—...I think I understand now why all of you were so scared— Kaze said, lowering his head.
—Better to be a scared hare than a dead one. Don't be ashamed of being afraid— Just as Deuz finished those words, the red barrier faded and disappeared. Robin and Sein emerged from it.
—Good job, you two— Shoun commented, giving both of them a high-five.
—Who do you take us for? Of course, we were going to win together!
—I agree with Sein. I'm going to leave the mirror world for a bit. Wait for me at the base while I make a couple of calls.
And so, everyone returned to the base. After a few minutes, Robin entered and sat next to Sein at the operations table. Unlike before, the table was now full, with all seats occupied.
—Everything ready, Robin?
—Indeed. I made up an excuse for my colleagues, and they'll leave me alone for the rest of the weekend. What do we get for my trial?— the scientist asked Shoun, who simply shrugged.
—Liam explained that we've already exhausted all the rewards from these trials. We can keep bringing people in, but we won't get anything more from that front. He also said you'll get points for the mission, even though you weren't there from the start.
—That's 20 points in just one night of work. This place is really valuable— Robin exclaimed, delighted, as he reclined in his chair.
—Speaking of files, here you go, Liam!— Sein pulled out the crumpled folder again and placed it on the table. A few seconds later, it disappeared, and a pleasant sensation surged from everyone's cores.
—Mission accomplished!— the robotic voice exclaimed with excitement. Seconds later, confetti and balloons shot out from the corners of the room—Your Dominator-rank artifact is in the refiner. You may claim it if you wish.
—Does it always do that?— Deuz asked Shoun, who shrugged tiredly.
—It did that last time too. Luckily, we won't have to clean—
—A refiner!?— Before Shoun could finish his sentence, Robin darted toward the machine he had previously ignored. The young man simply facepalmed in exhaustion—How does it work!? Is that a 4th-generation materializer!? This material is outright illegal!— Like a maniac, Robin began analyzing and touching everything he could, with Sein tasked with preventing him from breaking anything.
—Aaaah... this has been a very long night.
—Do you want to rest?
—Not yet, Deuz. First, let's figure out what we're doing tomorrow. So, please, you two, sit back down— Shoun demanded with a stern voice, intimidating Robin and Sein, even though it wasn't directed at the little one—Alright, guys. What do you prefer? Mission or hunt?
—We could check out the mission they're offering. If it's too hard, we can leave it for later— At Robin's calmer suggestion, everyone agreed.
—Alright, Liam. Show us the mission you have available.
—Affirmative, Secondary Administrator— With that, a screen appeared before everyone's eyes.
[Core Search: Recent reports detect an overwhelming amount of energy concentrated in one location. Your mission is to find this point and bring it back to the base.
Difficulty: Apprentice.
Reward: Forsaken Alpha body.]
—Well... at least this time the difficulty is appropriate— the boy with the beret commented cautiously.
—Exactly! In fact, with just that Vestige, I should be able to ascend!
—It doesn't seem too hard. I vote we accept it— Seeing that all his companions, including the silent Kaze, nodded in agreement, Shoun was no exception.
—Alright, we accept the mission, Liam.
—Of course, Secondary Administrator. But before that, I need you to tell me something.
—What is it?— Shoun asked, surprised, as it wasn't usual for Liam to ask questions.
—What is your team's name? Since you now have five members, this function has been unlocked— At that question, Shoun could only sigh, turning to look at his companions.
—Team Dynamite!— Sein suggested excitedly, but it was instantly dismissed.
—Liam, we'll leave the team name for later, but we accept the mission.
—As you wish— After Liam's solemn words, a surge of information flooded their minds, now knowing where they needed to search for the energy point.
—Alright, that should be enough. I'm sleepy, so I'll leave dinner to you guys...— Without waiting for responses (or complaints) from his companions, Shoun headed toward the base's bathroom and laundry area. After a relaxing bath, he lay down in the base's borrowed clothes—(...So, I can only be a Dominator).
As he relaxed, his mind turned to his future problems. Before, he hadn't been fully decided on whether to keep ascending after becoming a Dominator. After all, for Codex bearers who don't die in battle, ascending to Dominator is more a matter of time than skill. Clearly, things change at rank 4, as it's not just about facing Executors—you also have to earn a stigma, something Shoun wasn't sure he was even capable of. But the fact that this option was being cut off left him adrift.
—(Joining either of the two factions isn't an option. I'm sure of that... I guess becoming a Dominator fulfills my first goal of becoming strong. Most humans and Vestiges at my rank probably won't be able to do much to me, and those of higher ranks I'll likely never encounter... I just hope that by the time that day comes, Kaze will have recovered his memories. Even if he doesn't, I'll keep supporting him—maybe not in battle, but in other ways... I'm sure the bastard would be happy if my support was cooking him pancakes 24/7)— Calming his thoughts, he tried to turn them to Sein, Deuz, and Robin, specifically what each would do after becoming Dominators. But he quickly concluded that wasn't his business. With a now serene mind, his eyelids closed, and he was delivered into the arms of Orpheus.
The next day, the five young men set out on their mission. The mission area was within what Kaze called the Forsaken Zone. After a while of walking, they found themselves in front of a somewhat sinister building. Its walls were gray, as were its windows, which appeared fogged from the inside, giving them a slightly blue tint, different from the monotonous black and white of the mirror world. The main door was open, and cold smoke wafted out from inside.
—Hmm...— Robin tapped his glasses a couple of times before saying—This smoke isn't dangerous, though I can't be entirely sure what it really is.
—Alright, let's proceed carefully— Shoun moved Iron Serpent to his right hand, being the first to enter, followed by the others. The interior of the lab was almost completely dark, with only the area near the door illuminated. The young man prepared to use Iron Serpent as an improvised flashlight, but Robin beat him to it.
—If I'm not mistaken, this should be around... here!— Unconcerned by the lack of light, the scientist approached one of the walls. After feeling around for a while, he found a hatch camouflaged with the wall. Upon opening it, he revealed a panel with multiple buttons—If I move this... change this and... Shoun, could you do Bzzt Bzzt here, please? I'll tell you when to stop— Robin asked. Confused, Shoun infused electricity until Robin told him to stop. A few seconds later, a faint light illuminated the gloomy building, revealing the hallways destroyed by the apparent passage of time.
—Wow, how did you do that?
—Well, this place is a government facility. I've never been here, but usually, in these smaller buildings, the design tends to be similar— At that explanation, everyone agreed and continued advancing through the hallways. The light illuminating them was dim, almost gray, adding a depressing air to the ruined place.
After a while, the young men reached the end of the hallway. There were two doors on opposite sides. Thanks to the information swirling in their minds, they knew both led to the objective of their search.
—It seems both paths are correct. So, which one do we take?— the boy with the beret asked.
—I think we should split up— Robin suggested. When everyone turned to look at him, he quickly explained—If both paths are correct, maybe we need to explore them simultaneously... that's what I think.
—Hmm... I guess that's reasonable. So, how do we split up?— Shoun asked, but before anyone could think of anything, they were interrupted by Sein.
—I'll go with Deuz! We hardly ever spend time alone together!
—I'm fine with that— The idea didn't seem to bother the boy with the beret. Shoun wasn't worried, as he trusted that both could take care of each other.
—Decided. But before that, let me do something— Robin began pulling parts from his bag. After a couple of minutes, he had created two walkie-talkie radios, giving one to Deuz and keeping the other—Call if you need help.
—Sure... I didn't know radio waves worked in this place— With those final words, Deuz and Sein disappeared through the door on the right, while the others, without further discussion, went through the one on the left.
—I find it very curious that the mirror world is so different in its basic laws compared to our world— Robin commented as they walked through the hallway.
—Well, I guess it's inevitable, given that it's a different dimension or world.
—More or less. I haven't been to the demon realm, but I know from reliable sources that it's basically the same as living in our nation or the elves', except for the red sky, of course. Though curiously, it hasn't been observed to affect anything in particular... Personally, I have a theory that— Seeing Robin start to ramble about the topic, Shoun had to hold back a sigh.
—(I guess when you put a coin in the jukebox, you have to listen to the whole song).