Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 516: Early

Asher woke up with renewed energy, although he had barely slept the previous night, as he had wanted a new day to arrive sooner, yet he knew he couldn’t remain awake throughout the entire night because he needed proper rest to be at his peak condition for a mission. Although, ironically, even if he didn’t sleep at all, he would still perfectly remain at his peak condition for a mission, his body and mind far too abnormal to be measured by common standards.

He jumped out of his bed, his mind already spinning with various types of missions he could undertake, what kind of rewards would they offer? How difficult would they be? Would he bleed in battle? Would he be pushed to the edge? But at the same time, he forced himself to keep his expectations in check, tempering his excitement with rational caution.

After all, he couldn’t be too eager and therefore select a mission that was far out of his depth. This was his first solo mission, and it was advisable to take things slowly, to get a feel for the experience, before embarking on something insanely dangerous. But of course, Asher’s definition of slow was another person’s definition of dangerous and life-threatening, and what others considered reckless was merely warm-up territory to him.

He hummed like a child who had just received a Christmas present as he moved toward his bathroom, and after a quick bath, he changed out of his pajamas and into the same set of battle clothes he had worn yesterday before changing into another set of casual clothes, the familiar weight and texture of the attire grounding his thoughts and sharpening his focus.

He didn’t eat the Star Academy cafeteria food for breakfast, but instead ate his own meal which had been prepared by Lyra, the taste simple yet comforting. With that done, he immediately put on his breastplate, vambraces, and greaves, black gloves covering his hands with a snug fit. He fastened his cape to his shoulder as it flowed smoothly down his back, and with Virelass secured to his waist, he opened the door with his gloved hand and stepped out with a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

’System, what’s the time?’ he asked in his mind.

[It’s 8:04 a.m., Host]

The system chimed within his consciousness, Asher nodded as he walked without bothering to gaze at or greet anybody along the way, his destination was the same Logistics and Missions Operation Hall which he had visited yesterday.

Even though it was still early, students could already be seen moving about, as time seemed to make no difference to them; as long as they were alive, then they had to remain in motion, training, fighting, or preparing for the next trial, like soldiers caught in an endless current.

Stepping into the Logistics and Missions Operation Hall, Asher’s eyes immediately tracked toward the Facilitator he usually met whenever he came here, and he walked forward with steady strides, but before he could go too far, he heard a familiar voice.

"It seems you are as early as me," the voice echoed from behind Asher, causing him to turn around. Normally, he would have sensed the presence if his Omni Perception had been unruffled or if he had been actively scanning his surroundings, but his guard had been lowered for just the moment.

And there, standing six foot seven with black hair and black eyes, was Thalric Wargrave, the Ninth Sun of the Wargrave Ducal Family.

"Thalric," Asher murmured as his purple eyes met the black eyes of the approaching Thalric. If it had been another Wargrave, Asher would have addressed them as ’Brother,’ but he still held back when it came to Thalric, despite the latter’s gradual change in attitude and visible character development, old habits and old impressions proving difficult to discard entirely.

"Good morning, Ash," Thalric stated as he came to a stop before Asher, their heights roughly the same, with Thalric only an inch taller at the moment, his presence imposing yet strangely restrained.

"Morning, Thalric," Asher greeted back with an expressionless face, and neither of them smiled at the other as they stood there with the usual Wargrave indifference, greeting one another as though they were distant acquaintances or rivals instead of siblings bound by blood.

"I don’t see your teammates around, it seems you are here for your first solo mission," Thalric spoke as he hit the mark on his first guess, his black eyes darting around the Hall as though searching for William and Finch, but he didn’t find them anywhere among the few bustling students.

Asher didn’t deny it, he simply nodded as he spoke, "Yes, I’m about to embark on my first solo mission, our third compulsory team mission ended over a month ago, but I had been too busy training," he stated calmly, then took a step forward as he resumed walking, clearly intending not to linger.

Thalric nodded as he followed Asher at his side, both of them walking with the effortless ease and natural grace that came from nobility and power, their movements smooth and measured, drawing subtle glances from those around them without either of them caring.

"Well, that is a good strategy, increasing your combat power before going on a solo mission," Thalric replied as he walked with an expressionless face and steady composure, then paused for a moment before continuing, "I’ve heard of your feats with your classmates, and with that amount of power, the first-year class missions won’t suit you, instead, they will only slow you down," he stated matter-of-factly.

"What are you suggesting?" Asher asked in a straightforward tone, his gaze still fixed ahead.

"Like I said the last time we spoke, there is nothing stopping an upperclassman from teaming with a junior, meaning I can take you on my own missions," Thalric spoke, but then he paused briefly before continuing, "I’m going on a mission right now, want to join me?" he asked, his black eyes that had been focused ahead now shifting sideways to glance at Asher, studying his reaction carefully.

Asher stayed silent for a moment as they walked side by side, the sound of their boots faintly echoing across the polished floor, then he sighed softly as he spoke, "I will be declining for now," he answered flatly, his tone calm yet resolute, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

Thalric arched an eyebrow, as he genuinely hadn’t expected Asher’s rejection, having assumed that Asher would accept and go on a mission with him without hesitation, especially considering the advantages such a partnership would provide.

"Why is that, if I may ask?" he asked, his voice steady and free of offense, as he didn’t frown or assume that Asher was afraid. Yes, his junior brother had once been afraid of him prior to his awakening, but Thalric wasn’t so blind or foolish as to believe that the current Asher was afraid of something as trivial as a mission or death.

He had watched the True Awakening, which had lasted an entirety of six hours and thirty minutes, a duration that most people couldn’t even endure mentally, let alone physically. He had also fought Dora together with him, witnessing firsthand the ruthlessness and composure Asher displayed in battle, and fear was the last thing Asher knew, and he understood that clearly.