Sora was speechless for a moment. He hadn't expected to meet a Gold rank so soon, in the middle of the street, let alone know his first name. Nor did he expect there to be just one in the whole Order.

Seeing Sora's stunned expression, Jarek let out a small laugh. "Surprised? You see, kid, I'm actually pretty special in the Order. I suppose meeting someone like me on the street must shake you up a bit, right?" added Jarek, hands in his pockets, his smirk still present. "But you'd better pull yourself together. If you want to stand out here, you'll need a lot more than a protective ring and an alert mind."

Sora swallowed, trying to control the wave of admiration and apprehension rising within him. "And... why are you interested in me, exactly?"

Jarek raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "Because you're an interesting being, kid. A guy without Ushi, who's already starting to get noticed, that's rare. Besides, let's just say I've got a soft spot for those who make the effort to climb without the usual tools."

Sora shuddered. Jarek may not have been hostile, but he wasn't an ordinary person to be taken lightly either. This kind of encounter could just as easily push him over the edge or trap him in unexpected situations.

"So, tell me, Sora. How far do you want to go?" asked Jarek as he leaned against a wall, his piercing gaze fixed on him.

Sora took a breath. "As high as I can. I want to discover all the Tower's secrets. And I need to find someone in the Tower too."

Jarek squinted, as if assessing Sora's sincerity. After a moment's silence, he straightened up, his face marked by a mixture of amusement and gravity.

"Finding someone, eh? That makes your quest even more interesting," he said. "Most people climb for power, wealth, or simply to survive. You seem to have a more personal goal. But on the other hand, I'm quite surprised, don't you want to become the King of this Tower?"

Not really knowing how to answer, Sora searched for words for a few moments. "Honestly, I don't know what it means to become King of the Tower, so I guess I don't really want something I don't understand."

Jarek gave a short, almost mocking laugh. "Well, at least you're honest. Most people have no idea what it means either, but that doesn't stop them from dreaming of that throne." He fixed him with a puzzled look. "But the Tower doesn't need reasonable people, it needs people who dare. What's at the top is beyond imagination, and only those willing to give up everything to get there stand a chance."

Sora shuddered at these words. Jarek spoke of the top of the Tower as if it were more than just a goal. As if it were a world apart, a mystery he himself couldn't understand.

"If you don't want to be King, then I suggest you think hard about your reasons for climbing," Jarek continued, his tone becoming more serious. "There's no turning back once you're high enough. Every floor you pass requires a sacrifice, and you'll have to be prepared to give far more than you currently possess."

Sora lowered his eyes, absorbing Jarek's words. Would this ambition to discover the Tower's secrets, this need to find Rin, be enough to face what lay ahead? The idea of sacrificing everything chilled him, but he couldn't bring himself to give up.

"You already seem quite determined, so consider this a friendly warning," added Jarek, with a gleam of understanding in his eyes. "You'll have allies, enemies, and even things inside you you won't understand. But if you go on, be sure you do it for a reason that's worthwhile, because the Tower is relentless. It tests not only your strength, but also your determination."

"Don't worry about me, I don't intend to flinch at the first obstacle." Sora replied, feeling his confidence grow inside him.

"I see... I like people like you." Jarek smiled at Sora's determined reply. He watched him for a moment, then nodded slowly, obviously satisfied.

"However, what did you mean when you said my Ushi was my main asset?" Sora added, still pondering his statement.

Jarek leaned forward slightly, his gaze scanning the surroundings as if making sure no one else was listening. "Look around you," he said, pointing to the other inhabitants and the Mercenary Order that could be seen at the end of the street. "All these guys depend on their Ushi. They think they've got everything they need, that they're powerful, invincible. But in reality, many of them are so focused on their power that they don't see their weaknesses. They're predictable, predictable to the point where any kid with a little gumption could beat them."

Sora felt a glimmer of interest rise in him. "You mean, without Ushi, I'm less predictable?"

"Exactly," replied Jarek, his tone more serious this time. "You have no magical powers, no special abilities. But that means your enemies don't know what to expect from you. You have the opportunity to fight with your own intelligence, to play on surprise. When you're not playing by everyone else's rules, you can adapt to all kinds of situations."

"I don't have any special abilities, but my enemies have no idea. You're one of the few people who do. So I don't think that can be a real advantage." Sora retorted, trying to probe Jarek's thoughts.

Jarek burst out laughing at Sora's skepticism. "That's where you're wrong, kid. Someone's greatest asset isn't always their power, but what they hide. That few people know about your lack of Ushi is precisely what makes that weakness an asset. In this Tower, those who seem weak but turn out to be unpredictable are the ones who leave their mark."

Sora frowned, his mind working to fully grasp what Jarek meant. Perhaps he could exploit this situation to his advantage, create strategies that would put his opponents out of their comfort zone.

"So you want me to hide, to play weak?" he asked, uncertain but intrigued.

Jarek shook his head. "Not exactly. I want you to be yourself, but always with an ace up your sleeve. The next time you face someone, think not only about what you're going to do, but also about what you want them to think you're going to do. The Tower will throw you challenges where nothing goes your way, and if you can master the art of the unexpected... maybe you'll have a chance of reaching its summit."

A silence fell between them, heavy with promise and mystery. Sora felt both encouraged and wary of this unexpected being.

"Seeing as you've been talking about it all along, I'm guessing this is the first time you've met someone without Ushi too." Sora added.

Amused, Jarek let out a slight laugh and took on a more serious air. "Indeed, you're right. You're a mystery all on your own..." He replied before pausing for a few seconds. "I hope we'll meet again when you've become a more hardened mercenary."

Jarek, turned and walked away from Sora before waving him off and continuing on his way.

Sora stood there, his eyes fixed on the path where Jarek had disappeared. This encounter had shaken him more than he'd imagined. Now there was one more person who knew about his peculiarity. Was this good news or not? Sora had no idea, however, he vaguely understood that his lack of Ushi could be more useful than he thought.

He then set off in the direction of the Order, where he was to train with Emma before setting off on his quests.

As Sora made his way through the busy streets, he kept replaying the conversation with Jarek in his mind. The enigmatic mercenary's words had left a vivid impression. To be unpredictable... to use his lack of power as a strength... This should lead him to consider quite different strategies from the ones he had so far.

Arriving at the gates of the Order, he took a deep breath. The challenges had only just begun, and if he was to prove to Jarek - and to himself - that he could climb this Tower, he would have to show more creativity and determination.

Behind his desk at the reception desk, Nerris watched in silence as Sora arrived, seemingly pensive on many subjects.

"Hello Sora, so everything went well with Ideor?" she asked with a big, pleasant smile.

These words drew Sora out of his thoughts. "Ah hello Nerris. Yes, it went even better than expected. By the way, do you know where Emma is?"

Scratching his cheek and thinking for a few seconds, Nerris replied with the same smile on his face. "I'm not sure, but I think she's at the training ground. If you want to see her, it's probably because you're planning to train, isn't it?"

Sora nodded with a smile. "Yes, that's right. I know I asked you to give her the message that I couldn't train today. But I finished what I had to do more quickly, so I'd like to go and see her to ask if we could still do our training."

Nerris raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "Oh? Don't worry about that, I'm pretty sure she'll agree if she's got nothing more fun to do than give you a hard time."

Sora smiled nervously at Nerris's words. "I hope she'll be indulgent anyway, I'm still sore from our training yesterday."

Playing with her hair, Nerris let a light laugh escape her. "Oh, believe me, I don't know Emma very well, what you just said."

With a touch of nervousness, Sora headed for the training area, his legs still slightly heavy from his various fights the day before. The training area was bustling with activity; novices were practicing their swordsmanship, archers were perfecting their aim, and a few higher-ranking fighters were engaged in friendly duels.

Sora spotted Emma, concentrating, analyzing a fight between two apprentices. He sat down on a rock a few meters from the fight and waited a few minutes.

When the training ended, Emma turned in his direction and crossed her arms, a slightly mocking smile appearing on her face.

"Well, well, if it isn't our valiant Obsidian," she said with a smile. "So, ready for another round, or have you come to tell me you don't have time to train?"

Sora smiled weakly, trying to hide his apprehension. "It's not my fault Ideor wanted us to make this exchange during our training."

Surprised by his answer, Emma uncrossed her arms, fetched a second wooden sword and hurled it at Sora. "Seeing as you've got enough spirit to answer me, I consider you ready to train."

Barely having had time to take his sword in hand and stand up, Emma was already starting to launch the assault, going straight for his face.

Doing his best to stop the attack, Sora could only shift his head slightly to avoid catching the sword in the face. However, the power of the weapon against his jaw sent him staggering, and Emma took the opportunity to close the gap between them and sweep him off his feet.

Sora's head gave a thud as it hit the ground hard.

Almost all the mercenaries in the training area stopped what they were doing to see the poor spectacle Sora had just put on.

Some of them smiled slightly, before finally showing some compassion when they noticed the person who had just laid him out on the ground.

Almost all of the mercenaries present had recently been through Emma's education, so they could only understand what Sora had just been through.

Sora struggled to his feet, his skull throbbing as he watched Emma's satisfied, mocking look scrutinize him, standing before him.

"Well, I guess becoming Obsidian didn't make you stronger in one day." She added, as if to add a layer.

Noticing a slight trace of blood on his fingers as he touched her skull, Sora took a few seconds to reply. "Wow... You could have gone a little easier to start with."

Keeping her superior air, Emma looked him up and down. "Yes, I could have, but I needed to let off some steam. Still, it's a good reflex that you managed to move your head slightly, otherwise I think you'd have spent a few hours sleeping."

Sora winced at this remark, but gritted his teeth, ready to continue. There was no question of backing down now. He returned to guard, legs slightly bent, muscles still taut from his earlier fall.

"Good, that's the attitude I expected from you," Emma said, looking at him, this time with a gleam of approval in her eyes. "I'd have been really disappointed if you hadn't gotten up after that blow."

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