Chapter 189

  If William were in the military, let alone closer to Assembly members like Luke, there would be answers and stories at the right place and time. For Viktor to be so high in Mi-Yung's mind, he must have had a ton of work and missions behind him, as well as a deep sense of justice and strength.

  Which explained some things, but not every single idea made William glad about it. His father wasn't on his mind lately, though knowing him could give him ideas about his life or his mother, similar to Mi-Yung. Still, news about his mother sounded more pleasing, and it seemed Mi-Yung's attitude about her was like Luke's.

  It wasn't very satisfying, was it? The happiness of knowing the worst wouldn't bring him any sort of hope. He couldn't hold it right now.

  Fuzzy memories left him in a dark spot. His mother's face often lingered in his memories, resembling a divine, bright figure, and her moving hand gave him endless torment. It was a trauma that won't leave by itself. Maybe he didn’t want it to be gone.

  Both parts about his parents were disturbing. Luke's words confirmed it days ago, while Mi-Yung said it even better. His father was busy, thus separated, or William couldn't really remember him because he didn't have to care.

  “Your father, hm? I can't say many positives or negatives that would help you very well. He was an excellent teacher, a decent person, and even better soldier than I think is true. Righteous, confident, and quite heated in the battlefield, I would call him the biggest pillar alive if he... would be around. He also had those worrisome aspects of humanity. He was a hero in my eyes regardless, and someone who was willing to help many people, no matter what. Young Walkers, Outsiders, or citizens of the Federation, his reputation was enormous.”

  “And gone like a lunatic overnight from the sounds of it.” Hearing such proud accomplishments about a person so close, yet so far away, William didn't want to think about what they meant. It reminded him of pessimism, dark clouds, and years without them.

  And if his father was so great, why was he still not around, saving the world or stuff? Although Mi-Yung's words gave him what he asked for, they also gave him bad feelings.

  It made him hesitate about what was before him. He should focus on growing ahead. Not wince and flinch. That was what Dann did—his only friend who kept up with him, so he wouldn't dwell on the sadness or helplessness of the past.

  “Don't feel too bad. I am here for you!” Mi-Yung said in a much softer tone after realizing that she might have hit an atrocious topic.

  “Yes... YES! I don't want to think of that either, but why is everything revolving around my parents? No... Not them. My father?! I have no idea about him whatsoever. I am not him! What about my mother? I am also not like her, or… she was there.... longing, leaving me behind. I was... lost, tossed like...”

  Slap stopped his words, crashing the table into pieces. Mi-Yung had had enough. “Don't... go further. Your future is yours. Your parents are gone. Get a grip.”

  There was sadness in William's tone; no tears, which was good. His Emblem was stressed enough, and his left arm, gripping his right, started to hurt.

  “Luke said my family name. Gale. That surname is fine, but I had none. I was nobody, so am I someone now? They are not here, so I am still nobody.”

  “Doesn’t mean you are not part of them. For now, it can turn out better for you because you are here and you are you. Luke meant nothing bad, I bet, or meant it better.”

  “I mean... who am I to ask for that sort of life? He mentioned my parents, Walkers, military staff, and I flew away from the past decade and saw North America from that window. Then the Federation.”

  “You never really left, did you?”

  William nodded his head and pushed pieces of wood from his lap and shirt. Mi-Yung was completely ignoring the mess she caused.

  “I see. It seems you need more than I can give.”

  “I didn't start it. You did!”

  “Now, don't blame me. Luke did it, ah, I see. That's a hilariously good start. Good job. Keep at it.”

  William gave her a bothered look.

  “Your parents don't matter too much. I mean, what is gone is gone and it took me years to get over it. A little shadow remains, but that's all. Cherish your memories while you can. That’s what some people said to me.”

  “Like my father?”

  Mi-Yung awkwardly chuckled and looked away. “Probably. Dwelling in the past is no good. You are here, in a good place, in one piece, and your Emblem is warming up. Your parents were most likely stirring that motion, or they discovered something nicer. I did as well and shall do you right.”

  “I get... this importance of parents, but what they mean to me is not here. Fine. Let’s forget it because that’s what I was trying to do anyway. Can you talk about Walker Ranks? I want to forget this talk.”

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  “Sure.” Mi-Yung cheered and went with the flow. “Rank 0 is a rare pre-awakening status where youths feel like tense glass. I am surprised you got to know about it so quickly, but I suppose you have a personal attachment to it as well. Luke or Kaufman mentioned it too. Proper manners of Ranks await after the Awakening, or, in most cases nowadays, in the Examination that is solely up to the Federation’s business. It has big stakes in it. Youths prepare for it as much as possible.”

  “Yet no one said a word about Forced Awakening Outside. Weird.” William argued.

  “They would. Not in the camps, though. Walkers aren't ready to express their choices because this is not a choice. Awakening is a glorious stimulus where more things matter and where true training begins. Sure, Forceful Awakening is tough and gives years of more work ahead of time, but because of it, a lot of learning and a much bigger foundation arises. History couldn't wait for more. Youths had to accept it and train and do better than ever before. Every new generation tries what the previous ones did, expand it, and thanks to the earlier start, everyone can pick up a lot of useful stuff.”

  “Or die trying, looking, or stop.”

  “Maybe. I heard Rank 1 is like popping a huge balloon, or... your little crimson glossy gem. It will change a lot, William. Mine was small like a pencil and had grown to be like this. Physically and with everything else. It grows alongside the Walkers, or we do along with it. Like a parasite and suit of our armor. It is our weapon.” Mi-Yung asserted while pointing and knocking on her chest.

  William acknowledged that with a small nod.

  “System starts soon afterward and a lot of unique problems can, or will undoubtedly arise. It is the responsibility of older generations to help out with that, or if it is too much, it might be new and hard to deal with. Adapt then or see a teacher who has gotten into such sudden positions, or closest comparisons. Those are quite important because of it.”

  “Because society demands it, right?”

  “A bit for sure. Most new Rank 1 Walkers choose available mentors, who might be part of other student groups, or if one is lucky with the results, one could become a personal disciple of someone wonderful. It is a very large obligation and a considerable responsibility. Oh, and luck. Personal disciples are a big deal but don’t think of it as a heavenly choice. If one is good, the master is a true master and you gotta listen and do his or her justice. If you don’t, he or she might get disappointed. Either these people have a lot of time at hand, or they are the ones who need disciples and look at it from a very vivid point of view. Remember that.”

  Mi-Yung talked much more about what was at stake than Wiliam had expected. It sounded much more reliable than Luke.

  He calmed down and touched his hand. “I get it. A lot is ahead. So, Rank 0 is... what exactly?”

  “Unkown. Both in terms of the System, ideas, or dwelling power, it could mean higher elevation like pouring water into a cup. I am describing it like a fool, frankly. Will it overflow, or will the cup change? Can we drink from it? Get a better cup? Change the waters? That sort of thing sounds weird, doesn’t it?”

  “I suppose it does.” William didn't understand it at all. What was changing and pouring from where, or how? He didn't think more about it, so he changed the topic instead.

  “Then what is Arcalyst or even Arcana about? It’s energy... but not like electricity, heat, or something like wind. It can be all of that, though.” In truth, he knew a surplus of stuff about Arcana, but seeing her opinion could show a new perspective.

  The first question aimed at what he already knew from Luke. Depending on what she would say, he could cross-reference it and know much more. The second was more spread out, as it was a very vast topic. Luke or Kaufman didn't touch upon Arcana more than necessary. It wasn't as important to question what was what, but what it could do was another thing.

  Arcana amazed him ever since he was young, and Luke summoned his magical cube for his eyes alone. He also fought with it, giving him an idea that he had seen before, but didn't understand.

  It wasn't as if Walkers Outside talked about every secret. They showed their powers without care, instead, because that’s where the dangers were. William was stubborn and barely learned the terms, and watching many Walkers in action over the years taught him many valuable lessons.

  That sight of cleaved Jawran was still lingering in his mind, and the way Luke fought was straightforward, brutal, and quite floaty. He couldn’t really fly without his cube, so his style and Molds were forceful and meaningful, while Arcalysts were much more than a helpful hand. They seemed custom or different from the rest. They couldn't change too much, could they?

  “Where did you learn about Arcalysts? Wait... let me guess, Kaufman?” Mi-Yung asked while raising both eyebrows and sounding serious.

  William wondered about his Arcalyst, too; just what would Rank 8 Walker do with them, or what they would look like? If every Walker above Rank 4 had them, then weren't they quite important and powerful?

  “Luke showed it to me when we traveled. We met some trouble along the way too. He fought... Jawran, if you don’t mind.” William described the truth.

  “Luke did?” she sounded surprised. “That is... Interesting. He didn't mention that. Anyway, Arcalyst is like a face, or a term describing manifesting Emblem's ideal. Or, in some case, Ego. It is less about the System. I think of it as an outer vision of our Emblem, yet the truth is still in our bodies until it gets out.”

  “Manifesting? So it’s true that their appearances are all external?”

  “No. Many think that way, but there are many exceptions to everything. Arcalyst could pivot in irregular visions at Rank 4 most of the time and change a lot how Walkers will approach further Ranks. Because of that, the first three Ranks are known as novice ranks.”

  William liked how it sounded and tried to etch this news into his memory. “But it isn't as if it’s stable, right? One could get Arcalyst beforehand.”

  “Right... I guess you've used that card well. Walkers can get it, but it isn’t very important to dwell on it too much. It could be quite stressful. Some Walkers could also have their issues and won't even touch it at higher Ranks. It isn’t luck, but an impossibility. They won’t unlock it or aren’t ready or capable. Everything is rather complicated, as you must've already guessed.” Mi-Yung explained.

  “A little. It clashes with how unique everything sounds. It is surprising that there are even training and archives to begin with. It feels redundant to worry about it early.”

  “Right? A lot of unknowns are hard to imagine. Forced Awakening comes a few years earlier for us, which adds a bit of strain to this endless pursuit of equations and sequences. A lot of it is an unpleasant experience that might even have negative impacts on personality, Emblem, or body. But you don't have to be scared or nervous. You will be fine, I bet. Problems are rarer and rarer nowadays. If they are there, they aren’t a fault of this processing. It just helps.”

  She shook her hands, missing out on the Examination to make him feel better since talking about organisations was quite a thing. Yeah. She should be patient.