Oliver was still exhausted, and now carrying another person on his back hadn’t made his journey any easier. But as he crossed the creek, he could finally breathe easier. Even if a few stray Crabits appeared, they were fident they could avoid them and, at worst, simply run away.

  However, their pnning proved unnecessary. As soon as they crossed the river and approached the hill, dozens of soldiers surrouhem. Oliver reized that they were all wearing Artificial Ranger Armor, but they didn’t act like cadets. Simir to what he had seen Katherine do, they seemed to have trol over the shape of their armor.

  Before Oliver could uand what was happening or unicate with the soldiers, Captain e was already standing before him.

  "Are you injured?" the captain asked bluntly.

  "I-I’m not, but Katherine is," Oliver replied.

  Two soldiers approached, taking the girl off Oliver’s bad pg her on a stretcher. Both soldiers had symbols on their arms, indig they were field medics. One k beside the stretcher, pointing a hand over the girl, a faint light.

  “Initiating S,” the field mediounced.

  Meanwhile, the sed soldier read the results on their gau.

  "She appears to have fractured a few ribs, captain, and shows signs of exhaustion. But she's not in any danger. We’ll extract the patient now," one of the soldiers informed Captain e as they lifted the stretcher.

  her Oliver nor Katherine had time to say goodbye. The girl was taken to one of the transport trucks and quickly whisked away for treatment. Oliver, oher hand, was summoned by the captain to join him in a sed vehicle.

  In New San Francisco, Oliver hadn’t had many opportuo use cars or motorcycles. His experience had been mostly with subways and buses, but the teology for those types of vehicles hadn’t ged much. That’s why, wheered peared to be a futuristic Humvee, his eyes lit up with excitement. It was just the two of them ihe transport, a her was driving. The captain pressed a few buttons on one of the ss, and the car began to move automatically.

  While Oliver was fasated by the vehicle, marveling at every detail of the shiny dashboard and the soft seats, e was the boy, trying to read his expressions and movements to dis truth from exaggeration or simplicity.

  "So, to summarize: You spotted the horde attag because you were separated from the group. When you saw the cadet falling into the water, you didn’t inform other officers and decided to jump in after her," e paused slightly, waiting for a response. "Is that correct?"

  "Yes." Oliver stopped admiring the transport and turo look at the captain. "At the time, I didn’t think about inf ahe captains were already overwhelmed with the Crabits, so I just jumped into the water."

  e was using his Boon to absorb all of Oliver’s senses. Without the boy knowing, they were sharing vision and touch. During each respohe captaiouch to feel Oliver’s heart rate and vision to track where he was looking. It wasn’t a perfect teique, but it indicated that the boy was telling the truth.

  "After you fell into the water, you ended up oher side of the riverbank, and upourning, you faced a Basilisk. Yet you’re still uninjured?" e tinued questioning.

  "That’s right. At first, we thought it awn-level. But when I tried to use a boon only applicable to pawns, we discovered the creatures' power: a Knight-level monster." The boy looked at the captain, trying to recall what had happened. "Regarding the injuries, Katheried as the frontline, which is why she was wounded, and I served as artillery."

  Both paused for a moment until the boy spoke again.

  "If she hadn't been there, her of us would have made it back. It was both impressive and terrifying." The boy remarked. Now that the danger had passed, it was easier to refle how close to death they both had been at several moments.

  "Hmm," e needed more information to verify what had happened. "And what is your Boon?"

  "I observe movement patterns in oppos that are at a lower level than me." Oliver hadn’t told anyone about his ret level-up and preferred to keep it that way. However, e noticed a slight variation in his vision a rate, but it didn’t seem like Oliver was lying. It was clear that he was withholding some information. Still, it was within what the captain expected—rarely anyone would be entirely forthing about the full extent of their powers.

  "Oliver…" e took a deep breath before tinuing. "I’m also Nameless, so I will try to expin what will happen."

  Oliver looked fused, not fully uanding what the captain was getting at.

  "Nameless are not just seen as a problem by the Empire, but also as disposable." The captain gnced out the transport window as he tinued his expnation. "I’ve been through cases simir to what you’re about to face. What happened yesterday was a major failure by the military that would normally be covered up. But this time, it involved someone very important, from a highly iial family."

  The boy was starting to piece things together, realizing that the York family was that powerful.

  ‘No wohey trol Mars,’ Oliver thought.

  "The military will look for a scapegoat. In this iigation, you will undoubtedly be one of the main targets," e turned back to face the boy before finishing the topic. "And the military doesn’t py fair, especially against someohout influen the Empire."

  “What! But I had nothing to do with it?” Oliver asked incredulously.

  "It doesn't matter," e expined. "The moment you ehe Academy and got involved with a Grand House, you were already a pie the board."

  Oliver wao protest, to pin. All he had done was save someone, and now he had a target on his back—worse, from people far more powerful than him, and he had no idea how to navigate it.

  "Professor. What I do?" Oliver asked, hoping e had a way out of this situation.

  "Cooperate with the iigation and try not to draw attention. The soohis matter fades, the safer it will be for you." e gave a brief expnation.

  The boy nodded, hoping this would end soon and he could finally return to his bed a.

  The rest of the journey was quieter. e had no more questions to ask, and Oliver was lost in his thoughts, trying tanize his steps and refle what had happened in the past few days. Ohing was clear: he would be the target of the iigation, and he o stay uhe radar.

  ‘This is only happening because the Army doesn’t see me as valuable and because I don’t belong to a House.’ Oliver rationalized.

  Staying uhe radar might work this time, but for how long? Oliver uood that in this new world, power was everything—whether political or destructive. He o find a way to start evolving his own power.

  When they arrived at the settlement, there were no longer any lines outside the Teleportatioer. The other students had already been evacuated, leaving only the p’s residents behind. Many of them were quickly moving through the streets, several wearing mining gear. Others were operating small Mechs used for moving cargo.

  e stayed with Oliver until the boy ehe teleporter. However, the captain didn’t return to the Academy; he o report the mission's oute.

  Oliver opened his eyes and was back at the Academy. The building with the teleporters was empty, with only o crew remaining inside. When he looked at the sky, it was te afternoon oh. He didn’t have any csses today and o rest to recover.

  Oliver slowly walked toward the dormitory, enjoying the path and finally taking a moment to catch up. When he checked his gauhe Chat a funs had returned. His first instinct was to check his 'Status Page.'

  | Status Page| User: Oliver [Nameless]| Level: 2 [Pawn]| Experience: [189/200]|| Stats| Strength: 6 [Pawn]| Agility: 14 [Knight]| stitution: 5 [Pawn]| Energy: 14 [Knight]

  ‘71 Exp Points in two days… not bad?’ Oliver wasn’t sure about the pace of others, as no one had mentioned Experience Points. However, based on his experience, 71 points would take weeks of interaining.

  His instinct was to check the Ranking.

  | Ranking [celled]| 1 - William Forester [First Battalion - 13th Group] - 109 Kills| 2 - Gregory Torres [First Battalion - 1st Group] - 98 Kills| 3 - Amanda Romanov [First Battalion - 12th Group] - 92 Kills||| 22 - Oliver (Nameless) [Sed Battalion - 14th Group] - 41 Kills|

  He wasn’t sure how to feel. 22nd pce seemed reasonable, especially given his number of Kills. But pared to other students, he still felt there was an almost insurmountable gap. Even so, a smile formed on his face.

  If it hadn’t been for his idea and Astrid’s encement, he wouldn’t have grown so mu just one day.

  When he arrived at the dormitory, the room was still empty. Many cadets were still finishing their csses or having diwo things Oliver had no i in doing today.

  He reached his bed and simply colpsed onto it. On the first day, this bed might have been unfortable, but today it felt like it was made of angel feathers, caressing every inch of his back.

  Just before sleep took him, he took a moment to learn ‘Send.’

  || els| TransportTruHell [3] [Private]||| TransportTruHell| [OliverKR] Hey! I’m back|

  GCLopes