in my lab here if you have further questions, but ask others before asking me." As Monique was about to turn and leave, somebody quickly asked,"Are the resources free?"

"Tch, Arlo didn't explain anything? You all have been given 100 starting credits you can use for the services. You can also use your own personal Riak in town. You aren't part of the army yet, so you won't be getting paid otherwise. If anyone else has a question, raise your hand." Of course, they were all filled with questions. They didn't know much about the base, the bigger world, their enemy, the Ultor Dominion, or even how long they'd be at the camp. Naturally, a few people decided they'd raise their hands.

Unfortunately, they found their hands stubbornly difficult to move. The blood in their own body fought back against them for control. It was a horrifying sensation, not having any semblance of control over one's entire body. They remained statues for a few seconds. Monique nodded in satisfaction and undid her spell, yet everybody remained motionless. The force stopping their movement this time was fear. After a few moments of silence, Monique smiled.

"Well, if there are no more questions, I'll be heading inside now." BANG! The door slammed shut. The fresh recruits took some time to process the horrifying feeling and looked at the closed door in silence, unsure what to do next.

"Alright, guys, I'm gonna go explore the camp. I'll see you guys around." Evel broke the silence first. The clock was ticking. The first order of business was to find a suitable weapon. As Evel's figure shrank into the distance, Brenton looked at Elena in worry.

"You think he'll be alright?" Elena looked into the sky,"60... He took it well, at least." She sighed.

"But we haven't known him for long, and he's very difficult to read. He could be feeling completely defeated, and we couldn't know any better." They stood still, staring at the spot where Evel had recently stood.

"He looked excited," Leo's soft voice interrupted the silence. They weren't sure whether he was just being hopeful, or had a read on Evel; the rest of them didn't. Either way, they wanted Leo to be right, so they accepted it for what it was.

"On a brighter note, the rest of the results certainly call for a celebration!" Elena cheered. Pride swelled in her heart, not for her own affinity, but for Brenton's. The life they wanted to live was within view.

"We'll join you." Juniper smiled widely, as wrinkles appeared in her eyes. Elsewhere, a soft bell chimed as the shop door swung open. A determined young man stepped inside, his worn tailcoat draped over an equally weathered waistcoat, and a cheap top hat sat atop his head. The shopkeeper looked at the man and asked routinely, unbothered by the poor condition of his clothes.

"What can I get for you?"