About a month had passed since Alex was fully introduced to the world of Paragons. Things had settled into a routine, with Alex going through his training every day. Each morning, he completed his work and school activities at home, then made his way to the base.
Thanks to his introverted nature, Alex had chosen to attend his college lectures online rather than in person. Now that he was a Paragon, he noticed how his abilities had advanced beyond what he thought possible. Tasks that would take a normal human days, Alex could now handle with ease. He could flip through books, read them quickly, and grasp every concept immediately. Adding to his advantage was the Pendragon system, which had a library feature where he could store and retrieve information whenever needed.
With his new abilities, school and good grades were no longer a concern. Alex felt relieved knowing he could keep up with his studies without stress.
In just a month, Alex's body had undergone a noticeable transformation. Once slightly skinny and lacking muscle, his frame was now well-defined and muscular, almost like a Greek god from head to toe.
Like every other day, Alex arrived at the base using his usual method. It had been uncomfortable at first, but after a few weeks, he had gotten used to it. The journey felt almost natural now.
One thing that was clear to Alex was the secretive nature of the Dragon Roar Faction. They had chosen to keep their presence hidden. Only a few other factions knew of them, and even then, they were simply known as the "masked faction" due to their trademark of always wearing masks.
Today, when Alex entered the training hall, he noticed something unusual. The others were just standing around, doing nothing. Checking his watch, he realized he was later than usual because of some tasks earlier in the day, but it seemed the group hadn't started training yet.
"Are they waiting for me?" Alex wondered to himself, a bit puzzled.
Alex's reputation within the faction had grown significantly since Stan had informed everyone that Alex was the mastermind behind recent changes. This new respect still felt strange to him. Every time he thought about it, he felt a bit uneasy, especially seeing top leaders bowing and expressing their gratitude. Even Peter, known for his strict demeanor, had thanked him and provided him with additional skills and resources to aid his evolution.
These moments made Alex feel both honored and slightly out of place, as he adjusted to his new role within the faction.
The issue Alex faced was that he hadn't broken through to the next level yet. He was still a stage-one Paragon, though he could feel himself getting closer to its peak.
"What's going on?" Alex asked, sensing something unusual.
As usual, Gwen was the first to respond.
"There won't be any training today," Gwen replied.
"Why?" Alex asked, feeling a bit confused.
Before Gwen could explain further, the door to the hall swung open, and in walked Peter. He strode in with a focused expression, looking over the group.
"All right, everyone," Peter announced, "I hope you're warmed up because today, you'll be assigned a mission along with members from a couple of other factions."
"A mission?" Alex echoed, still a bit confused.
Alex knew what a mission was—he was aware the faction sometimes sent members out on various tasks. These missions were part of the services they provided to other factions, often to settle debts or fulfill certain duties. However, Alex hadn't expected that they would have one today.
"Yes, a mission," Peter continued. "It came up suddenly, but I'm confident it won't be too challenging for you all. You've all grown stronger since you started training here."
Peter then added, "You can go to the base arsenal and pick any weapon of your choice. And, Alex, there's a gift waiting for you there."
With that, Peter turned and left the room.
Immediately, the group began heading towards the base arsenal as instructed. Alex and the others walked down the long hallway, moving with purpose.
By now, Alex had a decent understanding of the base layout. It was structured like an endless corridor with rooms branching off. Each room was massive, about the size of a basketball court, and could be divided into separate sections to serve different functions. Many rooms were empty, reserved for future needs, but could be accessed at any time.
Finally, they reached the arsenal. As they entered, they noticed a distinct setup inside. The first thing Alex saw was a row of various weapons. They appeared to be typical human weapons, ranging from guns of all kinds—even types he'd only seen in military movies—to various melee weapons like swords, spears, and more. It was as if any weapon one could imagine was stored there, all neatly arranged and easy to access.
Alex knew, however, that these weren't the weapons they'd be choosing for the mission. While the mission details hadn't been explained yet, he sensed they'd need something beyond ordinary weapons, especially since they were likely facing other Paragons.
Following the others through a door, Alex stepped into another room, and instantly, he felt it—a rush of powerful, dangerous energies filling the space. It was a place unlike any he had been to before.
This was the section where supernatural weapons were kept, each one crafted from the remains of powerful beasts or enchanted by skilled mages. These weapons gave off an intense, almost deadly aura, making it clear just how powerful they were.
What struck Alex as strange was that the weapons in this room looked almost identical to those in the other room. They shared the same shapes and designs. The difference was in their origins and the unique methods used to create them, making them far more dangerous.
Around him, the other faction members were already selecting their weapons. Tamsin had moved toward the section for swords, picking up different blades and swinging them, testing their weight and balance as if he were searching for the perfect one.
Gwen was in the whips and bows section, testing the flexibility of each whip and examining different types of arrows as she considered her options.
Meanwhile, Merrick was inspecting the firearms. He examined each gun carefully, checking out the unique designs and features they offered.
The guns caught Alex's attention immediately. While they resembled guns in shape, many had lights glowing on different parts, giving Alex the feeling he had stepped into the future. The designs looked like advanced technology, far beyond anything he had seen before.
Curious, Alex decided to follow Merrick and look through the firearms with him. Soon, he came across an unusual weapon—it looked like a small cannon. It had a round barrel protruding from one end and a handle underneath where a person would hold it to pull the trigger.
"That is a qi cannon," Merrick explained, noticing Alex's interest. "It lets you condense your qi, even if you don't know how to control it fully yet. The weapon can compress your qi to its maximum, then amplify it before firing it out. It can cause a huge explosion and inflict serious damage, but it's risky at your level since it will drain all your qi in one shot."
Alex gave Merrick a puzzled look, unsure if he was ready for such a powerful weapon.
"Never mind," Merrick said, picking up a different gun and handing it to Alex. "You should probably stick with this one for now. It does the same thing, but it only takes a small amount of qi each time you fire."
The gun in Alex's hands didn't quite look like a traditional weapon. It had a similar shape to a gun, but it lacked the usual details. Instead, it was a piece of metal bent at a 90-degree angle, covered in strange runes carved into its surface. There was no trigger, no chamber for bullets, and even the tip had no opening for bullets to fire out of.
"You look confused…" Merrick said with a smirk. "The programmers did some incredible work with these weapons."
He then picked up another gun, aimed it at the floor, and demonstrated by firing it. A loud bang echoed through the room, showing its power.
"The Pendragon system should explain more about how to use these," Merrick added before turning his attention back to the weapons, selecting what he needed for the mission.
Just then, Gwen looked around and remembered something. "Wait a minute, where's the gift Uncle Peter mentioned?"
"It's here," a voice said from the entrance of the room.
Everyone turned to see Caspian stepping inside. He was carrying a long, black box with both hands, handling it carefully as he walked over to them.