"I'm so excited!" Nyx squealed at the back of the taxi. "Maybe we will meet Scarlet there if we're really lucky!"
Even though she was an awakened now, the pink-haired beauty still looked up to the Ruler of the Flames as her idol. Scarlet had a distinguished career; she was very popular.
"What would she be doing at the registration?" Aria asked a very good question.
"Ugh... I don't know, maybe she got called to talk with the association chairman but got lost and ended up at the registration center."
"Keep coping, space bimbo. You'd already seen a woman of her caliber anyhow." Luna's words didn't leave the desired effect in Nyx. She was right in that Vespera was on the same level as a combatant and in the fame department as well, but they couldn't be further apart regarding their personalities. Scarlet was a charismatic, fiery person who inspired confidence in her fellow awakened and made them dream big, while Vespera was like a cold murder machine of the highest order.
"We'll meet her once we become strong enough, Nyx," Kaiden decreed confidently. If they were to reach Scarlet and Vespera's level of strength, they would be called upon to team up with fellow powerful awakened to clear out the greatest dungeons that threaten the peace of the United States.
When a dungeon wasn't cleared in time, the monsters in the separate dimension could cross over to Earth. It was the Awakened Association's job to administer and guard every single dungeon, but they had the right to mobilize awakened even if they were not associated. It was rare for them to do as such because no one looked favorably upon being forcibly conscripted, but it did happen from time to time.
Both Vespera and Scarlet were associated with the government, so they were called upon much more often than non-associated awakened were. In exchange, they enjoyed many privileges, such as having insider information and the full backing of the state.
"You're right," Nyx nodded happily. She had to admit that there was no need to rush. The Space Valkyrie would also be happier if she could meet Scarlet as an accomplished fellow awakened and not as a mere fangirl.
The Awakened Association had branches in all the major cities, so they only needed to travel for thirty minutes. Once their ride stopped and they stepped out, the awe-inspiring sight of the branch building welcomed them.
Every association building was made with materials harvested from beyond the gates and put together with the assistance of crafter-classed individuals. Doing so ensured their buildings were protected from most attacks by monsters and awakened. Human-made explosives would not dent such materials at all, the association was not worried about normal weapons, for those were a thing of the past.
Kaiden glanced toward the branch, which resembled a fortress more than an organization's administrative building. It might've been built like a fortress, but a trendy, modern touch made it strangely fit in with the 21st-century architecture standards. Its walls were made from a metal brought from beyond the gates; it was a smooth and glossy black.
The entrance was massive, with towering pillars on each side, and each pillar had carvings of creatures locked in battle with awakened humans. The symbol of the Awakened Association shone above the doorway: a fiery red phoenix with its wings spread wide.
There were multiple such entrances, each leading to a different department of the association. Kaiden and his Sinsworn Valkyries walked toward the one that dealt with the registration process.
In front of this specific entrance, dozens of paparazzi—journalists, if we were being generous—stood ready to snap pictures and film videos. The birth of a new high-tier awakened was the story they were fishing for. Such news would result in numerous clicks.
As for the ranks of classes, they went as such: F-tiers were trash non-combatants most of the time, like the gardener girl with the bubbly butt. They faced way too many obstacles, such as upon leveling up, they received worse gains than higher tiers did.
When one reaches the first bottleneck at level 25 and shoots past it, their rewards heavily depend on their tier. An F-tier might only gain a single spell which could be similarly shitty as their original one(s), while higher tiers might receive numerous strong spells.
E and D tiers were the footsoldiers in any competitive guilds. They were usually just strong enough to justify their inclusion in secondary parties.
C and B tiers were the standard awakened that any guild happily welcomed in their midst. They had bright futures but were overshadowed by the rarer tiers.
A-tiers were often the cream of the crop. Not many of them existed, and the birth of an A-tier awakened was what these journalists were here for. Most, if not all of the mid-tier guilds were led by A-tier awakened because they were the final 'standard' tier.
S-tiers were extremely rare. They were thought to be above the standard tiers because the rewards they gained for breaking through bottlenecks were beyond what even A-tiers could hope for. Governments across the globe would do almost anything to get an S-tier awakened to join them.
The mythical tier above that of the S-tier was not an official one. S-tier was the highest rank the Awakened Association awarded, but some people speculated those with hidden tiers, such as Vespera and Scarlet, might be beyond the S rank.
"Hey! Can I get a few words?" a man with a camera in his hands shouted toward Kaiden and his group.
"Sure," Kaiden nodded and walked up to him. He was a bit confused about his mission, 'Spark of Interest,' which was to gain popularity by utilizing this occasion. Perhaps getting featured in a newspaper could help, he thought.
The man placed his camera on a tripod and started filming.
"What's your name?"
"Kaiden."
"Kaiden, nice to meet you. I'm Rupert from AwaNews. Can you tell me about how you found out you awakened?"
"I just woke up and felt different." People typically awakened while they were asleep, so he went with the traditional answer, even if it was a lie.
"I see. What tier do you expect yourself to end up with?"
"Probably F-tier, to be honest," he said while smiling awkwardly. He thought his class was way too nerfed by the system at the moment to be anything beyond the worst tier. Its spells were promising since he knew they would be upgraded with each bottleneck he broke through, as opposed to how it was for normal awakened whose spells didn't get stronger after reaching level 25. They merely gained new spells, which for Kaiden and the girls would happen upon ranking his Demonic Pornstar System up, not breaking bottlenecks.
For now, his spells were very rudimentary.
Rupert's features immediately changed upon hearing his answer. F-tiers were horrible news material. No one cared to read about them. "Thanks for your time," he spat coldly while not even reaching his right arm out for a handshake.
Kaiden expected a disheartened reply but not to be outright dismissed like this. "Come, Kai, let's go," Aria's soft voice entered his ears while she grabbed his hand and squeezed supportively.
"You're right. No need to waste our time," Kaiden nodded and turned toward the entrance.
It was only now that Rupert noticed the three bombshells who were accompanying him. "Wait! Can you tell me about your relationship with these women?" he shouted after Kaiden, but he didn't care to respond.
The reporter then turned his head toward the last two women and gulped heavily when he saw the furious glares both were eyeing him with.
"Rupert from AwaNews, right? I'll make sure never to forget." The shorter, purple-haired girl decreed in a similarly cold tone with which he dismissed the young man beforehand.
"Did no one ever tell you to look beyond what's visible on the surface?" the pink-haired girl asked, but she didn't wait for his answer. After turning their backs on him, the duo quickly followed Kaiden and Aria.
Rupert didn't understand why he was so intimidated by their glares. He couldn't help but feel he just missed out on a big news story, but he couldn't explain why. Wasn't an F rank just a nobody?