Chapter 190: Mission Details
"It goes without saying that this mission is going to be dangerous."
Kai, Bree, and Barbara were standing in a horizontal line in front of the bald professor’s desk; their backs were as straight as an arrow, and their hands were locked behind them. Just as the bald professor requested, the three of them gathered at the professor’s headquarters early.
Two hours before the morning exercise, the sky is still barely lit up.
"As Angels, you are expected to perform or die, but there’s a system in place. One that set the stage for fairness," the bald professor leaned back on his chair—and intertwined his hands on his stomach. "Handling the Sky Gates isn’t your task; it’s your seniors’ task.
"Death is always a risk, but this time, there’s no need for the three of you to risk your lives. If the situation escalates, you’re allowed to prioritize your lives. As long as the threat is real, you can run. Do you understand?"
All three of them nodded in response.
It was surprising to hear the bald professor saying this.
Normally, Angels would be forced to perform no matter the circumstances.
Anyone who couldn’t perform deserved death, but there’s still a system in place.
And right now, they weren’t obliged to fret about Sky Gates.
They would have their moments in the future when the System deemed them eligible.
No need to rush.
"Okay," the bald professor nodded—and handed them a seal each. It was made of copper, and the school’s insignia was branded there, taking the shape of a coiling dragon. "Show the seal when you first enter the Second Sky. Now, I’ll start the briefing."
In the next ten minutes, the bald professor told them about the situation.
He explained that the concentration of appearing Sky Gates was growing significantly in the northern region of the Dodona Sector, one of the many sectors that the Eventide Academy was in charge of in the Second Sky.
The northern region of the Dodona Sector is a vast green plain flanked by two deserts.
Due to the influence of the Blue Void being stronger on the Second Sky, the terrain is far more chaotic up there, which adds to the already dangerous region. At this current moment, there are seven Sky Gates that are open.
All of them are White Sky Gates, and the one they were dealing with is the second-strongest.
Based on the most recent reports, there are three Pest-Class Noble Star Beasts.
Noble Star Beasts are practically Star Beasts that are connected directly to the Sky Gate from which they emerged. To close a Sky Gate—these are the primary targets that must be slain. By their very nature, being more connected to the Blue Void, they possess extraordinary strength.
Far stronger than normal Star Beasts.
In fact, the bald professor stated that they can be twice as strong as normal Star Beasts.
Two of the Noble Star Beasts were undead, each capable of raising entire hordes of skeleton minions from underground. The third was a half-man, half-goat abomination that summoned not only wild beasts but twisted copies of itself.
Even though Kai and the others won’t need to fight, they were informed either way.
So that they know what they were dealing with.
"You’ll be assigned to the Assault Unit—under Senior Asher." The bald professor took out his phone and tapped the screen a few times, and Bree’s phone buzzed in response in her pocket. A photo loaded onto her screen. "That’s Senior Asher that you will be serving for the duration of this mission. All reports go directly to him."
Kai and Barbara peek at Bree’s phone.
There, they saw the photo of a fierce-looking student with three scars crossing his face.
He has short black hair, dark-brown eyes, and a thick mustache that makes him look older.
Not like someone in his twenties at all.
Beside the photo of this student is his mask, which has sharp features and two rising points from the temples.
"Also," the bald professor reached beneath his desk and took out three identical masks—they were featureless like the normal masks, yet faintly draconic. Each bore subtle horns and deep patches of scale along the temple and cheek. "Swap these out. The oxygen is thinner up there; your standard masks won’t hold. Make sure to take good care of them."
He slid the masks across the desk, then tilted his head toward the door.
"Go warm up outside. Word is, you won’t have long once you arrive—the Assault Unit will move almost immediately. Your shuttle lands in twenty minutes." He paused; an unfamiliar glint flickered in his gaze. "May Zeus grant you strength."
Just as they were told, Kai, Bree, and Barbara took the masks and went out to warm up.
Since they were going to tackle the Sky Gate immediately, they needed to warm up.
Prepare themselves properly.
But along the way, as the three walked through the empty corridor silently, Kai’s eyes flicked to the other side. In the entrance hall, his eyes caught Professor Hera on the other side. She straightened her spine when she saw him and gave him a look.
"Go on ahead," Kai said to Bree. "I’ll be with you in a minute."
Bree also saw Professor Hera and then nodded her head, "Don’t be too long."
Barbara already went on ahead without looking back; she didn’t care that Kai had stopped.
Kai approached Professor Hera, but she started walking away.
He followed her to a more secluded corridor, which led to the restrooms.
"Do you have something to say to me?" He asked.
"Yes. Let me get this out of the way," Professor Hera paused and then sighed. "I’m sorry that I’ve been keeping my distance from you lately, but that’s because my hands are tied. Helping you is prohibited, after all."
Even though she said that, Kai still felt bitter.
Back when he was attacked by the seniors in the Fire Swamp and was wounded, he was really hoping that Professor Hera would send something to help him heal. But she did not. He was fine only thanks to Abigail.
"I get it. You’re being cautious," Kai dismissed the apology.
Professor Hera could tell that he was still bitter, but there was no time for that. "Those seniors who attacked you that night came from Caer Zarrow Academy. People directly tied to Lion—which means they were sent by the Demigod behind him."
Of course, Kai knew that Lion was favoured by a Demigod.
One of the pillars of mankind.
But it still sent a cold chill down his spine at the thought of having a Demigod as an enemy.
Even so, he still believed Lion needed to die, so he has no regrets there.
"You survived the assassination attempt, but they won’t stop there."
"Are you saying they’re going to make a move against me in the Second Sky?"
"Most likely. Just be careful up there and stay close to your seniors. It’s not easy for anyone to turn them—they’re too guarded by their professors in the Second Sky. Not to mention, you’re their future comrades, so they won’t be swayed to kill you so easily. It hardly matters to them that you’re a Lesser Angel."
Kai exited the main building and saw that Bree and Barbara were already warming up.
Now, with their new masks, they looked like seniors already.
"What did she say?" Bree asked, curious.
Kai shrugged, "She said to be careful. Like always, someone wanted me gone."
After wasting five minutes of time, Kai quickly ran laps around the main academy building’s premises and did jumping jacks to get his blood flowing with Bree right beside him. Considering what happened that night, Kai was expecting Barbara to be jealous of them.
She seemed to really favour Bree, or perhaps her feelings ran deeper.
But surprisingly enough, Barbara paid them no heed, warming up further away from them.
Distracted by the exercises, time passed quickly.
Before they realized it, it was already time to depart.
From the main entrance—the bald professor came out when he was informed that the shuttle was inbound. He led the three out of the academy grounds—where a ship was descending. It was smaller than the normal ones they were used to.
It must’ve only had the capacity to transport two dozen people at most.
As the ship landed, the bald professor turned to face them.
"Remember!" He shouted; the ship’s engine was roaring behind them. "Activate your Halo as soon as you’re near the Sky Gate’s vicinity, channel your mana from your Divine Locks—and breathe rapidly before entering the Second Sky, and run if things get dangerous!"
"We’ll keep that in mind, professor!"
"Got it!"
"Okay, professor!"
Once the three of them understood, the bald professor stepped away—and gestured for them to enter the ship as the airlock opened with the loud hiss of gas. A middle-aged man with grey hair draped in a deep blue military uniform walked out and stood at the entrance.
A lieutenant.
He’s from the Guardian Military, a special military division that was assigned to the Sky.
Soldiers assigned to assist the Angels.
Since he’s a normal human, the mask he was wearing is different. More mechanical.
A corrugated pipe connected the mask to the oxygen tube on his back—which was outfitted with meters and additional filters designed to make breathing effortless. It still relied on the use of Ox Leaves at its core, but the equipment clearly had functions Kai hadn’t yet discovered.
Kai and the others paused at the sight of what the lieutenant was wearing.
Even Talitha only wore a normal mask like any other Angel.
It was surprising that the lieutenant needed to wear this much equipment to breathe properly, and the sight of this made them even more nervous. They knew the Second Sky’s oxygen level would be thinner, but they weren’t expecting it to be to this extent.
"What are you Angels doing?" The lieutenant raised his brows—and nudged his head at the seats behind him. "Get in. I don’t have all day."
Kai and the others snapped out of their daze and rushed into the ship.
They took a seat on the right side, which was big enough to fit them, designed for an Angel—and then strapped themselves firmly. The lieutenant waved a curt wave at the bald professor standing beyond the airlock, then pressed a button to close the heavy door shut.
It closed with a resonant clang.
He strode back into the cabin and settled into the seat across from Kai and the others.
A smaller rig built for normal human frames, which he filled with practiced efficiency.
He pressed a finger to his earpiece. "We’re set. Take us up."
Rumble—!
The ship answered with a violent shudder that rattled bones in their sockets.
Kai exchanged a glance with Bree; the rattle was deeper than that of any ship they’d flown before.
Then, the deck pressed hard against their feet as the vessel lifted, pivoted sharply, and erupted skyward in a single, gut-punching blast. The world outside the viewports blurred into a streak of white.
Just like that, they were hurtled toward the Second Sky.
Comments