Code Collector

Allen held the sword up as he looked at it with twinkling eyes. The sword was going to be the current strongest weapon he have that is not a weapon Code.

The black crystal-like material of the blade was in between shiny and matte, a texture that seemed ethereal. It wasn't like any texture that Allen has seen before. The handle was made of the same material as the blade, but it had a different property than it.

While the blade was tough and sharp, the handle was softer to the touch. It wasn't maleable that when held, it would deform, but the feeling of the blade was very pleasant. It beat the rubber and other materials when it comes to comfort.

<Black Rust>

Grade: Grand (Evolvable)

Damage: 200

Effect/s: (1) Black Rust - Passive - When the user inflicts damage using Black Rust, they will instantly inflict the same amount of damage to the same target. This effect has a 20 second-cooldown.

(2) Passive - When the user has dealt 40% of the target's max HP, their damage to the target will increase by 40%. This scales equal with the damage dealt to the target.

(3) ???

Allen was impressed with the effects. This was another weapon for a prolonged fight, just like most his weapons. He doesn't have a burst weapon or any Code that would shorten his battles, that's what he was aiming on getting.

Another peculiar part about the weapon was its two passive effects. Usually the effects of the weapons would start with an active effect followed by passive effects. This weapon, however, had only passive effects and not a single active effect.

Perhaps because there is still one missing effect that Allen has yet to unlcok or the fact that this weapon was an evolvable weapon that is not even a Code. 

"Do you like it?"

Allen suddenly awoke from his thoughts when Jake spoke. He smiled and nodded, now facing the man instead of the sword. "It's unbelievable. Are you sure this is a gift?"

"Uncle Jack would not stop nagging at me if I don't give you that," Jake smirked. "I told you. That old man is very fond of you. He sees him in you, something that did not happen to me nor my brothers."

"And is that a good thing?" Allen asked, gulping in fear that Jake would hold grudges agaisnt him.

Jake nodded instead, "And why would that be a bad thing? Uncle Jack is a powerful man with lots of resources. He can get you anything if you'd only ask."

"No," Allen said. "I meant for you. Is being good to Jack, makes me good for you?"

"What?" Jake titled his head to the side in confusion. "Whatever do you mean, Dante?"

"I don't want any ill will between my clients and I," Allen said. "If Jack being fond of me makes you uncomfortable or anything like that, please let me know so that I could distance myslef–"

"Let me stop you right there," Jake chuckled, raising his hand. "Uncle Jack was the only one in my family that had treated me with kindness. He didn't give a f*ck if I was weak nor if I was a support. He saw me as a human with human emotions and fragile feelings. Whatever that old man says, I follow."

Allen nodded and smiled, "That's good. Thank you. Store."

He kept the sword in his Inventory and made sure that he still has space left for things that he might store later on. For now, most of his items that he has were in Sebastian's unit, on the room that he stays on.

"Also," Jake said right before Allen left through the portal. "You'll meet my brother tomorrow. You'll know who he is right away."

Allen didn't ask any more questions and just nodded. He left Jake's room with the man crossing his arms while looking at the closing portal. "I forgot to warn him about that loudmouth's endless battle cry. But he'll be fine."

The door opened and Jack walked inside. He was smiling but then his smile faded when the room was void of the presence that he was looking for. "I guess I was late, huh?"

"You are," Jake laughed lightly. "It's not time for you to meet him again. You have to wait for a while."

"Are you sure you're doing the right thing?" Jack asked. "The boy needs my presence now that Barandilla has their sight on him."

"A plant will never grow if you keep plucking it off the soil and pretend like it's your baby," Jake said. "Dante will only die if you keep babying him. Let him grow on his own. There are people that's watching over him anyway."

Jack sighed and sat on the couch. "I guess you're right. All I have to do now is make sure that he's safe. That's your role."

A figure walked out from the corner of the room. They nodded and vanished into thin air, making it as if their presence was never there in the first place.

"You're keeping a close eye on him, huh?" Jake chuckled. "That's good too. The closer we are, the better."

"I just don't want to disappoint him in the end," Jack sighed. "One of his closest ally is nothing but a puppet. That's going to be harsh for him."

"Don't worry," Jake looked up to the ceiling. "He'll be fine."

–

It was the second round of the tests and Allen was not anywhere near excited. He was afraid that he'll fail in mage and support tests because he lacked the power and techniques of mages and support.

It was a good thing that Remy and Sebastian were there to help him, both excelled in their roles of mage and support so he had at least a bit of training.

Remy was a mage with a control specialty. Her Codes and techniques were mostly for controlling enemies while dealing damage to them at the same time. Although her power wasn't burst like Fantasia, she still has more power because she can also sustain herself.

As the Bearer of the Primordial Dog, Remy has extra abilities that were like the Snake. She has super hearing and can has an increase in movement speed and agility, higher than any Primordial Beast.

Her fighting style was mostly longer in duration due to the fact that she doesn't burst like most mages. She also wasn't damage over time like the others, but what she has is as or even more dangerous than the others.

Control, or sometimes called crowd control, specific skills from Remy are lethal. She could stun, paralyze, freeze, and even deal damage over time like burn, in her opponent. She pairs her specialty with high damage weapons, so she could succeed in her hunts.

On the other hand, Sebastian Lincoln was a support that Allen had somewhat knew of. Allen was already quite familiar with Sebastian's healing and supporting techniques since he had seen it first hand. 

Kenneth was also a support role and he was supposed to teach Allen, but the boy lacked in skills when it comes to teaching. All he knew was to impress Allen and show off his abilities, but he doesn't know how to teach Allen the things that he needed to succeed in the techniques.

Before Allen could get even more confused, Sebastian stepped in and decided to take over with teaching Allen. He said that if his support techniques did not match Allen's techniques, it would even be harder for him to understand Kenneth's.

As the Primordial Rabbit Bearer, Kenneth has the ability to increase, decrease, and even stop not just his own movements, but his opponent's too. He lacked damage, having the lowest damage output within the Primordial Beast Bearers, but he has the highest mobility.

He can not only move freely, but he can also hinder his opponent's movements. This was a huge advantage for him considering his skill set lacked the damage. Kenneth has Code skills and weapons that fit his abilities, making it hard for others to mimic him.

Basically, Kenneth is one of a kind. No other Hunter is the same as him, especially his personality and hobbies. The Bearer remains unmatched.

Unlike him, Sebastian has an easier technique sets. He provides heal ans protection to his teammates, and he can also deal a decent amount of damage to his opponents.

Allen was now in the second round of his tests. He was walking inside the auditorium where the guard said where he'll be tested when he felt a pair of eyes boring its gaze through his skull. Chills travelled through his spine as he tried to locate the direction of the source of the gaze.

Right then and there, he heard footsteps getting closer to him. The silent building made the metal soles of the footsteps get louder, making Allen turn and see a replica of Jake Summers.

"Hello, Dante Reed," the boy smiled at him. "My name is Jax Summers, I'll be your examiner for today."