Veritas and Edward both walked out of the main building, yet Veritas' eyes couldn't seem to stop looking around.
Edward, noticing his excitement tapped him on his shoulder.
"Go look around. I'll wait in the car with Will."
Veritas looked at Edward, he was about to say thank you but stopped himself.
Wasn't he too spoiled here if he were to make them wait? He wasn't even close with Will enough and Edward himself for them to wait for him.
So, Veritas half-lied.
"Ah, it's okay. I just feel like... I should prepare myself more instead for the entrance exam. I'm... interested in that Corrupted simulator. I want to fight more Corrupted."
Edward raised one of his brows before nodding and turning towards the parking lot with Veritas following behind.
"Suit yourself then, but for the simulator, you'll have to ask for Eric's permission."
"Ah... right."
Veritas nodded as they soon arrived to the car and got in. Edward told Will to drive back to the agency and Will simply glanced to Veritas before nodding.
***
After some time, the three of them arrived in the agency. Veritas and Edward got out of the car while Will drove into the basement.
Entering back the agency, Eric was already waiting for the both of them as he smiled.
"So? When's the entrance exam?"
"Tomorrow apparently. Also... can I have the permission to use your simulator Mr. Eric? I'm really curious about it and want to train with it."
Eric blinked for a few times before he looked to Edward and smirked.
"Well, sure. But in turn, Edward. You'll have to do me a favor."
Edward grunted, nodding tiredly and when Veritas heard it, he panicked.
"Um, Mr. Eric. I'm sorry if it is offensive for me to say this but, why don't you ask a favor out of me instead? I'm the one asking for this, not Mr. Edward."
Eric raised one of his brows before smiling.
"Well, pray tell how you're going to pay me back in favor, kid?"
He asked, tilting his head as his tone suddenly dropped. An invisible pressure almost seemingly dropped down onto him, compelling himself to lower his head.
Veritas grit his teeth, thinking of how to answer him as Eric kept speaking.
"The only reason I accepted you into joining my expedition was because of Edward recommending you and I saw the potential in you. I could also see that you could pick up your weight but... that was all. You have no worthy value for me to ask you out of a favor for now."
Eric finished, looking down at Veritas who hung his head low. Edward didn't seem to had any intention to interfere, some onlooking employees and Guardians were watching the fiasco and whispers echoed around.
Veritas hated the whispers.
Gritting his teeth, Veritas looked up and narrowed his eyes at Eric.
"Are you a dumbass? Favors could be cashed in later. You also said it yourself, Edward recommended me. I don't know why, but it must mean I have value. Then you went on saying I had potential and could pick up my weight. That's enough reason, no? Cash in a value from me in the future."
The surrounding went quiet, Edward looked at Veritas with a hint of surprise and... pride? No, he looked like he was grinning at Eric who looked at Veritas, stone-faced.
Then, Eric smiled before looking at Edward.
"Feisty kid you got here, old man."
"Fuck you brat."
Veritas looked at Eric and Edward in surprise as Eric looked back towards him and pat his shoulder.
"Good. Know your self-worth kid. You're a promising one, always remember that. But do remember to be polite and keep your head level-headed. Adding insults ain't good kiddo."
Eric smiled, adding a small percentage of his strength into gripping Veritas' shoulder.
"Alright, as you proposed, I'll fish in a favor from you in the future when you get stronger."
Veritas nodded, his face cringing slightly as he smiled through the sudden pain.
"Ah... yeah, thank you."
***
Veritas stood in front of the huge personal room, right next to the door was a small podium desk just at the height of his chest.
He was told to press his palm against the scanner to gain access for configuring the room.
So, he did so and was surprised to see a hologram that showed him lists of Corrupted. Another hologram popped up and it showed him the list of instructions on how to use it.
'... That Eric guy really was a dramatic guy huh.'
Summoning the Corrupted hologram didn't require one to snap their fingers, just thinking about it was enough.
Chuckling, Veritas got inside the room before thinking of the lion and its name along with the Corruption level.
Slowly, it appeared once more across him on the distance.
Veritas gathered the wind, tapped his foot against the ground, activated [Prideful Sun], and user [Telekinesis] on the lion.
The lion stiffened, and immediately, Veritas could see it shrunken.
Veritas walked towards it, wind spears forming hovering above him and rocks protruding from the ground in each of his steps.
The lion slowly looked up and saw it, the image of Veritas and his many arsenals.
It knew instantly, it was outmatched, but its prideful self gathered enough courage to roar and stood on its paws.
***
The fight was quick, since he was alone, Veritas utilized everything in his arsenal but made sure to only use [Telekinesis] to hold the lion in place.
Veritas expected something, some kind of Lines or maybe more information on the Path.
But unfortunately, there was none.
He narrowed his brows in disappointment before sighing.
"Catalogue."
Right next to him, a blue hologram popped up showing him the lists of Corrupted.
Veritas scrolled through the Corrupted and his eyes landed on one as he read the Corrupted's Path.
'Interesting...'
He spoke of the name inside his head.
'Corrupted Ashen Hooves, Corruption Level: Kilo.'
Veritas watched as slowly, a horse formed with ash bellowing from its body.
From its body, bones protrude, acting as both armor and a weapon in its own.
The horse looked at Veritas and neighed before running towards Veritas who was already gathering the wind.
Veritas already knew what Path it had, it was able to accelerate its speed and slow down its speed in an instant, catching enemies off guard.
It was the perfect addition for his roster of Paths.
Veritas readied his guard, and as he did that, it happened.
The horse suddenly blurred before appearing in front of him.
But, it struck against a barrier of wind instead, which jerked it back.
Veritas didn't instantly pursue, he wanted to know how the horse used its power.
When Veritas absorbed the lion's power, he didn't gain any of its memory or knowledge on how to use it.
So he watched, he waited for the horse to make its moves before finally killing it.
The horse moved again, and blurred.
Veritas tapped his foot, rocks shot up from the ground and impaled... nothing.
Veritas widened his eyes, and the horse blurred once more, appearing in front of him.
The horse delivered a powerful headbutt, knocking the wind out of Veritas as he quickly countered by using [Telekinesis].
Veritas skipped back, before tapping his foot against the ground, and jagged rocks shot out towards the horse.
The horse neighed, its form blurring rapidly and Veritas felt it, the sudden weight pinching his brain.
At that point, he understood.
Each time the horse blurred, it was either accelerating or deaccelerating.
'If that's the case...'
Veritas coated his hand in wind that sharpened and rotate around it like a drill as he reeled his right arm back before he let go of his [Telekinesis], and tapped his foot once again.
The horse suddenly blurred and disappeared, and at this moment...
The rocky terrain he formed in front of his path suddenly shot up, akin to a small wall that acted as an obstruction.
The satisfying crack and a booming noise of rock exploding echoed in the room.
Veritas delivered the drill coated punch and stabbed through the horse's flank, the insides exploded and blood gushed out.
Then... the horse slowly dissipated to blue dust, and disappeared from the room.
[Your being grows stronger!]
He was ecstatic... for a second.
He was about to check his status.
...
Until that blinding, searing pain, erupted from his Core, he felt it burning, exploding, cracking him from inside out.
A choked cry escaped his lips, he felt as if his insides was being stabbed or bursting.
"AKH-"
[Warning! Multiple Paths detected pushing past the body's threshold!]
[Please delete a Path to substitute the new one or reject the new Path!]