The morning in Wood Fringe was unlike any other—buzzing, busy, and active. However, in the four-cornered room, behind the table, sat Halo, his entire body tingling with excitement.

Opposite him sat what looked like an incarnation of Liam, the same fitted black shirt but slightly taller, with golden eyes and a striking long red earring.

It was Jihriel Asterion.

By his side stood his right-hand man, Hazard, and his advisor, Thor.

"You seem unusually pleased to be here. I'm honored."

Halo smiled. Even his voice was no different from Liam's. But he knew his excitement was getting the best of him. He couldn't tell Jihriel that he was the protagonist of this world.

"Yeah… you really look like a friend of mine. Actually, you're almost identical."

A smile tugged on Jihriel's lips.

"Oh, really? Are you speaking of Liam?"

Halo frowned.

'Don't tell me…'

"You're not the first to bring him up. Three people have already mistaken me for him, and I've heard we share the same surname as well. Now I'm eager to finally meet him."

Halo's eyes narrowed slightly.

Liam and Jihriel were basically twins, too identical not to be related. And judging by the theory Saint came up with, it was most likely that they were the same being but from different timelines or perhaps universes. It didn't sound practical for the gods, but that was the only logical explanation.

But still, Halo couldn't afford to let those two meet. He wasn't done being wary of Liam yet. Either of them could still be the hero. The meeting could trigger something he couldn't control.

Halo forced a smile.

"I'll see what I can do. He's just as busy as you, after all."

Jihriel remained silent for a moment, his gaze drifting across the table, lost in thought.

"Right…"

His head immediately snapped toward Halo.

"Can we start?"

Halo motioned positively.

"Before you can become an official member of this cohort, I'll go over the requirements. Once that's done, you may ask any questions you wish."

"Okay."

Jihriel smiled and reached for a sheet on the table.

"Eight members have acknowledged you, which is a majority. Still, tell me, what are your achievements? What makes you worthy of this cohort?"

Halo gulped.

'Wait, what? He is asking for a resume?'

His eyes darted from one face to the next, from Hazard to Thor. What was he supposed to say? He hadn't achieved anything. Worse, he might be the only Knight among them.

Jihriel leaned back in his seat, his warm smile lighting up the room. It was as though he knew Halo was struggling to find the words.

"You were trained by Fade of Bridle, yes? One of the strongest and most elusive figures in Voiceless. And you're said to have Dark Saint, the Child of Manipulation herself as your servant. Impressive. But what else do you bring?"

Halo's expression darkened. He hadn't felt this way before, but the aura he radiated would have been enough to frighten any ordinary person, and yet those in the room acted concerned regardless.

"Saint isn't my servant! None of my clones are!"

Sweat beaded on Jihriel's brow as he watched Halo's eyes narrow dangerously.

"I respect you. Don't compare my clones to slaves."

"Calma, Halo. I didn't mean it that way. I'll do better next time."

The moment Jihriel spoke, Halo's expression softened once more. Even though he didn't know what had compelled him to act that way, he was still glad he did, because now he had something better on his résumé to share.

"I apologize for my actions…"

Jihriel motioned with care.

"Don't sweat it, Halo."

Halo sighed.

"I have clones capable of fighting for me, and even without my True Ability, I'm dangerous in close combat. More importantly, I'm Fade of Bridle's disciple. That alone gives me access to heights few can reach."

Jihriel leaned forward slightly.

"Hmph. Interesting, but lacking. What you've given me are promises, not proof. Can you win in hand‑to‑hand combat? Are your clones strong enough? And will Fade of Bridle's knowledge truly let you stand before anyone and win?"

Jihriel maintained a calm, nonchalant expression, smiling through it all. Halo believed he was doomed.

"However, I will accept you, though not for any of the reasons you mentioned. My decision rests solely on intuition."

Jihriel's demeanor turned dangerously dark, and yet, he still smiled.

"You will prove your worth to me, correct?"

Halo gulped bile.

"Yes, sir. I'll be honored to."

Jihriel leaned into his seat once more.

Halo knew that Asterion could be very dangerous when he wanted to, but he never expected the threat to be this palpable in reality.

Despite Jihriel's overconfidence, he wasn't one to be reckless. He believed there was no one beneath him and nothing he couldn't stand before, but still, he never treated those below him badly. He helped the poor and healed the wounded with a smile. He was the true hero.

"What's your Title? Could you show me how your ability works? And were you given any gifts? Here, fill this out."

Before Halo could act on it, Jihriel motioned for a halt.

"These questions aren't meant to expose you or be used against you. As a cohort, it's important that none of us, or our members, have each other as Nemeses. We also aim to understand one another's Flaws to foster better relationships."

Halo nodded in agreement. He expected that much.

'Magnus.'

His daggers appeared in his hands, and he swiftly changed them into multiple weapons before finally making them disappear.

"That's Magnus. It can turn into any weapon… though I'm not entirely sure it's really any weapon."

Jihriel's eyes narrowed.

"Really? That seems familiar. Loid, one of our members, has something similar. Unfortunately, he isn't around right now."

Halo shrugged his shoulders. He didn't care.

With a thought, his clones, Light and Tough took form.

"These are my clones. Apart from Light, who is a clone of myself, I can only create clones from individuals with whom I share a deep, mutual emotional connection, one powerful enough to bring me to the brink of death. These are not all of them, but they should suffice."

Hazard, Thor, and Jihriel all began observing the clones intently.

Halo lied. His True Ability, Death Clone, didn't work like that at all. But ever since he'd turned Kysa into a clone and Saint had warned him to keep his ability secret to prevent others from overusing him, he decided to give that shallow explanation whenever someone asked.

"Your clones are unique. They have real hair, and I can sense the darkness in them, almost as if they have skin. Interesting."

Jihriel said, amused.

Halo responded with a smile and turned to the sheet before him. He needed to fill out a form, and it requested the basics: name of True Ability, Title, Flaw, Nemesis, and rank.

He filled everything out without much difficulty except for the last two. He didn't have a Nemesis, which wasn't normal since everyone got a Nemesis upon awakening, but that wasn't something within his control. What truly burdened him was his rank.

He had received a Wish which allowed him to be free for an entire three months, but he couldn't tell them that; the gods would kill him.

Worse, if he put down that he was a Knight, it would mean he was the weakest among them. He'd been accepted out of pity; he couldn't be more disappointing.

With a heavy heart, he chose to write down Assassin. If he didn't receive an Assassin-ranked Purpose in two months, he'd have to figure something out. For the first time, he wished the gods' hatred for him would strike again.

The moment Halo handed the sheet to Jihriel, he frowned.

"You don't have a Nemesis?"

Halo nodded affirmatively.

"I don't know. Maybe the bastard was already dead before I ever awakened."

Jihriel smiled and turned to Thor.

Thor's eyes narrowed slightly. The old man stroked his mustache for a moment.

"Leto was right. The boy's mind is too calm, sir. I can't read it."

Halo raised a startled brow.

'What? He can read minds?'

Halo tried to reassure them in an instant.

"Believe me, I don't have a Nemesis. I'm not sure why, but that gap always appears as a question mark on my screen."

Jihriel began laughing as he looked at the awkward desperation in Halo's eyes.

"Don't worry. I get it."

He relaxed.

"Ask all your questions now, but once you're done, there's something important between you and me that must be addressed."

Halo swallowed hard. His presence!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.