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Russell, Caleb, and Leo came out of the shining portal a short time later and stepped back into the Association base's sterile, militarized zone. The heavy silence that hung between them was worse than any physical weight. For a brief moment, they looked at each other, and Russell saw the same empty, haunted look in their eyes that he felt in his own soul. The mission was supposed to be a simple one. Zane and Yara were now gone, lost in the secret world.
Leo broke the silence by using a strength he didn't have. "Let me talk to the base commander." His voice was rough, and he had white-knuckled fists. Then he let out a guttural roar, a sound of pure, helpless rage aimed at the empty air. "Heh, attack our world? I'll make those monsters pay for hurting Zane!
Russell and Caleb nodded without saying anything, and their faces were grim. Russell agreed with him. The Association has to do something after finding out about intelligence of this level. They must.
Leo stormed off toward the command offices without saying a word. Russell and Caleb looked at each other and then followed closely behind.
When they got to the commander's office, Leo, not caring about any rules, slammed the door open. BANG!
The officer inside, who looked tired, jumped when he heard the noise. He looked up and his eyes got a little bigger when he saw the two experienced operatives. "Leo?" Caleb? What took place? You only went in a few hours ago. He looked behind them and frowned when he saw that no one else was there. "Where are Yara and Zane? Are they still in there?
When he heard their names, Leo gritted his teeth, and his forced calm broke like glass. He walked over to the desk. "The demons in that realm... they're planning a full-scale attack," he said, and the words tasted like poison. "Our cover was blown." Zane and Yara stayed behind to cover our escape.
The commander looked shocked and pale. He got up slowly, his mind having a hard time processing the terrible news. After a long, heavy silence, he finally spoke. His voice was full of tired resignation, which made Russell's skin crawl. "You know what's going on with the Association right now. I can't do anything else except raise the base alert level and file a priority report.
The Cardmaker Association was in big trouble after the [Demon's Nest] riot because they didn't have enough workers. Most of its troops had been sent there for good to protect that bleeding wound in the world.
Leo's face turned red with rage that he couldn't believe. He slammed his fist down on the desk, which shook everything on it. "Then Zane and Yara died for no reason?!" He couldn't believe that this was what they had given up.
The commander just looked at him quietly, with empty eyes. He didn't make a case for himself.
After a while, the fire in Leo's eyes went out, and a wave of crushing defeat took its place. He leaned against the desk and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry." I acted on a whim. He got it. Russell also got it. The man in front of them couldn't make this choice. He could only report it to the next person up the chain of command. It was pointless to yell at him.
"But," the commander said, his voice softening a little as he looked at the three survivors, "I can give you a reward on behalf of the Association for bringing back this information." A reward.
He walked over to a nearby bookshelf, took out a thick, leather-bound book, and put it on the desk in front of them.
A tired voice said, "No matter what reward they give us, it won't bring the captain back." Caleb was the one. He kept his head down, so his face was in the dark. Russell thought he would give up everything to get them back. But you can't trade for the dead.
Russell, on the other hand, stepped forward with a blank face. He started to flip through the booklet on the table like he was the only person in the room. A cold part of his mind said that grief was a luxury. Power is necessary. This is what counts now.
The booklet was full of high-quality, bronze-level, and gold-level materials. Each one was a treasure that could be used to make a strong card, and they all gave off a faint, tangible energy.
Biological Materials: [Ghoul King] (Gold), [Koga Ninja] (Gold), [Flesh Demon - Speed Specialized Type] (Gold)
[Universal Rubber] (Gold), [Nameless Demon Sword] (Gold), and [Type-2 Biological Colonization Suit] (Gold) are the materials for this item.
Russell could feel Caleb's eyes on him and the disappointment in them. Russell, on the other hand, didn't care. He could picture how this must look: the new kid, who had only been with the team for a day, callously going through the rewards while the veterans were sad. He can have his own ideas. He doesn't get it. He knew he couldn't blame the kid for wanting to take his prize and move on with his life. Russell was the only one who could have killed Mogi, so they all would have died.
"I want this one." Thanks. Russell's calm, clear voice broke through the thick air. He pointed to the Gold [Universal Rubber] in the booklet.
"Very well," the commander said with a nod, as if he was happy that there was no more drama. Russell thought that people die in the realms every day. We lost Diamond-level cardmakers in the [Demon's Nest] riot. One bronze-level captain is just another number. "Please fill out the form to register." Your home will get the materials.
Russell turned to Caleb and Leo after he was done with the paperwork. "First, I'll be going back," he said in a flat voice. "I'm a little worn out." He walked to the door without waiting for them to respond.
Caleb's low voice reached his ears as he walked by. "Russell, I hope you have a bright future. Don't let the captain's death mean nothing. He wasn't really asking for help, and he knew that Russell couldn't be expected to get revenge for someone he barely knew.
Russell stopped for a split second, his back to them. His face was so calm that it was scary. After that, he kept going.
Leo sneered at that point, his voice loud on purpose and full of disdain. "Zane was very foolish to trust you." Russell's actions were not something he could forgive. Getting the prize and running away. He saw a coward who was selfish.
But Caleb stopped Leo from saying anything else by putting a hand on his arm. Leo glared at Caleb angrily, but he didn't say anything else. Instead, he let out a cold, angry snort.
Russell stood at the door with his back to both of them. A soft, quiet voice came back into the room.
"I will avenge him."
Caleb wasn't sure he heard it right because it was so soft and subtle. He was confused as he looked at Russell's back, which was still. "What?"
Russell turned his head a little, and this time his voice was clear, strong, and deep. It was full of an unshakable determination that made everyone in the room stop talking.
"I said, I will avenge Zane."
The two men behind him stared, shocked by how sure he was of himself. Caleb's lips finally curled into a slow, faint smile. Russell's success didn't matter to him in his heart. What mattered was that he was sure at that moment that the kid was serious.
Russell didn't wait to see how they would react after making his vow. He stepped out of the door with confidence.
And right then and there, he felt something change inside him. In his mind, it was like a pane of glass breaking under a lot of pressure. A bright, pure energy filled his mind. His mental strength, which had been pushing against a wall for a long time, surged forward and crossed the line into the bronze level.
He was able to make cards at the bronze level now.
He thought revenge, and the word was no longer just a thought; it was a cold, hard promise. It's not just a word. He could now make it happen.
Russell stood outside the base and looked blankly up at the sky. He had never seen anyone he knew die before, let alone someone who had died to save his life. He wouldn't make up weak excuses or say that he wouldn't have been in that situation if Zane hadn't been there in the first place. He accepted the risks as soon as he agreed to go into the secret realm. His studies had shown him that this day would come, sooner or later.
He just didn't think it would happen so quickly.
After a long time, he sorted through the storm of his feelings and turned the sadness and shock into a cold, hard determination. He called Pidgeot and flew home.
He was going to make his first card at the bronze level.
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