Lev felt… detached. Perhaps it was because he was now on Monarch, a planet far away from Earth, or the fact that Earth was most certainly gone if the diaries were anything to go by, but he couldn't bring himself to muster much in response to the whole reveal.

It was something he had gone through, and that hurt the most. That he had to endure so much with nothing in exchange. He was better now than he ever was before, and the clarity let him see everything clearly from an outsider's perspective.

It made so much more sense now. The encounter with the drunk boy was unfortunate, not something he could've changed. All that happened years later, however, was sort of his own fault.

To begin with, Lev clearly noticed that Mr. Benson saw no promise in him. The man had given an orphan a chance similar to how one would shelter a stray puppy during a rainstorm. He never even bothered to hide his pity, and turning a blind eye to it hadn't magically erased those memories.

Lev understood much better now. Back then, he had given in to the allure of a bright future, preferring to suffer the humility and extreme workload for a slim chance at forging a better life. Had the promotion day gone without a hitch, things may have turned out for the better, too.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen, so he could only focus on the actual past. Even right now, sitting next to Sherron and Hakim, Lev wouldn't hesitate to say that his past self was smarter than his current self. He didn't lack anything now and was amongst one of the mightiest of hunters below level 300.

Past Lev didn't have any of those privileges, except they shared the same mentality. Like he didn't back down from the gecko fight and saw it through to the end, he also challenged himself to make the best out of the opportunity riddled with thinly veiled disdain.

The difference was the lack of options. Lev could now scour every corner of the continent to fight the most suitable monsters for his growth, never limited by anything with his insane advantages. Past Lev didn't have that. He saw a single path, and dove into it with all his being.

The outcome couldn't have been worse.

Benson's unearned favor, Lev's out-of-place, unprofessional demeanor, an obviously wealthy organization curated by the elite of society, and the sheer lack of any practice or experience, all of it stood out like a sore thumb that turned him into the silent target of everyone's ire and judgment.

No one ever got physical, of course. Everyone was too 'dignified' and 'refined' for that, but that didn't change how overworked he was or how many errands he had to run. Looking back at it now, he couldn't understand why he stayed. The whole thing was loathsome, never giving him any free time or mental strength for hobbies.

He didn't even have any good friends, and worst of all, he wasn't ever allowed to be kind.

Even now, after all of it was said and done, he couldn't find it himself to wish well for anyone from Earth. Everyone had used him to their heart's content, and even Benson had fed his own ego by feeding him with crumbs.

Good riddance to all of them. They were all gone now, reduced to mere drops flowing in the river-

What?

Lev stood up, repeating the words in his head. Reduced to… reduced to what? There was definitely more. No fucking way my memory was just erased.

He tried. Again and again, he tried to complete the sentence in his head, but there was nothing else. It was infuriating, made even worse by the fact that he couldn't focus on it for long.

"OH FUCK YOU!" Lev showed the ceiling two middle fingers, knowing he couldn't do anything about it.

Sherron raised her head and looked at him quizzically. Lev just sighed. "I clearly remembered something but it was held back. Probably by The System."

"Then it was likely something harmful," Sherron commented after a few seconds, then refocused on his face. "How are you feeling?"

The frustration vanished immediately, as if it were waiting for the distraction. Lev took a few moments to scan his mind. "Much, much better. Honestly, I was already past the experience, but sharing it made the fact truly settle in. Fuck Earth, fuck the rich assholes, and fuck the shit, endless cycle of misery."

He took a few deep breaths, unable to contain his smile. "I'm the one with a Wisdom Boost and still alive on a miracle planet, not those slithering bastards."

Sherron and Hakim didn't disturb him as he ranted for a little longer, cursing out everyone to his heart's content. Only when he slumped back down did Sherron laugh and speak.

"That was a lot," she commented, smiling brightly. "Try releasing your aura."

Lev tilted his head before remembering that auras were greatly affected by emotions. Gradually, he pulled it out of his own body, letting the room drown in his presence.

It was glorious. The difference wouldn't seem that great to an outsider, but to him, it was impossible to miss. Every nudge of his mind made it swirl softly, obeying the command without any interference. Another poke and the whole aura seamlessly retreated into his body, its spiritual weight a constant presence by now.

"Wow…" he repeated the exercise, finding each attempt just as easy as the last. "Is this normal?"

Lev didn't get an answer for a few seconds, so he looked at the two spectators. Both of them looked normal, but there was something… off about them.

"What's wrong?"

Sherron shook her head, the smile on her face nothing like he had seen before. "Are you that happy to be with us?"

"Of course?" he answered, confused. His aura also matched the emotion, showing just how pointless the question was. "I thought my clinginess was answer enough."

"That's not…" she trailed off with an exasperated sigh. "You idiot."

"Your idiot," Lev chortled and looked at Hakim. The man, too, sported a small smile on his face, the most emotion he had ever shown. "Why are you two reacting like this?"

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"Do you have any regrets?" Hakim answered with another question.

"I… don't?" Lev blinked a few times, trying and failing to muster up any sadness for the people his presence had killed in Runespires for he was also a victim. The rebuke from Noah tried to resurface but he pushed it down. He hadn't forgotten. "I guess my only regret is not being strong enough to make sure that all of you can exist safely."

"That's true for all of us too," Hakim raised a brow. "Do you really regret that?"

"Nope," Lev answered after a bit of thought. "It's more a desire than a regret, just a sad one. So, in the end, I have no regrets."

"That's exactly the thing, Lev," Sherron looked at him, now back on her seat. "All of us have something holding us back. Doesn't matter if it's caused by love, monsters, people, or whatever. Everyone has their inner demons… except you, it seems."

Lev huffed and crossed his arms. "I'm just glad to be here. What's so odd about that?"

"You don't understand," she said, exasperated. "I don't feel anything negative in your aura. Is there really nothing that you wish you had?"

He stopped himself from outright denying it again, taking his time to think things over. What did he still regret that he never got it on Earth? The answer was nothing material. If anything, he only wondered what it would've been like to have good friends, but circumstances would've made that hell too. Then there was the matter of love…

"Nope," Lev coughed, staring at the ceiling. "Not a single thing."

"Uhuh," she nodded slowly, effortlessly reading his mind.

****

Finding Alina was a simple affair. There were only a few halls on the fourth floor, and she was present in the central one. Lev knocked on the massive double doors and waited.

The accountant walked to the doors to open them before marching back to her seat. Lev took that as a suitable invitation and followed, taking a seat opposite her. He refrained from looking around for now.

"Before anything else," he cut her off when she was about to speak. "I want compensation. You made me talk about things I had no plans to reveal."

"… How much?" she questioned with a frown.

"I have no need for points, give me some runes. Preferably related to absorption and conversion."

"That can be arranged," Alina allowed, still not happy with the direct demand. "What else brings you here, hunter Lev?"

"To continue the questioning session from before," he replied and made himself comfortable. "I am not averse to earning more points."

"Let's continue then," she summoned two glasses of wine, then stored them in favor of simple grape juice after seeing Lev's reaction. "Where were we?"

Instead of answering, he glanced around. The hall room was almost empty, save for the few stacks of books and several neat pedestals with glass cases on top of them. Inside each was an artifact and several epic items, some much stronger than others.

He wouldn't ever mistake them for combat pieces though. Regardless of their obvious strength, all of the pieces were present for their historical importance, and to the far right was a pair of crowns on the tallest pedestals.

"The Empyrean Crows, both of them are linked to each other and share a lot of advantages amongst the wearers."

"Superior?" Lev questioned, unable to take his eyes off them.

"Upper-Epic, if you can believe it," Alina corrected, her tone easing slightly. "Somehow, without an Exalted crafter, the couple managed to forge a crown bordering on Superior Rarity with the help of capable enchanters."

Lev nodded slowly. "It is amazing."

"That it is," Alina nodded too. "Let's return to the matter at hand. You were talking about a device named 'Phone.' What is that?"

"Hmm," he scratched his cheek and formed a barrier phone. It was small, matching the proportions of the device he had, and he made it hover in front of her. Several small squares formed on the screen, depicting the installed applications. "Imagine a device that creates illusions for you, except it is powered by electricity channeled through something called liquid crystals. And no, I don't know the technical details…"

Explaining took much longer than he expected. The first rabbit hole turned out to be the internet, something with a surprising degree of depth despite how simple it sounded overall. Lev didn't even know he knew that much.

The back and forth also revealed a lot about similar networking attempts. The Empyrean Empire had such information relays, though they operated on a smaller scale, and attempts at recreating them had failed without exception. There was a natural phenomenon that disrupted all long-range transfer of mana on Monarch, which was also why communication crystals were so expensive.

Further delving into the topic revealed that the information relays were definitely possible still, but the cost at that point became prohibitive. Much of the resources were funneled into the Crimson Ravine's war efforts and city-scale formations in case of emergencies. Not a single valuable core was wasted.

That was also news to Lev. The Crimson Ravine was undoubtedly just as bad as the Dreadwoods. He wasn't aware of the robust infrastructure present there, however. It was unfortunate that he couldn't show his face in that hell, for whatever came out to eat it might just be beyond humanity's capabilities to deal with.

"So these cars… moved with controlled explosions?"

"To my knowledge, yes. The liquid fuels were utilized in a precise manner, though I don't know much beyond that," Lev answered while forming a general model. "They also went pretty fast. Even right now, I can't be certain if I can match the top speed record with my bubble. Probably can, but no way to know for certain."

Alina inspected the barrier car closely as he showed it from different angles. "These things can move that fast?"

"Even faster if you modify it for yourself, of course. Our roads are way sturdier, and with the right enchantments and formations, the engine and all the extra bits can be discarded entirely. With much more control over its creation, I don't doubt cars can be forged into something fearsome enough to kill monsters by simply smashing through them."

Alina didn't seem convinced, which was fine. Lev had seen videos of what accidents at high speeds could do. A few intentional weapons into the mix, and the cars would turn into speedy war crimes.

"What other popular means of transportation were there?"

"I'm assuming you aren't interested in means of water travel?"

"I am," she shook her head. "It sounds insane, but every little tidbit matters when it comes to having an edge."

"Huh, okay. For the largest means, we had cruise ships," a barrier model accompanied his words. "They could easily house thousands of people, maybe even tens of thousands. Either way, they were reserved for the middle and upper-class folks. For smaller options, we had normal boats and some speedier ones. Submarines are probably a horrible idea on Monarch."

"I can guess what they are by names but can you give an example?"

Lev acquiesced and showed her a model. It was probably far from the actual thing as his knowledge was based on snippets of memories.

"And it travels underwater?"

"Yep. All I can tell you is that these things were created from extremely durable alloys to handle underwater pressure. Though, I imagine something like B-Hide probably outdoes them all."

"Not nearly enough," Alina commented absently. "What else?"

"The other two I think have the best shot of working on Monarch. Airplanes were used for air travel, and trains for ground travel. The former are like birds," he formed a plane and made it fly around, making sure to match the turns with the flaps on its wings. "You can see how they operate, and after the initial pull, they can glide for a long while depending on the height."

She nodded along, her understanding of such physics probably way higher than his own. "And trains?"

"Trains are simpler in theory," Lev formed a large barrier platform on top of the table they were seated at. "They moved on a fixed track, unlike usual vehicles. What I don't know however is how the modern trains worked. A bullet train easily shattered all records for the fastest speed, somehow using electricity to.. float forward on the tracks I think? Or whatever electromagnetics is."

"I get the gist of it," she replied. "Trains sound viable but why do you think planes can work?"

"Because they will be more protected than trains. Flying monsters are rarely too high in number inside the plains, and arming planes should be easy too. Given the freedom of movement mid-air, firing cannons should be easy with trained personnel."

"And that won't be true for trains?" she asked, amused.

"I mean," Lev took a bit of time to think. "From my point of view, a train moving through a wave will never last. You can fire as many attacks as you want, but without a crap ton of resources, it will never be enough. Airplanes will circumvent much of that and also allow for faster travel. Of course, I'm just basing this on my experience with barrier bubbles, so…"

"I guessed that much," she actually chuckled. He was starting to realize they had been talking for hours.

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