Chapter 344: Ranks of the Shadow
The armored SUVs moved back toward the residence in a fluid line. Inside the spacious cabin, the atmosphere remained heavy from the shock of witnessing Alexander spend an astronomical fortune in a matter of minutes.
His aunt, being the closest person to him and acting as the mother figure she had always been, slid across the leather seat until she was facing him. She looked at him with a mix of dismay and scolding affection.
"Alex... where did you get so much money?" Alexander’s aunt said, pressing her hands against her lap. "And why are you wasting it like that? You should be careful with it, kid. You don’t need to throw money away like that just for some food."
Alexander smiled maintaining his calm despite the scolding.
"I earned that money on the outer border, Auntie," Alexander replied. "And believe me, we actually have plenty of money saved up. Besides, I was promoted within the organization just now; I hold Silver rank now."
Marcus furrowed his brow, pulling out his own handheld terminal to check his data.
"Hey, but the ranks are color-based, right?" Marcus cut in, scratching his head. "Ever since they registered us, it’s always been a color scale."
"In this world, yes," Alexander said, crossing his arms. "And that applies to everyone who stays here. But when you cross over to the outer border and awaken, the scale changes. Look."
Alexander activated his terminal’s holographic display and showed it to Marcus. As Marcus scanned the official TMC record, his pupils dilated: under the information rank section it read Black, and under the privilege rank section it also listed Black.
Marcus let out a muffled whistle.
"Holy shit... so that means..." Marcus muttered, eyes wide open.
"Yeah, I’m outside that scale," Alexander confirmed. "It seems that up to Violet rank is the cap for those who stay on the outer border. But once you awaken, they lock that color rank and assign you a metal-based classification. When I left, they gave me Bronze rank, and after resolving the border issue, they promoted me to Silver. In fact, they classify weapons and skills using that exact same metal scale as well."
Marcus processed the information for a couple of seconds before looking back at Alexander with curiosity.
"So what’s your official position now?" Marcus asked.
"When I left, they gave me the exact same position Julian had," Alexander said measuredly. "Right now I know I stand above what he used to be, but they haven’t assigned me a definitive official title yet."
Marcus practically jolted in his seat upon hearing the name.
"Julian?" Marcus exclaimed, dropping his voice. "Speaking of Julian... he’s dead. Everyone in the district found out a couple of days ago."
"I might have had something to do with that," Alexander commented with a cold smirk, leaning back against his seat. "He tried to set a trap for me and send me on a suicide run so I’d get killed. But top management isn’t stupid, they saw through his move and executed him, on top of other scams he was trying to pull against the company."
"Well, I guess the Big Black incident also played a part in his downfall," Marcus added, rubbing his chin.
Alexander raised an eyebrow, locking his eyes on his friend.
"Big Black?" Alexander asked.
"Yeah, what happened last time during the shootout," Marcus explained. "Turns out the Big Black faction had captured a few high-profile people from the other world, along with an ancient artifact. Somehow, Julian managed to steal it using an insider within their ranks. But in the process, he made a blunder and let those captives escape. Word is those people were extremely important over there... I don’t know the exact details, but apparently TMC’s top brass had to yield a large amount of concessions and hand over Julian’s head on a platter to smooth things over."
Alexander remained silent for a moment, taking in the political maneuver that had unfolded behind his back.
"I didn’t know about that..." Alexander admitted in a low tone.
"Well, that’s what the streets are saying," Marcus concluded with a shrug. "Who knows how much of it is actually true."
Alexander nodded in silence, piecing the puzzle together in his mind. Everything fit perfectly. Julian’s death hadn’t been merely an internal purge for attempting to eliminate him, but a calculated political move by TMC to settle a debt with an otherworldly force after the mess he created with Big Black.
"Whether the rumors are accurate or not, Julian is ancient history now," Alexander stated, looking out the window as the mansion gates swung open to let the three SUVs pass through. "What actually matters is what we do from here on out."
The convoy came to a stop in front of the main entrance. The drivers quickly dismounted and opened the armored doors for the group.
Barely two hours after their return from the market, a sleek transport van bearing the glowing holographic emblem of Aether Supplies pulled up outside the front gates.
Two specialized technicians and a middle-aged man wearing a spotless white chef’s uniform stepped out of the vehicle. Under Helena’s direct supervision, the technicians set to work dismantling the main kitchen’s standard stove to install the mana-thermal oven—an elegant structure crafted from dark alloy and runic glass that regulated cooking temperatures via compressed Essence. Alongside the oven, they unloaded several vacuum-sealed crates containing the spiritual ceramic dinnerware and the first yield of fresh silver-rank beast meat.
The certified chef bowed low with deep respect as Alexander walked past the kitchen.
"Master Alexander, I am the chef assigned by Miss Valerie to serve your residence for the coming year," the man said in a humble tone. "I will ensure that every dish retains its maximum spiritual density and flavor to nourish your body and those of your companions."
"I trust your expertise," Alexander replied briefly. "The kitchen is yours."
That very evening, the mansion’s dining room presented a starkly different scene from earlier that afternoon. The chef served prime cuts of beast meat roasted in the runic oven, arranged neatly over the spiritual ceramic plates. The aroma wafting through the hall was beyond comparison.