Beyond the glass, a stupefied expression of many Walkers spread in silence. It was no curse, joke, or disease. A pen dropped with a loud noise, marking an unprecedented case that was finally through.

  Cloud's face was open like a mouth, and his eyes couldn't believe what he saw on his monitor. He wanted to shout. Instead, he muttered and leaned on Reawe for safety and clarity, or just to see her nice pillows.

  “99!? That's so colossal, I have to see her grow. I doooo.... but can't afford it. Man, what a talent! What is even possible with that sort of shit?” He laughed in shock and awe, being the first to recover from their surprise.

  There had never been a result like this. Ever. And this proceeded decades of procedures and a large number of samples. The best results were around 95 Affinity, but those were handfuls, exceptional cases, rare enough to count on two hands.

  Reawe was equally taken aback. This 99 Affinity wasn§t looking normal or strong. It was an uncharted territory and something they weren't quite certain about.

  80 Affinity was something that happened at least ten times per Forced Awakening. It was exceptional and marked great talents.

  90+ was in single digits, and such records were straightforward. Two was most typical, with the best records being ten in one rare event years ago.

  This number indicated Arcana proficiency, accumulation, and influence, as well as the extent to which this flow was stimulated or manifested and challenged. Over the years, general living, breathing, and natural processes added to its effectiveness until the Accelerator eclipsed this flow.

  It wasn't about comfort within the body. It was about where it should be best. There were dozens of links scattered throughout the body, and the Emblem was the heart, which then led to a number that described the stability and synergy.

  More was better, albeit there were layers in those numbers, while the other was the elements themselves, or the type itself.

  Around 30 were considered not great but passable. These Walkers shouldn't be too miserable. 10s were utter disappointments, with weak Emblems and terrible hosts.

  Above 30 Affinity was an average middle ground, and any such number indicated good potential up to Rank 5 with some luck.

  50 wasn't average. It was a great result!

  60 would receive admirable attention from many Divisions, and such a Walker had the potential to reach Rank 5 in a reasonable amount of time and results. Even Rank 6 was possible.

  70 Affinity was in line with the Academy Trials, so it was understandably special, and many organizations wanted Walkers like it for their teams and special training programs.

  Beyond 70, Affinity was a land of upper talents and those that older generations called first-class.

  80 or 90 was the most astounding case, and anything beyond 90 was entirely abnormal.

  “She has unreal potential. I wonder which organizations will try to reach out to her or compete for her attention. With what? How?!” Reawe asked, putting a primary wonder to her peers. At no point did she find Cloud's words bad or wrong. He was a great military supervisor, yet he was no overlord of the Cloud Division. He used to be one, doing justice and bleeding for it, but not anymore. Clouds had generational jumps, and he was Cloud the Fourth.

  “99 is startling. Add a couple of decades, and she could be beyond us. I wonder what it even means or how it is even possible.” Seong muttered as she watched the monitor, her mind full of many thoughts.

  The most curious of them was Mi-Yung, who knew more than they did. “Perhaps she could end up in Assembly sooner, later than later. Unfortunately, I doubt it will be simple. 99 is that sort of thing. It isn't precise anymore, Seong-unni.” Mi-Yung patted the shoulder of her Aunt, who nodded in approval like many others.

  No one present was aware of what sort of power 99 Affinity granted, validated, or pushed against common or unseen boundaries.

  But they all saw that sick sword that came out of nowhere and marked Celeste's life in an event unlike any other.

  Who would dare even to touch Celeste right now? Any recruiter would offer her the best possible benefits, including those from the Federation and all its Divisions, as well as those from private organizations. There was no doubt that the Academy was about to get heavily involved, or perhaps agree to any of her terms, and get her the most generous invitation and benefits. That meant many organisations accepted defeat, yet did not stop their curiosity.

  Mi-Yung sighed, well knowing the future would be complicated, and wondered what Dreadus was feeling right now, and what sort of thing Celeste even got out of this, or... what she saw in that .

  Mi-Yung remembered her time. She was fifteen years old back when she sat on that chair and got out of it with 85 Affinity. It was great, yet far below 99. Every digit of upper talents was quite challenging, as it worked in a different kind of height and sequence. Tom Hough created them this way, and he knew perfectly well what it meant, and most powerful Walkers did as well.

  99 didn't speak of Rank 8 or 9. It was more about grade, speed, foundation, and her Emblem. Her history? No. It was mostly about what brought her to this point, and her Emblem was the catalyst that broke the sequence of this machine, or broke Hough's codes.

  As for what this number meant for the future, even he shouldn't know that. At least that's what Mi-Yung believed after he just created a system that made sense for this society, and Walkers knew theirs and worked with the rest.

  Perhaps the most dull and stupid was Hough, who appeared to have immediately caught up on some error, yet didn't want to acknowledge it.

  After all, there was nothing beyond 99. There was no 100, since he was never able to work with that possibility. Could it be his miscalculation, or was 99 the most possible automation of his calculations, or were there results beyond 100 Affinity?!

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  He didn't think so; he believed there were rules and laws in the numbers and trials he had created, and that he should be correct. As for that girl, she might be beyond that number, yet it was already far bigger than average, so more wouldn't make much difference to anyone. Thus, he accepted the results with a grey lie and was fine with his faults.

  Unfortunately, his blunders were his sins, and Hough believed that this host created more mishaps than good shows. He was frustrated, believing his machine wasn't enough, or perhaps he wasn't.

  After a brief pause and repairs, a couple more hosts went through the painful yet meaningful procedures, but all of them were shit in comparison to that wicked girl. Most ended in painful screams that very few beyond the mirror heard. Most youths were passable, no matter the results. It would take a while for the situation to calm down.

  The only ones who had an interest in these youths were those who understood their station. Celeste or upper talents were out of their touch, so they went back to chatting, saw more results, and took notice of suitable youths who were open to discussion.

  Around half of them were still thinking about their choices, while the rest knew where they would go, or they pleaded to someone regardless of their Affinity. It was a small gamble, yet with an average Affinity of 44 in recent years, there was a steady number of decent Walkers, even if the overall sentiment made fairness, well, not fair. Not everyone was born equal.

  Almost everyone behind the mirror didn't experience the Forced Awakening. They were older. They didn't have a chance. They were unaware of their Affinity, yet the mere point of their standing was enough to call them upper talents. They weren't too envious, though some considered these leaping years to have substantial benefits that might soon change the status quo of the entire world. And their position, their status, and so on.

  However, these youths were still far too recent to matter. Perhaps in a couple more decades, the greatest talents of the Force Awakening would touch the greatest hurdles, and Rank 7 would no longer be as rare.

  Everyone in this room knew the main issue. Rank 8 was that. Rank 9 never happened--so far, of course. Many believed it wasn't possible, and that number was seen as a mere myth that no Rank 8 Walker was capable of describing. Maybe they didn't know much about it, or they couldn't even think of it.

  For these old farts, having a couple of years' head start was beneficial in itself, and it didn't alter their world because numerical results weren't something Darks cared about.

  Still, many older generations believed that if they had gotten such an opportunity, they would have been one Rank higher or much more stable within their Ranks. It didn't matter too much, since their time depended on possibilities, and 'what if' scenarios were one way to hell. In the upper Ranks, it wasn't about age, but rather skills and everything else; a few years' head start was nothing.

  Natural Awakening was a stable change, and there wouldn't be errors or something bad happening. In their opinion, it was normal, so very few members of older generations felt too bad about themselves.

  The organizations followed suit, but not everyone. China and Japan had their opinions about this madness, whereas African tribes thought of it as the finest, most brutal, and forceful trail that was fine by all accounts.

  Considering their natural habits, it wasn't surprising, yet they never saw science as something great. Walkers weren't about science; the System was no network, server, or something like light or waves scattered in the unknown. For Africa, this Forced Awakening was both enticing and brutal, which was why they liked it, because it was typical.

  As for China and Japan, they had their own opinions and couldn't disregard the whole lot about this Accelerator outright.

  Results mattered, and Hough created this a long time ago when other organizations couldn't even call science a science. He had a massive head start, and it showed.

  The process didn't matter. The results did. No one should yank weird liquid elixirs into youths and call it a day. It didn't work like that.

  Walkers live and die, with new ones reaching their places. It was a continuous cycle that had been happening since their inception. It was their apocalypse and their arrival in this era.

  Hours later, the situation calmed down considerably. Mi-Yung saw no one else like Celeste, so she excused herself to others by walking away. Seong was rather disappointed to see her go, but they chatted enough, so there was nothing else she could do.

  Walking around the tables and paths, Mi-Yung greeted more Walkers she knew, or they greeted her instead. It wasn't too bothersome or time-consuming to exchange such pleasantries. Her features made her easy to remember and gave her an easy adventure.

  There weren't many Koreans alive, and not everyone was part of the Federation. Walkers still aimed for that. As for the ordinary people, they followed what was feasible, and Asia was mostly that. They lived their best lives possible in their brand-new home, and it didn't matter to them where they were. They were safe, but for Walkers and the leadership of former South Korea, it wasn't easy to forget their history.

  Mi-Yung forgot it, and beyond all else, she couldn't forget Darks and those who did it to her home. She still remembered it, unlike her younger brother, Yungmin.

  Smiling all of a sudden, she found another small reason for her departure. There was Luke, standing like a good soldier. He was beside a man who could be described as towering and familiar. Seven feet of height was the bare minimum to describe him. He might be closer to eight feet if one regarded normal people.

  When she noticed Luke, he was drawn to her provocative appeal. Waving a small gesture created a bitter smile on their faces.

  Unfortunately, someone reminded him of a job with a furious gaze an inch away from his face. Luke shuddered, changed his face, and pretended not to notice Mi-Yung's flirtatious look.

  The towering man's stare was menacing.

  “What's the matter, sir Yondu?” Luke muttered.

  “Nothing. It seems you have a wavy visit at a rather terrific hour,” Yondu said in a deep voice and waved at Mi-Yung, who seemed to have no other choice but to get this pleasantry done. They vacated the first row several times already and walked around for hours.

  “It seems that way, sir.”

  “Greetings. What an event, right?” Mi-Yung walked to them and lightly bowed to a group under the Yondu Division. Named after their leader, they were a proud group of soldiers, known for their hard work and toughness.

  There was no other privilege than having a Division named after yourself. That was an utmost honor for any Walker, and every Division was special in this manner, apart from the Cloud Division, which used its name to describe the most significant and prominent members with a name akin to a title.

  It was a praiseworthy endeavor that brought a lot of confusion because there were multiple people named Clouds. If one died, a new one would come after careful screening and results that showed dominance over the last Cloud, who either retired, vacated their spot, or faced demotion. It was a very competitive Division, but pretty much all of them were.

  Yondu knew all of that, and showed good face to this whole room, and of course wouldn't omit his devious Pillar either. “Good day to you, Mi-Yung. How surprising to see you. I thought you would be taking care of your problems and not bother visiting this old man.”

  “You surely jest, sir.” Mi-Yung smiled and appeared easy-going. “I wanted to look at youths, and guess what? I looked enough. It was worth a visit, and checking on some friends wasn't that bad either.” Mi-Yung had seen Yondu by that window and never interacted with him or Luke. They were busy and left after Celeste showed off.

  “Oh, I can imagine my Pillar being a bit different, or way too busy, yet you haven't changed at all since the last time you tried to appreciate my men.”

  “I haven't tried anything. What if it were the opposite? Have you not thought of those approaching me instead? You know, the usual courting,” Mi-Yung tried her smart excuse, honest smile, and confidence. It worked wonders.

  “Oh... that? I haven't thought of that...” Yondu pulled his beard with his hand, deep in thought, as if the sudden realization had come out of nowhere.

  Alas, he had to quench this idea because the answer was simple and close. “Have anything to add, Luke?”

  Yondu put his hand around Luke's shoulder, and his words reached the old mischief that Luke didn't hear very often. Yondu was old-school, yet with Mi-Yung around, it often changed because he was quite different when she was present. She always managed to change the flow, and not always for the better.