Chapter 154

  There were some concerning facts about Kaufman's words. Many different outsiders were necessary for knowledge gathering and information about Darks. Kaufman recognized it as a necessary investment filled with rough history and sacrifices, but not many followed the same idea.

  That factor was twice as intense Outside. He disliked this broad approach, and the involvement of children was often disappointing.

  However, if one desired a broad change, people like Ellie couldn't help themselves or trouble this approach. All for the advancement. Everything for humanity.

  This idea was a rule rubbed on the walls of this library ever since its conception, working with various resources, people, methods, and observations. Someone had to compile old and new possessions, write them, and manage them, and most Walkers had no time for that.

  The Federation was vast, so there were many associations with numerous members, creating a hierarchy of multiple types. Federation had it rather straightforward, even if there were many kinds of people.

  Walkers were elevated in status and they were the reasons this place existed, but letting it thrive or live was separate. They couldn't do everything. Employees, miners, workers, farmers, workers around rivers, builders, and so on, played their part.

  It was normal to see them everywhere, so what about those involved in actual Walker-related mechanics? Some Walkers had assistants and support groups, with the overall military showing remarkable and inevitable assignments. Wide-scale places like the Federation had to have it, thanks to people who were brave even if it meant seeing the world of darkness.

  History verified that idea, allowing some people to know how Walkers acted, accomplished their lives, or fought. Some were seen as heroes, popular people, and great monarchs of humanity, so a desire to follow them came almost to the level of instincts.

  William was yet to be aware of how this society messed with people and Walkers alike, but he was aware of the fights and what Outside offered and almost hid.

  The Federation was a new picture, showing the military bases, where people witnessed fights and magical powers without any issues. Some of that was obvious to normal citizens, either from the shores, but not many people were actually interested in them.

  It seemed there were multiple unwritten rules, and the stuff of the sky and edges of the Federation wasn't simple. That also included the reality of Rifts that had Darks within them, waiting and looking for a way for a crack to leak.

  It wasn't as if there were some barriers to eyes. There was a distance, however, while buildings obscured a lot of views, so if the worst would happen, perhaps nothing would help. The buildings would collapse and become prisons or graves, which was something William would never take lightly.

  Thus, the military had increased awareness levels and clearances for rare and trained people, despite some secrets still being behind them. The Dawn, Walkers, Darks, and what went below and beyond them weren't for the public to know. They might get to know bits and snips, either good or bad, or some surface-level knowledge, which was enough.

  William and Ellie watched a brunch of the complete path right before their eyes, showing them the undeniable reality.

  A starting point came from many directions that this room was made for. It was an open display with concepts that even William was aware of.

  Awakening of Emblems was run to a specific distance. A simple Rank 1. That was it. It had a natural process representing maturity. That wasn't everything, of course. Below this simple depiction were the simplest terms and explanations for something shocking, leaving William kind of speechless after everything clicked together.

  It was what Luke, Ellie, and Kaufman pointed out recently, while a whole lot of other matters mixed in as well.

  Forced Awakening was spread bare on the wall, shown as a bunker and chair and huge machine aside. Details and words were kind of fancy, but the facts of this method were far from being superficial.

  It was open as if it was common knowledge of this room, which William didn't take that well. Of course, he knew that Rank 1 was his goal, with anything before that being less important, yet he wasn't down to see no sky. He looked at Walkers and tracked the sky.

  The beginning was perilous work, so requirements were imperious and crucial. Fighting had no stops, while science and Walkers combined in this place, creating an insane creation of accelerated Emblems that progressed out of human wit.

  This discovery touched on age and pushed kids out of being kids, which was the most significant idea Forced Awakening toiled with. It was almost unbelievable just from a few sentences William read and Ellie regarded it with rather complacent indifference.

  It answered questions William wondered or feared. Why had Outside didn't know this? Why was he ignorant? Were the matters of age or bringing young Walkers to this place a farce all along? That must be the case, yet this thing must have been full of crazy experiments, so just how many failures or deaths did it take to commence?

  Aside from the Awakening, what did it even mean to have an Affinity, or what else did it follow? What were the differences between both methods or links to what he had seen or met?

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  Hundreds of questions came to his mind as William read what was available, helped by Ellie who read about it days ago thanks to Burton's documents. They had a lot of substantial gifts not just about this process, as the stuff of Walkers at Rank 0 and Rank 1 were her main objectives. That wasn't what Kaufman knew about, which was a good thing.

  Well, everything was more likely their main objective, for she couldn't choose what to learn.

  She will take everything, as she too has her own greed. But with that card close, maybe Ellie could choose and go to any room she wished.

  Characteristic features of Emblems affected the quality of Walkers, their future and close possibilities, and growth. Rank 0 was here as well, complete with brief notes of accumulation, growth, problems, and stability.

  Affinity as a whole was about the scientific term and meticulous quality and harmony Walker had with their Emblem upon their Awakening. It usually involved a rather fixed number made of calculations. Natural Awakening had it via a System, so it wasn't assembled by human hands or machinery like Forced Awakening.

  The System was very enigmatic and something seen only by Walkers, so it hadn't been exhibited a lot in this room.

  Statistics, calculations, and numerous conclusions had to be made when looking at Affinity instead. It wasn't figured before, at Rank 0. This meant both Awakenings were extremely important, yet one was a much bigger deal than the other.

  There was a reason why the Examination was following this unprecedented idea since it was part of the aftermath of this bunker, where talent and Affinity would rise.

  By years, the natural process would crack and mold the new generation.

  For decades, it had already influenced everything about the Federation and this whole hemisphere. That was why William was speechless.

  William thought about words and numbers described before his eyes that he completely forgot about Ellie grasping his side, or about his anger and frustration.

  He moved with Ellie to other rows of exhibits, with some of them being locked behind some screens, dimmed light, and opened only by superior cards. None stopped them. Ellie was shameless enough to snatch Kaufman's card and even use it while the old culprit watched.

  By now, Kaufman figured his speech was falling to no ears so he relaxed and observed this interesting pair and what had changed about this room.

  Coincidently, the next locked concept was exposition into Forced Awakening. There were even some books included, describing research and even pictures, or what it caused or allowed. Ellie watched this event once with her own eyes, yet she shrank back just from some pictures.

  A big chair was in the middle of an empty room, colorful, enlightened, and with strange contraptions. Large machinery created a small hill, assembling a nasty thing called the Emblem Accelerator. Then, there was a thick syringe, strange liquids in some seen-through gadgets, and... Walkers, sitting there, observed by a white-clothed scientist.

  Furthermore, there were examples of the procedure, where youths bled, screamed, and... so on.

  William felt strange when he looked at this, reminded of that room he dreamed of, yet from where and how to think of that? Was that premonition, or the opposite thing altogether, delivering a memory instead of hope? Maybe he didn't want any of this.

  “Let's not watch this stuff for now.” Ellie omitted the pictures after noticing his creeping trembling hand. Too late. William already saw and ran to a quick conclusion, realizing that things were really freaking bad and shocking. It seemed nasty enough to call it insane, so he peeked into some books himself, which Ellie couldn't stop.

  “... this pressure and skeptical science technique originates from a great science of the Federation. It leads to forced Awakening thanks to distinct distillation, empowerment, and change within the Emblems in young Walkers above the age of thirteen. With specific doses, methods, and solitary, they will be pushed through the first limiter, without the need of reaching the proper adulthood threshold.”

  “The shortcomings are destabilization, body issues, imbalance, spiritual imperfection, care into the beginning tutorials and quests, and occasional side effects ranging from less abundance of Arcana or marks of wilder Vectors. It is a case of Madness. It is a procedure developed by the Emblem Association. Current exposition and variant: 390. Examinations...”

  William read out loud and didn't care if he mumbled in shock or talked better than ever.

  “It is much more detailed than I thought,” Ellie added and wasn't surprised by anything William had seen. She was more excited about those back stories and history because it was extremely interesting.

  Of course, the good outweighed the bad stuff, since nothing senseless would come out of doing this raging time-experimental nonsense. Without the validated meaning and worth, this Forced Awakening would never exist.

  William learned it was less than thirty years in development, which he thought was a lot. But then, he realized how people must've looked for ways to awaken Emblems even earlier, as age was a bad case of humanity, so going against the natural laws was given.

  After decades of experimentation, the most improbable side-effects had been boiled down to minor shortcomings, poising as more subjective horrors rather than pushing most youths to the brink of Madness. Frankly, Walkers had to control and fit into this hell. They had to be strong. Not weak-minded fools.

  It wasn't a one-and-done machination. Every Walker on the chair had their needs and concerns. There were some notes of enchantments, increases in the output of this Awakening, and even carefully picked choices.

  For the most of that, William was silent, not daring to judge anything. This room had limited reminders and lessons, which disappointed Ellie a little, but not William.

  Ellie knew where to look and talk next. Names were here, followed by organizations and Walker supporting this operation. It wasn't about the Federation alone, thanks to old history and politics and many touching subjects. It was a great hope that wasn't entirely about youths, even if it was a big part of every result. After all, it was the older generations of Walkers who pushed this forward and didn't make it impossible, even though they could've.

  Numerous times, William peeked at Kaufman and wondered what was on his mind. He didn't comment and kept observing.

  The creation of the Federation involved this process in some way, though it was never stated everywhere. Emblem Academy and even more distant places and organizations were also involved. China in particular desired any method to expand power and control over Asia, which was rather far away from the Federation.

  Even if it had some risks and costs, it was nothing for humanity.

  For example, Ellie could only guess the number of errors and experimentations necessary to make this method feasible. How many Walkers died for that, or... youths? What required stability to vouch for a possibility?

  It was for the greater cause, sure, yet she read no mention of hidden history here at all. Her documents hinted at it, however. It was either censored, omitted for a better cause, or it was less worse than she assumed.

  Ellie guessed it wasn't time to make lies or stupidity; she bet they hid that away from even young elites, as winners could write the rules and hide the harsh history.