Chapter 8
The Strategy group within the War Department’s job is to take note of all the Houses’ private armies, have a data base for their warriors and their skill level, and observe any abnormal activity.
Every consultant is assigned to one of the ten Houses, and once every two weeks, we must compile a report with the findings and present it at a meeting.
There is no way to choose which House I get assigned to. Since I and a couple of others are the newcomers in this group, we are specifically assigned which House to monitor by the Chief.
For once, my luck seems to not have abandoned me, as one of the other new employees gets House of Jubal, while I get the House of Memnon.
I am given a packet with the relevant information regarding the House of Memnon and a checklist of tasks I must perform by the second week mark.
There is one rule, however. None of the information can leave the Central Administration building.
Whereas this would not have normally been an issue, as I read through the material, I realize I have a lot of gaps in knowledge, particularly when it comes to warriors and their skills, and I would have loved to take the files home to pore over them.
All my knowledge is general and comes from publicly-approved textbooks—nothing resembling the terminology used within the Strategy group.
For example, each warrior that has the official status as a Son of Tenebreis has his own file. In it, there is basic information such as the date of birth, location of birth and general remarks regarding upbringing alongside a picture of the warrior.
But as I scan further the more confused I become. Under the general information is a table, and each row has a some acronyms I’ve never heard of.
DOM: Fire CUL: ASC-I. LVL: IX. EXP: 1390.
PHY: 59. VEL: 44. FOR: M. WIL: M. VIT: 154
SRV: 101. ER: 78/h. DPT: 34. ARM: Brahim Sword
DEF: Brahim Shielf. RES: Fire. PSN: N. MIR: N
I can wager a guess for a few of them. LvL is definitely level, a technical term sometimes used interchangeably with gate, and the warrior is at nine, meaning he’s opened his ninth gate—though this is standard of any titled Son of Tenebreis.
EXP is probably experience in battle, so this individual has 1390 years of battle experience.
The others are a bit more fuzzy. ARM could be weapon, and DEF defense, and the report says he has the Braihm attack/defense set. I’ve read about that in textbooks. These weapons are extremely expensive and can only be found in Northern Tartareia, forged with the fire of the Nunco Volcano.
The other acronyms are a mystery to me. But seeing how I am a beginner at this job, I can ask for guidance, no?
Arranging the files in my desk and placing them under a mystical case flowing with spiritual energy to guard them, I get up and look for an experienced member of the team.
We’d done the introductions earlier, so I vaguely know who could help me, a fellow named Elysand.
“Excuse me,” I say after I find him in one of the other surveillance rooms. “I have a question regarding the statistics sheets for the warriors.”
His eyes widen and a big smile spreads across his face.
“I knew you would be curious about it. You’re probably not the only one. Let me get the other rookies.”
Before I can even explain my quandary, he calls up all the rookies and takes us to a locked room down the hallway.
As we enter, I note there’s no one inside. The room is small, with only a round platform in the middle.
“The treaty between the Houses states that once a warrior advances to the status of Son of Tenebreis, they must report to the War Department for registration. This means they go up on that platform, and our system measures their abilities. However,” the supervisor pauses.
“We cannot force these warriors to come in and measure their abilities regularly as per the treaty. If they so desire, they can come in voluntarily, though that is not encouraged by their Houses. After all, data is power.” He smiles at us.
“That is why we have you. Your job is to constantly observe and update the statistics of the warriors assigned to you. Although it is not as exact as our system, it is the best way through which we can surveil them without breaking the treaty.”
“Now, you’ve heard the Chief. Any sudden spike in power that is incongruent with the chart is cause for concern.
Although they are not obligated to submit to a new measurement, all warriors who level up must declare it.
But make no mistake, most will not declare it.
The Houses prefer to keep their best warriors hidden to keep an advantage in case of war.
Our job is to make sure we have all the available information should such a war start. ”
“If you see a spike, you present it at once. Afterwards, the warrior has a fortnight to declare his advancement. If that does not happen, the War Department will start an investigation into the matter and your job will be to gather undeniable evidence that the warrior in question has indeed leveled up before going through the proper channels to raise the matter with their particular House.”
One of the rookies raises his hand. “Uhm, what happens if we do find the evidence and they have still not declared themselves?”
“A trial,” Elysand answers. “And if the War Department finds out that the warrior and his House have colluded to keep the information purposefully hidden, the warrior can be stripped of his new level.”
Everyone is quiet, staring in shock at Elysand.
“You can strip someone of a level?” I whisper.
“Indeed. We have not yet found a way to strip a warrior who’s already reached the ninth level, as there seems to be some type of spiritual evolution that occurs at that moment that binds the energy with the soul.
You can think of it as a blank state. Once a warrior reaches the ninth level, they become a new being.
Every level that is built on top of that is easily undone as long as we act within a certain time frame while the spiritual energy is still volatile. ”
“What is the timeline for that?” The same rookie from before asks.
“A total of eight weeks,” Elysand answers gloomily. “That means the special investigation into a specific warrior must be wrapped within four weeks afterward. It is preferred if you do it much earlier to allow for any bureaucratic delays or mistakes.”
“What do those special investigations involve?” I ask curiously.
“You will know when the time comes. That is mainly because each warrior is different and the moment a special investigation is approved, you will work with other members of the team to design the best approach.”
I nod. That doesn’t seem too bad as long as I have the support of the other members.
“I have another question.” The same rookie from before, whose name I now learn is Pekko says. “How do warriors suddenly advance from one level to another?”
“Good question. Usually it is linear, which makes our job much easier.” Elysand laughs.
“However, there are instances in which a warrior might use underhanded methods to advance fast. There are mystical items that can accelerate the process, some of which are considered illegal and taboo, as well as…” He pauses.
“The consumption of another Tartareian with spiritual energy, which is strictly prohibited. If this is the case, then we’re not talking about stripping them of their new levels anymore. The punishment is death.”
I listen in shock to information I could not find in any textbook. There are mystical items that can help one level up? And if one consumes another spiritual being one can gain their spiritual energy?
In a way, it makes sense. Pure-blooded Tartareians feed on soul energy, so it stands to reason that the more powerful a soul, the more energy they would gain from its consumption.
But this is the first time I hear of the possibility of consuming another Tartareian…
I thought our kind only consumed mortal souls.
Since it’s so prohibited, it makes sense why the information wouldn’t be widely available. It makes me wonder how I could use this to aid in my own advancement.
Really, Nykander? You can barely fight a mortal, how would you fight a spiritually advanced being.
I shake my head ruefully. That would never happen. I don’t even know if I would dare hurt someone intentionally for the sole purpose of consuming their energy. Never mind the fact that the punishment for it is death.
But those mystical items… Maybe I can get more information on what they are and how they could help me. Maybe…
“Uhm, about those stats on the sheets,” I interrupt with a raised hand. I still need to know what each means.
“Yes.” Elysand nodes. “That is why you are here. You can each go onto the platform and get a reading of your stats.”
I blink. I did not expect…that.
The other rookies did not either, all of them staring in wonder for a few seconds. But soon their expressions were filled with anticipation.
“Who wants to go first?” Elysand looks from one rookie to the other until one of them steps forward and volunteers.
The first to step onto the platform is named Urland. A blue light descends from the ceiling onto the edges of the platform, trapping him inside. It seems as though the particles of light permeate each cell in his body, moving around at high velocity.
In a matter of seconds, a see-through screen appears in front of the platform, and the same stats as before are written in a saturated blue color.
His level is four, but his experience is zero. That makes sense. The other stats quickly fill up, and though they’re not as high as the warrior’s sheet I read before, they’re quite impressive for a mere functionary.
The second to go onto the platform is Pekko. His experience is zero, but his level is also four. I don’t bother reading the other lines since I am not sure what they mean…yet.
The third is a fellow named Abram. His level is a surprising five!
And then it’s my turn. I walk toward the platform apprehensively, since I know I don’t have any gate open.
As I settle onto the platform, those blueish beams of light surround me, moving all around my body.
The same transparent screen appears, and my stats are now written there for everyone to see.
DOM: N/A. CUL: 0. LVL: 0. EXP: 0.
PHY: 0. VEL: 0. FOR: 0. WIL: 0.
VIT: 0. SRV: 0. ER: 0 DPT: 0
ARM: N/A. DEF: N/A RES: N/A
PSN: N MIR: N
Everyone gasps in shock.
I glance away, embarrassed. At the very least I’d hoped that whatever spiritual energy my father left me behind would amount to something. But seeing as all my stats are zero, or simply absent…
Damn it! How pathetic am I?
I expected it, but it doesn’t sting any less. Yet it does offer some type of information. The spiritual energy my father left me is not technically within me as I’d previously believed. It’s some type of shield around my body that this technology cannot recognize because it does not come from me.
“Zero? Zero level?” One of the rookies, Pekka I think, comments. “How did you get hired?”
The others join in the conversation, at first surprised, but that surprise quickly turns into mockery as they laugh about my pathetic stats.
Same here. I’m laughing internally, I promise, I add drily to myself.
“Zero?” Elysand stares in shock. But he soon catches himself and laughs it off awkwardly. “I have never seen someone with a level zero. How old are you, Nykander?”
“I will be three thousand years old in two weeks,” I answer quietly.
“That is… Unexpected. I have never seen someone reach that age with no spiritual energy at all,” he adds pensively. “Of course, I am not undermining your abilities for the job. You passed the exam on your own strength. But it will be slightly difficult for you to do some of the field missions.”
“I can handle them,” I quickly say, afraid that somehow my position is now in jeopardy. “I’ll work double. No, triple. I promise I won’t let you down.”
Elysand shakes his head. “I am not worried about that. Just your safety. Of course we don’t have any level requirements for joining our Department, but it is expected one would at least be a level three.”
I step down from the platform, even more dejected than before.
“I’ll do my best, I promise,” I say again as I stop in front of Elysand.
He pats me on the shoulder and nods. “I’m sure you’ll try.”
The others are still snickering and joking about me, and Elysand tells them they’re free to return to their positions. But as I turn to do the same, he stops me.
“You will have to be careful, Nykander. The danger doesn’t always come from the outside.”
I blink. “What do you mean?”
“To be weak in our world…” he trails off.
“I understand.” I let out a breath. To be weak in our world is a sin. And my colleagues’ reactions are proof of that. “I will be careful.”
He nods, and is about to dismiss me.
“Uhm, I have one more question.”
He raises his brows and awaits for me to continue.
A little apprehensive about my lack of knowledge—although I shouldn’t be considering my lack of…everything—I ask my original question.
“What do the other stats mean? Individually. I could only understand a couple.”
Elysand stares at me in confusion before he sighs and shakes his head.
“All right, let’s go through them one by one, although you should have learned this in your previous education.”
DOM: Domain
CUL: Cultivation
LVL: Level
EXP: Experience
PHY: Physicality
VEL: Velocity
FOR: Fortitude
WIL: Will Power
VIT: Vital Energy
SRV: Soul Reserve
ER: Energy Recovery
DPT: Domain Potency
ARM: Armament
DEF: Defensive Armament
RES: Resistence
PSN: Poison Resistence
MIR: Mirror Resistence
He is kind enough to tell me what everything means and I listen carefully, committing everything to memory.
I exit the room with more knowledge than before, yet I can’t help feeling that I did something wrong.