Chapter 100: New Members

A faint smile spread across Alex’s face. The improvement had come faster than he expected, confirming that understanding the spell’s principles helped it develop more quickly.

Without stopping, he continued practicing Mana Blade Spell while also experimenting with Battle Instinct Spell.

He could already sense that Advanced Battle Instinct Spell wasn’t far away. Every attempt gave him a slightly better understanding of which parts of his mind needed enhancement and which only wasted unnecessary energy.

It was slow progress, but it was still progress.

As for creating a mana sword, Alex quickly realized it wasn’t possible yet. Forming a blade that large while maintaining the precise internal structure required an entirely different level of mana control.

Until he obtained Advanced Battle Instinct Spell or significantly increased his Mind stat, creating a stable mana sword would remain beyond his current abilities. Increasing Mind stat was something he wanted to do through practice, not free stat points. So his only viable method was Advanced Battle Instinct Spell.

He could feel that he wasn’t far from reaching that point.

Every improvement in mana control made the goal seem a little closer, and he was confident the Advanced Battle Instinct Spell would come sooner rather than later.

After dismissing both spells, Alex stretched his shoulders and looked around at the others. They had all finished resting and seemed ready to continue.

"What are your levels?" he asked as he stood up.

Everyone answered one after another. Tine, Kevin, and Rae had all reached Level 4. Robert and Ophelia were at Level 3, while Charlotta and Sophia were still Level 1.

Alex nodded. Priests could level up by healing people, but there seemed to be a condition attached to it. Healing only granted ’progress’ if it happened during a battle or immediately after the fighting ended. Waiting too long before casting the spell didn’t seem to count.

Didn’t that mean Priests would struggle to level later if they stayed away from combat? The same problem would probably apply to any future evolved Class that specialized in support or other non-combat roles.

After thinking about it for a while, Alex came up with a possible explanation. Once someone reached Level 10 and evolved their Class, they would probably start gaining experience through work related to that Class instead of relying only on combat, at least for non-combat Classes. A Priest could level by healing, while other non-combat Classes would likely have their own methods.

As for why that wasn’t possible yet, Alex believed it was part of the System’s design. It wanted to ’filter’ those who could quickly adapt to the new world from those who couldn’t.

That would also explain why the starting Classes didn’t provide any Spell, Skill, or Technique, while evolved Classes almost certainly would. After someone evolved their Class, the System probably considered the initial test complete. At least, that was Alex’s theory.

"Your levels are good. We only need everyone to level up a little more before we can complete my Tutorial Quest," Alex said after finishing his thoughts.

The others nodded. None of them had received another Tutorial Quest after finishing the previous one. That meant either their Tutorials were already complete, or the System was waiting for Alex to finish his own Tutorial Quest before giving the next objective to the entire faction.

"Let’s move—"

Alex stopped in the middle of his sentence as movement caught his eye down the street. He immediately formed a Mana Bullet above his palm, ready to fire if necessary. The others reacted just as quickly, grabbing their weapons and preparing their own abilities without waiting for orders.

A faint smile appeared on Alex’s face. Compared to before, nobody froze or looked around in confusion anymore. They had learned to respond first and ask questions later.

The movement became clearer as four people stepped out of a house near the corner of the road. Walking in front was a tall man with a sturdy build, a neatly kept black beard, and tired but determined eyes. He carried a large backpack on his shoulders and held a metal pipe in one hand.

Behind him walked a blonde woman with swollen red eyes, as though she had cried many times over the past few hours. She carried her own backpack and gripped a kitchen knife tightly.

Between the two adults were twin boys who looked around sixteen or seventeen years old. They had inherited their mother’s blonde hair and their father’s brown eyes, and each carried a backpack along with a metal pipe. Like their parents, they looked exhausted, but unlike them, there was still a faint excitement in their expressions.

The family cautiously approached the general store where Alex’s group was waiting. Alex stepped forward, placing himself between the newcomers and the rest of his companions. They looked like they wanted to join his group, but appearances alone meant very little now.

"Hello, are you heading toward the police station?" the bearded man asked safter stopping several meters away.

Alex quietly increased the output of Battle Instinct Spell as he observed the man. The man’s fear was obvious despite the calm expression he tried to maintain. He was forcing himself to stay composed, most likely so his wife and sons wouldn’t lose heart.

"Yes," Alex replied with a nod. The police station was just beyond Jaelo Supermart, and it was also where Ophelia wanted to go.

"Would it be alright if we came with you?" the man asked. His voice remained steady, but there was still a hint of nervousness behind it.

Alex looked at the man, then at the woman and the two boys. Seeing the silence, the man instinctively stepped slightly forward, placing himself between Alex and his family.

The man spoke, "We have food and some money. If you help us, we can—"

"No, that’s fine. I wasn’t planning to ask for your money or your food," Alex interrupted.

He doubted ordinary money would remain useful for much longer anyway, so there was no point in accepting it.

"You can come with us. We’ll help you if we can. But if I’m forced to choose between helping your family and helping my group, I’ll protect my group first. I want to make that clear before we leave," Alex explained.

His words sounded cold. He normally might not be able to say something so harsh. But Battle Instinct Spell made the decision feel completely reasonable. It was better to be honest now than create false expectations that could cost lives later.

The bearded man held Alex’s gaze for a moment before giving a firm nod.

"I understand. That’s fair," he said as he tightened his grip on the steel pipe.

Alex smiled faintly. The man had confidence despite being afraid, and that made him a valuable prospect to have as an ally. If things went well, Zach could become a useful member of his faction. Now he only needed an opportunity to nudge the man in that direction.

"Alex Mercer. I’m an Ascendant. I’m sure you know what that means. It’s all over the internet by now," Alex said as he extended his hand.

The man shook his hand firmly. "I’m Zach. This is my wife, Rose, and these are my sons, Caleb and Joshua."

..

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