Chapter 468 (1/2)
Randidly swore with such passion that Astral Simon jumped to the side, moving his attention a bit farther away from the group. Thea, heedless, continued to cry next to the weird, rotten remnants of Chrysanthemum.
Simon felt somewhat cold for feeling that way, but…
“Will there be enough people to mount a rescue?” Rose wondered aloud. “We need to move fast, either way. Get people at the borders-”
“I’ve no doubt Mrs. Hamilton is moving Squads as we speak.” Alana grunted.
Randidly nodded, his face dark, his eyes intensely focused. He seemed somewhat preoccupied, but Simon watched as he forcibly relaxed, then shook his head somewhat helplessly. He gestured to the group, and they moved somewhat away from Thea, giving her some privacy.
After they moved far enough away that her sobs were no longer audible, the Ghosthound turned and regarded the others, his gaze sharp. “I would like to say something to you all, before we part and begin dealing with the many problems that the days will brings. Especially those of you… I am not very familiar with.”
Simon regarded the group. Aside from the Ghosthound, there was Alana, Annie, Clarissa, and Ptolemy from Donnyton. Rose and Dauntless from the Refuge, although right now, Dauntless looked rather lost, simply following the Ghosthound with wide eyes. Lucifer from Franksburg. Finally, Drake from East End.
Especially the four from other Villages regarded the Ghosthound coolly, Rose especially looking like his tone set her teeth on edge. Apparently noticing the reaction, the Ghosthound raised a hand. “Relax, it’s nothing like… there are no real threats here. Just…”
Pausing, the Ghosthound turned and looked towards the sky. “I just… wanted you all to understand how your lives will change after this.
“It might be different for some of you, but you are about to go back to an old life after you’ve been pushed to the edge of death constantly for a month. That may seem like a short amount of time. And truly, it is. But in the time between who you were prior, and who you are now, there was a moment, perhaps multiple, where you neared your limits and expected to die. Yet you did not.
“Think of that as a marker you have left yourself. One, that if you continue to train and hone your Skills, you can use to propel yourself to greater heights. It is unadulterated power to know how far you are capable of going. A power and a deathly certainty that others won’t have. That certainly will give you an advantage in every aspect of your life, as long as you don’t lose your way. Don’t underestimate the power of what you have experienced.
“The second thing I would like to point out, although you won’t realize it yet, is that your standards have shifted greatly. You might say again, it has only been a month. So I ask you, which of you would fear an ambush from a Raid Boss, at the moment? Tier III, with time to spawn lieutenants? Who believes that we wouldn’t be able to sweep it away like wind through dried leaves?”
No one said anything, just standing there, staring at the Ghosthound. On the faces of a few, Alana and Rose especially, were faces of confusion, wondering, perhaps, where the Ghosthound was going with this sudden monologue.
The Ghosthound continued, saying, “And even if you were alone, who believes they wouldn’t be able to escape? Who here would be flustered by sudden attacks or numbers and lose sight of the larger picture? Who doubts for a second that under fair odds they would be victorious against these common enemies?”
No one said anything, but Rose raised her hand, the corner of her mouth twisted upwards in a smirk. The Ghosthound chuckled and then continued.
“You will know more fully what I mean when you get back. When everyone talks of training, and of small slights between each other, and of the pettiness of living in close proximity with other humans. Which leads me to my third, and final point… without a doubt, we here are the group of the most powerful people in our Zone, likely on Earth.”
Simon shivered, feeling extremely out of place among this crew. The Ghosthound had a point. Although Simon wasn’t sure what these people had gone through, all their armor was scarred, but their faces were even and direct. Their gaze were bright and determined. Now that it was pointed out to him, he could sense from them all a wonderful feeling of certainty. To someone like Simon, who always doubted himself…
It was like poking a million tiny holes in a balloon at night, and it silently collapsed in on itself.
“Let me tell you… it is not what you are expecting. ‘It is lonely at the top,’ is a true sentiment, in a lot of ways.” The Ghosthound looked down at his hand, speculatively, then flexed it. “...It likely sounds trite, to hear it now, but when people look at you, they will no longer see you. They will no longer see your names or identity. No, more than anything else, at the forefront of people’s minds will be your deeds, and from these impressive acts they will form their opinion of you.