SSS Awakening: Creating Primordial Beasts To Be My Summons-Chapter 26: Party Hangout

Unlike the cramped first floor lined with circular tables and wooden chairs, the second floor was a quiet, luxurious lounge, with plush seating, dim golden lighting, and a calm that almost felt deliberate.

It was empty at the moment, leaving only two waiters who stood behind a reception.

The three hid their worry behind professionalism, something most of the Awakened present could sense.

’Dax, Abraham, and Maya have sharp perception,’ Cohen casually noted as they sat down.

Maya, Scot, and Dana sat on one side, leaving the others to sit on the opposite.

A waiter came to them and took their orders, prompting Dana to complain.

"Who stepped on everyone’s tails?!"

Abraham sprawled tiredly on the table, commenting muffledly:

"Some rumor bout Outliers being like the item that randomly exploded is spreading."

Dax sighed, explaining what he had picked up with his senses.

"Beneath that talk, they’re talking about how the Guild might not be able to handle this many of us like the item."

Scot’s rare deep yet heartwarming voice said, "There is a Guild War, and we are being used in the war. Like Maya said, let’s be careful."

Everyone present already had some idea about the Guild War. Scot just didn’t want everyone to gloss over the truth and emphasized the need to be careful.

’What a sweet man. He would have fit in very well if he was in the facility,’ Cohen thought.

Silence settled over the table as Scot’s words sank in.

Dana wasn’t one to let silence linger as she hissed. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"I’m just an aspiring Awakened Merchant."

Dax seized the opportunity and said, "I was wondering, were you involved in dealings to the extent that you know the marketplace that well?"

"I’ve been into awakened business for eight years now, and I’m 23," she replied proudly. "I deserve insults if I don’t know my stuff."

"Family business?" Dax asked.

"No, I just love it."

Abraham sat up and smirked at her. "You do look like the type to love money. Heh, forked tongue."

Dana scorned him.

"Is that supposed to be a bad trait? I’m better than your passive ass!"

"Passive is such an interesting word." Cohen chuckled as he commented.

He turned to Abraham with an interested look, prompting the lean man to say:

"Don’t mind her. I’m not passive. I just want to live life and love life, and in these times, being a strong Awakened is the best way to do that."

"What a nice way to romanticize being passive."

"Fuck you mean by that fatty?"

Dax laughed, withholding his response for his friend. He moved on to Scot.

"What about you, my man?"

"Well..." Scot cleared his throat and Dana talked for him.

"This guy is a simple one. He just wants to succeed his family’s hide processing business, marry a good woman and have two or three children. Oh, now that he’s awakened, he wants to scale his family business."

"I have my guess, but you two have a history even before the accident?" Cohen asked.

Dana nodded. "I met this guy a lot when I had to form a deal with his father. I was..."

As she tried to remember, Scot said, "Eighteen."

"Yeah! We were both aspiring Awakened and he was quiet a lot so I spoke to him a lot then. After that period, we met a couple of times on business matters. In fact, we were together when the accident happened."

"Knowing a fellow Outlier beforehand must have made things easier," Cohen said.

Dana nodded. "You have someone you can share those worries with."

"It’s even easier for me since I knew fatty," Abraham said. "He’s a workaholic, so he gets things done for two."

"Obviously, it didn’t make things easy for me," Dax replied, shaking his head.

"So, what’s your own story?" Cohen asked. "I’m especially curious as to why you took the initiative to start a Party."

Dana chimed in. "Yeah, I’m also curious."

Dax smiled.

"I grew up normally, went to school and like a child, I hoped to awaken and become the strongest. That goal was going down the drain as I hadn’t awakened at 19.

"Now that I’ve awakened, and something strong at that. So, I don’t plan to waste the opportunity granted to me. I plan to become one of the strongest in the world."

’Simple and honest,’ Cohen mused. ’However, that’s not a bad thing.’

"So the party is your foundation?" Cohen asked.

"Don’t say it like that. It sounds like I plan to dump you guys at some point," Dax said. "I plan to also make my party well known. Oh, and I don’t want to force my ideas on anyone so you guys feel free to leave when you think it’s necessary!"

"At the very least, I will follow the early stages of your ambitious journey," Dana said. "It’ll probably give me a good backstory—which is great for business!"

Laughter broke through the tension, light and genuine for the first time that night.

As the conversation settled, Abraham asked Cohen, "Strongest one, it’s your turn."

’So... what’s my own? I want to save my mother. I need to be on watch for those with weird energy. And it still feels like more to come.’

Cohen watered down his grand list and gave a reply.

"I’m just a guy who is willing to do the most to provide for his family. The fact that I worked at a Monster Processing Facility is a testament to that."

"As an unawakened? You must have been really impressive because no processing facility accepts unawakened!" Dana said.

"I expected something grander low key," Abraham muttered.

Giving him a pinch under the table, Dax said, "Your family is lucky!"

"With how worried I constantly keep them, they’ll beg to differ," Cohen joked.

The mood was a vibrant one as all heads casually turned to Maya.

The blue-haired girl was casually sipping her drink, through her straw.

"Bluey, it’s your turn~" Dana said sweetly to her.

Maya removed her straw, her eyes facing the table.

"I want to grow strong, prove myself... and protect my mother."

After a few heartbeats, she added, "Thank you for having me here."

"You’re welcome," Abraham and Dax replied together.

Dana then hugged her. "What a cute little girl! I want to spend my money on you!"

Cohen watched with a silent comment, ’How do people think this shy girl is cold? Perception is really a skill!’

As the night grew deeper, the party’s food was served and they had a more wholesome discussion.

It was a bittersweet feeling for Cohen.

He knew.

This wasn’t something he could keep.

Not for long.

- - - - -

- - -

"Ceha, I’m home!"

Cohen took off his boots and dropped his new daggers on the main room’s center table. He took out the small one-time use storage cube that held his new armor and his potions.

Hearing Ceha’s door open, Cohen saw Cas and Pollux rush him excitedly

They bleated at him, and he said, "Thanks for welcoming me home."

Ceha slowly walked and sat beside Cohen, making him notice her poor mood.

"What happened to you?" he asked with concern.

Ceha was silent for a moment.

"Did the Outliers do something?"

"What? Nothing. We did nothing."

Ceha hesitated for a second. "But, people are ignoring me in school. Because you’re an outlier."

At that moment, Cas and Pollux who sat on the floor jumped up, entering a battle stance.

Cohen’s gaze darkened.

’They’re dragging my family into this.’