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Chapter 5: Unexpected Response

\'Perhaps that usual gift of hers will be able to put the boy on his feet.\'

He thought as he stroked his beard. He knew Anya had a way of always getting the top talent to join her guild with a fairly large sum. With that money, Magister was sure everything else would surely sort itself out.

\'Joining the Berserker Guild? A powerhouse of elite fighters?\' Alister thought, almost laughing at how absurd it sounded. \'Can a Summoner like me even fit into that picture?\'

His eyes darted back to Anya, who seemed to be waiting for his response. She noticed his hesitation and stepped closer, her presence commanding attention. "In case you didn\'t know," she said, her voice cutting through the murmur of the crowd, "there\'s a substantial down payment of 100,000 Union Credits if you join my guild. It\'s a bit of a welcome gift from yours truly, so, what do you say?"

The crowd buzzed with whispers, heads turning and eyes widening. "Down payment for a rookie?" someone near him muttered. "I\'ve never heard of such a thing."

A reply came from behind. "I\'ve heard only the Berserker Guild does that. They say it\'s guild master Anya\'s way of making sure nobody refuses her offer."

Alister\'s heart pounded, his breath quickening.

\'With that kind of money, I could finally afford an alchemist to examine Miyu,\' he thought, his gaze drifting to the ground as he considered the possibility. Hope flickered in his chest, a small flame that threatened to overshadow his doubts. He was about to speak, to accept Anya\'s offer, when a sharp voice pierced the air.

"A Summoner at the Berserker Guild?" It was Chase, his voice was filled with mockery as he stepped forward, his shoulders back and chest puffed out. "Highly unlikely."

All eyes turned toward Chase, who took the opportunity to push past a few students and position himself closer to Anya and Alister. Anya\'s gaze narrowed slightly as she looked him up and down, her arms crossing over her chest. "And who are you to question my judgment?"

Chase smirked, tilting his head arrogantly. "I\'m Chase Turner," he said, a hint of bravado in his voice. "From what I understand, your guild only takes in the strongest awakened each year."

Anya raised an eyebrow, a slight frown creasing her forehead. "Indeed," she replied, her voice steady and challenging. "But what\'s your point?"

Chase\'s smirk widened, his eyes gleaming with confidence. "Then wouldn\'t it be more logical to recruit me?" He pointed a finger at Alister, his expression dripping with disdain. "This guy\'s just a Summoner. I, on the other hand, awakened a powerful S-rank Talent – Absolute Zero!"

Alister felt a flush of anger at Chase\'s words, his hands balling into fists at his sides. He wanted to shout back, to defend himself, but he couldn\'t find the words.

Anya\'s expression remained unreadable. "Is that so?" she murmured, she didn\'t sound surprised, her words seemed to silence the crowd.

What none of them knew was that guild master Anya could see the raw potential emanating from individuals, a faint glow like invisible flames, not her talent but more like battle instinct. And right now, two such flames flickered right in front of her.

One, the one radiating from Chase, was a pale blue, impressive but ultimately ordinary. The other, emanating from Alister, was a vibrant yellow flame, pulsing with an intensity that surprised even Anya.

It was a power hidden beneath the surface, a power that spoke of a potential far greater than anyone suspected. A slow smile spread on Anya\'s lips. This unexpected turn of events was far more interesting than she anticipated.

Anya could sense the tension between the two boys. She was smart enough to tell they obviously knew each other by how Chase acted, and she could sense a bit of rivalry between them because of the way Chase behaved and Alister chose to say nothing.

\'This could get interesting,\' she thought. \'I wonder what I should—\'

"Thank you for the offer, ma\'am," Alister\'s voice suddenly boomed, snapping Anya out of her train of thought. His response was unexpected, "but I doubt a Summoner like me would be of much use to the mighty Berserker Guild. You should consider scouting a better talent instead."

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

"Did he just reject the Berserker Guild?!"

"He\'s probably just delusional. Doesn\'t he realize how lucky he is?"

"Is he crazy? That\'s a once-in-a-lifetime offer!"

"Hey, get real, a Summoner in the Berserker Guild? What a joke."

"He would most likely just get kicked out a couple of days after joining."

"Ya, most of the members have combat related talents a summoner would just be baggage."

Some expressed their shock at Alister refusing such a prestigious offer, while others simply echoed his sentiment – a Summoner, after all, wouldn\'t exactly fit in with a guild known for its brute force.

Anya, however, remained unfazed. A faint smile on her lips. There was something about the intensity in Alister\'s eyes, an undying spirit that intrigued her. \'He may be a Summoner,\' she thought, \'but that spirit... I like him already, would have wanted him to join regardless, but alas I\'m here to recruit, not subjugate.\'

"Well, if you\'re sure," she replied playfully, "I can\'t force you. You never know what the future holds. So chin up kid," she turned to Chase, her smile widening, "since you seem more interested, wouldn\'t you mind joining the Berserker Guild?"

Chase, his chest puffed out with pride, beamed. "Gladly!"

Anya clapped him on the shoulder with surprising force. "Excellent! Then let\'s get going."

Just then, Yanzi, who had been watching from the sidelines, interjected. "Hey! I have an A-rank Talent! Can\'t I join your guild too?"

Anya chuckled. "Sorry, missy. Can\'t take away all the top talents now, wouldn\'t want the other guild masters hunting me down for being greedy."

With a wink at Chase, she said, "Alright then, let\'s be off!"

As they turned to leave, Chase shot a final glance at Alister, a cold intensity dripping from his voice. "Goodbye, Alister."

Alister watched him go, clenching his jaw so tight his teeth almost grated together.

Magister Vance sighed, watching how things unfolded. He walked over to Alister, his weathered face etched with a hint of concern. "Alister," he said, his voice low, "meet me in my office before you leave."