After dropping a box of nutritional supplement drinks for Freya in the Minder's Kiosk, I headed straight to the training center the following day. I suddenly felt ashamed to drop off two gallons of distilled water, so I changed my mind.
I admitted I felt proud. It was the first thing I bought after receiving my allowance, since I couldn't think of anything to buy. My clothes were sucked into the vortex, but a dozen pairs of clothes could last two weeks, so I didn't need to buy more. I could just do laundry twice a month.
Also, since Claude hadn't returned, I ate everything in his fridge that might expire soon.
Should I buy something for the vice-captain, too?
My relationship with Terrius had become closer. Unlike before, when the conversation was awkward and short, this time, we began sharing small talk. I learned a little about his personality, which helped me tread safely whenever he was around.
I still remember how he could easily freeze someone; just thinking about it made me shiver. Getting on his nerves would have me turn to ice.
He engaged in small talk, but didn't like talking ill of people. He did his job as quietly as possible, but easily got annoyed if something got in his way or wasted his time for too long.
"You'll be a burden to your team if you keep this up. Why don't you just completely nullify everything and die?"
Sometimes, he was too honest and straightforward.
"Let me try again."
I've trained my control and achieved great results, but that was on an inanimate object. Once I tried to selectively nullify an ability while allowing another to remain active, I tend to turn off everything.
If it were like this in battle, I might as well send my teammates to the death's door.
But who said I was going to enter a vortex? I still planned to revoke my Seeker ID and work for the UAO after I have complete control of my ability.
"Ow, ow, ow! It's cold, it's cold!"
I wriggled my legs, but Terrius's ice locked me already. I sighed in frustration. Yes, me, not him. I guessed my plan was still far-fetched.
Terrius gave me a silent, cold stare. I looked away, scratching my head. Without saying anything, the ice retracted, and my feet were freed.
"Let me try again."
One thing he liked was people who didn't give up easily, someone who showed determination and persistence. Luckily, I was good at faking it.
Despite the difficulty, a few days had passed, and I was able to do it without any problem. It had been a week since Captain Van left, and I still hadn't heard anything from him yet.
I tried asking Terrius, but he just shrugged his shoulders and didn't care about the captain at all. Another thing that bothered me the most was a memory that resurfaced in my head when I was reading in the Sanctum.
"Hi, Jade. It's been a while. How have you been?"
Lexie waved at me a few meters ahead. She stopped in her tracks and waited until I caught up. It seemed like she was heading to the training center as well.
After answering her, I asked back, "Do you have training today?"
"Nah, just got asked to help with training, that is."
"...my training?"
"Who else do you think?"
Lexie sensed my skepticism. She chuckled as she pushed the door.
"The captain ordered the team to help you with training. He even mapped out your training schedule. I don't know why he did that, though. He usually doesn't care about trainees, but it's different with you. Maybe he was grateful when you saved his life back then."
I doubted that was the reason.
"Finally, the newbie arrived!"
I froze after hearing that voice. Glancing to the other side of the hall, I saw the guy who had been bothering me since our last meeting.
"What's with that look? Are you asking for a fight, newbie? What, are you still mad after what I did?"
"What did you do, Noir?" Etienne asked, pulling me from my dazed state.
I didn't even realize his ethereal beauty was present.
I shook my head in response to Noir and averted my eyes. I must have been staring at him because I couldn't forget that memory.
Was it just a coincidence that their names were similar?
Should I ask?
I never got bothered by these things before, but…I wasn't sure. There was just something that was urging me to find out the truth.
After regretting the way I lived, my dead curiosity came back to life and started poking me again. I didn't like sticking my nose into other people's affairs, but that strange library kept messing with my head.
And if this person knew something about its existence, I shouldn't pass up the opportunity to ask him. But what would I do if he reports it to the UAO?
After I came out of that strange place, I heard that another team was sent to deal with the vortex, and they succeeded in closing it even before I returned.
I racked my brain too hard because of it. If the vortex closed when I was still inside, didn't that mean that I was trapped inside?
I did consider reporting that strange phenomenon, but what if they finally put me behind a room made out of vibraglass and examined me?
"Jade."
I blinked. Without knowing, I was staring at the floor for so long that everyone—Lexie, Etienne, Noir, and Terrius, who had arrived without me noticing—had been looking at me with different expressions.
Etienne stepped forward with a worried look.
"Jade, are you okay? The vice-captain had been calling you."
"I'm fine. Sorry, I just suddenly remembered something."
I gave Terrius an apologetic look.
"If you're not feeling good, we can cancel today's training." Terrius glared at Noir. "If you're uncomfortable with him, we'll kick him out."
"Whoa, that's harsh," Noir answered with a pout. His shoulder-length pastel pink hair bounced as he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I have no choice but to leave if our newbie says so. Hey, do you want me gone?"
"Don't threaten him."
"Be nice."
"I'm just asking!"
Something felt weird.
Were they really acting this way just because their captain ordered them to do so? I meant, our newbie? Why did it feel like I was part of their team already? What was this foreboding feeling?
My plans were being threatened.
Terrius spoke again, "Your training will be different today. You haven't mastered controlled activation and range management, but that will improve if you keep practicing it just the way I taught you. We'll move on to physical conditioning and combat training—"
"Wait a second!"
Terrius raised his brow.
I gulped.
He didn't like cutting him off, so I backed away a little.
"I, um, meant to ask, why do I have to learn combat training? It's not like I'm going to be an active Seeker, haha."
Yeah, my laugh sounded so fucking awkward and scared. I suddenly missed the time when I didn't care about dying today or tomorrow.
Terrius walked forward. Cold sweat formed on my forehead. I inhaled deeply, preparing myself for an attack. However, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Looking sideways, Lexie smiled mysteriously.
"Is that so? Well, if that is what you planned for your future, then the NSA can't force you to work for them, right? But Jade, have you ever heard of the UAO version 2.0?"
"What…?"
The hell was she talking about?
"Of course, you don't know them. Their existence is unknown to the public, and only higher ranks know about it, too."
"Then, why are you saying this to me?"
Lexie's eyes gleamed dangerously. She looked the second kindest in their team, but now I felt like she was just wearing that friendly mask, and what was beneath was actually a sly, cunning woman.
"For your own safety. We call it the UAO version 2.0 because their group's initials are similar to the UAO. They are called Underworld's Awakened Overlords—a group of awakened individuals that kidnap Seekers and enslave them into committing crimes. And what can be more attractive to them than a walking nullifier? Imagine the destruction they can create if that person became their slave."
Ah. That person was me. She didn't have to speak in puzzles.
Now, it made sense why the whole Alpha Team - 03 was so focused on me. I didn't like where the conversation was going, but Lexie's words were a slap. How stupid was I to think that I would be allowed to work a normal job when even the NMA sets its eyes on me?
Between a Minder and a Seeker, there was no need to ask which one I would choose, but I absolutely didn't want to become an evil slave.