The silence in the cabin was heavy, almost suffocating.
Yuxuan stood before his senior, his breath hitching as the weight of his own ignorance pressed down on him.
“So,” he managed to ask, his voice sounding thin against the backdrop of the shifting, glitching reality visible through the window.
“When could I come?
From tomorrow?”
Sheren did not answer immediately.
He stared at the younger man, his eyes cold and calculating.
“From tomorrow.
But do you even know the burden of the rank you hold?
Do you understand the grade that defines your life?”
Yuxuan could only shake his head.
“You are a blank slate,” Sheren whispered, the words carrying the weight of a decree.
“A newbie.
You are Rank 10, a ‘Veil-being’.
In our world, there are seven tiers of existence, seven ways to lose oneself.”
◈ Rank 10, ‘Veil-being’: The lowest tier.
These are shadows that must cling to a senior, forbidden from acting alone.
They have no voice; they have no right to suggest, only to obey.
◈ Rank 8, ‘Tuner’: Those who have earned the right to argue or correct the decisions of their senior.
◈ Rank 7, ‘Resonator’: These individuals possess the right to undertake ‘D’ Rank missions independently.
◈ Rank 6, ‘Harmonist’: A position of authority; these Shadow Smiths can appoint assistants and are permitted to enter the ‘Shadow Hall’.
Yuxuan felt a chill run down his spine.
“Wait, what is ‘Shadow Hall’?”
A flare of anger, sharp and sudden, flickered in Sheren’s eyes.
He controlled it, his expression smoothing into a mask.
“Shadow Smith powers are forged by following one’s Lord and performing supernatural acts.
These powers are gained by traversing a person’s ‘Shadow-Path’.
In the Shadow Hall, these paths are chosen by the Shadow Smiths when they reach Rank 9.
That is where they learn to wield ‘Forbidden Lexicon arts’.
You will discover the truth of these in time.
For today, it is enough that you understand the hierarchy.”
Yuxuan nodded, his mind reeling.
“To continue,” Sheren said, his voice rhythmic.
◈ Rank 4, ‘Silent Sovereign’: Masters of the craft.
They have completed every mission type and possess the standing to challenge even the decisions of Lord Omega.
“The others—Ranks 1, 2, and 3—are forbidden,” Sheren paused, letting the silence hang.
“Only those who have attained the ‘Singularity-path’ reach those heights.
All of them meet tragic ends.
At present, there are only five such beings alive.
You will meet them, perhaps, if you survive long enough.”
He pushed a fountain pen across the desk.
“The missions themselves follow five tiers: X, the deadliest; A, nearly equal to X; B, a tricky endeavor; C, simple; and D, which is often deceptively confusing.”
“And what about the Grades?” Yuxuan whispered, feeling the sheer scale of the organization.
Sheren stood and walked toward the door labeled William Sheren Cabin.
Yuxuan followed, his gaze lingering on the multi-colored, unstable glitches bleeding through the walls of the Suiban Organization HQ.
Inside the cabin, the air felt thick with history.
A painting of a serene tulip garden hung on the wall, a stark contrast to the chaos outside.
As Sheren sat in his brown leather armchair, he gestured for Yuxuan to sit.
He leaned forward, resting his arms on the wooden desk, his presence grounding the room.
“Grades are not ranks,” Sheren explained, his tone measured.
“Grades are determined by the nature of your labor.”
◈ Grade 9, ‘Observer’: They study cases to calculate the root cause of crimes or anomalies.
◈ Grade 8, ‘Scriber’: They record the sequence of events and observe the unfolding narrative to amplify the cause.
◈ Grade 7, ‘Redactor’: They perform the duties of both Observer and Scriber, with the added burden of erasing the memories of civilians who stumble upon our truth.
I have not yet attained this level.
◈ Grade 6, ‘Ceson’: They fulfill the duties of all previous grades while acting as silent watchers, spying on fellow Shadow Smiths to report on their private lives.
There are nine in this organization.
◈ Grade 5, ‘Void-Achor’: A distinct level.
Only those who have reached the master level of Shadow Smithing can attain it.
◈ Grade 4, ‘Eraser’: Only three people possess this grade.
Lord Omega is one of them.
It is a dangerous, terrible power—the ability to erase individuals from a specific dimension, though not even they can touch the deities.
“As I said, Ranks 1 through 3 hold grades that are…
unidentified.
More dangerous than an ‘Eraser’.
For now, your ID reads: Agent: Lie Longterm.
Current Designation: Rank 10, Grade 9.
Art: Unknown.”
Before Yuxuan could process this, the cabin door swung open. The source of this chapter is g.com.
A woman entered—beautiful, with braided brown hair, sharp yellow eyes, and a green-white gown.
She was breathless, placing a card on the desk.
“Here is your ID card, Mr.
Longterm.”
“That fast?” Sheren asked, genuinely shocked.
“Yes, sir.
I am always on duty.” She turned and vanished as quickly as she had arrived.
“A remarkable woman,” Sheren murmured.
“Ms.
Merlin, our officer in charge of documentation.”
Yuxuan touched the card, and his image bloomed across its surface.
Agent Sequence: 12358.
He pocketed the crimson-ribboned ID, offered a stiff nod, and stepped back out into the ruin, reciting the code: “Resurrection of Abyssal Omega.”
Outside, the air felt cold.
He was turning to leave when a voice called out, “Oh!
You’re here?”
It was Ronald.
“Why are you in such a rush?”
“Nothing,” Yuxuan lied, his heart still hammering.
“I…
I mistook a dog for a human crawling on the ground.
I thought it was injured.”
“Oh,” Ronald replied, his eyes unreadable.
“Let’s go back.”
“Hmm.”
* * * *
Ronald led the way, his footsteps falling with an unsettling, rhythmic precision against the stone.
“The air feels heavy today, doesn’t it?” he remarked, glancing toward the crumbling facade of the Suiban headquarters.
“This place…
it always feels like it’s hiding something behind those walls.”
A cold wind swept through the ruins, carrying the sharp, stinging scent of ozone and something metallic.
Yuxuan felt the world tilt, the boundary between reality and the glitching void feeling thinner than a single, frayed thread.