In the training grounds of Gorgon Keep.
The leaders of the Ten-Clan, with heavily bruised faces, knelt in front of Jaehwan.
"Weak."
The leaders shook with shame. No one had ever said such a thing to them until now.
"What have you done in your hundreds of years?"
They wanted to object but couldn't find any words. They had just fought as a group, excluding the 2nd ranked Mukeuk, against a lone Jaehwan. Yong shook at the thought of Jaehwan's stab. Jaehwan turned to Yong and spoke.
"Yong, you are just fast, but that's it."
Yong bowed. Jaehwan then gave advice to everyone else.
"Kanghwang, you have power but are too slow. Ryung, you are agile and have fast reflexes, but weak in endurance. Meng, you think too much before acting. Cayman, you are the best among all here. You have no weakness. But it also means you have no strong point."
Jaehwan then faced all of them.
"And all of you have one common problem. Do you know what that is?"
The leaders waited for Jaehwan to continue.
"You're weak, but still full of yourself."
The leaders frowned at those words. And there were two old men in the distance, watching them. It was Mukeuk and Chunghuh.
"He's right about that."
"Ha! Kid, you said that right!" Chunghuh cackled. He had always wanted to teach a lesson to those Clan Leaders and his wish was now fulfilled.
"You old men are weak too, considering you lived for a thousand years."
"Dammit."
However, Jaehwan was right. By his standards, or even Chunghuh's standards, the current [Depth Expedition Team] was very weak.
'It's worse than the first team from 900 years ago.'
The Ten-Clan of [Chaos] existed 900 years ago. Those Clan Leaders were all 7th stage or higher Adapters with everyone above the 5th rank at the 8th stage. The 1st rank of that time, the former leader of Sky Dragon Clan, was a 9th stage Adapter, with the [Nightmare] Mulack who was much stronger than a 9th stage Adapter.
And they had a hard time in [Depth].
"Do you all remember the 'Hunt'?"
"I do."
By that, Jaehwan meant the operation three days ago that wiped out all of the Golden Sky Clan offices around the region.
"As you know, most of you were either badly injured or almost killed."
Yong, Kanghwang, and the other clan leaders shook at that reminder. They had been shocked by the might of the Golden Sky Clan a few days ago. Yong almost got killed and Meng had been badly injured. They were just hunting down the regional offices and they suffered that many casualties.
Deathly Monsters.
Killing machines with only half of their spirits turning into Dead Man, resulting in a Dead Man with human intelligence. The Clan Leaders then understood how Manticore was taken over by the Golden Sky Clan. Each one of them had the power of a 6th stage Adapter. They had hundreds of those weapons that allowed them to do that.
It was rumored that the Western Fortress of Garuda was facing similar enemies.
"If you are having a hard time against just some clan, how are you going to go on the expedition?"
Jaehwan continued, "As such, you will undergo special training for one week."
The Leaders looked at each other. They understood what Jaehwan said, but they couldn't understand one thing. They knew they had to get strong and that they did not have much time left. But what would just a week of training do for them? Jagel Meng raised his hand to ask.
"Master, can I ask a question?"
Meng immediately became ashamed at raising a hand to ask a question like a little child when he was 400 years old.
"Go on."
"As you know, we are all Adapters."
It was something everyone already knew. The leaders turned to Meng.
"I know that."
"Then I guess you would know that our stage cannot just suddenly increase by themselves."
Stage. From 1 to 15. It was the number that divided Adapters within their respective ranks. Meng continued,
"It takes an average of 10 years for Non-Adapters to become 1st stage Adapters. It then takes 20 years for a 1st stage to move onto the 2nd. It takes 40 years to become 3rd, and 80 years to become 4th. Most humans then die before even reaching the 4th stage."
That was precisely why Adapters at the 4th stage or higher were called 'high-stage Adapters'. There were no humans who were able to survive as an Adapter for 150 years.
"And I believe it's only up to the 7th stage that you can climb by racking up years of training. That's why people consider the 7th stage the limit for a human."
The Leaders of the Ten-Clan were most powerful beings throughout [Chaos]. They were geniuses that reached the 6th or 7th stage faster than others, but they also knew that was their limit.
Jaehwan then asked, "And?"
"I heard that you are an Awakener."
An Awakener. The Leaders were shocked. Some seemed like they had expected it, like Cayman, and some were genuinely shocked, like Ryung. Jaehwan replied, "I don't know, but that's what people in this world call me."
He had no intention to hide it and Meng nodded.
"We do not know much about Awakeners."
They knew a lot about Adapters and Adaptation. But 'Awakening' was a completely different thing. Meng continued, "All I know is just a few rumors. I heard that Awakeners become awakened by some kind of insight into the truth."
Jaehwan then remembered when he first became himself by breaking out of the system.
"What are you getting at?"
"You certainly are aware that we are Adapters, and that we cannot get strong all of a sudden."
"Right."
"Then there's only one answer."
Meng looked straight at Jaehwan and asked, "Are you trying to get us to become Awakeners?"
