Chapter 26: The Strange Change of Personality
"Shouldn't I go on the expedition?" Richard whispered.
The thought struck him with the force of an uncomfortable truth. He had the feeling that every decision he made dragged him down a path of no return, as if he were trying to atone for something he never had a second chance to fix.
What had been his greatest regret in his past life?
The question slid through his mind like a dull knife, reopening old wounds.Maybe he was just being paranoid. But wasn't it that very obsession that had become the fuel allowing him to seize this second chance?
"I think I'll tell Noah that I won't go with them."
Richard made up his mind, though he couldn't follow through with his plan. A hand touched his shoulder, startling him. The weight of the hand made him turn, meeting a piercing gaze that seemed intent on drilling a hole into his skull.
"So, you don't want to go on the expedition anymore? Why is that?"
The voice of Amelia's father made every hair on Richard's body stand on end. He raised his guard, sensing the veiled threat beneath his tone.
That damned ability was broken—no matter how you looked at it.
[Name: Noah Carter][Age: 45 years old]
[Main Talent: Shadow Manipulation] [Rank: S+]
[Secondary Talent: Shadow Fusion] [Rank: A]
[Infection Level: Humanity's Threshold] [Rank: Limit]
[Talent: Shadow Control][Can control and shape shadows at will, as well as merge with them to become intangible or move stealthily within a radius of 100 meters]
Richard brushed the hand away with a sharp gesture."I just joined the base. Don't you think it's better if I don't participate in the operation? I don't want to disrupt the team's harmony."
Noah watched him in silence for a moment, then nodded calmly. He seemed to understand, but the glint in his dark eyes said otherwise. He could not allow Richard to stay behind.
"That's true… but as you know, I can't leave a high-rank Awakened behind at the base, surrounded only by some low-rank ones… and my daughter. She isn't combat class."
His tone was reasonable, but Richard felt something different beneath it.
He wasn't sure if his imagination was already playing tricks on him, but the more time he spent in the base, the more he felt something was off. He doubted that Noah and Amelia were truly bipolar. On top of that, it had been quite a while since he had last seen James.
Refusing to argue further, Richard decided to accept his explanation. He had appeared out of nowhere—if he were just a harmless little bird, it wouldn't matter. But the young man was the fourth tiger of the mountain, a danger to Noah's position.
"Let's do this: Amelia will stay behind to look after your family. She may not be front-line, but at least she'll be able to protect them from low-rank Awakened in the base."
Cunning old man. He wasn't saying it to reassure him, but to chain him down with a favor he couldn't refuse.
Richard clenched his teeth."Looks like I can't escape this…" he muttered.
His military boots echoed against the cement floor, scraping the surface layer with his reluctant steps. Things had better go well, or else he wouldn't return with weapons—but with someone's head in his hands.
"Lead the way, then…"
* * * *
"He's here!"
Richard was greeted by a hyperactive young man. His fragile figure looked as if the wind could knock him down at any moment; Richard couldn't tell where he pulled so much energy from — like a bomb about to go off.
[Name: Damian Holt][Age: 22 years][Main Talent: Explosion Control] [Rank: A+][Secondary Talent: Shockwave] [Rank: B][Infection Level: Threshold of Humanity][Talent: explosion control][Can generate and manipulate detonations of varying magnitudes, controlling the direction and radius of impact.]
"Did you know my talent is explosion control? Want me to show you?" he said, raising his hand and showing some marbles that shone as if they were about to explode at any moment.
If Richard wasn't mistaken, the boy used the marbles to concentrate the compressed energy inside them, and then trigger a contained but powerful explosion, the size and force of a grenade.
"Interesting," Richard nodded, but paying him attention seemed to have already invited trouble.
"Seriously!" Damian burst out in a nasal laugh. "Explosions are the most beautiful thing in life… don't you think blowing up this room all of a sudden would give everything color? That high…" he licked his lips with a frantic smile.
What a mentally unbalanced kid.
A hand moved the hyperactive boy aside without much ceremony.
"You shouldn't listen to him. He goes crazy about his talent. The best thing is to ignore him and pretend he doesn't exist. Although, who knows if he'll exist for much longer."
The arrival of the next newcomer froze the air. The thirst for blood that emanated from him was tangible: androgynous features, pale skin, rigid but elegant clothing. Too extravagant for these times when protection was more fashionable than flair.
[Name: Elias Veyra][Age: 28 years]
[Main Talent: Hemocontrol] [Rank: SS+]
[Secondary Talent: Crimson Regeneration] [Rank: A+]
[Infection Level: Threshold of Humanity — Limit]
As Richard had imagined, he wasn't only the personification of one of the assassins Richard feared in the near future. He was that very person.
Richard's eyes widened in surprise.
Earlier he hadn't been in range to see his talents and information. The most disturbing thing was that his talent had one of the highest ranks Richard had ever seen. And worse, the available information about that talent was incomplete, as if someone had covered up crucial data.
His eyes narrowed at the presence of a potentially lethal power. Should he kill him before he became a potential assassin? The answer, nauseating as it was, sounded obvious in his head. Richard was about to raise his hand to strangle him by the neck, but he stopped himself at the last second.
"Yes, although everyone should be proud of their talent, shouldn't they, Noah?"
Richard turned his head to see Noah emerge from his shadow. He was already getting the hang of his talent, and that made the hairs on Richard's neck stand on end at how easily it could become a danger if he let his guard down.
"Leave the new guy alone. What happened a little while ago?" John asked, approaching the armored truck's window. There was no time for more explanations: someone fired and the door was opened while the vehicle was moving.
Richard knew immediately they weren't infected: the scream confirmed the voice of a child calling for help. Although human empathy surfaced in moments like these, fear and selfishness dictated actions.
"It was an infected... those things are everywhere," John muttered as he got back into the vehicle. His clothes were soaked and the rifle's barrel still bore the warmth from the shot.
Richard looked up and shook his head, falling back into silence.
"Did you check if the 'pets' have eaten?" Noah asked.
A flock of birds crossed the sky, ignoring the vehicle. Now everything made sense: the birds were heading toward the small child lying in the middle of the road. Richard sighed in relief; he was thankful he hadn't brought Luna to this place.
If they'd seen a crow with her, they might have tried to get rid of Luna without a second thought. Those scavenger birds were a total plague.
"We'll reach the location in half an hour. Prepare your equipment to go out. We'll take all the weapons and ammunition; if you see a survivor, shoot — we're not risking that they'll be infected."
"Could we burn them?"
John considered leaving the weapons in the vehicle, but Noah firmly refused to let them use fire or explosions.
"They can't generate explosions or fire. We're at a hidden military base; we won't be safe if we use abilities that attract infected or animals. What do you think will happen when the smell of cooked flesh reaches miles away? They'll come for us."
Noah paused to choose his next words carefully, noticing Elias.
"On second thought, the only one who can use his ability without revealing our position is Elias; his power is the quietest of the three."
Richard watched Elias.
In his past life they had never exchanged words. They hadn't faced each other or traveled the same road. Yet he remained a potential danger.
Elias turned upon feeling Richard's fixed gaze.
"If you have any questions, don't forget to tell me. I'll answer as best as I can."
The cordial tone took him by surprise. A calm smile accompanied his words, but Richard did not believe him.
He shook his head. How could he forget that brief murderous intention he had felt? He grabbed one of the weapons beside his seat. He wasn't going to take his handmade dagger, because he wanted to keep it as a possible lifeline.
The vehicle jolted suddenly, braking as it reached the destination.
Richard stood up from his seat to get a better look at the place. He had never known there was a military camp so close to the city of angels. He knew one existed, but he could swear this wasn't it.
"Did you really think every military base location is published on the internet?"
Noah's mocking voice snapped him out of his thoughts.