516 The hooded man (3)

Erik stood before the masked man, his chest going through a consistent rise and fall as he did so. On the other hand, the man was huffing and puffing heavily while he was leaning against a wall. Sweat ran down his forehead and soaked into the material of his cloak as it made its way down. He cautiously looked over at Erik; his eyes widened in surprise and disbelief as he did so.

"Was all of this really necessary?" Erik began, his voice steady but stern, "You just made me waste a lot of time."

"Now, tell me…" he then added. "Where is the hostage?"

The hooded man shook his head, a crazed smile playing on his lips as he couldn't believe what just happened. "You fucking freak of nature. Shouldn't you be around the π rank? You are a damn novice! Your power... It's just not normal."

"I've told the clerks time and again that I've received private training," he replied, a note of irritation creeping into his voice. "But they just wouldn't listen."