Can I Get A Refill?

The sound of a thud could be heard as Bruce passed out. Ignoring Bruce the aged woman spoke. "Such a talented lad."

Saying this she raised her head at the rest of the audience. "Now let's begin for real shall we, what you just drank were antidotes to Whisper's poison, but as you all know not all of you were given antidotes."

"Haha!"

Glancing at the dead bodies on the floor, the aged woman laughed before adding, "I must say, our investigators caught quite a bunch of you resistance flies, as for those that haven't been caught, we're watching you, now onto business. Oh where are my manners I've yet to introduce myself, I'm Madam O, one of the Captains of the disciplinary committee, and I'm your host for this evening's occasion."

At the sound of this woman's voice the room seemed to tremble, Aiden, on the other hand, found himself sweating as he observed this woman while thinking to himself, "If it was this woman who was in charge of the EDAC scans instead of Ace then we would've been dead for sure."

As Aiden thought this, the waiters could be seen dragging the dead bodies of candidates out of the room, Bruce on the other hand was dragged back to his seats, the waiters didn't seem to care if he was conscious or not.

Bruce's team who had witnessed all of this rushed to check on him, but no matter what they did, he didn't wake up.

The once amiable atmosphere of the room had quickly turned into one of dread, and the woman who seemed to have orchestrated all of it had a lovely smile on her face.

Aiden watched the matronly figure stand tall in the middle of the room, her presence exuding an aura of command as she continued speaking.

"The Selections, my esteemed initiates, serve as but a single facet of the intricate web through which the Silence seeks its recruits," she began, her words carrying the weight of unquestionable authority. "To confine ourselves to such a singular method would be an insult to the complexity of our organization, we would be nothing but single-minded fools."

With measured steps, Madam O traversed the room, her piercing gaze scrutinizing each cautious face before her. "Recruitment," she continued, her voice a symphony of dominance and control, "knows no bounds of time or season. Every recruit, regardless of initial Threat level, embarks on a journey from the humblest of beginnings as an Initiate. However, exceptions have been made on this occasion."

The mere mention of the abysmal enclave sent a shiver down the spines of the initiates, even Aiden couldn't help but narrow his eyes as he listened to the woman speak.

"Right from time the initiates who passed through the long-standing tradition of venturing into the abysmal enclave and surviving were always rewarded handsomely and it's even more true this time. Those who braved the depths of the enclave shall see their worth acknowledged according to their merit," Madam O declared, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

Turning her attention to a certain table, she singled out Aiden with a nod of acknowledgment, while waving toward the unconscious Bruce. "These two," she proclaimed, her gestures imbued with a sense of expectation, "have been granted a privilege beyond compare. They are the first Contractor's to be given a head start jumping the level of initiates altogether, meaning they are able to take missions which they would earn their merit points from."

With a dismissive wave of her hand, she directed her focus to the other Contractors. "Contracts," she asserted, her voice dripping with certainty, "are the lifeblood of our organization. They come in four distinct forms, each bearing its own set of risks and rewards, when it comes to Contracts, there are these four distinct types. First up, we've got paranormal Contracts. These refer to Contracts with inexplicable effects, like telekinesis or curses."

"Then, there are summoning Contracts. These ones are a bit riskier because they involve summoning the demon or entity you've made the Contract with. It's like having a direct line to some otherworldly being, but you have to be careful with that one."

"Next, we have strength Contracts. These are all about enhancing your body or gaining advanced abilities. Think of it like leveling up your physical capabilities, gaining super strength, or heightened senses. And finally, we've got bloodline Contracts. These are unique because there's no upfront price to pay. It's like inheriting special powers from your lineage, being born with abilities that run in your blood."

Pausing for effect, she allowed her words to sink in before addressing the nuances of Contractor strength. "Most of you might be surprised, thinking that this wasn't the results your previous personal research had yielded, but this is the official classification of Contracts used by all original families."

"Speaking of classifications let's talk about the differences in Strength between Contractors, you might not know this, but even at the same level, all Contractor's aren't the same, we can't possibly invest our resources into every lucky fool who manages to pass the selections, so in the spirit of competition we created a ranking of sorts, starting from Treath level Twenty, you get the opportunity to participate."

As Madam O spoke, Aiden noticed a new group of waiters flooding into the room, but this time they were carrying what seemed to be phones on their trays.

Without a word, these waiters dropped one in front of each Contractor, but no one dared to touch it as they listened to Madam O speak.

"Starting from Threat level 20, we have 300 chosen Contractors who are rewarded merit points, privileges, and respect, I'll start from the lowest, from 300 to 200 is the normal rankings, meaning the best among normal Contractors, the cream of the crop."

"From 200 to 100, is the prodigy ranking, as stated these guys are prodigies, almost unbeatable in their levels. Finally, from 100 to 1 is the Invincible rankings, the priorities when it comes to nurturing, not only are they unbeatable in their levels, they can challenge higher level Contractors with ease."

Saying this Madam O paused again before saying. "If you would please pick up the devices in front of you, you would notice phones with eye-catching designs, there's a slot on it for your identity card so go ahead and use it."

As the initiates reached for their devices, she observed with a sense of satisfaction. "Your devices," she remarked, her voice tinged with a hint of condescension, "are but tools in your journey towards enlightenment. These phones inform you of your level rankings, but you can also use them to buy information, get the latest news, chat with friends, confirm missions, and all sorts of things that you'll discover later, using your passed identity numbers which have now been refreshed, we recovered all messages and calls you may have received from any device you used in the past."

Letting out an aged sigh, Madam O spoke with an air of superiority and entitlement. "Titles," she mused, her eyes alight with a sense of grandeur, "are not bestowed lightly. As you all know most agents have titles, like Her Excellency Miss Lotus, or Elder Gold, these are famous code names or titles known by all, there are two ways to get titles, you can either file for one of your choice, which most Contractors with no hope of advancing do, or wait till you become Veterans."

"When you become a Veteran it's mandatory to serve a few years at the front lines, and trust me, any Contractor who survives the front lines gets a Title. Miss Lotus, for example, got her name because of her ability to wipe out an entire battlefield with a glowing pink Lotus, or Gold who was famous on the battlefield as the Golden Giant, names earned at the front lines have a certain presence and prestige to them."

"I see that you're all curious, wanting to know what the battlefield is, unfortunately, you're not ranked high enough to find out."

With a finality that brooked no argument, she concluded their session, leaving them in a state of reverent awe. "Our time together draws to a close," she decreed, her words carrying the weight of divine authority. "Until we convene again, may you walk your paths with purpose and obedience?"

With a regal nod, she turned and departed, leaving behind a room pulsating with the palpable energy of submission and deference, her words echoing in the minds of the initiates as they contemplated the magnitude of their duties.

Oppressive silence, that was all that was left in the room, soon, the music turned back on, but the atmosphere remained gloomy, as no one spoke.

Even Mai couldn't help but tremble a bit at the thought of defying the Silence, just as she raised her head to see what Aiden thought she heard his voice.

"Waiter!"

He called out to a waiter who stood at the edge of the room while raising his glass and asked with a chilling smile, "Can I get a refill?"