Above and Beyond, Part 2

With my chin resting on top of my hand, I ran my gaze over the long bench, searching for an appropriate weapon to compete with. In comparison with Connor's sword, which he could pour mana into, these already had a negligible amount of mana flowing through them. Just like a battery, but much more expensive. When it ran out, I had no way of recharging (which wasn't something I had to be concerned about at the moment).

Only a hunter could do so by inserting some of their mana or by altering the runes within. According to what I've heard, the latter is a difficult procedure, which also explained the reason why artifacts are so scarce.

"You know, if guns were authorized, things would've been a lot easier."

Reyna was gracious enough to respond to my grumbles, "Just forget about it. They only work against low-ranking monsters. In most cases, you wouldn't be able to pierce through their skin, and let's not even talk about the volume..."

"I'm aware of that as well."

Even though a silencer could reduce some of the noise, bullets coated in mana were, as you might expect, expensive. It was pointless to even think about using a gun when a hunter could simply channel some mana through their body and get the job done. Simply said, it is far too inefficient, and at higher ranks, guns are just useless.

"Come on, Gray," Connor said quietly, peering over my shoulder. "Are you sure you're not stalling?"

Just as I was about to answer, someone knocked on the laboratory's door. For a brief moment, I thought the person on the other end was Ben, only to dismiss it as soon as I heard our guest's voice.

"Could you open the door for me, please?"

Reyna's face gradually darkened. "That guy again..."

"Who are you referring to?" I probed, unable to determine just who was the source of that voice. It wasn't Ben's tone, though; his voice was much rougher in comparison to our unexpected visitor.

"A thorn in my side," Connor said in a serious tone I hadn't expected to hear from him.

Just who in the world was the person that even Connor considered to be a thorn in his side?

He sighed and dragged his feet over to the door, allowing the man behind

"He's the heir of a branch family," Reyna hissed. "Harold Maxwell."

Given the circumstances surrounding her father and the other families, I could see why Connor regards Harold as a thorn in his side. Although he never brought it up before, that sentiment's probably shared with the other families as well.

"It's been a while," Harold said as the door split open, a grin plastered on his face. "I have access to most of the Guild's facilities, but not this one."

I just stared at him, wondering if I should greet him or something. He was a young man with well-fitted clothes wrapped around his toned physique. Regardless of my thoughts about him, it appears that someone like me wasn't even worthy to be spared a glance from him.

Maxwell waved his hand and added, "It's nice to see you as well, Reyna."

She turned around towards the monitor, pretending he didn't even exist. Even I thought that was a little bit excessive.

"Ahem." Connor coughed in his fist, annoyed by his presence. "What exactly do you want?"

"Thought I'd pay you a visit while I'm on a break from Artemis," Harold said as his eyes settled on the monitor. "You know, with the exams and all that."

"I'm not in the mood to play along with you, Harold. Just leave."

"Do you think I don't know what you're up to?" he asked, pointing his chin towards the monitor. "How stupid do you think I am?"

"The stupidest this world has to offer," grumbled Reyna.

"So... your score was 11," he muttered, ignoring everyone as his gaze switched towards the object in Connor's grip. "And that thing is quite captivating... It must be some kind of artifact... How about I borrow one of your weapons and join in the fun, mm? We haven't spared with each other in a long time."

"Can you leave without making a fuss for once in your life?" Connor grumbled, trying to keep his cool. I had the impression he might pounce on Harold like one of those monsters he fought against. "I'm not going to waste my time dealing with you."

"I wouldn't be too concerned if I were you. We know your score; all we need to do now is to figure out mine," Harold responded by snatching a spear from the lab's bench. Then he stepped towards the world below, without forgetting to throw Reyna a wink as he added, "Oh, and I'm not going to use any mana. To make things fair."

"I can taste the vomit in my throat," puked Reyna, wrinkling her brows in disgust. I had no idea she was capable of displaying such emotion.

"He seems quite troublesome to deal with," I grumbled. "Just like you, Connor."

"Hey, I've got my limits. Don't bring me down to that narcissist's level," he growled, arms crossed. "I'd love to grab him by the scruff of his neck and hurl him outside of this lab, but we can't take the Maxwells lightly. His father's a director in our guild after all."

"If you say so..."

Both of them seemed very similar to me. Perhaps that's why they didn't get along.

"And I'm the only victim as a result," muttered Reyna, putting her fevering forehead against the keyboard. She acted like a child, pouting if things didn't go her way. "Can't he simply... vanish? To go somewhere I can't see or know about him?"

I ignored her complaints and asked, "Is he in Artemis?"

If what he stated was accurate, he's someone to keep an eye on. Not only that, but his nonchalant demeanor in Connor's company was something to be wary of in and of itself. From an outsider's perspective, it appeared to be a power struggle between their families. No, maybe that's precisely the case.

"Yeah..." Connor responded, nodding his head. "He's passing into his second year."

I turned towards the window, and for a reason, I didn't quite understand, I wanted to see what Harold was capable of.

He rolled his shoulder, warming up while he waited for the ring to sound, still wearing the faint smirk he'd worn when he first intruded. Reyna and Connor watched him with mild annoyance on their cheeks. Jokes aside, no one could deny they were siblings.

I was a step behind them, unable to figure out why I was paying so much attention.

One thing I did know, though.

I found that grin of his extremely unpleasant.