The two orb-like monster cores rested in Ivara's palm like small stars, one red and one blue, swirling with wild energy.
"Wow. So this is how a monster core looks like..." Vanna muttered.
The squad stared in awe.
Even without touching them, they could feel the hum in the air, like the Field itself paused to watch.
Cael took a half-step forward, then crossed his arms. "Wait a minute," he said, eyes narrowing. "How are we supposed to decide who gets those?"
The air shifted. Just like that, the moment broke.
Everyone looked at Cael.
They all wanted the cores. But Cael was the first to say it out loud.
Ivara smiled, a tricky, unreadable kind of smile. "Good question," she said. "So tell me, who should get them?"
Cael didn't hesitate. "I should be one of them. I led the squad when Raith sat out. We held our ground. We even landed hits."
Demitri spoke next. His voice was calm, but firm. "We all did our part. But the one who really hurt that blue Crawler... was Liria." He paused as he looked at Raith before adding, "I mean when Raith was not part of the formation."
He then looked right at Cael. "You kept it busy, sure. But that's not the same as dealing damage."
Cael's jaw clenched. "You wanna say that again?"
Demitri shrugged. "I said what I said."
Cael took a step forward, fists tightening. "Then maybe we settle this with a fight."
Demitri raised his hands. "Not interested. We're on a mission right now."
The tension crackled. Until Liria stepped forward.
"If I may," she said, voice cool as always. "We need to strengthen our squad, not just individuals. That means raising our weakest point... and sharpening our strongest."
She paused, then looked at Vanna. "Vanna needs to catch up. And Raith... he can't even fight more than once without breaking."
She walked to Raith and poked his shoulder.
Raith winced. Hard.
"Wh-what are you doing?!"
A jolt of pain lit through his body. He let out a sharp breath.
Liria pulled her hand back. "See? Right now, he's like a one-time secret weapon. He needs to get stronger, or next time he won't get up at all."
Ivara watched, amused. "And what about you, Liria? Don't you want to get stronger, too?"
"Of course." Liria clenched her fists. "But Demitri, Cael, and I have experience. As you said, we just need to sync it better with our Forces. That can be done quickly. Cores should go to those who need them most."
Ivara turned to Raith. "What about you? Agree with that logic?"
Raith hesitated. Then nodded slowly. "To be honest..."
He looked at the red and blue cores. "I want them. Both. I want to be the strongest."
Cael scoffed. "Wow. Really? You gonna say it like that? You want us to clap or something?"
Raith looked at him. Calm. "If I'm strong enough, I can clear monsters faster. That means more cores for everyone else."
Silence.
Then, Ivara broke it with a laugh.
"Well," she said, "that settles it. These two cores will go to Raith."
Everyone froze.
Raith blinked. "Wait… seriously?"
Demitri didn't speak. Vanna looked down. Liria remained unreadable.
Cael opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Ivara raised a hand.
"Don't pout," she said. "I said these two go to Raith. I didn't say that's all I have."
With a flick of her hand, her ring flashed. Eight white monster cores appeared on her palm.
"These," she said, "are yours."
Their eyes lit up.
Cael still looked bitter. "Then why can't one of us get the blue or red one?"
"Because," Ivara said, exasperated, "those are mutated cores. Unstable. They could destroy your system if you're not ready."
"And Raith is?" Cael asked.
"No. That's why he's only taking one for now. I don't think I need to elaborate, but his body is different than the rest of you."
That eased the tension. Slightly.
Raith wasn't sure he felt any better.
"This is still an experiment," Ivara continued. "If his body can't absorb it, he'll need days to recover. So, he'll miss a lot of chances to grow stronger."
That worried the rest. They didn't want to be part of that experiment. But Raith looked down at the core in his hand and nodded. He wanted the risk. He wanted the strength.
Ivara passed the white cores around. Two for each of them.
They held them in silence.
It was the first time they had ever touched monster cores.
Not because their families couldn't afford them. But because they were late awakeners. The 'unworthy' ones. Resources were reserved for the prodigies. The elites.
Coming to Camp 70 had been a gamble.
But here, they had a shot.
Even Liria, an A-rank, had been neglected. She would only be valued if she had awakened earlier.
Her family considered anything below S-rank for late awakeners as insignificant. In reality, not even one in a million would achieve an S-grade, even among early awakeners.
Now, holding that core, they felt the warmth. The pulse. The power.
Demitri held his up. "What monster did this come from?"
"Good question," Ivara smiled. "It's an F-grade White Wolf. The best part? It provides a special boost for your physique."
Vanna leaned in, her eyes gleaming. "What kind of boost?"
Cael jumped in. "Speed. It has to be speed. Everyone knows White Wolves are fast."
Ivara nodded. "Correct."
Cael grinned.
"These cores can improve your agility slightly. Not by much, but a boost is a boost," Ivara added.
"Progress is progress," Demitri said.
Liria and Vanna nodded.
Raith said nothing. His gaze was locked on the blue and red cores in his hands.
Cael noticed. "What about his cores?" he asked. "What kind of trait do they give?"
Ivara shrugged. "No idea. Could be random. Could be elemental. Could be nothing but raw energy."
That stunned them.
Ivara crossed her arms. "Enough questions. We're already behind schedule."
Then, she looked at them seriously. "Let me explain how this works."
Everyone turned to listen.
"Each of you, as Tuners, already has a core. For your rank, it's not visible, but it's there. Right in your sternum."
She tapped the center of her chest.
"Your core already contains essence. The more essence you absorb, the more it purifies. Once you reach a certain threshold, your core will level up."
"What does that mean?" Vanna asked.
"It means that your body, mind, and soul will all grow stronger. Your Force will improve, and most importantly, your Flux capacity will increase. With that, you will level up."
They nodded slowly.
"Absorbing a monster core doesn't mean taking its Force. You're absorbing its refined essence. Your core takes it, breaks it down, and makes it yours."
Ivara reached into her pouch again. She pulled out five small metal disks, thin and round.
"Once you've absorbed your cores, I'll give you one of these."
She held them up.
"These are measurement disks. They track your current level, your Flux, and your physical attributes. You'll get your numbers soon enough."
They looked like coins, but they pulsed faintly with a pale blue glow.
"You'll get stronger. Slowly. But this is the beginning."
Everyone stared at the cores in their hands. Silent. Focused.
Raith glanced down at the blue one.
It pulsed back.
Something inside him stirred.
Ivara turned away. "Now let's begin. And after that, we're moving again."