Chapter 1592 (2/2)

Besides, there was one piece of information from Edraine that was emphasized enough that it reached Randidly through his general distaste for reading through their extensive reports; they had found out why Velio Dunn knew when he went into the shaft.

For whatever reason, someone marked you. Edraine’s message read. This method isn’t available for everyone… it requires the individual to have earned the ‘ire’ of the overlay System in the past. Then it has to be activated manually by a worker with high clearance. From what I can tell, the mark was placed around the time you condensed your Fate.

Because of that mark, basically every high ranking member of the NLC will be able to keep tabs on you if they wish. Be careful.

Randidly gritted his teeth as he read that message. His mind went back to the notifications around condensing his Fate and the communication from Nathaz Eloise, requesting that Randidly come to meet him when he arrived at the Nexus.

Perhaps he really would have to do that, to smash the man to pieces for so casually creating an enormous threat on Randidly’s life.

Still, that news made Randidly double down on his plan to be relatively low key in the short term. He would plan something suitably impressive for the Drill Sergeant Challenge to demonstrate his recruits' abilities, but his own movements would be contained. Until he understood and eliminated this way to track his movements, he needed to be cautious.

Influence +2!

To that end, he wrote a short letter and sent it to Superintendent Xeruth of the Fifth Cohort Rally Station. The letter read: “My elite unit will fight the entirety of the other recruits. Arrange a suitable location.”

*****

On the day before the Drill Sergeant Challenge, Superintendent Xeruth paced back and forth in his office. The curtains were tightly pulled shut and the candles in the room had been left burning for so long that wax dribbled down over the candlesticks and onto the desk. Yet he continued to be driven by his fears into walking the length of his office, over and over again.

Soon there was a knock on the door and the Superintendent twitched. Some of his fugue state was shaken away by the noise. “C-come in.”

The door opened and the familiar form of his son Kallum walked into the room. Although the pale boy was clearly exhausted, he was healthy and safe. After standing frozen for a second and scanning his son, Superintendent Xeruth rushed over and squeezed him in a hug. “Kallum… Kallum…! Thank god you were able to make it away. I hope escaping-”

“Dad, please. I’m an enlisted member of the military now. Don’t treat me like a kid.” Kallum said with a frown as he broke up a hug and took a step backward. “And what do you mean, escape? I just told the Overseers that I wanted to visit my family before being deployed. Because I had finished the assigned training early, they let me go. It’s not a big deal.”

“You… then… the Ghosthound knows that you are here?!?” The Superintendent’s eyes widened.

Kallum shrugged. “Well… I doubt it. The Head Drill Sergeant is too busy training these days to notice anything else. But… what does it matter? Why did you want to see me so urgently?”

Finally, the Superintendent mastered his feelings. His expression became solemn. “Are you… aware of the request the Head Drill Sergeant has made for the Challenge?” When Kallum shook his head, the Superintendent continued. “He has said that his elite squad will take on all of the other recruits at once.”

“What? Huh. Well, I suppose that makes sense, after how the prior challenge went.” Kallum shrugged. “Without a bit of a challenge, how are we as the elite squad supposed to feel any pride in our victory? I don’t understand what your point is.”

Suddenly, Superintendent Xeruth took a closer look at his son. And although the boy was clearly pushed to his physical limits, his eyes were bright and sharp. More than anything else, the Superintendent noticed the twinkle of pride in Xeruth’s eyes every time he talked about being a part of the Head Drill Sergeant’s elite squad.

In a split second, the Superintendent felt like he had aged ten years. His son that he had so long tried to protect… was walking beyond his reach. And from the Superintendent’s perspective, he was confidently striding right into the lion’s den.

“Son… obviously I know how effective the Head Drill Sergeant’s training regimes are…” The Superintendent began slowly. He licked his lips as he gathered his words. “The first three challenges more than demonstrated his capability. In the eyes of the military, he was a clear success. That is why this fourth challenge will be special. Now that everyone understands the threat that the Nether poses, every faction in the Nexus wants to take credit for saving the Fifth Cohort.”

When Kallum’s face didn’t change at all, the Superintendent continued to speak. “There have been thousands of injuries to recruits, requiring substitute troops to be found. The substitutes have largely passed into this batch of recruits without any oversight whatsoever. I have no doubt that many private subordinates of power-players in the Nexus are now amongst the various squads. So not only will the elite squad be facing an overwhelming numerical disadvantage, but they will also be outmatched in terms of experience-”

The Superintendent's eyes bulged. His son smiled smugly at him, not swayed at all by his arguments.

The Superintendent waved his arms desperately. “Why did you choose now to become bullheaded?!?! How much could you truly have improved in three months? These are veterans. There is no need to compete against them just for pride. Your life will be in danger.”

Breathing heavily, the Superintendent watched his son turn away from him. Although he had deeply feared Randidly Ghosthound in the past, it was nothing compared to the raw hatred that he felt for the Head Drill Sergeant now.

“Just watch, dad,” Kallum said as he left Xeruth’s office. “I’ll show you how much three months can mean.”