Chapter 109:Alarm
Chapter 109: 109:Alarm
For a brief moment, the entire dining hall fell silent. This was simply how frontier checkpoints functioned. One gunshot could mean a beast had slipped through the walls or something much worse.
Silver rested one hand on the hilt of his sword while Ravenna subtly shifted half a step closer to him without either of them saying a word.
Brian looked toward the entrance.
"...Wait."
Nobody rushed outside. Experienced contractors never ran toward an unknown threat. Several seconds later, one of the checkpoint guards entered while waving his hand.
"False alarm."
A collective sigh spread through the hall. The guard looked tired rather than concerned.
"Two failed integrations."
Some people quietly sat back down while others shook their heads.
Claire frowned. "...Again?"
The guard nodded.
"Both were attempting forced integrations after returning from the Green Zone and as expected, they lost control."
Silver’s expression became thoughtful.
"...so, what happened?"
The guard answered matter-of-factly.
"Their beast instincts completely overwhelmed them and they attacked the medical staff. We had to put them down."
No one reacted much, this was tragic but it wasn’t rare.
The guard continued, "Please remember, if your synchronization feels unstable... Report to the checkpoint clinic immediately. Do not attempt to hide it, it’s really annoying that we get the job of cleaning up your messes"
With that, he turned and left. The conversations slowly resumed.
Jonah quietly sighed.
"I’ve seen it happen twice."
Claire nodded sadly.
"It gets ugly."
Silver looked toward Brian.
"Does it happen often?"
Brian folded his arms.
"Not often but enough to become a headache." He stared into his unfinished meal. "Some contractors become impatient and absorb stronger cores before they’re ready while others ignore warning signs. As you can already imagine the beast wins in both of these situations. A really sad fate for them."
Silver knew that. Integration wasn’t merely absorbing strength, it was merging two instincts. If the beast proved stronger... the contractor ceased being themselves, only a few lucky ones with one of the strongest wills could survive not being possessed. But individuals like that are rare enough.
The discussion left a subdued mood over the table. Nobody lingered much longer. After exchanging farewells for the evening, Brian stood.
"We’re leaving around seven tomorrow, if you two decide to head toward Detroin with us..." He smiled. "...We’ll be parked near the eastern gate."
Silver nodded.
"We’ll think about it."
Brian didn’t press.
"Good. Sleep well."
One by one, the contractors dispersed toward their assigned rooms.
The checkpoint had grown noticeably quieter by the time Silver and Ravenna returned to their Room. The hallway lights had dimmed and only distant footsteps echoed through the corridor.
Silver locked the door behind them before placing his backpack on the desk. Ravenna removed her jacket before sitting comfortably on the edge of her bed.
"...Long day."
Silver smiled.
"It was."
Neither spoke for several moments. Comfortable silence had gradually become normal between them. Finally, Silver knelt beside his backpack.
"I wanted to try something tonight."
Ravenna looked over curiously.
"What?"
He carefully opened one of the padded compartments, then discreetly opened his inventory before getting what was needed out.
Inside the compartment rested several beast cores they had collected over the few days they had hunted together, among them lay a crystal about the size of his palm.
It was perfectly transparent, yet faint silver light slowly flowed through its interior like mist trapped beneath glass.
Ravenna’s eyes widened slightly.
"...What’s that?"
Silver picked it up carefully.
"It’s something called a Soul Harmonization Crystal."
She frowned.
"Never heard of it."
"Me too, this is the first time I ever came across one"
"Really," She looked at him. "...Where did you get one?"
Silver answered without hesitation.
"...My parents left it for me, it was part of my inheritance."
Technically, not entirely true but also not entirely false either. She studied him for a second before nodding.
"...Makes sense."
She didn’t ask further. Everyone had secrets. Silver appreciated that she respected him.
He placed the crystal carefully between their two beds. The room immediately seemed quieter, almost spiritually. A faint, soothing warmth spread through the air, almost impossible to notice, yet impossible to ignore once felt.
Ravenna blinked.
"...It’s calming."
Silver nodded.
"That’s what it’s supposed to do."
He remembered the system description.
*Soul Harmonization Crystal
Effect: Improves synchronization during beast core absorption while reducing instability.*
It was only a simple description but an invaluable treasure. Silver selected one of the Tier One beast cores they had collected during the journey. They hadn’t gotten anything special but what they had was enough to strengthen his existing tattoos.
He sat cross-legged on the floor. Ravenna mirrored him from the opposite side of the crystal. The crystal’s gentle glow slowly expanded until both of them sat within its faint silver light.
Silver closed his eyes. He slowly guided his soul toward the beast core that rested within his palms. Immediately, the familiar warmth entered his body. Unlike integration, absorption refinement felt gentler. More like adding another drop of water into an already flowing river.
His Strength Tattoo responded instantly. Power circulated through his muscles and his heartbeat slowed. The faint ache left over from previous battles steadily disappeared.
Across from him, Ravenna also absorbed another strength-aligned core. A soft white glow flickered briefly around her before gradually settling beneath her skin.
The crystal pulsed once. Silver immediately noticed the difference. Usually, there was a little bit of resistance, just small fluctuations, but tonight, everything flowed smoothly.
Nearly forty minutes passed. Neither moved nor rushed. The crystal continued quietly assisting both of them. Finally, Silver exhaled. The beast core within his hands crumbled into gray dust. At almost the same moment...
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
{Beast Core Successfully Refined.
Soul Harmonization Crystal detected.
Synchronization Efficiency Increased.
Core Utilization: 83% → 91%
Energy Loss Reduced.}
Silver smiled faintly.
’Very much worth it’
Another notification appeared.
[ATTRIBUTE GROWTH]
{Continuous refinement detected.
• Strength +1
Current Strength: 26}
He quietly clenched his fist. The increase wasn’t much but he could feel it. His muscles responded more naturally and his movements felt, cleaner.
A final notification appeared.
[PROGRESSION ANALYSIS]
{Host body nearing Rank Advancement.
Soul Stability: Excellent
Synchronization: Stable
Overall Assessment:
Rank Two advancement possible after sufficient soul accumulation.
Estimated Requirement:
A small number of additional high-quality beast cores.}
Silver slowly opened his eyes.
"...Almost there."
Ravenna looked over.
"Something wrong?"
He shook his head.
"No. It’s just that..." He flexed his hand once. "...I think I’m getting close."
She smiled.
"To Rank Two?"
Silver nodded.
"I can feel it. It’s not there yet but I have a feeling... If everything goes well in Detroin, I should be able to finally break through."
Ravenna looked genuinely happy.
"You’ve grown fast."
Silver laughed softly.
"So have you."
She looked down at her own hands. The faint warmth of her Fire Wolf tattoo answered almost immediately.
"...I suppose I have."
The crystal’s glow gradually faded, its purpose fulfilled for the evening. Silver carefully wrapped it in cloth before placing it back inside his backpack and into his inventory.
"We shouldn’t overuse it."
Ravenna agreed.
"The effects might diminish."
"Exactly."
He stood and stretched. His body felt lighter than it had all day, even the lingering soreness from constant travel had almost disappeared.
Outside, the checkpoint slowly settled into silence. Patrol vehicles continued making their rounds and floodlights illuminated the massive walls. Somewhere in the distance, mechanics still worked on damaged trucks preparing to leave at dawn.
Silver walked toward the window. Beyond the mountains, somewhere past countless roads and abandoned towns, waited Detroin.
According to his intuition, he couldn’t exactly put into words but something must have happened there. It was probably one of the many scenes he had skimmed over but the name still stuck.
He didn’t know what might happen but things tend to take a turn for the worse in this world, still... it was worth the gamble.
He smiled slightly. Whether it was the opportunity or the breakthrough to Rank Two he intended to leave Detroin stronger than when he entered.