Chapter 17: Declining

—East District, Dotun City; Lanima Region

Alex and Stacia went to the biggest training area of the Masters of Reigns headquarters, where most Reigners are training, they usually train on their own because their Reigns are either too different or too common so the common Reigners are training together in this area, the Reigners that have too different of a Reign are also training here because there is no one that wants to train them. They have to learn on their own.

"There are so many people here, are they all training at this hour?" Alex said, asking Stacia after they entered the area.

"Something like that, they're always training here, we all want to improve even though we've got the best of the best Reigners, I always train, I can already activate my Reign in any danger, even subconsciously when I sense danger, I just train in close combat now," Stacia said.

"Of course, there are times when they rest and other Reigners switch places with them, right?" Alex asked.

"Your right on that one," Stacia answered Alex's question.

"Do you also train here?" Alex asked.

"Rarely, because I just need a sparring partner to train since I've already mastered my Reign, Alex," Stacia said, answering his question.

"I don't think I need to absorb her Reign since it's highly similar to Body Harden Reign that I've absorbed before, and I can heal so fast so even if I get blasted off the orbit, I don't think I'll die sooner or later, though I don't know if blowing my brains will kill me. But I don't want to test that right now," Alex thoroughly thought as he follows Stacia.

After looking around, they continued their walk, until they went full circle. They went back to the West entrance of the headquarters center.

"Should we go back to Ayer's office? Have you decided if you want to join us, Alex?" Stacia asked her.

"I don't want to break her heart if I declined their offer even after she bothered to show me around, I don't like to be in a sort of group, especially the people that I've somehow aggravated. After they spread the rumor that I have multiple Reigns, it will be terrible for me, it's better to be outside than be inside,

I know their higher-ups will help me but there is a chance that even this Ayer and the rest of the Unique Reigners will go after me depending on the circumstances, Stacia is probably an exception since she defended me against her other peers. It's probably easier for me if I'm free," Alex thought thoroughly as they headed inside the headquarters center.

"I have decided, let's go meet your boss," Alex said to Stacia.

"You have to understand, he's not our boss, he's just the one that's deciding things, even I have declined some missions and decisions he's done and he agreed, even the two Unique Reigners besides him did the same thing," Stacia said, clarifying it to Alex.

"Even this Bob guy?" Alex asked Stacia.

"Yep, he got very passionate when it's about his cooking area and others relating to that that Ayer let him do whatever he wants in his food court, of course, regulations are still up there," Stacia said, answering Alex's question.

They then entered the headquarters, on their way to Ayer's office.

Meanwhile…

Wey Lester was done with the work that Ayer told him to do the other day.

"Are you heading somewhere, Wey-sensei?" Walter asked him.

"Yeah! To Ayer's office, I stayed awake last night to finish this work before I lose my sht, anyway, watch the dojo for me, Walter!" Wey said, heading out of their dojo to go to the Ayer's office.

When Wey left their dojo…

"How did someone younger than me become my teacher, someone stronger than me, and someone in a higher position than me? Those are the questions I ask myself every day," Walter thought while cleaning the dojo.

Wey is an outgoing person, greeting many Reigners on the way…

"Hey, E****!" Wey shouts, waving at him.

"Sir Wey! Good afternoon!"

"What's up, R***?!" Wey shouts, greeting him.

"Still have energy even afternoon, Sir Lester?"

"Of course! Also, I told you to call me Sir Wey! That's more confusing for me!" Wey said, answering his question and shouting at him after he went by their training area.

"These people are such hard workers, at the same time, they are such brats," Wey thought, with positivity on his mind.

When he arrived at the headquarters, he also greets the guard.

"Q***, good afternoon!" Wey greets him.

"Good afternoon as well, Sir Wey,"

"Is Ayer inside, Q***?" Wey asked him.

"Yes, also, Ms. Thiwang went inside with her new recruit, they're probably going to Sir Oighear's office as well,"

"Really? The man with multiple Reigns," Wey said, asking him.

"That's what I heard. They're trying not to keep it a secret, but at this point, he's like an urban legend now, I even heard he's close with Stacia too which is the oddest thing,"

Wey then entered the headquarters to go to Ayer's office.

"I need to also check if this man is real, I haven't heard of Stacia bringing in new recruits before, this is so new, and the fact that he's close with Stacia grinds my gears!" Wey thought, starting to get mad.

He arrived at Ayer's office. When he's about to open the door, Stacia opened the door because she heard Wey's feet stomping while walking—Wey stomps his feet when he's frustrated.

"Wey, your feet are heard from here, also, you're just in time," Ayer said.

"Is this the new guy? Is having multiple Reigns a Unique Reign? What if all the Reigns he has are weak?" Wey said as he approaches Alex and looked at him.

"Okay, that's too close…" Alex thought, moving his face back.

"Don't question him too much and don't bother his personal space, Stacia beats up a Reign user when they tried to do so—yes, he's a Unique Reign user, for sure," Ayer said, informing Wey.

"Also, Stacia, my girl, you're definitely not the type to bring in new recruits, that's my thing!" Wey said, he was bitter but not because of that.

"He's an old friend! Also, can you not scare him, and you'll definitely affect his decision whether or not he'll join us!" Stacia said, angry at him for causing a scene.

"She's right, Wey, you barging in here with heavy feet is already an effect," Ayer said, adding to Stacia's words.

"They're right though," Alex mumbled.

Wey looked back at Alex again. He then went to Ayer's side after.

"You've never accepted all of my invites before, you know, Stacia, I wanted to hang out with you, but you've been the most hospitable with him, more than with me," Wey said, jealous of Alex.

"Right, ever since the chaos began, I've never been myself before, that I shut myself from others, and then I became so friendly with Alex after he returned, Wey was the most inviting colleague, I guess if I accepted his invitations before, we've been friends. I was too cold," Stacia thought after realizing it.

"Introduce yourself first," Ayer said to Wey as he looks at him.

"Hmph! I'm Wey, I'm a Unique Reign user and I don't care how many Reign you have, I'll deck you if we spar!" Wey said, challenging Alex subtly.

"He's still spirited," Ayer thought.

"He, for sure, has a lot of energy, I wonder how many Reigners he has beaten up, and only I and Stacia calls Reigner to people that have Reign and not Reigner," Alex thought.

*door opens*

"Good, it's already noisy. Ayer," Rea said as she enters the office and called him.

She was followed by Bob, "Well, it is as lively as Wey so that's good," he said.

"Haha, funny, Bob," Wey said sarcastically.

"That's good enough. Go over here, you two," Ayer said.

"So this is the man I heard about in the streets, the man with multiple Reigns, I'm Rea Wirklichkeit," she introduced herself to Alex.

"I'm Bob, he sure did rile up Reign users in my food court," Bob said, introducing himself as well.

"I'm Alex," he introduced himself to Rea.

"So how does this multiple Reign work? I can see that you're a cyborg, is that why?" Wey asked Alex.

"That is my speculation, I was in a laboratory after I was knocked unconscious and severely injured 3 years ago, when I woke up 3 years later, I have this, it's highly likely that the scientists that helped me know about Reigns and integrated it in my robot body," Alex said, half lying again.

"I'm starting to wonder if what he's saying is the full story because he isn't mentioning how he got so much mass and muscles, and also his fast healing ability too, that's probably crazier than those two because even if he has no Reign, he can probably overpower everyone just by his stamina," Stacia thought, speculating.

Because Alex has 3 Super Soldier serums in his system, allowing his regenerative ability, cell transformation, and organ productivity to be enhanced to the point that he's now invincible, and his stamina quickly recovers from exhaustion because his cells move quickly whenever his exhaustion kicks in.

"I'm guessing when those scientists found out about Reign, they quickly integrated it into Hugo's robot body, do you know how many Reigns you have, Hugo?" Ayer said, asking Alex.

"I don't have an exact count but I have an Arm blade, Earth Control, which I showed you earlier, I can also do Fire Blast, a Bomb one, and Body Harden, I forgot about those ones, I don't know if I still have more," Alex said, half lying again.

He just said the ones he has on his right Scope body and not what he has on his left body—his flesh body.

"Anyway! We got too sidetracked! Let's hear Hugo's decision, Hugo, will you join the Masters of Reigns… or not?" Ayer asked Alex.

"That feels like a loaded question but at the same time, he gave me enough time to think about it, hm…" Alex thought, still thinking about whether or not he would join their group.

"Can I ask again? What is your group's motive? Why are you the biggest Reign group in the city?" Alex asked them.

"Hugo." Ayer sits down on his chair, "the first time I found out about Reign, I knew I have to look for a way to make it one of this world's ordinaries, like technology, cities, and many more that we took for granted. Reign can change Lanima Region's future, and this way, technology can't kill us in the future like what's slowly happening now," he explains to Alex.

"If ever technology takes over this world, we can fight it with our own powers," Rea said, continuing Ayer's explanation.

"Scope can't be the dominant one in this world! They'll have to share the power!" Wey said devotedly.

"They have valid motives, at least, for now, motives can change either slowly or instantly, I know that full well because 3 years ago, I wasn't supposed to be the Director of the S-12 Branch, he has his son in line. But then I found out he's on drugs and selling them too," Alex thought.

"Alex? Why did you ask about our motives? Did you think we have a bad one?" Stacia asked slightly jokingly because she doesn't want to believe that Alex is as paranoid.

"I just want to know and make sure, it's not because of my paranoia, I had that before but not anymore," Alex said, answering Stacia's question, reassuring her.

"It's probably because of the serums that changed him drastically," Stacia thought.

"So! What's your decision, Hugo?" Ayer asked Alex again.

Alex thoroughly thought about it. And then…

"I want to know about the others' motives first, if I want to help fix the current situation of Dotun City, I need to prepare fully, I want to try and save this city on my own or with someone or some others I can fully trust," Alex thought.

…

"I'm sorry, I decline from joining. But, if you need my help, I am willing to help you, so long as I'm helping reasonably," Alex said, answering Ayer's invitation.

"I wonder why," Ayer thought.

"That's understandable. But may I ask why you decided to decline, Hugo?" Ayer asked him.

"I guess I don't want to be constrained in one group, many people, I'm sure, need help, and I need to be as free as possible, though you might see my face every once in a while since I'll be visiting Stacia here," Alex said.

"Don't forget about me though," Wey said.

"Oh, so he wants to be a hero… like the Rogue Reign users wanted to aspire before," Ayer thought.

"There must be other reasons why he declined since he still wants to be around here because of Stacia," Wey thought, speculating.

"Well, Hugo, I guess to only contact you, I'll rely on Stacia, you're free to go back here and join if you change your mind, we're always open. But you have to remember, you are already circling around our group, you're probably the most known myth in our group right now. Be careful on the way out," Ayer said, explaining as he advises Alex.

"Oh, right, I'm fvcked…" Alex thought.