"Ya, that is exactly what is going on, here," said Dean. "We don't usually do this, but it necessary to currently have you join us. Just recently, we had to eliminate quite a few traitors and beast who have managed to find their way into this fort. Two of your fellow trainees had already been involved in the incident."
"We expect these incidents to only increase in the following days and we need more agents and hence, more recruits," said Syam.
"But, why us," reiterated Jean. "I am no deviant or not that great. At least not compared to him."
"Yes, regarding the selection of trainees. We usually already recruit at least knight stage guards who have already proved themselves, but this time we were instructed to train instead or recruiting those already trained," said Syam.
"So, we had a few criteria. Deviants will be trained. That is given as deviants are always useful due to element of surprise and many are not used to fighting deviants. Apart from that, we are taking in from those noble families and clans who have always supported us. We can train you and see if you are suitable. That is why we chose you and the others Jean. Also, those without any background, but have shown relative talent in fighting over the past week," said Dean.
"You have to understand that this is just a special class for you guys. More can be added later or if we find you unsatisfactory, we can remove you too," said Syam.
"Yes, also your training wouldn't be like the other trainees. You will have to go outside the fort. You will have access to more information and hence keep more secrets. You will learn to understand the politics of the region. Lastly, all members of this division will not be restricted to the fort."
"Can I go? I don't want to join your group," suddenly said a mousy looking short boy.
"May I know why you don't want to?" asked Dean as he heard the boy. He was a deviant and someone whose attribute was a variant earth type, especially useful for reconnaissance and tracking.
"I can't fight against nobles. They can hurt my family even if I survive in the fort," said the boy in small tone.
"Don't worry, kid," said Syam. "Your parents will be relocated and protected if you even get into the division. Protected directly by the emperor."
"They can't relocate. It is not possible," said the kid.
"We won't make them relocate, kid," said Dean. "We are going to help them improve in their career secretly. We provide them resource and techniques to cultivate and improve their strength. Only in case, something happens to you or someone finds out that you are involved will we relocate them to much secure location."
"Till then it is the same life with a sudden change in their luck. We will order a few local police that they are priority individuals and they will protect them with their lives," said Dean trying to convince.
"Kid, you are worrying about the case when they know you are a hunter," interrupted Syam. "Right now, it is only special classes. You will only be helped to reach the knight stage faster. Use this chance. Even if you reach knight stage, you have the option to not join us. At that time, you can continue to work as a normal border guard. So, just use this chance."
"You are being selected because you are good," said Dean. "Get better. Any one of you can get out of the division if you so wish. But no one usually does because of the privileges you get."
"Come on, Pete," said Timothy putting his hand over the shoulder of the boy who was concerned. "Just use this chance along with the rest of us, then. I doubt trainees like us or our families will get a better chance."
"Fine," said Pete shrugging his shoulders.
"Good," said Syam. "So, all of you are updated. So, every evening we have special class. Your residences will also be changed to another building. Your schedules will be given to you there. Enjoy the treat. Chef Raban is the main man in charge of the training. The rest of us will be your instructors while working our usual jobs and you ask any doubts you have about cultivation, fighting or the classes."
Syam put his hand on an array on the table and few professionnel immediately entered carrying a bunch of dishes and plates. They began to serve a few and left a few more dishes.
Syam and his team started to eat and the trainees followed and soon it turned into a QA session. At this time, Ajax was taken to the side by Dean and Raban so that they could talk without disturbance.
"Didn't expect that you were going to recruit so many others," said Ajax to Dean. "I thought you were going to recruit only me."
"That was the idea, initially. The higher ups were already concerned about lack of enough hunters to handle the cases that might arise. So, when we sent the idea to recruit a gifted candidate, they suggested we make a who special recruitment class," said Dean.
"Anyway, I took you aside along with Raban to deliver you this," said Dean as he provided him a badge which had a small knife on it along with a small serial number. "This is the probationary apprentice chef badge."
"This badge while it indicates you to be an apprentice chef can also be used a storage device and it contains the blood from the golden eater," explained Dean.
"All apprentice chefs get such valuable badge?" asked Ajax surprised. Artisans were of many types and storage devices were costly, even as a prince he didn't have one. So, he was surprised to know of such a feature.
"No, it was specially made on my request," explained Raban. "Let me introduce myself. I am Raban Balar. I am Bloom's senior as a chef. After retiring as a hunter, I started as a chef to live the simple life. But now, I am pulled back to train you guys."
"The general informed me of your current situation prince and asked for me to help you. So, I offered Bloom to give you the badge and we secretly modified the badge to also have a storage space. Make sure that Bloom or others don't know about it. When outside kitchens just pin the badge in your pocket and retrieve what you want from it," said Raban.
"Another person knows that I am the prince," thought Ajax as he sighed internally. "What kind of a general is this Krev fellow that he keeps informing every one, my identity? How did he become a general?"
"Thank you," said Ajax as he took the badge and pinned it to his chest. "Can you please tell me how much space is available?"
"It about 6 feet high and 4 square meters area," said Raban. "But you forgot something a lot more important. Can you access it? You were at knight stage before, but now without mana core, I doubt you can access it."
"I can, but only for short durations of few seconds," said Ajax as he had already tried to use it. After using the blood armament technique to manipulate blood, he tried to attempt that and other things like spirit sense. He tested his limits and found that they couldn't be used continuously like when he had a mana core.
When a mana core is created, it is the time when a person awakens his spirit sense and could properly use it outside his body, both for perception and controlling mana outside the body. From knight stage, one can move enough mana in his body to support the use of spiritual sense outside the body.
Ajax could use mana outside for the purpose of attacking through the use of blood. Like all other people of this world, he could control the mana inside him and use it for cultivation through techniques. But he was only able to use it for short bursts of time like about 10 seconds at once and take a break for double that time before attempting again.
"It seems for the use of spirit sense continuedly, the body needs to have a mana core," Ajax elaborated on his issue.
"You are indeed one of the rare ones," said Raban. "Usually only those who were at king stage of cultivation and lost their mana core could use this. Only rare ones like you who lost their core and below that stage can operate spirit sense."
"No, one knows why people are able to use spirit sense after getting a mana core, but whatever part of body is responsible for it probably needs mana for operation. So, it is expected that one needs to always have mana core, to use spirit sense effectively or even practice with it," suggested Dean.
"Yes, that is the most common explanation known to the world. You can use badge for storage, but when you get more items, you need to sort it in your device and need to spend spirit sense for longer durations. So, you best get to the knight stage as soon as possible," said Raban. "To be frank you are strong and quite precise according to Bloom. Very good for an apprentice chef below knight stage."
"If that was true, he would have made me do something other than cutting and chopping," replied Ajax.
"Yes, but for other things you need to be able to use spirit sense," said Raban. "Bloom tells you have already read most of the material needed for a one-star chef. So, you know that for any improved performance you need to use spirit sense, even to minimize mana loss in ingredients while cutting and cooking. Till then, you can only improve with practice."
"Ok. I already understand that, but you can't expect me to just immediately construct a mana core and jump to knight stage for the purpose of becoming a better cook," said Ajax.
"Didn't you tell me he is already past a punch strength of 1500," Raban asked Dean.
"He is," said Dean.
"How did you know?" asked Ajax. "You guys are spying on me?"
"Always. This whole thing is because general Dustblade wants us to keep you safe," said Dean.
"He brought an old retiree like him into the work just for that," continued Dean looking at Raban.
"I could avoid it if I wanted to, but I am doing it for my old captain, your dad, Varas Darkhan," answered Raban.
"Friend of my father, huh," said Ajax as he shrugged his shoulders in understand.
"I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a friend of the mad general, Krev or the crazy prince, Varas," said Raban. "Ok, crazy king now."
"I never knew that my dad had such a name, fame," said Ajax.
"But you knew about Krev?"
"I was told stories about him by my dad when I was a kid."
"I bet Varas never told you about his own antics in the guard," scoffed Raban.
"Anyway, why aren't moving on to the next stage?" asked Dean.
"I don't feel like I hit my limit. Over the past week, I had about thirty percent increase in my punch strength," Ajax explained.
"Thirty percent? Is it real?" Raban asked Dean.
"Ya, he is a limit breaker. It was two thousand yesterday," said Dean.
"Limit break at that level, before a mana core? Are you sure?" asked Raban.
"Sure," said Dean.
"But you felt like you could break through?" asked Raban looking at Ajax.
"I did feel like I can breakthrough. I am sure that my body will be able to sustain it," said Ajax.
"Do you know the problems of limit breaking?" asked Dean.
"I don't know what limit breaking is?"
"There are limits to all stages. For below a knight stage, it is about 1500 for humans like you know. Usually some manage to get 20kg to 50kg more, but that is not considered limit break," started Dean. "When someone goes quite past the usual limit, it becomes harder to get into the next stage. The stronger they get the harder the breakthrough to the next stage."
"But I have experience of creating a mana core and I don't feel any issue," said Ajax.
"Can't really say whether it will cause an issue when you try to breakthrough. I can only say tell you about the information I know based in experiences of others in the past," said Dean.
"But I never heard of enlightenment or limit break at your stage either. So, I can't really tell," continued Dean shrugging his shoulders.
"I don't get a break, do I?" thought Ajax.
"So, you also recommend I breakthrough now?" asked Ajax turning to Dean.
"I can't really say. Captain Syam is also a limit breaker and from my experience with him, it is always best you decide when you need to breakthrough on your own," said Dean.
The information about limit breaker he received from these two was incomplete and he always felt like he could break anytime he wanted and with that present, he didn't need to concern himself about failing to breakthrough.
"But I still feel that by weekly growth of strength is still substantial," said Ajax looking at them.
Both Raban and Dean shared a look. "In that case, I will tell you what Syam takes as the limit. If your increase isn't beyond a thousandth of the maximum in a week. It is time you consider breakthrough," said Dean.