SSS Awakening: Creating Primordial Beasts To Be My Summons-Chapter 25: What Did Outliers Do?

The hall fell into a heavy silence.

No one truly understood what had happened in the final moments of the battle.

Stein claimed Cohen had used a skill—yet no one saw him activate anything.

If anything, it was Stein who had changed.

Cohen had also been struck shocked by the overwhelming effects of that energy.

’What the fuck is going on?’

The spear-wielding woman shared his confusion but eventually decided who to crown as the winner.

"Stein used an enhancement that clearly isn’t mana-based, while Cohen relied on standard mana enhancement throughout.

"Therefore... Cohen is the winner of the spar."

No one reacted.

Not a cheer. Not a sigh.

Just tension. Thick and suffocating.

’Dealing with Stein won’t be easy now that there’s that weird energy in the equation.

’But that’s more reason to distract him from the ongoing spread within the Outliers so I’ll see this through.

Cohen ran a hand through his hair, his yellow eyes falling disdainfully on Stein.

"Heh... try getting stronger instead of drowning in your own drama."

Stein was standing up, the white of his eyes turning red, veins bulging at the side of his head.

Even now, the enhancements were still active.

Cohen casually turned around, adding under his breath but loud enough for Stein to hear.

"What an excuse for a big guy."

Stein snapped.

He let out a skin-crawling growl.

The ground beneath him cracked as he lunged.

He lunged at Cohen’s back, his movements a blur.

Cohen reacted with a swift turn, in his hands were his daggers with the entirety of his Null Aura gathered around them.

In the brief second of their clash, Brawn stood between them.

He grabbed Stein’s fist and held Cohen’s wrist, his hair flaring under the weight of the clash.

From another end of the hall, Bobby had shot an arrow from a rift near Stein.

But Maya reacted first, throwing a stick of plasma at it.

Yet the attack could only weaken the stick.

Dax was close enough to use his own warrior enhancements, blocking the half destroyed arrow with his wide forearm.

Most of the Outliers didn’t even know what happened. The last few seconds happened in quick succession.

"Stein, you are on probation," Brawn said. "Cohen, watch yourself. You’re escaping punishment just because Stein didn’t only break the rules, but also tried to attack your back."

While Stein was being rushed by the other officials who had just arrived, Cohen retracted his hand.

His face was indifferent as he looked at Brawn, then Stein who was telling the officials not to touch him.

For the first time in his life–

Cohen genuinely considered killing a human.

Not as a thought.

But as a decision.

Dax was sensitive enough to feel Cohen’s intent as he stepped in.

"Let’s go, Cohen," Dax said, entering Cohen’s view. "Maya wants to get a new bow and we’re all going with her, do you want to come?"

’You’ll actually make a good leader, Dax,’ Cohen smiled, feeling calmer.

He replied, "I also want to get one or two things, so I won’t mind tagging along."

"That’s great!" Dax turned to Brawn. "Mr., we’ll be leaving early today."

Brawn said nothing, only giving an affirmative nod.

Cohen walked to Bobby and Hide. He crouched in front of them and used his hands to pat each of them.

"Remember what Ceha said? She’ll handle being worried for us so you guys can calm down."

Bobby and Hide were exuding enough energy for Cohen to understand the concept of killing intent.

’I won’t be able to let them walk the streets like this.’

- - - - -

- - -

The party, led by Dana and Scot, first went to the Awakened marketplace.

It was where people independently sold items without going through the guild.

They didn’t plan to buy anything there.

They only went there so Dax, Abraham, Maya and Cohen could understand how the market place worked in case they wanted to get something next time.

It was a busy hub of multitudes of Awakened who were all loose members of Heavenly Spire as it was the sole guild of the city.

They were able to meet the planned goals for their first destination, but that came with a bitter realization.

The people, Awakened especially, all watched the party cautiously as though the six were caged monsters being moved around.

It didn’t take long for them to figure out why they were receiving such treatment.

Because they were outliers.

Something bad about the Outliers was spreading, making people think of the Outliers like a bomb.

The pressure from people’s gazes was so immense that Maya had to request to go to the Guild Headquarters. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

They were given a special pass, normally given to Awakened that had climbed the ranks, to access the Guild’s private market, even giving the Outliers discounts.

Even at a place like the guild, some people watched the party with care and Maya seemed to dislike it so much, so Dax suggested they move fast.

With their personal savings and the money the Guild gave them as victims of the accident and key guild members in training, what was meant to be just Maya changing her bow, turned to everyone getting something.

Cohen, also using the money obtained from the dungeon, bought the most. He bought two daggers.

Individually, there were uncommon grades, but as a pair, the daggers were considered Rare rank. At Rare grade, they have the passive trait of linked recall

He also bought a fashionable armor of the Rare grade; it had the trait that armors commonly have, to adapt its appearance to match whatever outfit it’s worn with.

Aside from that, he bought a couple uncommon grade body and mana recovery potions he planned to feed the Primordials that had the most injury.

Maya, spending the second most, bought a Rare grade Bow that she had deemed capable of handling her plasma even better.

It had the passive trait of being foldable and another common trait of having a scope.

She got a couple metals that were normally used to create arrow shafts to use as inducers of her plasma instead of always using raw plasma arrows every time.

Her armor, which was uncommon grade, was given to her by the guild and still served her well at this stage so she saw no need to buy more.

Dax saw a vambrace of the rare rank. Due to not many people having interest in it, it had stayed on the shelf for long and it was priced for less.

This gave Dax the idea to change from a sword to this weapon. After a casual discussion with Abraham and Cohen, he was pushed to get it.

Considering he had bestial abilities and seeing how Stein fought, he believed he should try the weapon early, instead of postponing.

Scot convinced Dana to get a new weapon too, believing that if they didn’t change, the three who had bought something will only gap them more.

The two each got a long sword of the Rare rank too.

Abraham was a man of the wave. He naturally followed everyone’s lead and bought himself an accessory that had a concealment ability and a couple throwing knives.

After the group finished shopping, they moved on to a nearby building.

It was one of the buildings to have been swiftly built along with the guild headquarters and the facilities.

It was the biggest Tavern in the city and where most people gathered on special occasions.

It was a six floor building, naturally with not that wide inside width due to the nature of the Heavenly Spire city.

Entering the first floor, they were met with a wall of noise—the clinking of heavy mugs, the boisterous laughter of veterans, and the thick scent of roasted meat and ale.

The hall was lit up by bright orange lights from various directions.

The tavern was packed to capacity, a chaotic hub of post-hunt celebration.

However, as the party crossed into the tavern, the silence that followed them all day struck again, more sudden and jarring than before.

Conversations died mid-breath and heads turned, eyes widening at the sight of the six Outliers.

A waiter, a young man who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, hurried toward them with a nervous, practiced twitch in his hands.

This was not the first group of Outliers to come, and over this short period, the harsh air people were giving them was growing.

He barely glanced at the identification Dana had extended before gesturing frantically toward the private lift at the back.

"Please," he stammered, his voice hushed and trembling as he tried to avoid the gaze of the staring crowd.

"The establishment has arranged for your party to use the fourth floor—it’s reserved for high-ranking members. We find it... more conducive to maintaining a respectful distance."

It was an obvious attempt to segregate the ’bombs’ from the rest of the patrons.

’What did the Outliers even do?’ The question repeated again in Cohen’s head. ’I have a strong feeling the Guild War is moving to a next phase.’

Without a word, the party moved toward the lift, leaving the silent, judgmental hall behind.