《DeRift》


 Chapter 1: The Beginning

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    The hum of moving vehicle filled my ears. Emotions surged through my head, a tense calm settled over me, soon it begin twisting, I begin to move my fingers, in rhythm, reaching to my other hand, combine them together and release and went back to move my fingers again and doing the same action as before in repetition. In my mind I was wondering, why I sat here, and have nothing planned for the future.


    "Well, the future that has already been set in stone is hard to change anyway". as I sighed, my lips were shut, only air coming out through my nose.


    "This might not be that bad" that thought had been echoing in my head for a while now.


    "Yeah... perhaps, not so bad..."


    I am 26 years old. My name is Eric Rossvolt. Never in my life in would I think to be sitting here, crammed in with twenty other people, moving toward a place with little to no hope for return. It seemed like my life flashed before my eyes as I stared blankly at the floor of this vehicle.


    I am a mundane man. A failure.


    Well, at least that¡¯s what I would say to myself.


    I have achieved nothing in life at my age, except for being in debt. That would explain a lot, including the stupid decisions I¡¯ve made throughout the years. I graduated from higher education as a scholar, but to no avail¡ªI couldn¡¯t hold down a job seriously and ended up pursuing my own self-indulgent passion: studying the world.


    One would argue¡ªwhy in the heavens did studying cost me so much that I ended up in debt?


    Well, I was basically a NEET. But not entirely, since my freelancing job got me some money. But due to my lack of self-control recently, I fell into what people nowadays call the credit card rabbit hole. I kept abusing my limit, and when the bills came, I had no money to pay. It was my fault.


    And now, here I am, taking responsibility.


    The problem wasn¡¯t that I couldn¡¯t pay the debt. The problem was that I lost my purpose when my mother passed away several years ago. With nothing to keep me on track anymore, I just started living in hedonism and selfishness. I didn¡¯t want to burden my family, especially my sister¡ªwho had worked her ass off for years to get where she was as a functioning member of society.


    So instead, I took on debt and failed to pay it.


    And then I saw an ad.


    A job. Lucrative pay.


    Despite knowing full well that I might not come back alive¡ªor worse, never leave this job for the rest of my life¡ªI signed up.


    "But that¡¯s fine"


    "I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine"


    "Yeah¡­"


    "Ah, shit"


    The air in the vehicle was thick with silence. Some recruits kept their heads down. Others tapped their knees repeatedly. A few looked far too calm¡ªlike they¡¯d seen worse. Maybe they had. Or maybe, they were just patriots who wanted to fight for their species¡¯ greater good.


    Whichever it was, all of us¡ªincluding me¡ªwere screwed up in the head.


    Eric still bowing his head down, around him the tense atmosphere puts everyone fixed in their position, eyes wonders around, as to afraid of making contact. Forced or not, almost everyone has lost in thoughts.


    Three hours had passed since we departed, and we still hadn¡¯t reached our destination.


    "Damn. This sitting position is awful" his thought.


    "I have to keep my eyes on the floor, well it''s not because I like to see the floor, or pondering anything, but it''s the woman across from me, well, she hasn¡¯t broken her glare since we boarded" the said woman that Eric describe have been staring at him constantly for the past hours, her gaze is sharp as if she ready to strike him and ended his life in an instant, with her her arms crossed, and her muscles tense, making the air surrounding her feels heavy.


    "Man I''d rather not die on my way to the job so, so yeah, looking at the floor it is" said Eric to himself in his mind.


    Spark of conversation break the long silence.


    "Guess this beats rotting on Earth-1," someone muttered.


    "Beats starving, you mean," another voice said, dry and bitter.


    Across from Eric to the left side beside the woman before, a man with a jagged scar running down his jaw leaned back against the steel wall, his outfit was torn out, arms crossed, sitting with his right leg sit on top of the left, his eyes relaxed, constantly smirking.


    "Ain¡¯t like they forced us," he said with a his constant smirk. "Y''all signed up for it, didn¡¯t ya? Debt, bad luck, or just a ticket off this shithole, it makes no difference. You in, you fight. You live, you get paid. Or You die"


    Eric just listen to the conversation. He keeps his head down while the scarred man tap his fingers against his knee, restless after seeing the jagged scar man speak.


    He whispers slowly.


    "The rumors were true, then, the military denied it, but some of these recruits weren¡¯t just desperate people, some of them probably criminals"


    "Damn Rift screwed everything up," a recruit muttered across from the scarred man. He was older, grizzled, and wore his clothes like it barely mattered. He let out a bitter chuckle. "Should¡¯ve left it alone. Not like any of us are ever seeing what¡¯s on the other side."


    The younger recruit next to him frowned. "They say Earth-2 wouldn¡¯t exist without the Rift. They say the nobles have technology we can¡¯t even imagine. Cities floating in the sky. Clean air, and other stuff you think would be impossible to get in our world!"


    The older recruit scoffed. "Yeah? And you think they¡¯re giving that to you?"


    The man with jagged scar reply. "this is a shithole place, do you think they will treat shithole people with care and help them like a noble warrior or somethin''? Fuck no"


    No one continues after that line.


    Eric, his eyes still fixated on the floor, he tires to closed them, and wonder off but the deafening sound of the vehicle keep him at his bay, as like a steady reminder that there was no running away from this, no turning back.


    One hour later, the vehicle stops moving. The driver yells at the all the recruits inside and tells them to get out and start moving.


    "Get all of your asses off the car!"


    The hatch slammed open.


    The window on the back of the car opens, we scatter out of the car immediately. Oh boy, I wouldn¡¯t have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes, this military base is awesome. Ships are flying down and up like a busy port, planes are moving in and out, and many vehicles are also in sight. If it weren¡¯t for the job, I would¡¯ve loved to ask a few questions here and there to the people around and explore, but alas, I can¡¯t do that right now.


    as Eric and his group walk to the center of the base''s field, he also sees some holographic posters video advertising the military campaign, the exact same video Eric saw when he decided he wants to join the conscript, the video display a cinematic view of the moon and the moon''s military''s base and how the "Rift" hole in the moon was epicenter of it all, the singularity point of the miracle advancement of human civilization. Some of the posters also advertise the chance to going to "Earth-2".


    While looking around, Eric sees there are many people situated in this military base. Not too long after they arrived, a few dozen military vehicles are starting dropping off the recruits as well. It seems many have taken this opportunity, as the enlistment is open to the public and that the recruit will get paid with lucrative sum of money if they passed the test and join the exploration expedition on moon.


    A paid conscript, a position where individuals get paid to serve as conscripts for years to aid military operations. One might wonder why conscripts are getting paid. Well, unlike going out to war, this operation is about venturing into the ''unknown'', and you would serve the army with no rank or title officially, because they hire you with a contract to aid the army and not to join the army.


    A loudspeaker starts echoing a voice while a large hologram of the military logo is displayed in the front of the field.


    "ALL RECRUITS, LINE UP TO THE FRONT!" the speaker echoes.


    Suddenly, someone from the military steps in to get us, that just come out of the vehicle lined up. With a harsh manner of speaking, the person seems to be one of many in charge of this ceremonial event. He appears to be a man somewhat around my age or older.


    "Move it, maggots! Get your asses in line and fall in behind me! NOW! MOVE IT!, MOVE IT!, MOVE IT!!!" shout the officer.


    We don¡¯t have much choice but to obey the instruction. Our group lines up accordingly. After everyone in the field is lined up perfectly, the hologram changes from the logo to a display of a person. I would say he is quite famous¡ªalmost everybody knows him, at least on Earth-1.


    "ALL TROOPS, GIVE SALUTE TO GENERAL EDWARD R.VON VALZVEIN!" shout with a loud voice vibrates through the air from the front of the formation.


    Everyone on the field snaps to attention and salutes, including me, raising our hands with mechanical precision.


    "My thanks to all of you who have gathered here today¡ªofficers on duty and our newly recruited soldiers who have chosen to join us in combating and tackling the unknown. I would love to go on and talk about how this is the most important mission of our civilization, but that narrative has probably been drilled into your heads a thousand times already. Instead, I would rather keep this ceremony short and concise¡ªstraight to the point with no bullshit. Once again, pardon my vocabulary, but I''d rather give you the truth than some fairy tale."


    (As the General continues speaking...)


    "Damn, can you believe all of this started with some hole in the moon? My grandpa used to say the old world went to hell over it" said one of the man in my group line from the back.


    (In Eric¡¯s mind) Ah yes, the classic tale of how our civilization and humanity discovered the hole that cracked in the moon. This would be an interesting story if he talked about the wonders of the technological breakthroughs that came from that singular event. Three hundred years ago, our civilization made it to the moon in 1969 and discovered a hole in the sky that was pouring out a liquid-like substance, creating like a sea in the moon. The whole world was in chaos at this discovery. Many religious organizations believed this was a message from God, a warning of the apocalypse, or something else divine. Evangelists, and other radical groups emerged with conflicting theories. Eventually, all nations on Earth-1 had to decide what to do about the moon. They agreed to explore and study the mysterious said hole and the phenomenon surrounding it¡ªespecially why it was not visible from telescopes on Earth.


    A joint venture among all nations came into fruition, leading to the creation of a lunar base to explore the strange sea of liquid pouring from the hole in the sky. What they discovered was beyond comprehension. The liquid pouring from the hole wasn¡¯t just a colorful water¡ªit was a dimensional gate to another world.. This world was vast, at first sight of the discovery the land was barren, and covered with crystallized sludge of dark blue hues. The atmosphere was dense with mist-like substances swirling around, matching the eerie blue environment.


    With this discovery, even more chaotic situation follows. Every nation wanted a piece of this new world, triggering a race for exploration. To prevent conflicts, an organization called the League of Lunar Exploration was formed to mediate and ensure fair division among Earth¡¯s nations. However, just four years after the organization was established, exploration efforts remained slow due to increasing tensions. Conflict between nations couldn¡¯t simply be resolved by forming an organization, and soon, war broke out. Initially, it was minor skirmishes, one nation against another, but it quickly escalated. Alliances were formed, and soon, continental-level wars erupted. Earth-1 became a barren wasteland due to these conflicts.


    In the end, the victor was the nation that uncovered the secrets hidden within the rift. They used their newfound power to conquer the others, forming a singular world government. Ironically, the world used to be more of a democratic world, but then it transformed into absolute monarchy, this happened because the government need absolute power to maintain order. A hundred years later, the government fragmented into more smaller families monarch. It¡¯s funny, that one singular event led to all of this... and now, we have Earth-2, which is they said the fruit of humankind discovery of the rift, and then there''s the discovery of artifacts, after that everything there''s still--


    (Eric snaps back to the speech.)


    "And that''s what matters most! So ONWARD, SOLDIERS! FOR HUMANITY!"


    Eric blinked and then the speech was over? He had been so lost in thought he hadn¡¯t heard a word of it.


    "Ah crap, what was it, what is his speech about again? Shit I don¡¯t even know what he was talking about... Ah well, probably not that important anyway".


    Eric quickly fixes his demeanour and straightens his posture.


    "Alright, you maggots! Fall in line and get your asses to the Med Bay¡ªNOW! MOVE!" the officer snapped, his voice carrying the weight of authority. We stiffened, then fell into formation, moving swiftly toward the facility, every step heavy with the urgency of the command.


    the group arrived the medical facility, lining up with them are hundreds of other recruits, straight up front to end in a line forward and in horizontal mirroring each other, which makes quite neat and well spaced formation.


    A particular man was also in this crowd, his name is Jaxon Pyre, just like Eric, he has his own reason to enlist in here. Within all the sea of anxious faces. he seems to be a calm and collected person, as he scanned all of his surrounding, his gaze moves from one to another, searching¡­for what, he wasn''t sure himself. maybe just to be cautious or just distracting his mind.


    Then he saw her, she was standing near the front of the line, her long blonde beautiful hair, her eyes shimmering with sapphire blue color at first glance her her gaze give this vulnerable yet determined sight, she is looking straight ahead with occasionally turning hear head around the side for her surrounding. She was small, almost fragile-looking, amidst the hardened faces of the people around here. Just like¡­


    Jaxon¡¯s fixated on her, he is frozen, his breathing seems halted for a second.


    "Annyla?" echoes in his head.


    The thought hits him, slammed into his head hitting like a nail in a coffin. His heart beating faster, and harder as if it would crush against his ribs, a frantic beating inside against the silence of his controlled exterior.


    "It couldn''t be. It wasn''t... Annyla.. she''s on the moon, not here" the thought flashed into his mind


    "It''s not her, Julius. It can''t be." He talk to himself, but the doubt lingered, just like poison that still left out in his body. He quickly averted his gaze, focusing down on the floor.


    Even if it were her¡­ The thought, it still won''t faze out.


    "No". Said it to himself in his mind.


    "No, You have no right. Not after what you''ve done".


    The memories surged to his mind, the sins he did, the beast he had become and for years, as he remembers, it was sickening, the things he did to her.


    "Her smile¡­ the way she used to look at me¡­ like I was the only person in the world¡­" the memories, his past, filled his mind


    He quickly squeezed his eyes shut, there was no escape, a fleeting image of their happier times flashing before him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you, Julius. Always.¡± Her voice, filled with her love and trust, echoed in his mind, a painful reminder of what he had once destroyed.


    The line moves forward, but Jaxon kept his eyes down, his jaw tight and his teeth tighten as he shut. He could feel her presence, and the warmth of her presence radiating back to him through the cold air he felt. He knew, somehow, deep down, the one he just saw was not her. But he even so he couldn''t¡­ he wouldn''t look again.


    "If I look¡­ even if it¡¯s not her¡­ the resemblance... It will crush me... I don¡¯t deserve to see her¡­ not after¡­" The whispers of doubt crept in again, fueling his self-loathing.


    An hour passed. He stood rigidly to follows the line, emotionless, a statue carved from regret. The echoes in surrounding fall to silence in his mind. The weight of his past pinned down on him, suffocating, crushing. He felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe for a moment there.


    "Julius, tell me what''s wrong¡­ please¡­" Her voice, pleading, filled his mind.


    "I hurt her¡­ I hurt her so much¡­ I pushed her away¡­" this echoing thought went on and on.


    He open his eyes, and raises his hand then shouting,


    "Excuse me".


    The officer of in the front of his line heard the shout and turn back, looking at him.


    "What is it maggot?" shout the officer from the front side of the line.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the toilet?¡± utter Jaxon, his voice was flat.


    "*On the left back! If you went on shitting, you better get your ass back before the injection phase!" shout the officer back to him.


    He was unresponsive and take his steps to go to the said direction, he speeds up his walking speed, as if he needed an escape from something, maybe that something is the crushing weight of her presence and of the memories that will consume him.


    Not long after his steps stiff and uneven, like a doll with broken strings. the echoes come back.


    ¡°I love you, Julius¡­ even I don''t loath you darling for any of this¡­¡± Her words, whispered through with her tears, pierced like an arrow to his heart.


    "Stop it! Stop it!" his dismission to keep him on track as he quickened his pace, desperate to escape the torment.


    He found the restroom, a grimy cubicle far away in a corner the medical facility. He locked the door behind him and leaned against the cold wall, his breath coming in ragged gasps.


    "Safe¡­ I¡¯m safe here¡­ I''m safe¡­" but even in the solitude, he couldn''t escape the memories.


    The image of her face was burned into his mind like a slavery marked that he cannot erased. he convince himself that It couldn''t be her, that the one standing on the line was somebody else, and yet that somebody else, cause him this much pain.


    But the guilt ripped his confidence, this what he must face, his own fear, the relentless tormentor. He squeezed his eyes shut ever harder with hope trying to block out the memory of her, of what he¡¯d done. Her screams¡­ her eyes¡­ begging me to stop¡­


    ¡°Julius¡­ please¡­ I beg you¡­¡± He remembered the way she would reach for him, her touch gentle despite the pain he inflicted. ¡°Please¡­ tell me what¡¯s wrong love¡­ let me help you¡­¡±


    And then he saw it clearly. the cramped toilet suddenly turns into the place where he remembers, the event of that that, in their room, He saw himself, his hands wrapped around her slender throat, he watches with his own eyes, by his own hands grab tightly into her delicate skin, as if he wants to crush her. He saw the anything but fear in her eyes, she was sadden, the way she pleaded with him, as her lips curved into a gentle, loving smile he mutter


    ¡°I just want to help you my dear, Julius¡­ please let me¡­help...¡± the voice split into pieces she gasps out of breath, her tone filled with unwavering affection, even in the face of his brutality, shattered the last vestiges of his control.


    The dam inside him broke.


    A sob escaped, a choked sound of pure agony. He slid down the wall to the toilet down, his body shaking uncontrollably. Tears streamed down his face, his heart and head feels about to burst into oblivion. He buried his face in his hands, trying to stop the sounds of his grief.


    "Alfred¡­ Annyla¡­ what have I done¡­"


    "It wasn¡¯t me¡­ they made me¡­ they told me¡­¡± The lies echoed in his head, it was hollowed words. He couldn''t accept the truth, even now it was too late to accept it.


    ¡°Annyla¡­¡± he mutter while tears still raining down.


    Her name was the reason for his conviction, a plea for forgiveness that he knew would never be granted, and will never deserved. The memories flooded back, the pain, the regret, the shame. He saw her face, bruised, with her torn clothes, and tear-streaked, heard her cries for mercy, mercy for not to stop the torment but mercy to tell her what is his rage for.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you anything love¡­ just¡­ please tell me love¡­ why you never speak of anything?¡± The memory of her desperation twisted the arrow in his heart bleeding him to death. He remembered the way she would try to soothe him, to calm his rage, even as he pushed her away.


    ¡°Julius¡­ please¡­ just talk to me¡­¡± Her pleas for connection, for understanding, only fueled his self-hatred.


    ¡°No¡­no¡­no¡­¡± He repeated the word over and over, like a mantra to self-loathing. He was a savage, nay a Monster. He had destroyed the one person who had ever loved him with every fiber of her beings and ask nothing but understanding in return.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Annyla¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± He sobbed even harder, the weight of his guilt crushing him even more. He remembered the way she would always look at him, her eyes filled with a love, now he knows he didn''t deserve it, even as he choked the life out of her.


    ¡°I believe in you, Julius¡­ I know you¡¯re still in there¡­ talk to me love¡±. as he remembered he sobbed, the air surround him feels like force that pinned him down even further, his body crumble.


    The guilt felt like a physical weight, crushing him, suffocating him. He was drowning in it, lost in the darkness of his past. the past he cannot change.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find you¡­ I promise¡­ I¡¯ll make it right¡­ somehow¡­¡± But even as he made this vow, the whispers of doubt returned to him, louder than ever.


    "Too late¡­ it¡¯s too late¡­ you¡¯ve ruined everything¡­ you don¡¯t deserve her love¡­"


    Seconds turns to minutes, the time he spends in this cubicle passed as he curled up tighter, his body shaking uncontrollably. He remembers memory, he was back there, in the chambers of House Valzvein, the air thick with tension and lies. He was shouting at her, his voice filled with rage, fueled by lies and manipulation. He saw her flinch, her eyes wide with fear her hands trembling, but even then, even as he hurt her, as he torture her, she reached for him, her gentle touch, and her voice soothing.


    ¡°Please¡­ Julius¡­ please¡­¡±.


    He didn''t know how long he stayed there, curled up on floor, lost in his grief. for him a moment there felt like eternity and time ceased to exist. There was only the pain, the regret, and the haunting image of her face, the mark he lefts on her, he should''ve executed if not for her defence to protect someone she loved. he sins would be reminder for him, and her voice from distant past would be the bell that rings it.


    ¡°I just want to help you, Julius¡­ please let me¡­¡± Her words echoed in his mind, this is his constant reminder of his failure.


    "I have to find her¡­ I have to¡­ I have to atone for my sins¡­" But even as the thought formed in his mind, a cold voice whispered in the back of his head.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "Too late¡­ it¡¯s too late¡­"


    Half an hour later in the line, Eric notice a man went back to a line, the officer of his line seems shouting to the man but the man seems unresponsive. it seems that it''s the man that went to toilet before, not long after that he hears mumbles from the surrounding people around him, including in his group.


    The line in the Med Bay was moving slowly, each recruit stiff with anticipation. Some looked nervous, eyes darting around, while others stood there with a nonchalant, almost bored air. The clatter of boots echoed in the sterile, metallic room as people shuffled forward.


    A tall guy with a rough face, probably in his mid-thirties, cracked his knuckles nervously, his voice low but steady.


    "Yo, you heard what they¡¯re doin'' with that serum? They say it¡¯s supposed to make us survive in space and all of that bullshit... But, man! I ain''t too sure about it."


    A younger recruit standing nearby replied to him.


    "Pfft, man, just relax. I mean, you ain¡¯t gotta be some superhero shit to do this job. It¡¯s not like they¡¯re looking for Olympians or somethin''. They just need warm bodies to shove into those spaceships bro. We¡¯re just fodders bro period."


    Another guy, thin and wiry with a scruffy beard, who is clearly anxious. He kept checking his watch like the minutes were dragging on forever.


    "You think they''re actually gonna give us superpowers or something? I heard it¡¯s like some kinda¡ª"


    "Nah, man," interrupted the rough-faced guy with a laugh. "It ain¡¯t about super strength or nothing, it¡¯s just... for survival. Like, you gotta be able to breathe up there IN SAPCE for god''s sake, not die in the cold environment and all those sciency things they said, that kind of shit. Ain¡¯t no magic serum, just science, tho i wish it was magic serum, i can''t cast spell other than fucking candle fire"


    "You saying that now, but if I start gettin¡¯ buff or somethin''... I¡¯m gonna be real confused," the wiry guy muttered, shaking his head.


    "What? you thought this would be like a game or somethin''? i ain''t seen or heard shit about that thing make someone buff or somethin'' like that, if they were that good, it would''ve been sold like candies in black market for sure!" replied the younger recruit.


    meanwhile as they talking Eric still bowing his head down, his gaze focused on the floor, the sound of the surrounding pass through him, he''s almost dazing.


    few recruits on the back muttered loudly to his buddy, "You think they¡¯re gonna turn us into a mindless soldier or something? like for real? i am worrying to death man"


    The guy beside him just shrugged, casually flipping a coin in his hand up and down.


    "The hell is there to worried about?, I ain¡¯t worried. Whatever they put in me, I¡¯ll sleep through it. I don''t even care, man. Just get me outta here so I can get to work and be done with it, i want my pay and bounce back home."


    Another recruit seems to have his worry taken over him, as his eyes widen, he whispered to the guy next to him, sounding like he was regretting this whole decision.


    "H-h-hey man.. What if... what if it goes wrong? You heard the stories, right??? right??? Some of the guys didn¡¯t make it past the first injection!!. Ain¡¯t no way they¡¯re telling us everything, there''s gotta be some shady shit government conspiracy going on!"


    The guy beside him rolled his eyes.


    "Dude, c''mon man, you stressing over something that ain¡¯t even happened yet? You signed up for this, just like everybody else. if this ain¡¯t gonna kill you, the next thing on the moon might!" said the guy sarcastically while chuckles


    The recruit shuddered, his hand twitching like he wanted to scratch his arm but didn¡¯t dare to.


    "DAMN IT, ah shit, well, I ain¡¯t exactly ready to become some mutant or dying early man."


    The older recruit from earlier, still pacing in line, chimed in with a grin of confidence


    "Look, it¡¯s simple, alright? You get the shot, boom, you survive the ride, boom, and when this is all over? You get paid. boom! That¡¯s the deal. Ain¡¯t no need to be all dramatic about it."


    A short pause before the young recruit spoke up again, with a dry chuckle.


    "I mean, what do we even have to lose? We were already stuck on Earth-1, the shithole planet, man. This is a one-way ticket to better or worse. Either way, we ain¡¯t realistically coming back so the outcome is the same. you either die here or die after or better yet survive"


    hearing the conversations sparks some of the others in line gave awkward laughs, though the tension didn¡¯t really break.


    The grizzled soldier at the front of the line gave an impatient grunt, looking over the recruits, clearly done with the chatter.


    "Alright, enough talkin¡¯, you maggots. The serum¡¯s comin'' your way soon. It ain''t a miracle cure, but it''ll make sure you don''t croak halfway to your destination. Now shut up, take your dose, and get ready for whatever''s coming next."


    As the recruits move forward, Eric didn¡¯t budge. He just kept staring at the floor, letting the voices swirl around him. The uncertainty, fear, and despair are all floated in the air. This wasn¡¯t a typical military enlistment, and he knew it. the requirement wasn¡¯t about being physically fit or young¡ªanyone could sign up for this, as he remember the requirement he read for the enlistment. The thing was, most of them probably didn''t know what they are walking into. That was the thing with desperate people. including Eric, they didn¡¯t care about the risks anymore. They just wanted "out".


    Another contrast scene can be seen within the huddled group of women and girls around the crowd. whispers echoing their shared worries, uncertainty, and fear about what lies ahead. Their voices blend into a low hum of the air, making this despair and doubt tension keep present on the surrounding.


    One girl whispers to another, her voice trembling, "I don¡¯t even know why I¡¯m here¡­ I can barely make ends meet. Shouldn¡¯t I have just taken the easy way out? Why even risk my life for a promise that seems like it¡¯ll just swallow screwing me and killing me up?"


    The girl beside her shifts uncomfortably, eyes glancing down at the floor, her face etched with regret. "Yeah... I get it. Everyone keeps talking about it like it¡¯s some glorious opportunity, but¡­ I mean, I we could¡¯ve just done something else, you know? I mean, like... right! there¡¯s adult entertainment, right? Easier money, no risk of death¡­ Why are we even doing this? agh why i''m such a dumbass"


    Another girl, let out her voice mixed with bitterness. "Yeah, maybe we¡¯re all just throwing ourselves into a grinder for nothing. my debt¡¯s stacking up and couldn''t pay it, even if I were not be here I''d still be chased by mafia that I owed money to. I can''t live a live either way in and out of this, the only choice for me is forward and I¡¯ll take whatever scraps I can find."


    In the midst of all the voices, a girl stands out¡ªa girl who¡¯s locked into a determined silence. She¡¯s a little younger than the others, maybe 21 or 22, and there¡¯s something different about her. Her eyes are sharp, her posture confident, even as the tension fills the air. She doesn''t seem to share the doubts of the others. She hasn¡¯t spoken a word yet, but there¡¯s a fierce air around her.


    A girl next to her glances up nervously, then whispers, "She¡¯s different. Look at her, she hasn¡¯t even flinched. Doesn¡¯t seem to be scared either¡­"


    It''s like there an unshakable intensity in her gaze. The others can feel the cold aura that surround her as if she carrying an unspoken promise that she won''t break, no matter the odds.


    The whispers fade for a brief moment as the girls all seem to realize something, one by one each of them. They wonder if they were foolish for questioning the path ahead, the path that they clearly choose by themselves, a consequence of their action, a responsibility. What could be worse than being stuck in debt, suffocated by circumstances? Wouldn''t it be easier to just disappear, leave all of this behind, rather than throw themselves into a battlefield? the echo of this thought humming in their minds, they realize despite all of this there''s still this girl with the determination, the one who hasn¡¯t moved or wavered by the circumstances of her own choice.


    A voice rises from the group, softer this time, hesitant, but it''s filled with hope. "Maybe she¡¯s the right one to follow¡­"


    Another girl, hesitant, speaks up in a barely audible voice, "I don¡¯t know¡­ perhaps she knows something we don¡¯t or maybe she¡¯s just... tired of all the pretending game"


    The young girl, finally speaks, muttering the words not at anyone but just looking straight up, "You think the world¡¯s going to stop spinning just because we don¡¯t want to fight and take responsibility of our action? You think you can just hide forever or run? If you''re not willing to fight for yourself, no one else will. So stop wasting time thinking about how to escape and you shouldn''t be here and any of that. Because when the time comes, you¡¯ll wish you make a stand for yourself"


    Her words hang heavy in the air, the tension lifts up. The others stare at her, feeling unsure, but they can feel the weight of truth in her words. There¡¯s no escaping what¡¯s coming. like it or not, this is their choice. Some will fall, some will rise, but there¡¯s no turning back now.


    All the recruits are now inside of the medical facility, Eric notices that inside building is massive, the celling is beyond reach, with this huge space empty field to fit all the recruits, even though it''s inside a building the light is almost as bright as the sunlight outside, instruction to stop and maintain position was given by officer that each of the group follows. The foremost position of the recruits notice that not far on the front there are some figures, they come in pair with each of them standing beside a bed that attached in some kind of machinery.


    mutters and whispers humming in the crowd of recruits.


    "Wait why they need priestess there? what is she supposed to do" a skinny man in not so far group from Eric muttered.


    "Eh? probably for emotional and spiritual support? I mean people get nervous and you heard the rumor right? people could died because of the serum" replied a ill postured man from the back of the skinny man''s.


    "What the hell?! they even goes as far as provide priestess to deliver us to our death? this is sickening!" replied the skinny man


    "You''re as good as dead if you''re already apply yourself here, face the consequences" said a girl from the skinny man line too on the front


    the skinny man looks worried but no further wants to continue the conversation.


    Eric, take a glance for a second to see what people are muttering about, he lift his head and lean a bit to the side and look at the front and sees exactly what they''re saying before, Eric position is number 12 in his group line, the distance is not that far to see what is in front of recruit groups. as he focus his sight he sees there are dozens tactical dress medic, equipped with full suit with googles and wearing facemask , not far beside the medics there are what seems to be a priestess wearing a black robe with white laces and their half-up of their faces are blocked by visor.


    "Why the priestess even there? and what is with the medic full tactical suit?" Eric muttered in his mind.


    Beside them both there''s the bed that attached to some kind of machinery, Eric best guest that it would be the machine to inject the serum and bed indicates that each person need to be lying down in order for the serum to be administered.


    Eric also noticed the big screen behind where the medic and priestess are standing, not long after he noticed that, the screen flickered to life, revealing what it seems to be a holographic avatar, stylized like a cartoonish cat girl with blue colored ears twitching rhythmically. The design of the avatar perfectly matched a the height of a girl around eighteen to twenty years old, the body is what people would describe as a fit, with not too slender but not too much muscles and weight, her oversized eyes yellow eyes are giving this glowing like rift-energy, her tail that swished back and forth, and a voice that sounded like honey poured over static.


    "Hiiii, recruits! ?? I¡¯m Negi-chan, your favorite Vtuber! here to guide all of you!!" she chirped, her avatar bouncing in a way that to seems like celebration opening of a show. and then rainbow sparks and gas started to come out below the screen to seems like a celebration mark.


    "Today¡¯s Negi-chan will guide everyone to finish the medical procedure! be sure to stays calm and keep your spirit up! and no need worry! the procedure is super safe and super fun! Just lie back, take a deep breath, and let Kaelion Industry¡¯s patented Vita-Serum work its magic!"


    Behind her, a CGI animation showed smiling soldiers transforming into glowing, muscular heroes while a jingle played: "From despair to hero''s destiny!, Kaelion¡¯s got your back¡ªyay!"


    The scarred man near Eric snorted, his voice dripping with disdain. ¡°The fuck is this shit? They mocking us?¡±


    The wiry woman with the scarred cheek, rolled her eyes. ¡°Kaelion¡¯s always gotta brand everything. Even our deaths.¡±


    The guy with the jagged scar, grinned despite the tension. ¡°Yo, that¡¯s Negi-chan! She¡¯s got 100 million subs on XeonTube. Didn¡¯t know she did corpo ads too.¡±


    One muscular guy from the back was crying and screaming "NEGIII CHANNN!!!! MY IDOLLL!! OHHH MY GOOOD!!!! I WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND YOUR IDOL MEET!! BUT NOW I''M GLAD I COME HERE!!! I DON''T CARE IF I''M DYING OR NOT AS LONG AS NEGI CHAN IS HERE!!!". Everyone seems to be surprised and and some are weird out with his reaction


    A wiry recruit near Eric shuddered, his voice trembling. ¡°Why¡¯s her voice sound like that? Like¡­ wrong?¡±


    Negi-chan¡¯s tail glitched for half a second before snapping back to normal. "*Everybody must be worried about the rumored side effects yes? well I''m here to inform everyone that less than 0.01% of recruits experience temporary side effects! so you can rest assure that it would be fine! because i will be here with all of you! nyan!" she winks her left eye while making a pose where her hand make peace sign on the top of her right eye.


    "?? But don¡¯t worry! If your body destabilizes, you¡¯ll receive a generous compensation package and free rehab at a Kaelion wellness center! and get paid as sick duty too!" as she continue her lines while resetting her position back to standing normally.


    A nerdy recruit near the front of the line piped up, his voice tinged with excitement. ¡°Dude, did you know?? her fandom started to connecting lore about her and they revealed that she might be actually an AI that made by some genius hacker or something! and her Creator is apparently rumored to be Tier 5 person!¡±


    A cynical woman in the back scoffed, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. ¡°Compensation package? Yeah, right sure, like they¡¯ll dump your corpse in a recycler and call it ¡®pension''.¡¯¡±


    A young girl, barely out of her teens, panicking, her voice trembling. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ looking at me. Why is she looking at me?¡±


    A annoyed recruit near the front of the line muttered under his breath, his voice low. ¡°Priestesses and anime girls. ''Real professional''.¡±


    The recruits shuffled forward, the line inching closer to the medics and their ominous machines. The air was thick with tension, the kind that made your skin crawl and your stomach churn.


    Negi-chan¡¯s smile stretched too wide, her teeth sharpening briefly into needlepoints. "Remember, guys! ?? All of you are the hope that will bring humanity closer to conquer the Unknown! Think of the adventure! Think of the credit bonuses! Now, say ¡®nyaa~¡¯ and let¡¯s get started!"


    The screen flashed a card that says ¡°Start!¡±.


    ¡°All right recruits! step in the line! one by one each of one of you maggots, first of your group MOVE!¡± instruct the officer that accompany each group.


    The lines have yet to make a move. each first person on the groups have to be the first one to go, the screen also flashed again the word ¡°BATCH 1¡±, the tension increase in the air, many whispers and murmurs can be heard in the surrounding, few seconds have passed, the first one to make move towards the medic team is a person from the line three, and not long after, each one of all the first line move forward, some seems as if their legs are made of noodles that can¡¯t barely hold their body to stand, some move like your everyday clinic visit to doctor, some reluctant and some even looking back at their line only to get confused reaction from the other people.


    ¡°GOD DAMN IT RECRUIT! WHEN I SAID MOVE! YOU MOVE IMMEDIATELY TO THE DAMN PLACE!¡± shout the officer from the line the person that look back.


    ¡°Y-Y-Yes..¡± said the recruit nervously and stuttered, while moving quickly forward with their legs crossing each other and then fell. you can feel some people hold their laugher because of the tension. the officer looking at the fell recruit and shout.


    ¡°DAMN IT, FOR GOD¡¯S SAKE WAKE UP AND GO!!¡° the officer quickly facepalming himself and sigh as he shout.


    ¡°Y-Y-Y-Yes!..¡± said the recruit and then quickly standing up and move to the medic team.


    There are 10 lines of the group for this phase, first batch of recruits who stepped forward, their faces are mix of dread, hopeful and some even nonchalant. each by one of them step in to the vicinity where the machine and the medic team standing, the medics in their tactical suits stood ready to give the instruction. The priestesses, with their visor hiding half-up of their faces, concealing the eyes and their emotions, but the exposed lips give glimpse of gentle smile to seems comforting and reassuring the recruit that all is going to be fine and all right, both of the priestesses and the medics in each group presence both comforting and unnerving. The screen then switched out to Negi-chan¡¯s holographic avatar, her ears twitching as she give the encouragement to the first batch of recruits.


    ¡°Hiiii, Batch One!! Let¡¯s us begin the phasing! Remember, this is but a beginning to reach your dream!, but with one step more will follows! every steps is going make you closer, Nyaa~!¡±.


    Every single batch 1 recruits facing the medics, and then the medic would ask each one of them question before administrating the serum.


    From the farthest right there¡¯s a burly man with a shaved head and a permanent scowl appearance. The medic begins asking him some questions.


    ¡°State your name and where are you from¡± utters the medic with crisp voice towards the man with their hands holding a tablet like device that seems to be a validation device to validate and cross check the recruits¡¯ data.


    ¡°Darius, and why where I¡¯m from matter?¡± replied the man, his voice a low snarl, as if daring to challenges the medic officer.


    ¡°I said once again, where are you from?¡± repeat the medic still ignoring the Darius.


    ¡°Tsk, i come from nowhere!¡± the man replied again but this time his tone vibrate in the air to signify his annoyance.


    ¡°I will repeat this one last time, where are you from?¡± replied the medic still nonchalant and ignoring the man¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°I SAID WHY DOES IT MATTER!! JUST INJECT THE SERUM ALREADY!!¡± shout the man fiercely, his voice echoes throughout the room.


    ¡°The rules are stated in your contract when you¡¯re signing up to this and become an enlistment, one of them is to answer what question you¡¯ve been given to by your superior¡± said the medic still not stutter or have any meaningful reaction to the man¡¯s anger.


    ¡°WELL I SAY FUCK EM¡¯ RULES, MY NAME IS ENOUGH TO TESTIFY MY IDENTITY RIGHT??!!¡± shout the man again this time louder than before.


    The medic officer sigh and then placing the tablet to their vest, immediately after that grabbing the man¡¯s arm, the sudden motion followed by her arm swinging the man¡¯s body, the swing made it seems so easy as if she was flipping a cloth out of the bed, and that said cloth was being forcefully thrown with out of the bed with blink of an eye. the man flew out to the sides and then recoil by the impact to the ground, leaving him scream with agonizing pain while lying down paralyzed. there was no room for reaction to the carried motion by the medic, by the time the man reacted, he was already felt the result of his action and the consequences.


    ¡°Agghhh!¡­ ugh¡­!¡± said Darius lied down paralyzed, the impact would¡¯ve been move devastated if he has smiler build.


    The medic officer then walks straight up to the Darius, they firmly utter the same words as before again.


    ¡°Where are you from?¡± while looking down on Darius, as if nothing just happened.


    The voice tone coming from the medic hasn¡¯t changed, it¡¯s still crisp and firm without any anger emotion mixed in, as if this is regular occurrence. the officers that accompany the groups also doesn¡¯t budge a bit, as if this also not the first time they¡¯ve seen something like this. meanwhile the lined up recruits all in disbelief and utterly shock about what just happened.


    Eric himself wonder how can medic be that strong? lifting someone that massive clearly doesn¡¯t seems viable if you¡¯re a regular human, this echoing thought of his is not unique to him, everyone in the lines mutters words and whispers echoing the same thought after seeing this.


    Darius, trying to get back on his knees struggle to keep his composure, while the medic just standing in front of him with no gesture of showing to help him.


    "That was... ugh!, unexpected.. ugh..." as Darrius utter his words while waking up and begin to stand back again.


    "Heh.. heh... HAHAHAHA... THAT WAS REAL PAIN! this is it!" said the man while laughing and muttering his words while breathing heavily and out of rhythm


    Darius look at the medic that standing in front of him, he had to tilt his head down to see the medic eye to eye, staring at each other. While the medic googles and the mask hides their expression, Darius let out smiles while looking at the medic and then he let out his word.


    "I''m from Westcrust!" shout him confidently now.


    The medic pull out their device again from the vest and then write something on it.


    "Proceed" the medic replied to Darius while pointing at the injection stage where Darius supposed be before.


    "Got it!" Darius obeys the medic instruction and then walk confidently to the stage. The medic followed after Darius. while this happening, voices could be heard from the crowd again.


    "Did that man just said WESTCRUST??!"


    "Hell nah they even invited criminal in here??! What the hell? I thought this is supposed to be for a clean and responsible citizen"


    "Well, since when do you think someone in debt and cannot pay their own debt a responsible citizen?"


    "Now when you said it like that, it seems that everyone who got here are all just want someway out of the mess that happened in our life... well I guess criminal is one way or another just the same..."


    "Yeah... for real.."


    Eric heard this and also wonder himself.


    "Westcrust? I think I remember it somewhere? well whatever is not that it matters where everyone from anyway at this point" mutter him in his thought.


    The priestess glance and let out a gentle smiles toward Darius while he tries to lay down on the bed.


    The priestess then ask Darius with soft voice,


    "Is there anything you would like to pray for Mr. Kroll? i would gladly offer my help to ease the tension and pray for you".


    Darius rolled his eyes. ¡°Yeah, yeah, spare me prayers. I don¡¯t believe in any of that crap.¡±


    The nurse shot him a sharp look. ¡°Show some respect. This isn¡¯t a joke.¡±


    Darius let out sigh, he hesitated, then muttered, ¡°My kid. Just¡­ I hope... no... make sure that she¡¯s taken care of if this goes south.¡±


    The priestess smiles and then puts her hands together to pray.


    ¡°By the breath of Aztoim, whose form is beyond our knowing, with this prayer I offer nothing but my faith. Darius, May your daughter and your family be blessed. May they find hope in the face of the unknown and conquer it. May our plea be heard, O Aztoim.¡±


    The machine begin moving, then wrapped Darius''s left arm with its ring like part, it rotate and then stops, the medic soon followed by pressing the something on their tablet device. then the sounds of something got released from high pressure air coming from the machine. Darius¡¯s body tensed, his muscles bulging, pupils dilating, he face expression froze. For a moment, it looked like he might resist, but then his body relaxed. The screen above flashed:


    ¡°PASSED, CONGRATULATIONS, DARIUS KROLL!¡±


    Negi-chan appears in the screen and then clapped her hands. ¡°Yay! Another hero for humanity! Nyaa~! Remember everyone!, Keep up your spirit! Don¡¯t give up, because we counting on you!¡±


    While Darius was causing ruckus the other stage in line had a faster process. A young woman with small posture and blonde hair stepped forward, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Her eyes filled with hope yet she was trembling but determined.


    The medic in front of her ask her the same question as the one Darius'' received.


    "Name?".


    "My name is Lena Rynalla" she said to the medic while, her tone was soft you can sense her voice filled with bravery.


    ¡°Where are you from?¡± continues the medic asking.


    "Endrosia River Coast" she replied the question immediately.


    "Lay down and we shall proceed" the medic writes on their tablet and then instruct her to lay down on the injection machine''s bed.


    "O-Okay!" she obeys the instruction.


    The priestess besides the nurses then get closer and tilt her head down to Lena and then talk to Lena with the same soft voice as with Darius before,


    "Is there anything you would like to pray for Ms. Rynalla? i would gladly offer my help to ease the tension and pray for you".


    "U-Uh.. yes! I hope I can provide my brother by working here and deepen my faith to Our Lord Aztoim!" he said nervously while facing the priestess.


    The priestess smiles and then let out the prayer, and Lena closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. ¡°Please, God, watch over my little brother. He¡¯s all I have left.¡±


    ¡°By the breath of Aztoim, with this prayer I offer nothing but my faith. May her wishes comes true may the light shines upon her way and may her plea be heard, O Aztoim.¡±


    The nurse nodded sympathetically as the priestess begin her prayer and activated the machine. Lena¡¯s body twitching and moving quite a bit for seconds as the serum flowed through her veins. For a moment, it seemed like she might not make it, but then her breathing steadied. The screen flashed:


    ¡°PASSED, CONGRATULATIONS, , LENA RAYNALLA!¡±


    Negi-chan cheered on the screen. ¡°Yay! a Brave soul joins the mission! Nyaa~! See, everyone? The path to better future is paved with courage! Don''t forget to keep your spirits high!¡±.


    in the furthest left stage there''s a man that went ahead and cut the line, Jaxon Pryde, he stepped forward. the officer tried to hold him down but it seems he was too fast for the officer to catch, the medics seems to make a gesture to let the man take first turn.


    "I''m going first I don''t have time for this queuing for your death ticket bullshit" said Jaxon.


    "Fair enough, you managed to passed our officer, go ahead I will allow this once" replied the medic.


    "Does anyone want to to protest over this?" the medic asked Jaxon''s line.


    They swing their head to sides in harmony


    "Alright then" mutters the medic.


    but in the lines there seems to be whispers.


    "Dude just cutting in line to his own death ticket, what a weirdo, even the first place was like, alright go ahead hahahaha" laugh one of the man in Jaxon''s line.


    "Yeah if he wants to be the first nobody is going to be protesting in the first place!" said another one in the front line.


    Jaxon then approach the medic and then as per protocol the medic ask for his information.


    "Name?" asked the medic


    "Jaxon Pryde" his reply.


    "Where are you from?"


    "Proxia"


    "Ah great another criminal, I''m glad he went first" mutter one of the woman from Jaxon line.


    None of their mumbles bother him in any way, he seems to be focusing on the injecting phase, the medic soon write something on their tablet device.


    "Alright lay down" the medic instruct Jaxon to lay down on the injection machine.


    His response is much of taking action rather than uttering words, as he immediately walks to the machine as instructed. the priestess that standing nearby also take her turn and approach Jaxon.


    "Mr. Pryde is there any-" the priestess voice was cut short, interrupted by his immediate respond.


    "To the people who are burden and to justice upon the sinners, Milady" as he interrupt the priestess.


    "Very well Mr. Pryde" replied the sister while giving her gentle smile towards Jaxon.


    The medics begin pressing the button to proceed with the injection, and simultaneously the priestess also say her prayer.


    "By the breath of Aztoim, by thy mercy Lord, please answer to our call, our prayers. May the people be freed from the shackles of their burden, may you guide us to bring justice to the sinners! and may you prevail us through upcoming trials!, O Aztoim".


    The prayers and the injection phase carried in the same motion, as this happening Jaxon started to remembering his past again once more, his eyes widen, his hands trembling and his fear and trauma come back at him, his past life flashing before his eyes. the shacking keep continues.


    "Wait what''s wrong with that dude?? why he''s shaking that much??!" a panicked recruit mutter from the line.


    Many more same sounding like panicked and surprised reaction are coming from the crowd, this goes noticeable enough to each line officers started to issue warning and instruction to the recruit to keep their mouth closed.


    Back to Jaxon, his position still unchanged, he still shaking but more heavily now, his pupils are gone, and now his eyes are pure white. in his mind while in this state, appear a nostalgic figure again, a figure that haunts him to this day.


    "Julius... you ruin me" said a woman figure in Jaxon''s mind.


    "No... no... Annyla"


    "NOOOOOO!!" as he shout he begin frantically shaking violently.


    "AGhhhhh!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" he is now trying to break free from the machine.


    The priestess and the medic stays collected, seems to know what to do in this situation. The priestess pulled something from her sleeves, a pendant like object with small chains that act as its binding as if this thing is a neckless, and then she begin enchanting.


    "¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ us ¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€ protect us from¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ Bring¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ and bring your mercy to heal ¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€ ¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€"


    As the priestess said the enhancement her pendant glows bright with dark blue color, and then as the light shines the medic pinned down Jaxon back directly at his chest to the machine. this act makes Jaxon stop his sudden movement and then calmed him down.


    "Calm down recruit" said the medic to Jaxon.


    His gasping more than he could utter his words, while breathing heavily he looks at the celling of the facility. while the medic release her hand from his chest and the priest stops her chanting and then goes straight to see Jaxon.


    "Are you okay Mr. Pryde?" the medic tone was directed to him her voice was soft with sense of comfort.


    "I-uh... did I passed??" still looking at the celling, and seems to be purposefully ignoring the priestess.


    The priestess then smiles and look at medic, they give a nodded gesture to each other. and then the priestess utter her response.


    "Yes, but you need some time to adjust and rest first, you will be taking a break from-" her words get interrupted again.


    "Please, no break, I have to pass and go to the next phase" said Jaxon, with his still out of breath tone.


    "He might be able to take the post serum treatment" said the medic to the priestess.


    When the priestess hear this words, she seems worried and also undecided. while also hearing this Jaxon, once again insist on keep going.


    "I don''t know what is your post serum treatment, but if that could speed things up, please do so, this is one way ticket I cannot go back now" his response to both the medic and the priestess.


    But before they could respond, another batch not far from Jaxon, there was loud noises, sounds like a siren, seems like an alert has triggered.


    in the big screen behind all the stages, a warning sign appears.


    ¡°OVEREXCEEDER DETECTED. INITIATING CONTAINMENT PROTOCOL.¡±


    Everyone who is in the lines, focus their attention toward the screen in an instant. the anxiety and tension increase in this exact moment, as they heard a loud siren noise and scream from the stage near Jaxon was. their attention shifted to there, this included Eric, and all other people who are on the stages.


    Negi-chan¡¯s avatar being to appear again in the screen, now the attention was split between the screen and the scene in the stage, and as she appear her voice turned cold, yet her tone remained cheerful.


    ¡°Oh no! It seems Recruit Elliot Raine has gone overexert his own limit. But don¡¯t worry, everyone! The situation is under control! Safety first, after all! Nyaa~!¡±


    The scream from the stage is getting louder, the recruit that lying down in the machine breaks it violently, the medics and priestess beside the machine quickly dodge the after effect of said action.


    the body of the recruit turns to this really dark blue color, soon the recruit body begin to under some sort of transformation, while transforming the recruit screams.


    "ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRHISEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" screeching loudly, it''s so loud that most of the people in the vicinity started to cover their ears. the chaos started to erupt from this, most people seems to be terrified, but none of them could move, because the facility is closed, and even if they want to move, their gaze are fixated on this creature and most of the people are afraid to even flitch a muscles. Eric¡¯s breath caught in his throat.


    "Well crap, this wasn¡¯t in the contract" echoes in his mind.


    The creature then fully transformed, the recruit turns into something like a man with unrecognizable head, it seems that the head was a mashing of some kind of crystal mixed together, the creature standing tall above the rest of all humans in here, with its hand stretching far and at the end of their arm is claws like hand, after it transform, the creature then open its mouth and screeching.


    "¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€¨€". and then begin rushing towards the priestess.

 Chapter 2: Continuation and Resolve

    <div>


    The creature charged forward toward the priestess. She stood firm, holding her ground. With her visor on, we couldn''t see her full expression, but her mouth was closed shut, her focus centered on the monster. As she braced herself, she moved her right arm, the sapphire pendant of her necklace flashing as she a necklace slid out from inside her right sleeve. As soon as it was out, she grabbed the chains binding it, extending her index and middle fingers, sliding the chains almost to the tips. Then, she simultaneously swung the necklace in a circling motion. The necklace made a whooshing sound, as if it were swung with powerful force, and it rotated instantly.


    Her movement was swift and precise. As the necklace rotated rapidly, she abruptly stopped her hand''s swing. For a split second, her hand was still, and then she pulled her hand back and, in quick succession, thrust it forward, grabbing the pendant of the necklace. The chains whipped and bound tightly in her hands. She clenched her hand around the pendant, the faint rustle of her fingers on the silver. Stepping her left foot back, she pulled her right arm slightly, her fingers tightening on the pendant. The almost imperceptible crk of her clenched fist faded, and as the silence settled, she made a slight forward movement. But then, the medic, in a blazing fast motion, stepped in front of her, blocking the creature''s attack and with brute force sending it staggering a considerable distance with only their bare hands. Then, the medic said to the priestess.


    "I''m in charge here, so don''t need to make a move" they said to the priestess behind them while still focusing their attention to the creature.


    The priestess nodded, then released the pendant from her grip. The pendant and chain fell, but she stopped them by placing her middle and index fingers on the chain again. She rotated it with her fingers, and as she did, her arm flipped upward, releasing and sending the necklace into the air. It then fell as the priestess opened her hand. The necklace fell not into her hand but into her open sleeve. She then moved her hand down and settled it in a horizontal position in front of her chest.


    "I''ll be your backup" said the priestess, extending her hand toward the medic. As she made the gesture, a bright, ball-shaped light, emitting a blue glow, began forming in front of her hand.


    The medic didn''t respond verbally but instead prepared themselves with a defensive stance. Their right leg stepped back, their left leg forward, and their hands were positioned in front of them, mimicking a fighter''s stance.


    The creature, trying to stand again after being staggered by the medic, let out a loud, horrific scream as it rose. The sound vibrated in every direction, sending terror through the air, tearing through the quiet of the medical facility. The creature charged again with ferocious speed, its long arms stretching forward, its razor-sharp claws opening toward the medic and priestess. The speed of the movement created a shockwave. The medic braced themselves for the impact, while the priestess stood behind them.


    On the recruit lines, Eric watched all of this unfold in horrified fascination. The creature¡¯s movements were disturbingly swift, and its movements were quick despite its size. If it were me it charged, he thought, swallowing hard, I¡¯d be dead.


    The priestess, surprisingly composed, stood her ground. The ball-shaped light, emitting a blue glow, shone intensely as she shouted,


    ¡°Aztoim, protect us! Grant us power to defend ourselves of all that harmed us!¡± , as she shout her chant her voice echoes and vibrate through the building. A huge hexagonal like hologram shield started to appeared in the front of the medic, it appeared and line up in few succession, forming multiple layers of shield.


    As her chant echoed, all other medics and priestesses in sight beside moved in harmony, forming a perimeter circling the creature. The officers at the front of each recruit line stepped forward to shield the recruits.


    The creature kept charging despite seeing the shield that had appeared. Its massive form blurred in the swiftness of its motion. As it closed the distance, it began slashing at the shield, but the attack recoiled, and the creature was staggered by the aftereffect. Its intense eyes showed no sign of giving up as it immediately pushed forward to attack again. This time, it swung its claws furiously fast to break the shield. The attack sent multiple shockwaves across the room, and yet the shield still held strong.


    Amidst all this, a man from the line charged forward, passing all the guarding medics and priestesses and jumping toward the creature. As the man was about to land near the creature, he performed a concise kicking strike to the back of its head, abruptly stopping its attack. The creature staggered and hit itself against the hexagonal shield. The medics who were protected by the shield were surprised to see this. The man recoiled from his kick and landed on the floor. His moves were not those of an amateur; they spoke of disciplined training. The creature fell and was momentarily stunned by the kick.


    Jaxon, who was standing beside the Injection machine, calmly observing what is happening, he felt a was ready to take a stance and ready to defend himself if necessary, but looking at what just happened he wasn¡¯t about to jump like that man into the scene.


    "Let them handle it," he thought, his gaze narrowed.


    "I''ll have to survive first, to come to the moon."


    The creature stood again, enraged, and turned its attention from the medic to the man who had kicked its head. It lashed out with its claws, furious, glaring at the man. But the man was ready. He chuckled, rubbed his nostrils, and smirked. The man was tall and muscular, with a handsome physique and appearance. His hair was medium length, and he wore a dirty robe over a red t-shirt. His hands were protected by almost torn gloves, and he wore what seemed to be jogging pants. This man seemed to have the most out-of-place outfit of all the recruits in the medical facility; most people there wore formal to semi-casual clothes.


    The creature and the man looked at each other, exchanged glares, and then, in the blink of an eye, moved simultaneously toward each other. A shockwave formed as they clashed, and the creature was pushed back. The man landed another blow on the creature.


    Amidst everything happening, Negi-chan¡¯s avatar reappeared on the screen. She made a "look out" gesture, her voice now curious but also cheerful. It seemed that despite everything that had just happened, Negi didn''t see this as an out-of-control situation. Seeing the man battling the creature, she shouted to him,


    ¡°Go, recruits! Show them your power and resolve!¡± As she shouted this, light sticks appeared, and she held them, cheering like a cheerleader.


    "This is your chance to prove your worth! Nyaa~!" as she cheers to the man the cheerful songs started playing in the background.


    The song echoed in the facility. Some recruits were terrified, while others were baffled and muttered things like:


    "Isn''t this her original song?"


    "You mean this VTuber is just playing a song despite all this horrific stuff happening right now?!"


    "A song like this is what we''re supposed to hear to lift our spirits! Truly, Negi-chan is my idol!!"


    Many people in the lines questioned what was happening. The song was calming and fast-paced, giving the sensation that you could face anything in life and prevail. While the song played, everyone asked why it was playing, but now almost everyone just went along with it. Eric noticed a zapping sensation inside his head, was dumbfounded for a second, scoffed, and then just went along with it like everyone else.


    Lena, seeing the man fighting the creature alone, was worried. She closed her eyes for a second and heard a voice echo in her mind,


    "If you can, act. A small act is better than nothing".


    She then opened her eyes and moved from the back to the center where the creature was standing. She decided to act. She ran forward, shouting to draw the creature¡¯s attention away from the man.


    ¡°Hey! Over here!¡± Lena shouted while running toward the creature.


    The man on the center, notice this and then shout with a terrified expression


    "Wait! NO!!".


    The creature, notice the sound coming from its back, and then turned around, it sees Lena, and then roared at her, not long after that the creature charged towards her, its claws outstretched again as it charging. Lena, despite her bravery, stumbled back, she forgot she cannot do anything to that monstrous creature in front of her, why she would do this, she asked herself within her mind in a split second as creature was charging, the fear is displayed on her face.


    In that instant, Jaxon saw Lena running towards the creature from distance, his eyes widen as the creature charged towards Lena, his eyes shifted the attention towards her, she stood there shaking in her feet, with fear on her face, the familiar face that he was sure denied before in the cubicle.


    It was Another person....


    It was not her....


    It was not....


    It was...


    The way she stumbled, the fear in her eyes¡ªit was a mirror of that terrible night.


    ¡°Julius¡­ please¡­¡±_ Her voice echoed in his mind, a desperate plea.


    The memories surged back, the guilt, the rage, the self-loathing.


    "You failed her then. Are you going to fail her again?" The voice echoes, the feeling surged through him, the cable that attached to Jaxon and connected to the machine displayed something.


    "Integration Complete".


    Jaxon''s breath hitched.


    "No." He wouldn''t fail. Not this time.


    "AGHHHHHHHHHH!!", as he then surged forward, an instinctive growl rumbling coming out of his throat.


    The movement created shockwaves around them. Within a split second, Jaxon intercepted the creature¡¯s attack with his bare arms, preventing it from reaching Lena. He could feel his muscles hardening, a primal instinct awakening within him. Power surged through his body, and then he broke the clash with a punch that connected with the creature''s hand. The punch staggered the creature, and the force of their clash shook the very floor. Swiftly, from behind, came the man who had been facing the creature before, sending another kick to the creature''s belly and sending it even further away from Jaxon and Lena.


    "Hey there," the man said, his voice strained but steady.


    "Trying to protect someone?" He was lean but wiry, with close-cropped dark hair and focused, intense eyes.


    Jaxon, his focus entirely on the creature, didn''t respond.


    "My name is Jin," the man continued, a hint of admiration in his voice.


    "Glad to make your acquaintance!" said the man happily towards Jaxon.


    Lena, now behind Jaxon and Jin, looked on in a mixture of fear and gratitude.


    "T-T-Thank you, if not for you both I would be...."


    "No, need to thank us miss, we just doing what we supposed to do, helping someone that in needs!"


    "Y-Yes..." as Lena nodded to the respond while still trembling and a shaking a little.


    Jin, quickly, glanced at Lena and then advert his eyes back to the creature. The three now stands in the front of the creature as it rose back again, looking at them.


    The other recruits, witnessing the fight, were on the verge of breaking the line formation. The officers on the front of their lines, however, remained impassive, their eyes fixed straight ahead, as if they were not caring to the chaos in sight.


    A loudspeaker crackled to life. ¡°Any recruit who breaks formation will be shot on sight!¡±.


    The creature, now facing both Jaxon and Jin and Lena, roared in frustration. Eric, still frozen in place, just watch as the event unfold. He knew he should do something, maybe like that Jin guy, jumped forward and join the battle, but he couldn¡¯t if he did, he''d be dead, the thought running on his mind. As the monster was about to make it stance to prepare attacking the trio again, Negi-chan¡¯s that was singing song on the screen, stops her song, and then she shout.


    ¡°Wow! What a good display of teamwork! Jaxon, Jin, and Lena, you three are truly shining examples of courage and camaraderie!¡± She paused, her gaze seemingly fixed on Jaxon.


    ¡°And Jaxon, you¡¯ve just demonstrated one of the amazing effects of the Vita-Serum! Enhanced physical abilities! Isn¡¯t that inspiring, everyone? That could be you! But remember¡± her tone shifted slightly,


    ¡°Ahh! I Forgot to say this but remember the serum works best when you accept it. Resist, and¡­ well, you could end up like that¡± She gestured towards the fallen creature.


    ¡°So just relax, just embrace the change, and let the serum do its magic!¡± She winked, making a pistol gesture with her hand, sparkling stars erupting from her fingertips.


    ¡°Everything is under control!¡±


    As she spoke, trails of light began to appear in the air around the creature. The lines shined white with a light blue outer glow, moving in a circular motion and forming circles. As the circles formed, flickers of light appeared in the center of each. Four circles were created. The light soon scattered, and the inner space within the circles turned black, speckled with numerous small white dots. Immediately, there was a metallic cranking sound coming from inside. Swiftly, a gust of wind, as if something had been launched from within, followed by continuous cranking metallic sounds. From the inside, it seemed long, connected chains were being ejected.


    The top of the chains moved so fast it was a blur, whipping toward the creature''s body, wrapping around it, locking and binding it tightly. As it bound, the creature was snapped, frozen in place. The chains'' shackles could be heard ringing as the creature tried to move, but to no avail. The creature, now locked like it was a display in a lab, stumbled against the chain. It tried its best to move, a loud screech escaping its grotesque, crystal-laden head. For a moment, the creature had a terrified look in its eyes, a sudden fearful emotion, a gesture that seemed disturbingly familiar, almost human in its fear.


    Before anyone could react, the screen flashed with stylized, idol-like text: "Fans! Assemble!"


    Negi-chan called out, her voice now amplified and echoing through the room,


    ¡°Alright, my lovelies! Time for a little clean-up!¡±


    When she shout, an enormous circle started to form and then from the inner side shined burst of pink light. The screen flashed again, with Negi pointing her finger towards the creature


    "Fans! Liberating!"


    From the pink light, dozens of silhouettes emerged, and then a squad of soldiers stepped out. But these were not the same soldiers as the ones in the medical facility, nor did they resemble anything Eric and the others had seen when they arrived at the military base. The soldiers'' uniforms were stylized; they wore pink uniforms. Atop their heads were stylized fox ears, the same as the ones on Negi''s avatar. Their faces were concealed by black masks, the center of each displaying a furious fox expression. They moved with unnerving precision, charging forward toward the creature Negi had pointed out.


    The creature, struggling to break free from the bindings, seemed to be growing weaker. Its movements no longer even shook the chains. As it struggled, it saw the newly emerged soldiers and turned its attention to them. As the soldiers approached, Negi, still on the screen, changed her clothes and the scene she was in. The scene now resembled an elite military office. Behind her was a grand-looking chair. She let her body fall into the chair, bumping against it and leaning back, her legs crossed. Black glasses appeared on her face, and she moved her head upward, as if looking down at the creature. Then, she gracefully moved her right hand upward, all fingers closed except for her index and middle fingers. As she did this, another circle appeared, and another chain whipped toward the creature, locking around its neck.


    This time, the chain glowed red instead of blue, and the creature seemed to be in deep pain, its jaw fully open as if it wanted to scream, but no sound came out. The creature began to try furiously to break free from the chains, its movements chaotic, as if it were fighting for its life. The chains, however, still held strong. As it furiously shook its body, trying to break free from the bindings, it let out a distorted, inaudible screech, almost like a human scream, its eyes widening.


    The soldiers advanced, their expressions hidden behind their masks, but their movements conveyed efficiency. One of the soldier, wielding a laser blade, approached the creature with the very fast movement. The creature react, its eyes wide with terror, it tried to back away, but the chain held it fast. The soldier raised their blade, and the creature flinched, a gesture of pure, primal fear.


    The blade descended.  Swurs!


    The creature¡¯s scream was cut short, replaced by a wet, gurgling sound. A soldier had severed one of the creature¡¯s arms. The severed limb, still twitching, was pulled back by the chain. As the limb fell to the floor, blood spilled from the creature¡¯s torso, bursting out like a fast-moving current. This caused the creature¡¯s movements to become even more erratic. As this happened, the creature let out another scream, a sound disturbingly close to human grief.


    The soldier carrying the blade continued forward, their laser blade dripping with the creature¡¯s dark blue blood, which vaporized, creating a blue mist. The soldier then slashed the creature again, this time with deliberate slowness, cutting off its left leg. The chain retracted again as the leg was severed. Negi, visible on the screen, still looked at the creature, her head tilted upward slightly. With her glasses on, her expression couldn''t be clearly seen, but she was smirking, as if savoring the moment. The creature, its remaining arm and leg trembling, seemed to have no strength left to stand. It fell, but because it was locked by the chain around its neck, its head couldn''t fully descend. The creature now stopped moving chaotically, but its muscles still twitched. Its eyes, visible from below, were almost like a dead fish''s eyes. Not long after, it closed its eyes, as if accepting its fate.


    Just then, from the stunned crowd of recruits, a single voice pierced the tension. "ALELALEALEALEALEAAAAAAA!" shouts Eric from the line.


    Eric then have his face flushed crimson, clapped a hand over his mouth. He had no idea why he''d shouted that, no idea where that strange, almost random yell had come from. He wish he could disappear after what he just did.


    Negi-chan lifted her glasses, momentarily surprised, and leaned forward, looking around to see who had screamed. Her gaze landed on Eric. A small smile played on her lips, and she gave him a playful wink before leaning back again. This time, she sat straight, her legs still crossed, her attention focusing again to the scene.


    The soldiers were unfazed by Eric''s scream. The soldier who had held the laser blade earlier plunged it into the creature¡¯s chest. The creature¡¯s body convulsed, a final, shuddering gasp escaping its lips. Its head lolled to the side, still chained and suspended by the neck. As Eric watched, the creature''s head glitched for a split second, revealing a glimpse of something disturbingly like a human face beneath the grotesque crystal head.


    The remaining soldiers closed in on the creature, pulling out their own laser blades. They surrounded it, their movements precise and harmonized. All of them then charged, slashing and tearing the creature apart, ripping its flesh continuously for several seconds. The creature¡¯s body, now little more than a mangled mess, twitched and spasmed as the soldiers continued their gruesome work. Dark blue blood sprayed in every direction, painting the floor of the medical facility. Some of the blood also appeared to have a grotesque crimson color mixed in. The air filled with the sickening stench of burnt flesh and the metallic tang of blood, mixed with something else¡­ something sickly sweet and faintly...


    The recruits, forced to witness the event unfolded before their eyes, many were recoiled in horror. Some covered their mouths, stifling vomit. Others simply stared, their eyes wide with fear that this is the battle or the environment they may or will face later in the battlefield.


    As quickly as it began, it ended. The creature, now unrecognizable, was reduced to nothing but a sludge of flesh and blood on the floor. All the chains retracted back to wherever they had come from. The pink-clad soldiers stood silently for a moment, their weapons vaporizing the creature''s blood, creating, once again, a dark blue mist around them. Then, with a synchronized movement, they turned off their laser swords and bowed toward Negi-chan.


    Negi, on the screen, seeing this, stood up with a cheerful attitude again. The screen zoomed in on her eyes as she winked and said,


    ¡°Thank you, my dears!¡± The scene behind her and her outfit then switched back to the previous casual one.


    The circles reappeared and swallowed the soldiers whole. After that, all the circles vanished. The medical facility was eerily silent. The only sound was the breathing of every single recruit. The air hung heavy with the stench of death.


    Negi-chan¡¯s avatar remained on the screen, her expression calm and cheerful once more.


    ¡°Like I said, right? Everything is under control. Nyaa~!¡± She winked again.


    Jaxon, Jin, and Lena stared at the scene, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief. The other recruits were equally stunned, their mutters and whispers filling the void.


    ¡°What¡­ what was that?¡±


    ¡°Pink soldiers? With fox ears?¡±


    ¡°Did¡­ did they just¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s insane.¡±


    ¡°I thought this was a military operation, not a circus.¡±


    ¡°They just¡­ tore them apart¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m never sleeping again.¡±


    ¡°Is that¡­ is that serum safe?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m gonna be sick.¡±


    ¡°What the hell did I just sign up for?¡±


    ¡°I want my mom.¡±


    The murmuring continued, a mix of fear, confusion, and disgust. The recruits were clearly horrified by what they had witnessed¡ªthe sheer strangeness of the situation and the implications of the serum''s power. Eric, meanwhile, was still trying to process his own outburst, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.


    The aftermath was swift and clinical. A clean-up crew, clad in biohazard suits, arrived to clean the mess. They moved like machines, their actions precise and silent. The gruesome remains vanished in what seemed like an impossibly short time. The lingering stench of death was also gone in an instant after the clean-up crew sprayed the air with powerful disinfectants. While all this happened, the priestesses and medics who had surrounded the creature went back to their positions around the injection machines, moving so casually as if nothing had happened. After the floor and the scene had been sanitized, the clean-up crew moved in harmony and left the facility through the back room.


    Negi-chan¡¯s avatar reappeared on the screen.


    ¡°Alright, recruits! Let¡¯s get back on track! The injection phase will now continue¡± Her tone was upbeat, with not even a mention of the horrific scene that had just occurred.


    Whispers and murmurs could be heard among the recruits. The tension still hung heavy in the air.


    How can we go on after this? the unspoken question echoes in the air.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Jaxon, along with Lena, were escorted back by a medic and a priestess to the back of the facility. Anyone who had already received the serum will and still Alive will passed the phase and will have to go the back of the facility to continue, their expressions display mixture of exhaustion and dumfounded to this almost unsettling calmness attitude, displayed by the military. The first batch of recruits, those who had undergone the procedure before the interruption, were also present, some looking dazed, others strangely invigorated, all of them were also escorted to the back of the facility.


    The officers from each remaining recruit line instructed the recruits to continue, but the heavy tension in the air froze most of the people on the front line. Just as the next batch was being organized, a different, tall priestess emerged from a door at the back of the facility. She walked elegantly, each step echoing through the facility. She was different from the other priestesses present. The white robes she wore stretched long behind her, dragging as she moved. Her sleeves touched the floor, but the design prevented them from concealing her hands. The front of her body was covered by long blue sapphire cloth, upon which were written yellow symbols that Eric couldn''t read, but he recognized them as likely scripture from Aztoim''s teachings. Her headwear was distinct, and the colors of her vestments blended dark and pastel hues, accented with yellow laces. She exuded an air of authority and serenity.


    She raised her voice, speaking to all the recruits present, in a calm, reassuring tone.


    ¡°My children,¡± she began, her voice gentle yet powerful,


    ¡°I know that you have witnessed a disturbing event. Fear and doubt may cloud your hearts, you may afraid to push forward, but you must remember why you are here. You are here to help humanity, to face the unknown, to become heroes"


    "Do not let the fear consume you. May the courage filled your heart, embrace it, and let it embrace you, as we all are will be blessed by Our Lord Aztoim¡±.


    Jin, who had moved to the front of the line because of the incident, clenched his fist, his eyes filled with admiration for the priestess. Her words resonated with him, reinforcing his own sense of purpose.


    The priestess¡¯s voice traveled throughout the room, bringing a soothing calmness to all the recruits present. The tense atmosphere began to dissipate, replaced by the calm and serenity she exuded. The recruits'' resolve began to reappear. She clasped her hands together and began to pray, her voice soft and melodic.


    Eric, who had been focusing his attention on the newly arrived priestess, paused in his thoughts, noticing something above her head. A faint, golden halo-like ring seemed to hover there. He wondered what it was, but the priestess¡¯s prayer quickly drew his attention instead.


    ¡°O Our Lord, Aztoim, guide these souls who seek to conquer the unknown, your strength. Grant them courage in the face of fear, resilience in the face of adversity, and faith in the face of the unknown¡±


    As the priestess prayed, a feeling of bliss washed over Eric. He closed his eyes slowly, responding to the feeling, his body relaxing. The image of the horrific event, or anything else that had been on his mind, faded away. He felt a profound sense of peace, a calmness he hadn¡¯t experienced in years. The prayer seemed to guide him to a place where fear and doubt no longer existed. It was beautiful, like being in a calm savanna filled with flowers, where the breeze felt gentle against him. Then, as he still had his eyes closed, he heard a rustling sound. Instinctively, he opened his eyes again and looked toward the sound. There, he saw someone¡ªa red-haired woman wearing a brown shirt under a lab coat, her hair tied back. Her face held a worried expression mixed with sadness. Her hand was placed on her chest as she said,


    "Please, I''m sorry, Eric."


    "Please forgive me," she said, starting to cry and tilting her face down. Eric just stood there, looking at her as the wind breezed past him.


    The effect was similar for the other recruits. The priestess¡¯s words and the serenity of her prayer had a profound impact. Whispers began to circulate, but now they were different.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. We can do this.¡±


    ¡°We have to be strong.¡±


    ¡°For humanity.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    ¡°I will accept the serum.¡±


    ¡°I will become a hero.¡±


    Despite the horrific scene they had just witnessed, the recruits, having their courage back up again by the priestess¡¯s words, they shared the sense of peace, the resolve sparks again in their heart. Now many of them believed that if they accepted the serum, they too could overcome any challenge, any fear. They would prevail.


    Eric opened his eyes again, bowing his head down for a second, then look up at the front again, noticing that the priestess that he saw before was missing, but he pays no mind to it and probably that just what the priestess supposed to do and after her role was done she just excuse herself out. On the screen Negi-chan smiled brightly and then proceed to announce the continuation of the injection phase.


    ¡°Okay!!! everyone!! have you keep up your spirit? now we will continue to batch 2!!¡± she shouted, performing a cheerful pose.


    The injection process resumed, proceeding smoothly this time. Almost everyone was successfully injected with the serum. Some recruits experienced minor side effects like headaches or nausea, but none were serious.


    Jin¡¯s batch was also completed. He thanked the medic and the priestess with high-spirited enthusiasm. ¡°Thank you both! I¡¯m ready to face whatever comes next!¡±


    The medic, unfazed by Jin¡¯s exuberance, simply said, ¡°Move on.¡±


    The priestess, however, appreciated Jin¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°May Aztoim guide you¡±


    Negi-chan¡¯s avatar then popped up on the screen, addressing Jin directly. ¡°Jin! You were amazing back there! Such bravery! Nyaa~!¡±


    ¡°It was nothing,¡± Jin replied, scratching his head sheepishly. ¡°Just a reflex.¡±


    Batch after batch was processed, and finally, it was Eric¡¯s turn ¨C Batch 7. He clenched his fists, trying to calm his nerves. He walked to the front of the stage, the medic asking him the standard questions.


    ¡°Name?¡±


    ¡°Eric Rossvolt.¡±


    ¡°Where are you from?¡±


    ¡°Roznia City.¡±


    The medic recorded his answers on their tablet. Before the injection began, the priestess approached Eric, her expression gentle and reassuring.


    ¡°Mr. Rossvolt,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°Is there anything you would like me to pray for? I would gladly offer my help to ease your tension.¡±


    Eric hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I have nothing in particular. Thank you, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Mr. Rossvolt¡± the priestess responded, and smiles for him.


    She then clasped her hands together and began to pray in a low, melodic voice.


    ¡°Aztoim, watch over this recruit as they embark on this journey. Grant them strength and courage, and guide them through the trials that lie ahead. May they find peace and purpose in your divine light.¡±


    As the priestess prayed, Eric closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He focused on the sound of her voice, the rhythmic cadence of the prayer calming his nerves. He felt a momentary sense of peace, a brief respite from the anxiety that had been building inside him.


    Then, the serum injection began. Eric¡¯s heart pounded in his chest, his pupils dilated, his muscles tightened. He felt a wave of nausea, and his breath hitched. Seconds stretched into an eternity. His vision blurred, and his eyelids felt heavy. Slowly, he closed his eyes, feeling himself drifting away.


    Suddenly, he found himself standing on a vast sea. He was standing on the water, an impossible feat. The scene surrounding him was immense, the sky above a star-studded, cloudless night. Not far from him, he saw a creature. It was humanoid in shape, but its skin was a deep, unsettling blue, and crystals grew from its body. It was humming, a low, mournful sound, like a cry. Eric was frozen, unable to move or speak, trapped in this surreal vision.


    the blue-skinned creature, screeching, shaking, the creature face its head down, trembling in fear, and uttering unrecognizable sounds,


    "Plrasr... Plrasr... Hrlp..... Plrasr..."


    Eric was still observing the creature, he did nothing, neither approaching it nor making a movement, his eyes fixated on the scene. suddenly the creature lifts its head up to Eric''s direction, and then he saw it¡ªits face. Surprisingly it was like a... human, they exchange glance, the creature''s eyes are filled with deep blue dark color, the pupils covering almost all of the eye''s surface. Eric moved his head forward slightly narrowed his eyes for a second, and then returned to his original position. The creature moved its hand and mouth. Its left hand, shaking, with all the crystals embedded in its body, moved slowly and it felt heavy from Eric''s perspective. Its hand opened and seemed to be reaching out to Eric, and then it uttered something once again.


    "Plrasr... Plrasr... Hrlp..... Plrasr..."


    Eric was surprised for a moment by this gesture. His hands tried to move forward to respond to the creature''s outstretched hand, but then he stopped and slowly retracted them. All of a sudden, the sea in which they were both standing began to shake. The water moved violently in every direction, causing large waves to appear. Eric nearly lost his balance. The creature continued to reach out its hand to Eric. Eric opened his hand again and began to move forward toward the creature, but then a roar came from below the water. Eric instinctively looked down. From the depths, a large shadow approached the surface. As Eric lifted his head again to face the creature, a wave separated them. The creature screeched again, this time louder.


    "Plrasr... Plrasr... Hrlp..... Plrasr..."


    Then, from the depths, something enormous and blazingly fast approached the surface. The creature cried out, a sound of pure anguish. From below, something lunged upward, erupting tidal waves that sent the creature soaring into the sky. For a split second, before the wave hinder Eric''s view, he saw enormous jaws with colossal teeth. The creature screamed even louder; this time, he could clearly hear its plea¡ªa plea for anything but help. But Eric was washed away by the wave, and a second later, something that had come from the depths was now visible.


    It was an impossibly large body stretching from the sea to the soaring, starry skies. It was like a serpent; its scales were a deep, jade-like blue, reflecting the light from the scene. Its head was massive, and its eyes shined bright red, radiating an aura of immense power, a primal force that seemed to warp and tense the very air around it. The creature clearly is going to get devour by this serpent, Eric still standing from far from them, the creature still reaching out to him. This is it, the creature is going to get devoured by the serpent, this is it this is the


    "Acceptance"


    you must accept the fate, the voices echoes in Eric''s mind, as the time moves slowly, while he¡¯s looking at the scene, then his old life, his past flashed before his eyes.


    It was back when I was working as a research assistant at the academy. There was this girl, Ilsa. She had beautiful red hair tied back, and she liked to wear her lab coat¡ªshe thought we scholars were supposed to show our identity upfront. She was cheerful, too. Her work on campus was also as an assistant, but she worked under a professor rather than for the campus itself. We often talked and had conversations because we shared the same break time. She often told me interesting things about dreams and the inner mind. She said that on Earth-2, scientists had discovered that you could alter the outcome of mind-bending or mind-affecting phenomena by changing your mindset with your own suggestions and beliefs¡ªthat you could literally change everything that happened to you mentally. I argued with her about it.


    "Well even if we could alter it, what would it be useful for?" I was trying to be skeptical about the idea.


    "It could theoretically, protect us from, you know mind eater or mind-altering substance or to cope the pain.... From something we want to forget" Ilsa replied with her enthusiasm.


    "Hahaha, well I don''t know about which one is more wilder, your theory or your imagination" I had chuckles when she utter her respond.


    "Well, better be prepared right? Is not like this planet is safe anyway! So this research may prove useful"


    "True, true, well, you could teach me the trick if you were so inclined"


    "Sure, meet me after you¡®ve done with your work, we will try experimenting with the method to increase your mental fortitude, so you would actually see it in action rather than just take my words for it" said her in confidence.


    "Alright" said me to her with no expectation whatsoever.


    We would conduct experiments to enhance my mental fortitude almost everyday by having me control my dreams. According to her research and a paper she''d gotten from Earth-2 (published by the scientists there), this would be the first step toward controlling one''s mental state. At first, I thought it was a bunch of nonsense, but after a month, I started to feel something different about how I perceived my dreams. I could control them just as she''d described; I could make anything happen that I wanted and desired. Now, I started taking this experiment seriously.


    "I couldn''t believe this is actually working, did you already test it to yourself before?" I asked Ilsa.


    "Of course, fufufu, I was league ahead of you!" said her smirking while making this show off smiles.


    "Alright what''s next then?"


    "Well next would be bypassing the hypnosis phase, i would be able to hypnotize you by planting seeds of belief first tho"


    "Alright sure, let''s go"


    For the next two months, she would try to hypnotize me, and I would succumb and then break free from within. This proved difficult for me, as I had mastered it, but it took more time than before. However, after I mastered this aspect, I would break free from the hypnosis easily, even if I was initially caught.


    "Well, Well, Well, I have to say you got me on this, you proved me wrong, I''d say you have my thanks for that" I said to her to admit my defeat and scepticism toward her research.


    "Fufufu, you should be grateful ahahaha!" she laugh.


    "So what''s next?" asked be curiously to her.


    "Well, next is that you just have to applied this two when you being controlled with something that messing your brain, basically you have to hypnotized yourself and then control your own inner thought just like you control dream and then break apart anything that want to control you, tho i don''t exactly have anything in hand right now to test it out, but if we followed the research paper, by doing that you should be good, you even could hypnotized yourself to do something unbelievable in reality, if you could project your inner thought and make your inner domain be your own body. Well at least that''s what it says on the paper"


    "Sounds interesting, I''ll keep in mind, let me treat you for a meal, after all you''ve done, as my thanks"


    "Now that''s some gratitude you showing! Hehehe I''ll take your offer"


    After that, we''d chat here and there again if we met during our break time at the academy. She was in the research department focused on the mind, and I was in the department of philosophy and metaphysics¡ªa field many at the time argued was a waste of money. But hey, I got free money and free knowledge, so I wasn''t complaining. Ilsa was usually with her professor, the famous Hugo Kaelion. And yeah, he was a noble. I don''t know why a noble would come to Earth-1 just to teach at this planet''s university. Ilsa was particularly close with Hugo; she would praise him often when we talked and discuss his research, mentioning how she''d get the Earth-2 papers from him. Now that made sense of how she could obtain those papers in the first place.


    Months after the experiments we did together, I still saw her around, but the frequency was a bit less than usual. Soon after, it started to become rarer. I would only see her passing my department like once a week, her face drawn and tired, like she''d overworked herself. I would try to catch up with her and ask if we could discuss things sometime again, but to no avail; she kept avoiding me. After a while, I finally met her in the campus corridor. It seemed she hadn''t expected this encounter either; she seemed surprised to see me, kind of weird, but I didn''t think anything of it at the time. So, I approached her and asked...


    "Uh hey? You''ve been avoiding me all this time? What''s happening? Are you doing well? You seems to overworked yourself? Wanna talk?"


    She''s unresponsive and shaking while also avoiding eye contact with me.


    "Uh Ilsa? You''re good?"


    "Uh.. Yes.. I''m good, I have something to do bye" she rushes quickly past me with her hand trembling and shaking.


    I look back at her and said.


    "Catch you later?" I said it back to her from behind, but she didn''t respond to my call.


    And then professor Hugo appears at the end of the corridor, and she lunges to his embrace, and Hugo seems to calming her down while patting her head and they walk away together.


    "Huh, weird, I guess she just don''t want to see my anymore??"


    I didn''t think anything of it and just moved on. Not long after my work hours ended, I packed my things up at the campus to go home. But this time, I was in the mood to enjoy the campus scenery and clear my head, so I wandered around. When I passed the Research of the Mind department, I walked by to see if Ilsa was still around, just to see her one more time before leaving. I don''t know why I did this, but once again, it just my concern perhaps. When I was almost near her research room, which she and Hugo shared, I heard voices coming from inside.


    "Dr Hugo, she''s gorgeous yo! hahahaha i couldn''t believe you would get this beauty in this shithole planet hahaha".


    What the hell is this voice? I started to listening closely and moving closer without making a sound to the room.


    "She''s now good, I put her under the control, beside smart she also have this voluptuous body hahaha" this time it''s Hugo''s voice.


    "Damn what a good girl she''s obedient little kitty hahaha" sounds like different voice from the first one I heard


    "Now, now doctor, shall we do it together all of us in here??" this one seems like the first voice that talked before.


    "Of course, right Ilsa?" Hugo speaks again.


    "Y-yes.. Please.. Please give me....." This time it''s Ilsa, it''s definitely Ilsa.


    Hearing Ilsa''s voice, I quickly peeked through the slit window in the room. There, inside, were three men. One was Hugo, and the other two I didn''t recognize. Their pants were off, and there was Ilsa. She was chained like a pet, wearing cat-ear headbands. Her expression, her eyes, were those of a nearly hypnotized person, and she was giggling while looking at the lower halves of the three men. I was furious at the sight of this scene. And then, one of the men said...


    "Come my kitty, swallow mine, hahahaha" and then they all laughed.


    I couldn''t hold my rage no more, i furiously slammed the door to the room quickly shout.


    "BASTARD!! WHAT THE FUCK ARE ALL OF YOU THINKING!!"


    All of them were looking at me, including Ilsa. I glanced at Ilsa for a second and then focused my attention on the three men. I clenched my fists, ready to fight these assholes, but they just laughed at me.


    "Look someone wants to join, hahahaha" said one of the man


    "Ohh you should''ve told us we have more company Hugo" said another one.


    "Ohh pardon my immodesty gents, and of course Eric Rossvolt, i didn''t know why you still on campus but if you want to join us, come in Hahahahaha" said Hugo while laughing at me.


    "FUCK OFF, LET HER GO RIGHT NOW!!"


    Two of the men besides Hugo then laughing and says.


    "Whoa, whoa seems we have the big guy here hahahaha"


    "Yeah, the Hero that save the day hahaha"


    "Easy, Mr. Rossvolt, do you think we are afraid of someone of your caliber? Ahahahaha, beside this is fruit of her research, she endure herself of this activity, in order to funds her academic research because he family went bankrupt a year ago, to ease the pain she wants me to teach her the mental fortitude technique, AHAHAHAHAHAHA WHAT A WAY TO ENDURE THE PAIN, NOW SHE WAS DEEP IN ITS PLEASURE!!! DON''T YOU SEE IT, SHE IS THE ONE WHO WANTS ALL OF THIS, ALL OF THIS FOR MONEY MR ROSSVOLT!!! HAHAHAHAHA!!"


    I was shocked and dumbfounded, standing still. Memories flashed before me: the time she taught me the technique, everything we''d done together. Then I remembered when she first explained why this technique would be important.


    "It could theoretically protect us from, you know mind eater or mind-altering substance or to cope the pain.... From something we want to forget"


    "to cope the pain...."


    "so it was from that time... Why don''t you ask for help... Ilsa..." echoes in my head.


    "AGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!! FUCK OFF ALL OF YOU!!!" I scream as I lunge toward one of the man.


    But as soon as I lunged, one of the men grabbed my neck and strangled me. He was taller and more muscular than me; from the start, it seemed my chances of doing anything to them were abysmal. That''s why they were so confident about fending me off.


    "Ughh... Ghh...." I can''t let my voices out, I get locked.


    "Hahahahaha now, now now, see what we telling you before? You should''ve join us" said the man who strangled me.


    "Right, hahahaha" said the man beside him.


    "You can''t win Mr. Rossvolt, these two are military general, they have artifacts and they were superficially enhanced human that went to the moon, you basically grant yourself a death ticket" said Hugo.


    While amidst all of this Ilsa continue to please Hugo while i was seeing it strangled.


    "OOOHHH, that''s right Ilsa, don''t stop, just ignore him hahaha" Hugo respond to her action.


    Meanwhile, i.. I was almost certain i would be dead here, strangled by this man in this forsaken place, with the girl that I consider as a friend having to please assholes in the front of me, while they''re laughing at my misery.


    My mind went blank, I passed out and drifted,


    "All of this shit, and i can''t do nothing? What a failure of a man i am..."


    "I hope my sister doesn''t mind if i died like this.... Well... I would''ve mind..."


    Something come back at me... Ilsa''s last word about the technique...


    "hypnotized yourself to do something unbelievable in reality, if you could project your inner thought and make your inner domain be your own body"


    "The final lesson eh, sounds like this is the trial..."


    "Would i be able to do it?...."


    ......


    From the chaotic waves caused by the serpent, a deafening shockwave could be heard. It launched something from the surface into the sky¡ªa figure. It was Eric! Somehow, he was able to launch himself from the surface with supersonic speed toward the serpent. The serpent noticed Eric, and Eric smiled, his eyes widening. As adrenaline coursed through his body, Eric laughed.


    ¡°Of course¡± Eric said, laughing maniacally at the precipice, then punched the serpent.


    The impact of his punch sent shockwaves through the air. The serpent''s direction was altered, and its jaw was forced closed, then it fell. The creature was dumbfounded and utterly shaken to see what had just happened, but Eric didn''t seem to care about the creature as he punched the serpent again and again until it was pushed back into the water. The serpent then recoiled and raised its head again from the water, now changing its focus to Eric instead of the creature. Eric, still maintaining his smile, fell back down to the surface, all the while looking at the serpent.


    A grin spreads across Eric¡¯s face, a genuine smile of pure joy. He clenches his fists again, and made a stance in anticipation. He''s not thinking about the creature that reached out for him, and not about the danger of the situation. He''s thinking about the fight, focusing only to a singular point in his mind, and that was. Fight.


    The serpent lunged forward toward him, its jaws agape. Eric, still smiling, also launched himself far above the serpent. The serpent was locked in its position, unable to change its course due to momentum, its gaze fixed on Eric above it. Eric followed its movement, plunging downward toward the serpent''s head. He punched it again, the shockwave vibrating the surrounding air. The serpent was stunned by the impact and snapped its jaws shut immediately. But Eric didn''t stop punching; he kept hitting the beast repeatedly.


    The repeated shockwaves created deafening sounds. The serpent roared for the first time after receiving the multiple blows. Meanwhile, not far from the scene, the creature that had reached out to Eric before was now dumbfounded and shocked by what it had just witnessed. It simply sat on the surface of the water, watching the conflict unfold.


    Eric launched himself back from the top of the serpent''s head. As the serpent felt the impact, it raged, moving its body, whirling the water, and roaring, its gaze once again fixed on Eric, who had landed on the water''s surface. The serpent then plunged into the sea, swirling and moving in a circle at blazing speed. Water began to swirl in front of Eric, who kept his stance sturdy. A tornado vortex began to form on the surface of the sea¡ªa ferocious one. The water current in the vortex moved rapidly upward, and with it, a shadowy silhouette followed. It was the serpent; it had formed a water vortex. Then, from the top of the water, the serpent emerged, its head appearing while its body remained within the vortex. Seeing this, Eric laughed, a sound of pure, unadulterated joy. Lost in the moment, oblivious to everything but the battle, he now faced the force of nature.


    The sea where Eric was standing was unstable because of the vortex, but his eyes remained focused on the serpent. The serpent moved the vortex, leaning it downward toward Eric. The serpent''s eyes were fixed on Eric, burning with fury. But there was something else in those eyes, a flicker of¡­ amusement? Intrigue?


    "Is that all you got, fish-face?!" Eric yelled.


    The serpent roared again in response and lunged with the vortex toward Eric. Eric responded by also launching himself upward toward the serpent. The creature before, however, was caught between the battle. It screamed in terror, a high-pitched, desperate cry for help, a plea for mercy. Because the vortex was shaking the water''s surface and causing huge tidal waves, it was swept away. As it tried to escape the churning currents created by the serpent''s vortex, it couldn''t. Though it couldn''t drown, the waves washed over it, pulling the creature in every direction imaginable.


    The creature was now an insignificant bystander, caught in the chaos. It cried out, its voice barely audible amidst the serpent''s roar and the raging waves. It seemed the creature wanted to reach out to Eric, a gesture of desperate pleading to stop the chaos, but Eric, still focused on the fight, couldn¡¯t hear nor notice anything around him. The creature''s cries became distorted, unintelligible, and then were washed out by the waves.


    Back in the medical facility, Eric¡¯s physical body begins to tremble and shaking. The machine monitoring his vitals displays a series of erratic readings, flash of warnings started to appear on the screen. But it¡¯s not an error message, it¡¯s also not a sign of the serum failing or overwhelming him. The medic¡¯s tablet that connected to the machine displays a contradictory message:


    ¡°Injection Successful. Antibody Integration in Progress¡­ Stabilized.¡±


    The readings are fluctuating, the machine struggling to reconcile the successful injection phase with the ongoing, but seemingly stalled, antibody integration. The word "Stabilized" flickers on the tablet screen, then disappears, reappearing a moment later in repetition.


    "What''s happening?" the medic wonder to themselves.


    "The machine¡­ it''s never done this before."


    "The readings¡­ they''re conflicting," as they checks the tablet again.


    "It''s like¡­ the serum has been accepted, but the antibodies¡­ they''re not¡­ integrating?"


    The medic then turns to the priestess,


    "Have you ever seen anything like this before?" with slightly worried voice.


    The priestess, with her face displayed a surprised expression, shakes her head.


    "No," she whispers.


    "This is unprecedented, i have never seen anything like this before, was it the same as the one named Jaxon before?"


    The medic then replied,


    ¡°The previous one before has an error indicator, the indicator said the serum successfully injected but the effect would¡¯ve taken more time to adjust to the person¡¯s body¡±


    ¡°This one is successful, but even so why his body is shaking?¡± continues the medic.


    Just as the serpent and Eric were about to clash, the vision faded. Eric opened his eyes; he was back in the medical facility. He stared with a blank expression at the white ceiling above, the battle, the aftermath, the adrenaline still coursing through him. He suddenly realized that it had just halted; he felt deep down that the battle wasn''t over. It had just begun. After he opened his eyes, the medic and the priestess looked at him instantly and asked him right away.


    ¡°Are you okay Mr. Rossvolt?¡± ask the priestess gently in a worried voice to Eric.


    ¡°Anything unusual happened? you feel something recruit?¡± the medic followed.


    Eric looking at the medic and priestess faces just scoff and said.


    ¡°I think it went well, i don¡¯t have any major problem or notice anything unusual¡±


    The medic and the priestess look at each other, nodded and then, they released Eric from the machine and help him to stands up.


    ¡°Alright recruit, go to the back, you¡¯re qualified to continuing to attuning phase¡± as the medic said this, they checks their tablet and write something on it.


    ¡°Please, if you feel sick or anything unusual, ask the officer nearby to help¡± the priestess said gently to Eric while offering him a hand to stand up.


    Eric accepted the help and tries to stand up, as Eric and the priestess hand hold and touch each other, the priestess feels a bit zap like electricity spark from Eric¡¯s hand, and by reflex released her hand, Eric surprised and ask the priestess.


    ¡°Uh? mam? are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Eh-, Y-Yes, I¡¯m sorry Mr. Rossvolt¡± as if she snaps back to reality, she hold Eric¡¯s hand again, but this time there was no spark or anything.


    And then Eric goes to the back of the facility to begin the next phase. after some time all the recruit have passed successfully with the injection phase, all the medics and the priestess have fulfilled their duty and about to be dismissed, but the medic and the priestess that handle Eric before, curious about something in their mind.


    The medic lifts their masked and googles, revealing the long tied black hair, tired looking lady, while the priestess also disable their visor and it also open up her face, they started conversation.


    ¡°Hey, Ms. Yori, do you think something unusual about recruit number 785, the one named Eric Rossvolt¡± ask the priestess to the medic.


    ¡°He¡¯s the unusual one, but the serum still works so no protocol needed for any abnormalities¡± said the medic back to the priestess.


    ¡°But when I touch his hand for the first time, I felt a spark and then i saw a big serpent like the one in the Kaelion House¡¯s symbol, just like when we did accept the serum and see the image for the first time, but this time it was staring at me with furious stare, and it was roaring at me too, I stand still can¡¯t move a muscles there, i was terrified¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think much of it, it was probably the after effect of the serum, we all felt something different anyway when we first got injected, but everyone knows that the serpent will protect us from the Voiders right? at least that¡¯s what the church always told us¡± replied the medic.


    ¡°Yes.. but I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s angry at me and looking a me like that, isn¡¯t the effect supposed to be gone when the cycle of the serpent devour the evil ends?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me I don¡¯t know shit about any of the specific details, I thought you know it better because you choose to be a priestess, isn¡¯t it Venna?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, I will ask or look it up later, for now let¡¯s grab some meals on our way out¡± said the priestess cheerfully.


    ¡°Fine by me¡± the medic replied.


    ¡°I hope that recruit get a good artifact later so he doesn¡¯t ended-up in the shittiest place on the moon¡± the medic chuckles as she said this.


    Now, on the back of the facility there¡¯s a lift that will take everyone down to the bottom of the base, everyone who passed the serum injection phase will be carried by this lift, above the lift there¡¯s hologram of Kaelion Enterprise symbol lights up by the laser below around the edge of the front side, as all the recruit who passed are lined up again, now the numbers are almost the same as before, with few of the people who were there missing, this due to the side effect, so some people will get rehabilitated first before continuing the phase, in the line there are Eric, Darius, Lena, Jaxon and Jin among the others. The hologram changes, revealing once again the familiar figure, it was.


    ¡°Hellooooo, everyone!!! congratulations to all of you in here who passed the injection phase!!, now now we will shortly begin the next phase!! so don¡¯t forget to lift your spirit up!! cuz after this we are going to fly!!!! to the space!!!¡± Negi-chan appeared again and cheering for the recruits.