Luna opened her eyes and saw the plain ceiling dimly lit by the pink glow outside the window. It was the most peaceful and painless death she had thus far, as if she simply went to sleep, only to wake up in a completely different place, no, dimension.
“BaoBao, are the results out?” Luna turned her head to look at BaoBao who laid on his belly beside her, with his head on his palms.
“Mm!” He nodded with a wide grin plastered on his face. “It’s PERFECT! An SS grade for our performance and evaluation! Again, you contributed to our library of knowledge, so you get to redeem an additional A ranked item! I don’t think this last bit’s very worth it though. All that taste testing at the cost of your health for an A-ranked item...” BaoBao ended off a little sulkily.
Luna pursed her lips and looked at him apologetically. “I’m sorry for being stubbor
The first thing that Luna came conscious to was the feel of a hand groping her chest. Another hand was making its way down her stomach. Her hands flew to grab her assailant’s wrists as she sprung up from the hard cold platform that she was lying on.“You’re awake.” Her assailant spoke coolly as if he was expecting her reaction. This ticked Luna off. He seemed to know that his advances were not welcomed, but he still did it anyway. Her grip tightened and his flesh turned white from the lack of blood flow.“Are you sure you want to do that? Or are you still half asleep?” He asked in the same cool tone.Luna frowned a little and studied him from head to toe. He was equipped in some kind of black military gear that had a lot of compartments for what seemed to be medical equipment. The Red Cross on his shoulder pad confirmed her suspicion that he was medical personnel. She immed
“Leader Angie, feeling better?” Four young men in the same uniform as her surrounded her bed. All of them had decent looks and moderate builds.“Mm.” Angie sat up and swung her foot off the bed to talk to them properly. “I can join you all for lighter training tomorrow.”Their faces lit up like golden retrievers.“We got so worried when that porcupine appeared beneath you out of nowhere!”“Ya, you’ve been having real bad luck recently.”“And there’s that upcoming mission...”“That’s going to be our most dangerous mission…”“I’m not looking forward to it. I don’t have much confidence.”“What’re you guys so worried about? I may have bad luck but ha
"Leader Angie! Good morning!" Her team joyously greeted her as they trotted towards her.Angie nodded in acknowledgement and greeted them back. “Morning.”"You're very early." One of them commented."Figured that I should do a little more since I'm not working as hard today." She explained half-heartedly in the midst of her dynamic stretches. Her eyes were drawn towards Elias' team who had entered the hall at the same time as her team."You should have called us." A complaint grabbed her attention back. Although only one spoke up, he spoke for the team. Everyone pouted like dissatisfied children."We'd like to get as strong as you." Brandon continued to complain."After all, our strength is equal to the weakest link in the chain, isn't it?" Hamilton reasoned with her.Wilbur nodded eagerly. “I’d need the extra time as much as you do.”They chimed up one after another to back each
"Elias? Elias? Hey. Elias!""Huh? What?" Elias responded absentmindedly."Are you okay? We've been calling you." Valerie asked."Ah, yeah. I was just absorbed in my thoughts. What is it?"Everyone looked at him funnily. "More like, what were YOU saying?" Another teammate asked.Elias blinked several times, looking lost. "Did I say something?""We were discussing which team to duel with after lunch?" Valerie whispered while nudging him hard. "Focus!""We were? Oh, we were!" He cleared his throat. "That's obviously what I was thinking about."Everyone looked at him unconvinced."Are you still preoccupied with Team Leader Angie?" Valerie asked flatly. "You were obviously staring.""It's called studying the opponent, silly." He rapped her forehead, again. "We'll duel with them later.""Huuuuh?" Everyone on his team groaned."They're too fierce.""Too unfriendly.""It isn't fun."
Angie's three teammates could not answer her. They were ready to follow her to the death, but to partake in something as seemingly silly and reckless, then lose their lives to that? They began to have second thoughts about it. Their expressions clouded over as their loyalty conflicted with their rationality.Angie softened her tone. “I understand that this is something huge to absorb. Take your time to think about it. Think it through, carefully and thoroughly. Don’t rush it. Understood?”The men looked at her with grave expressions, but nodded.At the same time, the door to their room opened. Angie and her team immediately straightened their posture and saluted the man who entered with a team of technicians."Report." Their section commander demanded."Angie Dawson, reporting. I punched the mimic and it fell apart." Angie got the ball rolling."Brandon Fields, reporting. We know that should be impossible.
Angie gritted her teeth in frustration and annoyance. He had played her. “You-”“What has it got to do with you, you asked? Nothing. It has nothing to do with you. I'm just frustrated. I feel so maligned. Then I remembered that you’re here! Ha!”[What?! This isn’t how karma was supposed to work!]He leaned in for a kiss but Angie headbutted him and pushed him back. It was a piece of cake for her. She just needed to utilise a little bit of her spiritual energy. She skidded off the table on the opposite side of him while a low ominous chuckle sounded by the side."Still as fiesty as ever. I'll never be bored by you."/Deja Vu?/[Ew, he's the same.] BaoBao said at the same time as Angie./Where did I encounter this before again?/[First world. That-]/Psychopath./[Yeah.]
"What?" Elias broke out of his little trance-like state."Hm? Nothing." Angie recovered her flat expression fast, then walked away."Can't be. I'm sure I heard you say something.""That's some really good lie you told at the clinic to get me out.” She changed the topic, hoping that he would get derailed too. “I didn't know you'd stoop to that to get what you want."He shrugged. "You didn't seem keen about the checkup either. So, I figured, why not? I didn't think you would mind. Do you mind?"Angie shook her head."What exactly do you hate so much about the clinic?""Nothing much.""Impossible. Did you know how much hostility and negativity radiated off of you when we left the clinic?"/I can't trust his blabbermouth…/"If you're so curious, feel free to check in each time I visit the clinic.""Huh? Why're you so sure that you'll return to the clinic?""You'll know w
Angie came upon a tall but narrow building. With far fewer exposed pipes and painted cement in place of heavy duty metal, it looked a lot more welcoming than the military compound.Her eyes darted around. There were a few more soldiers returning home, including Valerie./Hm? She’s fast today./ Angie noted the difference based on the original soul’s memories./Does she have something on later?/Angie took the stairs instead of the lift, even though her floor was the topmost level. Although the mask was highly breathable and efficient, exerting her body with the mask on still felt different. Moreover, the quality of air outside was poorer than the air pumped indoors.She stopped before a plain grey door, slid her palm across the cold smooth surface, then listened to the sound of bolts coming undone. After that, she pushed open the door and stepped in. When the door swung shut behind her, the bolts could be he