What kind of feeling is this? Why does it hurt so much? Is it because of that girl? Damn, she's so bold to play with me just to get me to come to her place. My smile suddenly turned sinister.
"Good, Alexandria! This must be your doing to force me to join your organization."
Without realizing it, my heart started to turn cold. I quickly tidied up my belongings and closed my store. Reluctantly, I headed to the border of the underground area. When I arrived, the first thing I saw was the stark social disparity. There were dingy rooms since the disaster hit this world.
However, I saw a girl and a man who looked menacing and dangerous waiting for someone important. They seemed out of place in the underground area. I continued walking towards the border. For some reason, I realized how terrifying my body was. I wanted to shed tears, but unfortunately, my body couldn't produce tears since my treatment at the hospital.
They say if time could be reversed, my life wouldn't be like this. But what can I do, it's fate. Alexandria looked at me with a confident gaze, as if she knew I would come to meet her.
"Finally, you've arrived, Ethan," the girl said with a slightly sneering smile full of triumph.
Then a man approached me, patting my back. "What's your name?" he asked while staring at me menacingly.
My face felt awkward, but Alexandria intervened. "His name isn't important. You don't want to be asked about your name, do you?"
I felt an ominous aura around the masked man. Moreover, I sensed many pairs of eyes watching my every move. This area was a refuge for people from all over the world, where laws meant nothing. Crime was a daily occurrence here. But how did Alexandria end up here? And who was this person?
"You can follow us into this area because we'll discuss it inside," Alexandria explained, pointing to the entrance of the anti-Solvion headquarters.
I followed Alexandria, keeping a distance from the masked man. Although his face was covered, I could imagine how terrifying his face would be if the mask was removed.
We passed through a road filled with thugs who blocked our way. However, they seemed reluctant to attack us because the masked man was by our side. A killing intent emanated from his gaze. But how did the masked man join this organization?
I shook my head slightly. It was better not to think about someone's past. I had to find a way out or a reason why Alexandria was determined to recruit me, even if it meant fighting the thugs.
"Hey, kid! You dare to enter this area!"
"If you want to enter, hand over your valuables to us!"
My mind was suddenly in disarray. My knees felt weak, but I had to act tough, especially in front of Alexandria.
"I don't have any valuables," I replied with a hint of defiance.
"Then you're not allowed to enter."
"This area doesn't belong to your ancestors," I said firmly, facing them bravely.
They glared at me menacingly. "Bastard!" One of them approached me with a terrifying face and an intimidating tone.
Without hesitation, the masked man stepped forward and struck them down. I almost got hurt, but fortunately, he prevented it. Even in a critical situation, the masked man's face remained cold, unlike mine, which was filled with fear. Who was he, really? I didn't care.
I just focused on Alexandria. My mind began to realize how beautiful Alexandria was. She was captivating and strong. But was it really like that? Especially for someone like me, a loser, I didn't deserve this.
There were many refugees today. It was normal, considering the world had become cruel since the Honkai disaster hit the earth. They had to pay high taxes to enter the surface area. I was shaking now, afraid of thugs attacking me.
"Something's off now," I muttered, holding my waist.
"What's wrong? Are you sick?" Alexandria asked casually while looking at me.
"Nothing's wrong. It's just the wind is quite cool today." I forced a smile, nervous.
I forgot that Alexandria had sharp hearing. "There's no wind in this area, so don't make weird jokes," Alexa replied. I just smiled wryly.
The masked man took me to a strange place, a toy store. If he was going to do something suspicious, he would probably make suspicious moves. Unfortunately, he didn't show any emotions, so I had no idea what he was planning.
When we entered, a beautiful woman wearing revealing clothes greeted us. I almost stared at her voluptuous breasts, but I managed to control myself. As they chatted, the woman named Chloe occasionally glanced at me. I kept looking at the floor to avoid being called out for being rude.
"You're okay, right? You've been avoiding me the whole time." I suddenly looked up to find Chloe standing in front of me.
"I-I'm fine," I said, trying to look into her eyes to avoid staring at her breasts.
"Good. Since you're here, I'll discuss something inside while we talk," Chloe explained, pointing towards the toy store.
I couldn't believe that what they meant by "secret headquarters" was just a toy store. My guess was way off! It seemed they just wanted to play with me.
Chloe smiled at me, while Alexandria and the masked man walked into the store. We followed them. The place was quiet, and I didn't see anyone else. Chloe's bodyguard pressed a button at the cash register, and the store closed automatically. Then, a hidden door under the counter opened, revealing a path to the basement.
It seemed my guess was wrong again; they weren't just playing with me. I forgot that this organization was secretive by nature.
"Let's go in. The leader is already inside," Chloe invited me with a sweet smile, followed by her bodyguard.
What was happening to me? Why did I have to be in this situation since my memories of the past disappeared after the Honkai disaster? We walked through the seemingly endless underground corridor. The area was dark and terrifying. Soon, we saw a white light at the end of the corridor.
"Strange. Is the headquarters really here?" I asked, slightly annoyed because the corridor was getting narrower.
"Yes, it is. Before this world was built, this place was a research laboratory owned by Helix, but it was destroyed by the disaster," Alexandria explained firmly.
"What about him?" I asked, turning to the strange man.
"Hmmm."
He just turned his face away from me without saying a word. I hoped they wouldn't kill me, because I still had unfinished light novels and games to finish. Especially since there were limited edition ones that wouldn't be restocked until next year.
As we approached the light, I saw several unfamiliar people gathered. In the center, a tall man wearing glasses sat with a blonde woman as his attendant. The man had sharp eyes full of caution. Was this really the organization Chloe mentioned? It didn't seem like an ordinary organization.
Chloe started touching my hand. "I don't know your name... But at least you can sit next to me for a bit," she requested with a sweet smile.
I just nodded like a fool. What were they gathering for, actually? I sat quietly next to Chloe. The reason I didn't reveal my name was that this world wasn't one that many people knew about through stories.
"It's time for a big briefing to discuss Helix and the monsters that have become increasingly brutal lately," the bespectacled man said with authority.
"Since you're all gathered here, I'll introduce a guest who isn't from this organization," he added, looking at me.
His gaze made me feel uneasy. Hearing that, everyone turned to me with serious expressions, making me look down in embarrassment. Whispers were heard among them.
"Don't be noisy. We've got a new member sitting next to Chloe." The man pointed towards me. I was taken aback. It turned out the discussion Chloe mentioned earlier was about me becoming a new member of the organization.