Part one:

  Once Zafer walked through the portal, he exchanged another glance with Luch, both nodding in recognition.

  Will they ever see each other? Nobody knew.

  Zafer didn’t dare interrupt such an understanding parting just to ask for Luch’s contact.

  The old man’s mind seemed preoccupied the entire time, showing little interest in Zafer’s affairs.

  On the other hand, Zafer was very thirsty to learn about his savior.

  Who was he, to be so strong at such an old age? What kind of weapon was Das Luci and why did Luch wield it?

  Although Divines were rare, Zafer saw plenty: Biotoxin, 137, 40, Rod and Lieutenant Hammerman’s.

  Nevertheless, none of them came close to Das Luci. A 2-meter-long halberd, which was definitely not something anyone could wield.

  How come he never heard of such a weapon existing before?

  There could only be 2 reasons for that.

  Either nobody knew, or Zafer hadn’t interacted enough with other paladins to hear about such things.

  This suddenly reminded him of something. His S-mails!

  Since Skil moved to the Gathering Hub, Zafer never once checked his S-mails.

  He stretched, letting out an exhausting exhale.

  The east side of the sky was noticeably brighter than the west side. The day would break soon so there was no point in searching for an inn to spend the night at.

  Well, not like he would disturb someone’s sleep to ask them for a room anyway.

  He walked through the narrow but meticulous streets of the capital.

  They were built out of a special white cobblestone, arranged so neatly that someone would think the street was made yesterday.

  And not only the streets but also the buildings.

  Unlike Razihelnor, most houses here were three stories tall, showing the aristocracy.

  Indeed, the residents of the capital were wealthier on average compared to any other place.

  Zafer approached the edge of a street and sat on a balustrade— his legs hanging in the air.

  Beneath him was yet another street that went parallel to a huge river.

  He summoned his Miyalin bag and pulled out a wooden box where he neatly kept all his S-mails.

  There weren’t many.

  The first one he grabbed was the one he shared with Bokhi, and it contained an unread message. Just as expected.

  It was about a new grinder he planned to construct as soon as he collected enough money for the flame flower saplings.

  This reminded Zafer about the fortune he carried with him, plundered from a random base beneath the Koth mountains.

  Until now he didn’t have time to think about what he wanted to do with the flame flower seeds.

  Selling them illegally would be dangerous since he himself had no connections, and constructing his own grinder was also an achievement out of his league.

  No matter how he contemplated it, the most secure and logical decision was to give them to someone who knew what they were doing.

  Someone like Bokhi.

  The guy was nice and caring, taking Zafer into his close circle expecting no compensation and with maximal trust.

  Zafer felt he would lose a part of his identity if he didn’t give the same in return.

  Yes, he would also profit from the stolen flowers when the grinder gets built, but founding an official faction was Bokhi’s dream, and Zafer had the resources he was missing.

  After carefully contemplating what to write, Zafer folded the script and put it back in the wooden box where it would wait for a response.

  Aside from Bokhi, nobody else wrote anything to Zafer. Not even Luch, which was weird since they had a great time together the last time they saw each other.

  That was until Zafer checked the last S-mail. The one he shared with Semi.

  The last time they saw each other was in the previous grinder, and the last mail exchanged between them, was when Zafer found out that Semi raided it.

  The thought of Semi crossed his mind countless times, and he tried to excuse what he had done, but only one obvious explanation stood out.

  He betrayed them.

  The mere idea of this was frightening, and there was nothing Zafer could do to make Semi respond to his mails.

  It appeared as if he had completely cut the contact between them, until now.

  “I don’t want to excuse what I did but don’t think there was no reason behind it. You shouldn’t think of Bokhi so highly and nicely. He is a manipulator. He would sacrifice half of your trust to gain half of someone else’s.

  Me and Bokhi built the grinder together, but he chose who else could have access to it.

  The only person who had the TP access to the grinder at my request was the Lieutenant—and for a good reason.

  While I am open about my affairs with the Nubians, he maintains a friendly facade with everyone while secretly supporting Temper.

  From now on, I will be progressing my way, with the capable people with who I can negotiate”.

  Zafer reread the message a second time and then folded the S-mail, switching his gaze to the river ahead. The water was very calming.

  No matter how hard he pondered, he couldn’t make sense of what Semi said about Bokhi. Perhaps the guy was indeed a bit fake, but… that’s exactly what was required to have many allies and no enemies.

  Bokhi’s politics was good, and he knew what he was doing. Everything was for him to fulfill his dream, which was alright from Zafer’s standpoint.

  It’s only natural for everyone to value their own needs over those of others.

  Perhaps the real conflict arose from their similar personalities.

  Both Semi and Bokhi were born leaders but with different ideologies and political orientations. They couldn't lead the same faction.

  Cold air dispersed from Zafer’s mouth as he exhaled. The sun appeared on the horizon already.

  His gaze got immersed in the colorful canvas that was sprayed around the uprising sun.

  It was then that his focus shifted to the wall of a belfry beside him. There was a poster “Wanted Alive” on it displaying a very familiar figure with a reward of 1 million units.

  His eyes reluctantly widened in disbelief.

  “Mio!”

  The main reason why no paladin wanted to work for National Security was due to it not being worth it.

  As a paladin, one was under huge physical and mental stress, with their life being endangered. Daily.

  Nevertheless, they also made a lot of money and fame, and one could acquire many things from those two.

  National Security members on the other hand could never achieve the wealth of paladins, while their jobs were way more demanding and riskier.

  Yes, they made more money than regular citizens, but it was still nothing compared to the dangers of their daily jobs.

  On top of that, working as an NS member was usually a solo job, where one would not get the feeling of affiliation paladins do.

  Nevertheless, the looks of their headquarters didn’t give off that feeling at all.

  It was a huge building, made out of gilded white marble, surrounded by gardens all connected by narrow paved roads.

  The entrance was enormous, large enough for even a Minotaur to pass through, and it was guarded by four ordinary policemen.

  Zafer chuckled.

  Was it necessary for policemen to guard the headquarters of the strongest people on the planet?

  Yet, this could be a problem.

  Obviously, they were there for a reason, and it was to prevent anyone from walking inside.

  Zafer had a reason to enter but didn’t want to cause a scene, especially due to his white hair. Regular people don’t usually have positive prejudices when they see him.

  He pondered for a second on how to approach this situation when he saw another guy to his left wearing a neat uniform.

  He had grey hair and smoked a pipe under the shade of a tree. His eyes scanned an article in his hands, pausing carefully on each word.

  Zafer approached him.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Hey”, he called over, but the guy merely lifted his gaze.

  “Do you happen to work for the National Security? If yes, I would like to ask you for a favor”.

  The hand holding the articles slid beside the guy’s body, allowing Zafer to catch a quick glimpse of its content.

  It displayed a couple of sentences but mostly drawings of human organs and body parts, labeled “Autopsy for beginners”.

  “Depending on the favor, I might not work today”, he placed the pipe on his teeth.

  “I came from Razihelnor to apply for a job at the National Security. I was wondering if you could get me inside and show me where to go”.

  A thick plume of smoke drifted into the air as the man exhaled. Releasing the pipe from his grip, he pulled out a watch from his pocket.

  The break was almost over anyway.

  “Come”, he turned his back to Zafer and headed to the entrance.

  The guards greeted the guy with a soft nod while ignoring Zafer.

  Once the shadow of the temple fell on them, it became obvious there was no way anyone could manage around here. It was a labyrinth!

  The entry hall was enormous and at least 4 stories tall, all coated with terraces and stairs on the inside. Not to mention the countless corridors that stretched in each direction without a single sign or guide mark.

  If he could at least get to a reception and explain what he wanted it would be half work done.

  “What kind of job-“, the guy's words were cut in terror as a horned monster fell in front of them, landing gently and meticulously on the marble.

  On the other hand, a slight smile stretched on Zafer’s face.

  “Laura!”

  She was well.

  Aside from the 2 twisted goat-like horns on her forehead, her appearance didn't change much.

  The double-button uniform neatly outlined her body contours while the octopus badge above her breast emitted a strong sharp aura.

  “Hey”, she greeted them both.

  Zafer was about to speak but another girl appeared the same way Laura did, landing right next to her.

  She had purple-pink hair like Neimell and wore a half-transparent tulle dress of the same color. With a bit of attention, one would notice pieces of Miyalin's armor beneath, covering her vital parts.

  Her pitch-black eyes, shadowed by dark circles, locked onto Laura's horns the moment she landed—her slim fingers tracing them with gentle, scratching movements.

  “I knew I picked your smell! What are you doing here?”, she asked curiously, completely neglecting the purple-haired girl.

  The grey-haired guy frowned slightly, still not daring to move a muscle.

  “She recognized his smell? And what kind of smell was that exactly?”

  Zafer frowned as well, “Didn’t Mio or Wabler tell you? I came to join the National Security”.

  “Nope”, she blurted instantly.

  “Do you remember anything?”, he was curious about what it felt like to go inverse.

  This time, Laura pondered for a second before answering.

  “I remember I caused you guys some trouble”.

  “You knocked me out cold! Almost killed me”, Zafer added with a sharp voice expecting some condolence, but instead a smile lingered on her face, not commenting on that further.

  She bent her head lightly noticing the grey-haired guy who was still standing frozen in space.

  “You. What are you doing? Isn’t your break over?”

  The guy flicked taking a deep breath, “Yes Ma’am!”. Without wasting a second, he turned around but almost bumped into another man.

  He was blonde, tall but lean, carrying a huge sword on his back. That was his supervisor.

  An awkward silence echoed as their eyes met until he hesitantly stepped around the man and ran back to his duty.

  “Haze, have you heard?”, Laura called the blonde man over, “You might get another loyal Exterminator!”

  Haze didn’t even glance at Zafer before turning around and declaring his thoughts.

  “He is too weak”.

  This caught Zafer off guard. How could he tell? Should he protest? Joining the National Security was something he was already committed to.

  Nevertheless, before he could come up with anything to say, the man was already outside

  “Ugh… cocky…”, Laura forced a smile.

  “Who is he?”, Zafer couldn’t help but ask.

  “He is the captain of the second Extermination Unit. As far as I know, they and the first Extermination Unit are the only ones accepting new members”.

  Zafer’s heart sank.

  “Extermination Unit? Aren’t they responsible for hunting apparitions?”

  Laura nodded letting out a soft hum.

  This was when Zafer’s determination to join the National Security and hence become stronger got tested.

  “But… isn’t that one of the most dangerous jobs? How about I join your unit?”

  Laura’s head fell, “You are joking, right? Nobody is forcing you to join. Haze was right about what he said about you anyway”.

  Hearing this again made him greet his teeth in frustration while trying to keep a calm face.

  He already knew he was weak. That’s the whole reason why he wanted to join in the first place!

  “I want to join”.

  Laura put the fingers of her hands together, “Alright! Let me write an S-mail to the executive director”.

  She pulled out a thin wooden case from her uniform. It contained a couple of S-mails, a pen and ink, which was everything she needed to start writing.

  All three of them stood there in silence, and Zafer’s eyes couldn’t help but fall on the purple-haired girl.

  She was as tall as Zafer and was very pretty and solemn. Was she even a paladin?

  Zafer’s gaze drifted down her face to the octopus badge pinned to her flat chest. The emblem had four curling tentacles, saying more about her than her looks.

  She was a Threat Level 4.

  It was only then that Zafer realized that he had never seen a Threat Level 2 before. Did such a thing even exist?

  It made sense from a numerical perspective, but what about the strength? Were Threat Level 2 humans strong enough to complete their duties?

  What about Threat Level 1?

  What Threat Level would he be assigned if he gets recruited? This was an even better question since it would unravel his deepest doubts.

  How strong or weak was he compared to the others?

  At that moment his ear stiffened and his skin prickled.

  Two pairs of eyes were staring at him—Laura and the purple-haired girl, neither moving an inch.

  Only then did it dawn on Zafer that his eyes were focused on the girl's chest the whole time he pondered.

  “Nice badge”, he blushed but was too tired to force a realistic grin like Banana.

  A smug smile stretched across Laura’s lips, while the purple-haired girl maintained her poker expression.

  She lowered her hand from Laura’s horn, after which a tattoo appeared on her face, and before a second could pass she completely disappeared from the scene.

  That was so fast!

  “What kind of TP was that?”, Zafer was astonished. It was almost instant.

  Laura shrugged her shoulders, “That’s what it means to be the richest person in the world I guess”.

  Hearing this a chill went down Zafer’s spine. She was the wealthiest person in the world? Even wealthier than Ika?

  What did that take? How come he had never heard about these people before?

  “Come, grab my hand now”, Laura stretched out her arm.

  Zafer hesitated for a moment, “Why?”

  “We need to measure the strength of your Anomalies”.

  There were special artifacts used for measuring Anomalous intensity and there was only a couple of them.

  Zafer never got to measure his, but this was a perfect time for it, since never before was he as passionate about gaining strength as he was now.

  “What if they are too weak?”, he carefully placed his hand onto Laura’s, avoiding any sudden movement.

  A tattoo appeared on Laura’s body as her eyes widened revealing her slit pupils and greenish-yellow eyes.

  “They definitely are! But don’t worry, I just vouched for you to the executive director. This is just a procedure”.

  “Why did you vouch for me?”, a warm feeling engulfed him from the inside hearing Laura’s words.

  All the colors around them shifted in hue as they appeared in a circular room with many windows and shelves in between them.

  Zafer climbed onto his toes to catch a glance outside. They were in one of the towers of the headquarters building and a large portion of the capital was visible.

  An interesting observation was that there were no doors in this room, meaning one could only enter via TP.

  “Isn’t that what you wanted? It will also cost the senate a lot of money which is good!”

  “Senate? Doesn't the National Security found these things?”

  Laura smiled while rummaging through artifacts and scripts, “Yes, but who do you think funds the National Security?”

  Zafer raised his eyebrow, “And you want them to suffer financially?”

  “Yep. They are not what they used to be. Look at what they did to Mio”.

  Zafer’s heart skipped a beat. He totally forgot about the poster he saw that morning. Was Mio really sued for something?

  As far as he knew, Mio never socialized with anyone in particular aside from Laura. They belonged to the same unit after all.

  “I saw a poster this morning. What happened?”

  Laura’s eyes shone as she found what she was looking for. It was a transparent sphere wrapped inside of a handkerchief.

  “They charged him with using anomaly and performance-enhancing drugs”.

  Zafer’s breath hitched at those words, a flicker of disbelief crossing his eyes, as he watched Laura unwrap the sphere artifact.

  How could anyone determine if Mio used anomaly-enhancing drugs?

  He, Laura, and Wabler were the 3 strongest National Security members, and none of them ever said anything bad about each other, let alone lie.

  The stronger one got the more difficult it was to tell if they were a natural or not, so who was so strong to question Mio’s power?

  This sounded very shady to Zafer, and Laura’s attitude confirmed it, not wanting to comment further but only focusing on the sphere artifact in her hands.

  It contained 4 pointers of varying shapes and thickness, each one emerging from the very center of the ball, floating inside.

  The ball also had 11 longitudes, each resembling an anomaly, as well as 10 latitudes on each hemisphere. 22 in total.

  Those resembled 11 different intensity units an Anomaly could have: from 2 to 24.

  The widest longitude at the equator was designated 24 Verms, while those around the poles 2 Verms.

  “Place your fingers on the sphere so that they don’t obstruct the view that much. The upper hemisphere is for normal anomalies while the lower one is for euclid. The pointers represent the primary, secondary, and tertiary anomaly respectively”.

  Zafer took a step forward and then did as Laura instructed. The sphere glowed a little, and the pointers went crazy, spinning in every direction, even colliding with one another.

  Nevertheless, Zafer’s mind wasn’t present in the room.

  Despite previously being excited about measuring his anomalies, he couldn’t stop thinking about Mio.

  “Those charges don’t make any sense. Mio was so against drugs that every time we spoke, he couldn’t help but mention how much he despised their influence in the paladin society. As far as I know him, that is his whole personality”, Zafer finally let his opinion out, “He never even wanted to associate with junkies, always harassing and badmouthing them”.

  This was true.

  Mio was responsible for teaching Zafer many things about what it meant to be a strong and capable warrior, one of which was the topic of drugs.

  Zafer knew everything about them, from the effects they gave, to how to spot who was abusing them.

  It was a very valuable knowledge, since even among experienced paladins, only a handful knew how to distinguish naturals from junkies.

  Laura let out a soft laugh, “Don’t be so sure. He associated with you after all”.

  Zafer lifted his gaze to face Laura, and she did the same to face Zafer.

  They stared at each other for a few seconds before Laura’s words sunk into Zafer’s head.

  “What did you say to me?”

  Their auras clashed, creating a rose of winds in that small room. This was the first time Laura felt Zafer’s aura, and it was due to intimidation and many complex emotions that were boiling within him this whole time.

  “What? Wasn’t it obvious already?”, a smile stretched over her face, “Your hair is white, and you don’t remember anything from your past, don’t you?”

  Zafer knew how much stronger Laura was, but he couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of her mouth.

  She acted all good and nice by vouching for him in front of the executive director of National Security, and even shared how she secretly despises the senate, yet insults him like this?

  Many people negatively prejudged Zafer, but he never expected to need to make excuses to a paladin, especially to someone like Laura.

  After all, she also possessed the Almighty Eye anomaly.

  The topic of his memory loss was a painful subject for him since he couldn't remember his childhood or his parents, which had a very negative effect on his mental health. Even today.

  “My memory is disrupted because of my euclid anomaly. I don’t think I need to explain that. Especially not to”.

  “I am not saying the Almighty Eye activation cannot cause memory loss. I am aware of that very well, but that’s not why you lost your memory”, she continued, “You also weren’t born with white hair, but black. It turned white after an anomaly was sealed away from your soul”.

  The sealing ritual was indeed real, and it was usually performed on criminals who abused their anomalies for sinister intentions.

  Anomalies were directly tied to one's soul, and as a consequence of this procedure, one's hair would permanently turn white, marking them for the rest of their life.

  Zafer lowered his head, “What are you even saying? Where is this coming from?”

  Instead of answering, Laura just pointed toward the sphere artifact.

  A pointer symbolizing the primary anomaly, pointed at the upper hemisphere, along the eighth longitude.

  A regular anomaly, Iron Fist with an intensity of 11 Verms.

  The second pointer, symbolizing the secondary anomaly, pointed at the lower hemisphere along the eleventh longitude.

  A euclid anomaly, Almighty Eye with an intensity of 13 Verms.

  An important note here was that it would have displayed 11 Verms, had Simra not helped Zafer unlock the Insight ability on the day of Skil’s burial.

  Nevertheless, the remaining 2 pointers both aimed at the pole of the upper hemisphere.

  Poles were where all the longitudes intersected and weren’t designated an intensity in Verms.

  Zafer paused for a moment, swallowing his rather hostile words towards Laura.

  “What does this mean?”

  Laura’s nail touched the upper pole, “They are pointing at the pole, which means they are absent”.

  Cold sweat washed over Zafer’s body, trying to make sense of everything.

  According to Mio, there were a couple of types of anomaly-enhancing drugs, all of which had devastating side effects, yet none of them could erase someone’s memory.

  Except one. The most sinister and omnipotent drug, that granted its victim the power of every existing anomaly, on a very high intensity (above 17) during its duration.

  It was kind of like going inverse, except the power-up was instantaneous and one got to retain their humanity.

  Nevertheless, it had an excellent chance of triggering permanent memory loss, personality disorder, and even a heavy disability or death.

  There was no denying it—neither Laura’s claims nor the pointers.

  Has Zafer’s life been a lie, and what portion of it? Who else knew about it, and why did nobody ever mention it? Not even Semi.

  He closed his eyes, gently grabbing his head and taking a deep breath, but the noise within grew stronger until finally, everything went silent.