Chapter 34 New quest

Words : 1021 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

The moment Noah's boot touched Cannadah's iridescent sand, his system interface flashed to life: [Location: Cannadah] [Anomaly Detected] [New Quest Generated] [STRANGE STIRRINGS] An unusual energy signature has been detected. Origin: Unknown. Primary Objective: Locate source of energy signature@@@@ Secondary Objective: [Locked] [Note: Energy signature shows peculiar resonance with your summon] [Accept Quest? Y/N] 'Just what I needed,' Noah thought as he selected 'Y'. 'Another mystery to solve.' The interface faded just as Kelvin stumbled next to him, caught off guard by Cannadah's slightly lower gravity. The lavender sky stretched above them, decorated with two moons – one a pale blue, the other a deep amber that seemed to pulse with its own inner light. Two figures approached from the base's main entrance. A male and a female. The male officer, commander Hayes, moved with the practiced stride of someone who'd spent years in command, his weather-worn face suggesting countless hours under alien suns. But it was his companion that caused a ripple of whispers among the students. Lieutenant Chen couldn't have been more than a few years older than them, but she carried herself with an easy confidence that spoke of experience beyond her years. Her dark hair was pulled back in a regulation bun, and her standard-issue tactical suit bore the subtle scratches and wear of actual combat rather than training exercises. "Eyes front, Romeo," Cora whispered to Kelvin, who was staring a bit too obviously. Several other boys weren't being nearly as subtle about their attention. "Welcome to FOB Epsilon," the commander's voice carried across the landing pad. "I'm Commander Hayes. This is Lieutenant Chen, who'll be serving as your camp master during your stay." During his introduction, Noah noticed how the commander's left hand occasionally twitched toward a scar on his neck – the kind that came from a close encounter with something that had too many teeth. "Pleasure to meet you all," Lieutenant Chen smiled, her voice carrying a hint of amusement at the students' obvious attention. "I'll be handling your day-to-day operations and any concerns that arise." With a last look at Nyx, who had finally stopped pacing but was now staring intently at something Noah couldn't see, he began the process of returning to reality. The verdant landscape slowly dissolved around him, colors bleeding away until he found himself back in the bathroom stall. He took a moment to steady himself, then pushed open the door. 'Forty-seven minutes,' he realized with a wince. 'That's going to be fun to explain.' He made his way back to his room, already rehearsing excuses, only to stop short in the doorway. There, leaning against the wall with practiced casualness, stood Micah Reed. The upperclassman's gear made Noah's gear feel suddenly inadequate. 'It's still a level 3 right?' he thought as he stared at the gear knowing fully well that even beast gears at the same level still varied from one another over different aspects. Turning his attention back to the upperclassman, Noah noticed his polished head caught the overhead lights, a detail Micah seemed to embrace rather than hide. All of Kelvin's equipment had vanished, and Noah's roommate sat stiffly on his bed, looking anywhere but at their new team member. 'Great,' Noah thought, catching the way Micah's eyes lingered on him a fraction too long. 'Either he's sizing me up as a problem, or...' There was something else in that look, a curiosity that the upperclassman tried to mask with authority. "Forty-seven minutes," Micah said, checking his combat bracelet. "That must have been quite the bathroom emergency." Noah bit back several responses, none of them particularly respectful. 'Right, because you've never spent time in your own domain,' he thought acidly. The hierarchy between years was clear – Micah had every right to comment, and they both knew it. Still, something about the upperclassman's perfectly maintained appearance and carefully measured movements suggested someone equally familiar with private training. "Tomorrow," Micah continued, his tone carrying that particular blend of authority and condescension that only privileged upperclassmen seemed to master, "the real expedition begins. I won't have my perfect record tarnished because my assigned team can't keep up. Are we clear?" 'Perfect record,' Noah thought, studying the way Micah's fingers tapped against his combat bracelet. 'Nobody maintains a perfect record without some serious private practice. What are you hiding under all that polish?' But aloud he only said, "Yes, sir." "Good." Micah pushed off the wall with elegant precision. "0700 hours. Don't be late." He paused at the door, glancing back. "And Pithon? Your tech setup violated three different protocols. Consider this a warning." The door hissed shut behind him, leaving Noah to process that last comment. 'Three protocols? He'd have to have done a pretty thorough scan of Kelvin's setup to know that.' Noah moved to his bed, mind racing. 'Or maybe he's just fishing. Trying to get Kelvin to reveal something.' Kelvin finally looked up from his intense study of the floor. "He's been waiting here for twenty minutes," he offered quietly. 'Twenty minutes? To deliver a thirty-second warning?' Noah sat down, absently running his fingers over the worn edge of his combat bracelet. 'No, Officer Perfect Record definitely had another agenda.' The silence stretched between them until Kelvin cleared his throat. "About my tech... how much trouble am I in?" Noah couldn't help but smile. 'At least he's direct about it.' He shook his head. "Depends on what you've got running. Anything I should know about?" Kelvin's eyes darted to his equipment stack. "Just some... modifications that make life easier." He paused, fidgeting with his tablet. "Though maybe I should run a security check, just in case." Through the room's small window, Cannadah's twin moons cast their ethereal light, creating shifting patterns on the wall. Noah watched them, keeping his thoughts about Nyx carefully at bay. There were too many things to worry about right now.

Chapter 34 New quest

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