Reawakening: I Can Absorb Infinite Skills

The wagons rattled down the slope, and the closer they drew, the more the city unfolded before them.

The walls loomed higher than they'd first thought, white stone lined with runes that faintly glimmered as if drinking from the sun.

Towers jutted like spears against the sky, and the banners that whipped in the wind bore the crest of Caelum, an eagle clutching a star.

Rael leaned forward, resting his arms on the edge of the cart. "Well, there goes my plan to act unimpressed. This place puts Greyhold to shame."

Nyra's gaze was steady, her tone quieter. "Greyhold felt rough but honest. This… this feels like power on display."

Zephyra rumbled low, ears pricking at the clang of distant bells and the echo of marching feet. Her eyes stayed locked on the gates ahead, where lines of citizens and merchants moved under the watch of armored guards.

Arden watched in silence. To anyone else, it was the look of a man seeing a city for the first time, but to him it was something heavier.

The memories of the body he occupied reminded him of this place, the grandeur, the cold stone, the eyes that judged from the shadows of tall spires.

Yet for Arden himself, it was new, and the clash of those truths pressed on his chest like a weight. His smirk never slipped, though.

As they reached the gates, the guards straightened.

Their armor was polished, their weapons steady, and their eyes sharp with the kind of vigilance that only came from a city expecting trouble at any moment.

Yet when their gazes landed on the insignias pinned to the explorers, their stance eased.

One of them stepped forward, voice clipped but respectful. "Explorers Guild? State your designation."

The envoy raised a hand, his badge glinting. "Platinum rank, escorting new silver members."

The guard's eyes flicked toward Arden's group, resting for a moment on the insignia that marked them.

A murmur rippled among the others nearby, not just the guards but also citizens who had paused to look.

"Silver already?" someone whispered.

"They're so young…" another voice muttered, carrying a mix of awe and suspicion.

A woman clutching her child gave a small nod, her eyes bright with something close to admiration. Others watched with curiosity, and some with quiet envy.

Arden caught it all, the flicker of respect, the pinch of doubt, the sharp edge of jealousy.

It was a storm of emotions swirling through the crowd, and he let it wash over him with that same faint smirk, though his eyes were steady, reading it all.

Rael straightened his back, chin tilted up. "Feels strange, doesn't it? All those looks… not spitting at us, not glaring. Just—"

"Respect," Nyra finished softly. Her expression didn't shift much, but the way her hands relaxed at her sides told the truth. She knew how much it meant after being called exile, monster, outcast. Here, in the heart of Caelum, no one dared throw that at them now.

"It's the insignia," she added, half to herself. "But we earned it."

"Damn right we did," Rael muttered with a grin.

Zephyra flicked her tail, the growl that left her throat somewhere between approval and warning.

Arden only chuckled under his breath. "Don't let it get to your heads. Respect fades faster than it's given."

They passed through the gates without trouble. The guards stepped aside, and the citizens made room. The envoy led the way, his stride unbroken, while Arden and his group followed, drinking in the city as they went.

The streets were alive, lined with stone houses and tall spires. Merchants shouted their wares from stalls, apprentices darted about with scrolls in hand, and carriages rumbled across paved roads.

Patrols of armored knights moved with strict order, their crests marking them as Caelum's city guard.

Arden's gaze flicked from one corner to another, noting small differences since the memories he carried, the change of banners, the placement of statues, even the wider patrols near the guild district. His smirk grew faintly sharper. "Always building their walls higher," he muttered.

"What was that?" Rael asked.

"Nothing," Arden said smoothly, sliding the mask over his face.

The envoy's route took them deeper into the city until the guild hall came into view. It was nothing like the small hall in Greyhold.

This one was massive, a fortress of stone and steel with banners hanging from its walls, the guild's emblem carved into its gate. Explorers in cloaks of varying colors moved in and out, their insignias flashing bronze, silver, even gold.

Rael whistled low again. "Now that's a guild hall. Makes Greyhold look like an inn for drunk hunters."

Nyra gave him a look but didn't argue. Even she couldn't deny the scale of it.

Zephyra let out a low chuff, flames faint in her throat as if the sheer press of aether in the air put her on edge.

As they entered, the atmosphere shifted.

The hall was busy but organized, with clerks rushing between desks and explorers leaning against pillars while missions were posted.

Yet when Arden's group stepped through, heads turned. Silver insignias were rare enough to earn attention, but on ones so young? It was impossible not to draw eyes.

Arden ignored the stares with practiced ease, but Nyra's shoulders tightened. Rael only grinned wider, clearly enjoying the stir they caused.

The envoy didn't pause. He led them through the hall, past the main chamber, and into the corridor that led deeper into the guild. The air here was quieter, heavier.

Arden felt it first, the subtle weight pressing against his chest, the quiet authority that lingered like a storm waiting to break. His smirk curved faintly. "Guess we're close."

Nyra noticed it too, her eyes narrowing as she adjusted her pace. "The elders."

Rael rubbed his neck, the grin fading just a little. "Feels like we're walking into a lion's den."

Zephyra gave a sharp grunt, low and short, as though she agreed.

Arden chuckled, his tone light but steady. "Relax. Lions don't bite unless you give them reason."

The envoy glanced back at them once, expression unreadable. "Stay sharp. They're waiting."

The group continued down the corridor, the silence between them broken only by their footsteps.

The closer they drew, the heavier the pressure became, a reminder that the ones inside were no ordinary officials, or even to be compared to the Greyhold elders.

At last, they reached the tall doors carved with the guild's emblem.

The envoy placed a hand on the handle and looked back at Arden's group.

"Ready?"

Arden smirked faintly, his voice carrying a mix of ease and iron. "We'll see."

The doors swung open, and the weight of the guild's council hall spilled out to meet them.

A/N:

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