Ascending Endlessly: I Copy Skills

I woke up to a knock at my hotel room's door. At first, I dismissed it as someone knocking at the wrong room and fell back into my pillow. However, I quickly had to become alert when a voice emerged through the door.

"Mason Ford. The Order of the Oracle would like a word with you. Open the door or I'll open it myself."

Fuck. The consequences of last night's scrimmage with the member of The Order had arrived. What the hell was I thinking? Was I in my right mind? As the memories of the night before returned to me, I cursed myself internally. I was too drunk to make proper decisions. I should have allowed him to relieve his anger and quietly left. 

However, I felt the need to defend myself. Of course The Order would become involved; after all, I'd brutalized a B-Rank hunter under their employ. I, of all people, should have avoided such a fight at all costs, considering my less-than-amicable relationship with the organization.

I shot up from the bed, grabbing my polarium knife and Spectral Jokers. It would be best to retain any advantage I could in case of any emerging problems. I didn't like where this was going.

In a thin t-shirt and sweatpants, my knife and deck of Jokers in hand, I cracked the door open slightly. Through the gap, I peered at my visitor. He was a handsome young guy with a thin yet strong build and piercing, crystal blue eyes. He had an air of superiority surrounding him that, frankly, made me concerned for what was to come.

"Hey. I didn't ask for trouble. Your agent approached me in a bar and attacked me. That's the only statement I intend on giving. If you're arresting me, please state as such now,"

I stated coldly through the crack in the door. He stuck his hand firmly into it and grabbed the door, pulling it wide open.

"Tsk."

I clicked my tongue and crossed my arms. This guy had no decorum. 

"I am Major Ethan Grant. I've come all the way from the capitol to speak with you, so I'd appreciate if you'd stop being so abrasive. You're not in any trouble, Mr. Ford. We just want to talk,"

He said. His spoke in a professional tone with unchanging facial expressions. It made me uneasy; if The Order really wanted to convince me to speak with them, wouldn't they send someone more charismatic? I sighed. I hadn't heard of the guy. He must not have been a ranker. Did they just send some more B-Rank cannon fodder to pick me up? I'm a little disappointed.

"Your behavior leads me to assume that I have no choice in the matter. Do you intend to bring me in by force if I fail to cooperate?"

I asked. I wasn't that interested in his response; I could presume the answer considering my knowledge of The Order. I just wanted to milk as much information out of him as I could, even if it wasn't much. He bowed his head a little.

"Your presence in the capitol would be valued highly."

Ugh. He wasn't giving anything away. I quickly went over my options. I could try to fight my way out and escape. I'd been on the run from The Order briefly before; and now, I was far more capable of hiding than back then. However, I had also possessed an intimate knowledge of their security forces. I no longer held that advantage.

Was it necessary to run? There was a high chance I was being led into some kind of intimidation. What would they want from me? To punish me for harming one of their members? It was possible. Like I said, plenty of people in The Order hated me, and that number only grew larger the higher up the chain you went.

I decided to ask one final question to determine my next course of action.

"I'll go with you under one condition. Tell me who delivered the order to have me brought in."

It was a gamble. If he didn't tell me, I should probably try to make a run for it. If it was a name I recognized, the same was likely true. However, if it was some nameless higher-up who was just curious, I would probably be safer playing along for a while. 

He froze for a moment before furrowing his brow in thought. I guess he was considering whether he could tell me or not. This is why I hate bureaucracy. Nobody could just get to the point. Finally, he sighed and started to speak.

"The edict was delivered to me directly by her elegance The Oracle. I really can't say any more. However, now that I've told you, I presume you'll keep your word and follow me to the capitol, yes?"

I recoiled internally for a moment. I tried to keep my expression calm, but it went sour for a moment. Hye-Rin personally requested me? What the hell was she thinking? She was one person I could never predict. Actually, I was probably the person in the world who knew her the best; if even I couldn't figure out what went on inside her head, I doubt that there's anyone that could.

Why was she involving herself in such trivial matters? First the mana incident in the dungeon, and now this? What was going on? It definitely felt highly suspicious. Was she onto me? No. She was onto me. The question was how much she'd figured out. She probably had realized by this point that I'd grown in power somehow. Had she surmised my methods? Was she spying on me? Fuck.

I took a deep breath and cleared my head. I could keep asking these questions into eternity without ever coming to a conclusion. There was only one way to get the answers.

"Yes. Let's go."

I wasn't keen on going anywhere by The Order's demands. However, if Hye-Rin was this insistent on creating a line of communication with me, it must be for a good reason. Besides, I'd been seeking a means of transportation south, anyway. I wasn't planning on heading to the capitol's surrounding cities until after I'd succeeded in B-Rank, but there would be plenty of B-Rank dungeons for me to gain skills in near the capitol.

Ultimately, it was my final destination. I would just be heading there a little early. I didn't believe Hye-Rin would do anything to harm me- when it came to her, I basically had diplomatic immunity. Of course, the same couldn't be said for the rest of her organization.

Still, I felt no fear facing The Oracle. I only felt resentment. I didn't want to look at her. I didn't want to speak to her. However, I had to steel myself and do what was necessary for my future. If talking to Hye-Rin was what had to be done, I would solemnly comply. 

The Major escorted me out of my hotel. A limousine was waiting downstairs which quickly brought us to the embassy. The Major and I remained silent the whole time, from the moment we left to the moment we entered a back room in the embassy. Inside was an illuminated pink ring of mana- a byproduct of one of Hye-Rin's more useful skills.

These rings existed in every embassy. Hye-Rin had personally installed them to allow easy travel between the branches for those who couldn't teleport unlike her self. Yes, it was a teleportation circle. And each one had been maintained for years. What an absurd creature she was... how much mana did it take to keep these running all over the world? It was hard to imagine.

The Major stepped inside and waited for me to follow suit. Of course, I wasn't about to back out now. As soon as my body was cleanly within the circle, the Major turned to an employee who was overseeing the use of the teleporter.

"Alright. Send us in."

The employee nodded and pressed his hand into one of many symbols within the outer ring of the circle, injecting mana into it. Only those with authorization were allowed to activate it, of course. This was the method to select the destination and initiate the activation.

A low hum poured through in pulses, growing louder and more rapid until a flash of pink light encompassed my field of vision. I'd used these circles plenty in the past, so it was nothing I wasn't used to. As the light subsided, the environment had changed.

Of course, we were still within a familiar, stale white room, a pattern within The Order's architecture. Our location, though, had clearly changed. The room we were in was much larger and cleaner, and the air felt even fresher somehow. However, the clearest indicator of our transferral was the young girl wearing a white uniform standing before me. Shin Hye-Rin. 

"Follow me. We have a lot to talk about, Mason."