Mr. Ray had called for a private meeting with Felix at a high-end café the next day.
As Felix stepped inside, the warm golden lights reflected off polished wooden floors. Chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, casting soft glows across velvet-lined booths. The scent of fresh coffee and aged wine filled the air, mixing with the quiet murmur of conversations.
He spotted Mr. Ray sitting by the window, near the far end of the hall. The older man turned, raising a hand in acknowledgment.
Felix walked over and took a seat.
"Hey," Mr. Ray greeted casually
"Hi, Mr. Ray," Felix responded.
"How's it going?" Mr. Ray asked, shifting a glass of deep crimson wine toward Felix in a silent offer.
"Good" Felix took a sip. The wine was rich, smooth, yet slightly bitter.
A brief silence settled between them as Mr. Ray studied him.
"Everyone at the marketplace was talking about how impressive Rex was when he caught that ball," Mr. Ray finally said.
"Oh… yeah, yeah, he was," Felix replied, nodding. His gaze dropped for a moment as if remembering something. "Maybe he loved football a lot as a kid?" he added, forcing a small smile.
"I guess." Mr. Ray tapped his fingers against the table, watching him. "And the white hair?"
"What?"
"His awakened ability that turned his hair white?"
Felix stiffened. "How did you know about that?"
Mr. Ray gave a knowing smirk. "You didn't think I'd let you look after some strange kid without keeping an eye on him, did you?" His gaze narrowed slightly.
Felix opened his mouth to respond but nothing came out. Someone had definitely been watching them.
"We need to check his rank," Mr. Ray said, his tone turning sharp. "If he's weak, he can stay with you. If he's strong, he shouldn't be anywhere near you."
"He… he just got here. He's still weak."
Mr. Ray leaned forward slightly. "Someone who caught a ball moving at full speed by reflex isn't weak in my book. Bring him to the Vanguard today, Felix." His lips curled into a fake smile as he stood. "And don't forget about our mission in two days while you're too busy babysitting."
With that, he turned and left.
Felix sighed, sitting in silence for a moment before heading home to tell Rex.
"Sounds cool," Rex responded, almost excitedly.
Felix frowned. "Well… I guess so."
His real fear wasn't just the ranking, it was the experiments. The Vanguard had ways of forcibly awakening abilities through injections and other methods. Rex was too young for that. After losing everything, he deserved a chance to live, to have fun, not to be thrown into brutal training and battles.
"What do you think my rank will be?" Rex asked with a slight smile
Felix smirked. "Let's say… D?" He let out a short laugh. "Or who knows? Maybe the most powerful—S."
They soon approached the massive skyscraper. At the very top, VANGUARD was boldly engraved in thick iron letters, painted a deep, intimidating red.
Inside, the ground floor was a sprawling, polished expanse with high ceilings. Large digital screens displayed mission reports and news updates. Armed guards patrolled the area, and groups of Awakened trainees moved between corridors, some dressed in combat gear, others in casual outfits and a few in white research uniforms.
As Felix passed, he exchanged quick greetings with familiar faces, nodding to friends and colleagues before leading Rex toward the elevator.
They rode in silence to the fourth floor, where the lab was located. As the doors slid open with a quiet chime, their eyes landed on Mr. Ray, talking with a group of scientists.
"Felix," Mr. Ray called the moment he spotted them, walking toward them. "And Rex." He gave a brief smile.
Rex stretched his lips into something resembling a grin, though his mind was already racing with anticipation. He was eager to know just how strong he was.
"Welcome," Mr. Ray said, stepping in between them. He placed a hand on each of their shoulders and guided them toward the lab.
At the center of the brightly lit lab stood a tall, cylindrical machine, glowing faintly with embedded energy lines running through its sleek metallic surface. It resembled a vertical incubator, its transparent glass chamber large enough for a person to step inside. To its left, a series of monitors and control panels blinked with data streams, while weapons, testing tools, and vials filled with mysterious liquids lined the other side. Two scientists in crisp white uniforms stood by, adjusting the machine's settings.
The machine has been configured to scan one's body abilities and announce their ranking on the monitor.
Rex stepped in.
The machine hummed softly as it scanned him. A few seconds passed… then a few more.
Nothing.
The display remained blank leaving everyone surprised.
Felix looking surprised as well stretched his neck to get a better look. "Huh?"
Mr. Ray's brows furrowed. "Is the machine malfunctioning?" he muttered under his breath. "Cosmas." He called out, summoning the head scientist
A man in his forties, wearing a white lab coat, walked in. "Yes, sir?"
"What's wrong with the machine? Is it faulty?"
Dr. Cosmas adjusted his glasses and examined the controls. "No, sir. It's functioning perfectly." He tapped a few buttons, ran a diagnostic, and shook his head. "There's nothing wrong."
They tried again.
Still nothing.
Mr. Ray exhaled sharply. "Felix, step in."
Felix did, and immediately, the machine displayed a bright B on the screen.
It was working.
Mr. Ray turned back to Rex. "Go in again please." he said gently, hoping it would work this time.
Rex stepped in once more.
Still nothing
The machine remained unresponsive. It wasn't that it couldn't read his rank, it simply wasn't capable of measuring it. His strength was immeasurable and his true power suppressed.
Mr. Ray's jaw clenched. Then what happened to his hair? he wondered, deep in thought
Rex stepped out, his eyes drifting to a nearby table where fragments of the Auragmite—glowing, pulsing gemstones—were contained in glass cases. An inexplicable pull tugged at him, and he found himself strangely captivated by them.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ray discreetly signaled one of the scientists, a small blade, no bigger than a scalpel, appeared behind Rex's head, aimed at a strand of his white hair.
But before it could get close, Rex's turned to face him "I don't like when my hair is touched," he said softly, his tone almost innocent.
A moment of tense silence passed.
Mr. Ray gave a slight nod, signaling Dr. Cosmas to step back. Then he turned to Felix. "You can leave."
Felix bowed his head slightly and took Rex by the hand.
As they turned to go, Mr. Ray's voice stopped them.
"He joins the next batch of combat trainees in 3 months."
Felix halted mid-step. "What?" He turned sharply. "You can't be serious."
"You heard me, Felix. He's joining the next batch of teenage fighters."
"But he's not even fifteen yet," Felix protested, his voice rising slightly.
"My words are final," Mr. Ray said dismissively, already turning away.
Felix clenched his fists. "You can't do this. He's just a kid, he hasn't even had time to settle in, make friends, go to school, have fun—"
"The camp is enough fun," Mr. Ray called over his shoulder, disappearing down the hall.
"He can't fight. He can't level up. It's too dangerous. It will release him. It will… release the beast." The tiny voice whispered, quieter and so soft, Rex barely noticed.