Smiling innocently at Raven, the purple stickman beamed. Raven, on the other hand, had a flood of thoughts racing through his mind like a galloping horse. He stared at him in puzzlement.
"How's my new life? Why would he ask that kind of question? Is he a regressor like me? How does he know I regressed? Who is he?" A storm of questions swirled in Raven's head.
"What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.
"What do I mean? You and I are the same, you can feel the tether between us," the purple stickman said.
So he is a regressor… that makes two of us. Raven studied him carefully.
"The name's Wolfton. Wolfton McLaren." He extended his hand.
"Raven Stoneheart," Raven replied, shaking it.
"…So, what do you intend to do in this life?" Raven asked.
"What else, though exhausting…" Wolfton said, smiling faintly. "I intend to become the greatest adventurer of all time, slaying the mightiest Kaijus, Mystic Beasts, and Mega Faunas. I want my name to resonate throughout history." His eyes gleamed with hope.
Raven's face darkened. His fist clenched.
"That's what you want? Fame? After what the Archmage did, all you can think about is fame? I can't believe this. You and I are nothing alike." His voice rose, nearly shouting.
Other test applicants turned their heads, staring at them with judgmental eyes.
Wolfton tilted his head, confused.
"What are you saying? What did the Archmage do, and why should I be concerned?" he asked coldly.
"Whose champion are you again?"
"Eh… Ch-champion? You're talking about that…" Raven stammered, startled. His eyes widened in realization.
Did I misunderstand what he said? I didn't… right?
Wolfton stared at him with glassy, cold eyes, so sharp they could make the earth swallow a man whole.
"Sigh… I was right. You're new to this. You've yet to fully sense the other champions." Wolfton's lips curled into a smug smile.
"Do you have the heritage of a celestial who can see the future or something?".
"Forget what I said earlier. It's nothing." Raven said.
"Well, one piece of advice," Wolfton said firmly. "If you see any independent champion, especially those who champion the same god as you, run. You're not strong enough to take them on."
"Huh? What are you saying?"
"Champions attack other champions to take their core shards. That's how they increase their heritage faster. Most of the time, a god has more than one champion. But the one who defeats the others, claiming their shards, becomes the sole champion. The rest die." Wolfton's voice was calm, almost casual.
"I, for one, have another champion who shares my heritage. One day, I'll have to fight him. Until then, I'll grow stronger."
Raven stared silently, his mind turning.
Do I also have someone who shares my heritage? Will I have to fight them too? But… He glanced at Wolfton suspiciously.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Whatever thoughts you're having, I'm not interested in your core shard. You'd barely increase my essence," Wolfton said flatly.
Raven's brow creased. He smiled bitterly.
"But I bet yours will."
"Ha! That's if you can even scratch me. Well, until next time, edgelord, it's my turn." Wolfton smirked, standing up and walking toward the arena.
"Tch!" Raven's lips curled in annoyance. He pulled up the system interface.
Name: Wolfton McLaren
Status: Awakened champion
Level: ???
Heritage: ???
Now he knew why he had felt uneasy about Wolfton earlier in the lobby. But it still angered him, the system refused to reveal Wolfton's details, reminding him just how weak he was.
Raven's gaze shifted to the arena. Wolfton was stretching, smirking in anticipation. The female applicant before him clenched her fists in quiet fury as she read the card handed to her. Her lips trembled with suppressed sadness.
Raven could only imagine what rank she received, but judging by her expression, it wasn't any better than the previous year. He knew that feeling all too well. Once, he had been a great swordsman, but compared to others, he was painfully weak.
He never broke past the Soul Stage, even after four years of training with the army. He knew the bitterness of stagnation, the frustration of limits. He felt pity for her.
Down in the arena, Wolfton was having the time of his life. Holographic beasts fell like flies, dissipating into blue dust under his blade.
"Be purified by the sword of justice! Let your putrid souls be cleansed! Oh ye monsters of horror, see light and return not to darkness!" Wolfton chanted dramatically, slashing down the holographic monsters.
"What's with him? Why's he saying all that? It sounds so cliché." Raven grimaced.
He studied Wolfton's movements closely. The swordplay was swift yet precise, each strike hitting a critical point.
"He's not using mana at all. Is it because his opponents are Great Normals? But they're high-ranked ones, some said to rival Mega Faunas… Hm…"
For reasons he couldn't explain, Raven's chest burned with a need to surpass him. Maybe it was because they were both champions, but Wolfton's every move seemed to scream: I'm better than you.
Raven clenched his fists.
"So that's the game you wanna play, huh? Well… challenge accepted."