The Empyreal Gem Master

Chapter 9: Awakened Expedition III

Gem Master Azazel’s words held a lot of weight as after a few seconds, Gem Master Todd nodded and waved his hands as many Gem Masters visibly relaxed.

Claire’s figure came out of the encirclement and wanted to talk to Alexander, but seeing all the gazes looking towards their direction...she couldn’t even freely act how she wanted.

Alexander looked at her and saw the sense of urgency in her eyes as he looked around, seeing the door leading to the topmost deck where ranged Gem Masters were stationed to be on the lookout in case any Aerial Beasts of Corruption appeared.

He nodded to himself as he stepped forward and took Claire’s hand to the dismay of many eyes, walking with confident strides towards the metal door on the side opening to a set of stairs that led higher as nobody dared to stop him!

He left behind the figure of Charlie who was clenching his fists as under the watchful gazes of many powerful Gem Masters, he closed the iron doors behind them and walked to the middle of the stairs.

Above, there was another door that would lead to the upper deck, but for now...there were only the two of them here.

On this staircase where no other gazes could peer into.

Alexander nodded in affirmation as he turned around while speaking.

"Are you oka-"

...!

He didn’t finish his words as the figure of Claire flung itself towards him in a hug, Alexander shocked to feel the body of this girl trembling.

Trembling.

His eyes became filled with concern as he patted her dark hair, bringing their figures to sit down on the stairs as he asked again.

"Are you okay?"

The girl who held tremendous value.

A potential Five-Link Gem Master who could become a pillar of their Mortal Branch of the Asmodeus Bloodline.

She pulled her head back as her blue eyes were actually hazy with held-back tears, and she looked at Alexander closely before she laid her head on his shoulders and spoke softly.

"I...they...they are putting so many things on my shoulders..."

Her words were akin to whispers.

She was a powerful future combatant, yes. But her mentality was not at all there yet.

So...he wouldn’t start now.

She didn’t ask him how or why, but she felt like the suffocating weight she had on this whole time lessened somewhat as she nodded and placed her head on his shoulder once more.

Even though they had awakened, nothing had changed.

He was always someone she could rely on.

She closed her eyes as after what seemed like a day of people gazing up at her with expectations she could never meet, she could finally relax.

"..."

Alexander looked at the girl that seemed ready to fall asleep on his shoulders as clicked his tongue and touched the small bag beside his waist as he thought about the future.

This bag held a few more Gems he had taken from the chest his father granted him, and he didn’t fully know how they may come of use in the future, but he took them just in case.

Out of the many lessons from his father, a major one was the fact that within Breaches- always be prepared for the unexpected.

And for what he wanted to do, Alexander could not afford to lose his little life here!

With a sharp gaze, he spoke softly to the girl beside him.

"Come on, I think we’re getting over the wall now."

He said this, but he knew it with surety as on his chest, a total of six Gems continued to spin in his unfathomable Enneagram.

A single Main Ability Gem, and five total Support Gems!

Compare this to Claire who was a Five-Link Gem Master, she only held a single Main Ability Gem and four Support Ability Gems as the difference was clear.

But nobody knew.

And nobody needed to know as his power was his secret.

With the augmentations that his central Gem [Ice Wave] received from 5 additional Support Ability Gems, Alexander’s senses did not just cover a few meters.

Ridiculously, if he truly focused- he could sense things all around for a diameter of 1 mile.

1 mile!