“The more I know, the more I hate those cilors. What a fug waste…”

  For the first time, Aleph cursed the cilors on top of Fire MOTH.

  “Wasting talents like Mobius and being too inpetent with defending human cities… Fire MOTH is more rotten than I thought.”

  The past month taught him more of the underhanded dealings within Fire MOTH. If it wasn’t for him giving one of his credit cards, Mobius would’ve tinued eating the same cup of ramen everyday.

  The bleak atmosphere within the fifth institute is a telltale story on how bad their situation was pared to the others.

  “We really o rectify it…”

  =====

  [Embryonic Power System: Sorcerer]

  [Cursed Teique: Ratio]

  [Cursed Teique: ???]

  [Cursed Teique: ???]

  [Cursed Teique: Adaptation (Locked)]

  =====

  [Cursed Energy (verted): 930]

  [Estimated Grade: Semi-Grade 1]

  =====

  Without much to do, Aleph opehe panel corresponding to his first reward. Two weeks ago, it ged. The [Estimated Grade] appeared alongside his current cursed energy.

  Fortunately, it gave an expnatiarding the rankings itself.

  [Jujutsu Ranking: An unreliable way of standardizing modern sorcerers.]

  [Rank: Grade 4 → Grade 3 → Grade 2 → Semi-Grade 1 → Grade 1 → Special Grade]

  While further expnatiarding this ranking wasn’t avaible, Aleph felt that his current rank was strong enough.

  “I need more achievements. I have a feeling that it’ll ge once I reae thousand.”

  Beep-!

  Just then, a loud beeping noise came from the driver’s seat.

  “Doctor Ainsworth. We’re pced in the Yellow Alert.”

  Every time he visited the fifth institute, a voy filled with bodyguards and military personnel were present.

  “What happened?” Aleph asked.

  “The road ahead iked. The front team is currently—”

  Boom-!

  Before the driver could finish speaking, a loud explosion bsted their eardrums. Red clouds of dust rose from the ground.

  At this moment, Aleph felt the danger ing with his [Danger Sense].

  “To the left!”

  He reached out the steering wheel from the driver’s seat as he shouted.

  Swoosh-!

  Screech-!

  The wheels made another round of noise as they drifted.

  Sou-!

  Boom-!

  Several rounds of projectiles struck the road ahead of them. The momentum caused by their explosion was enough to overturire vehicle itself.

  [Achievement Unlocked: Pre…]

  Bam-!

  g-!

  Aleph’s body was shaken bad forth ihe vehicle. Two of his armed bodyguards died swiftly as their necks got bent by the waves of impact.

  Although disoriented, Aleph did not suffer much from the tumbling of his vehicle.

  “I used the APS in time…”

  The first thing that he did was to check the others. Aside from him and the two in the fro, he was with another bodyguard. He was Morris’ protege who currently served as the head of his voys.

  “...Damn it.”

  Only his protege survived among the ones ihis vehicle.

  Upon firming their status, Aleph turned his thoughts to this sudden ambush.

  “Our routes are monitored by the satellite above. cealing from it… it’s definitely a force from the higher ups.”

  Bam-!

  The car door was kicked open by his legs enhanced by APS and cursed energy. The bulletproof and tempered iron door stood no ce with his physical strength.

  Aleph took a peek with his head to see the situation outside.

  Bang-!

  Bang-!

  Gunshots were all over the pce. Some personnel from the voy are firing the ining voy.

  “Two jeeps, three humvees, and a tank..?”

  Sou-!

  Sou-!

  The sounds of helicopter rotors came .

  “A Hind Chopper? What the actual fuck..?”

  The Hind started releasing its rockets to the remaining voy persohe heat-trag missiles paihe etlefield with crimson red fmes.

  “Two rifles… five grenades in total.”

  Aleph decided to return ihe vehicle. He took the five grehat two of his armed personnel has before crawling out of the flipped vehicle.

  With [Sphere Boundary] being able to be formed fifteeimeters away from him, his stealth was on another level.

  The terrain was filled with green grass and soil. The explosions on the main road caused them to burn intensely. The smokes from the exploded cars and the grass fire formed the best camoufge for Aleph.

  “Knight Killer…”

  Currently, he was wearing a b coat. What many didn't know was the knife holster below it.

  The red gleam formed by the jagged bde brought a moment of pea.

  Thinking of the lives that will be lost today, Aleph gripped the dagger tightly.

  "This is on me."

  With a sigh, he set off to the battlefield.

  *****

  “Your stupid ass nearly cost us everything!”

  “I'm sorry. I hought the wind was that strong!”

  “This is a capture mission. What would ture if the target was aleeady charcoal?!”

  Two people ihe jeep argued. They were armed men with no identifications whatsoever.

  “Haven't you heard about him fighting honkai beasts alone? He should be able to…”

  “Nonsense! You're talking your shit through—”

  “Enough. This will be dealt with ter.”

  ““Yes, boss!””

  The two men fell silent. Their boss, with a cigarette in his mouth, tinued monit the radio el.

  “First squad wiped. firmed kill.”

  “Sed squad wiped. firmed visuals of two survivors.”

  “Target vehicle was overturned.”

  Hearing the st lihe middle-aged man whom they called boss ordered:

  “Send two teams to the target. He must be captured alive.”

  “Uood.”

  Their formal operations were on-par with veteran military personnel. It could be seen that their group wasn't quite simple.

  Two mier, another update was heard on the radio.

  “Knight One has reached the target. Lookout for survi—”

  Boom-!

  Buzz-!

  The unication liurned into static without a warning.

  “Hostiles! Hostiles! Knight One ex—”

  Boom-!

  Buzz-!

  The sed humvee sent out to deal with their target had their lines cut off. The same explosion was heard moments before their line ended.

  Everyone fell silent. It took a while for the boss to issue ands.

  “Enemy hostiles oarget. Beware of explosives, particurly grenades.”

  “Turning o sensors.”

  The remaining humvee as well as two jeeps became alert.

  Updates kept ing from the Hind Chopper operator. The kill t kept increasing as the eagle from the sky ed the remaining survivors.

  “The coast is clear, King Ohe heat sensors are funky. There aren't any sighted survivors left on the surface.”

  “Copy that.”

  Just as the boss responded, a shout from another radio el disrupted them.

  “Boss! There's a stro readings near you!”

  “What—”

  Boom-!

  For the third time, the ghost cimed anroup of victims.