by L. M. Kerr
After a few more moments, he sighed.
What's done was done. Perhaps Micheal would know a way to restore his left arm. For now, he would have to depend on his right one. At least he had gotten a huge boost in Points from killing Number 9. There were several things in the Shop he planned on buying and testing to increase his overall power as soon as he got out of this Medical Bay.
He reached out with his right hand, stretching it. He shook and waved his fingers, feeling the air. Abruptly, he grimaced as he felt his left arm seem to tingle.
It wasn't actually there, but the nerve endings were still raw. The sock-like attachment, formally known as a Nerve Extender, intensified those feelings further.
After another minute of stretching, he tapped on his Spatial Ring and withdrew his smartphone.
"It's already noon? Geez." When he saw the time, he shook his head. He hadn't realized he'd slept so much.
The events that took place after their battle with the Nightrunner Numbers had been chaotic.
Sophia had miraculously managed to stave off their enemies long enough for the backup he called in to arrive. She fainted almost immediately after the Godfather Organization rallied, suffering from multiple injuries.
In particular, her mind had been incredibly stressed, according to what the doctors shared with Shin when he requested it. He had stayed up for several hours worrying over her, even as he received treatment for his severed arm.
Shin had been extensively questioned on what he was doing, who Sophia was, why he was being attacked, and more.
Thankfully, he had a slew of answers prepared just for such a situation.
The easiest route to go was to simply tell the truth.
They were meeting up with the Brigadier General of the Old Army Airwing Alliance because they had medicine that could cure his wife and daughter. They did so because they wanted to bring closer ties between their respective organizations and Shin wanted a favor.
As for why the Nightrunner Numbers attacked…
He truly had no idea and told them as much.
The Godfather Organization was able to verify his words through a variety of methods. As a result, any suspicion raised towards him dissipated.
And now, several hours later, Shin found himself in a bit of a limbo.
'I probably shouldn't move until they finish treatment.' In his current state, he would be no help to Sophia. It wasn't like he was a medical genius.
He sighed as he began to sift through the forum, looking for anything interesting. It was one of his favorite hobbies apart from browsing the Holy Shop. He always practiced Ki meditation, but even with the advice Sophia shared with him, he found that his talent for it was middling at best and the process was rather boring.
"How to cook a proper soufflé… Barack Clan attacked newcomers, starting a large-scale battle to the southwest… Seal Transformation Type has unusual synergy with Ice Horn Ability…" He muttered aloud as he scrolled past several posts that didn't interest him.
He was currently looking in part of the forum specific for casual discussion, the part Micheal had asked him to post in. He regularly created a thread here, every day, to help Micheal find him. He hadn't seen his close friend in more than a month now, though Sophia's arrival had brought him a great deal of comfort.
"Super, Ultimate, Maximum Warrior Respect Thread - No Gun Nerds Allowed. Huh?" Shin froze when he read one particular thread name, his eyes widening.
"Did I make this?" It almost sounded like one of his usual thread posts.
He clicked on it and began to read through it. As he read more and more of it, his eyes grew even wider. A smile appeared on his face as he realized who this post was from and what it actually was.
"Ahahaha!" Quiet laughter burst free from him as he quickly typed in a response to the thread, using his right hand rather awkwardly to get it done. He sent the reply as soon as he finished it, unable to help smiling.
Almost seconds later, he got back a response and a confirmation. His smile widened.
'It's about damn time, Micheal.'
After a few more seconds, he tapped off of the thread and went back to scrolling. He passed up several more threads, checking on the contents of a few and reading some comments before backing out.
It would probably take Micheal a significant amount of tim-
"Well, aren't you a sight, huh?" A confident voice echoed out, coming from the direction of his windows.
Shin's face froze as he whipped his head to the side, his jaw dropping.
For, right in front of him, Micheal was currently climbing through his window while carefully holding a long, black blade. He was dressed in a sharp looking suit and looked almost identical to most regular members of the Godfather Organization.
"Wh- Micheal?! What?! What?!" Shin sputtered, his heart soaring as he stared at Micheal, unable to come up with a better response.
"I told you I was coming." The brown haired 18-year-old warrior shrugged and grinned back as he saw Shin's reaction.
"It's been 30 seconds!" Shin flopped his floppy arm at him to accentuate his point.
Micheal looked at him.
And then at his floppy arm.
And then back at him.
And then back at the arm.
"Oh, this? I call it my Lefty Wefty. Supposedly it will help preserve any nerve endings and attachments." Shin smiled triumphantly as he flopped his arm vaguely in Micheal's direction, like a brave, but floppy, warrior.
Micheal looked back up at Shin and then hung his head in his hands for the second time today.
.
Chapter 50
"…and so that's how we ended up here." Shin's voice echoed energetically as he smiled up at Micheal. Several minutes had passed as Shin explained everything that had taken place, from his arrival in the First Layer, to his recruitment as a Sub-Executive, to his meeting up with Sophia, and the battle with the Nightrunners.
Micheal stared back, his thoughts and heart fluctuating as he processed everything. His mind was ablaze with ideas and planning as he centered in on the details, memorizing everything Shin said.
While his plans to deal with the Dawning Six incident had seen great success, some of Micheal's other carefully constructed plans had fallen into disarray. Even with knowledge of the future, sometimes things just didn't work out.
It wasn't a complete disaster, but he could already see how difficult it was going to be to perfectly put the pieces back together. He would need to adapt.
'How did Prime figure so much out?' He mentally cursed in his head, frowning fiercely. Micheal had meticulously worked on these plans to the best of his ability, using his foreknowledge as best he could.
He freely admitted that he wasn't an absolute genius and that he could make mistakes.
But that couldn't explain everything.
He couldn't help but rebel at Prime's freakish intelligence. He must have left behind enough minor clues for Prime to put things together, somehow. And, at some point, Prime or his minions must've gotten lucky too. That was the only thing Micheal could think of.
'General Pedro has been compromised now…' Perhaps the worst outcome to all of that was that the Grand Strategist now knew who the Brigadier General was.
General Pedro was supposed to be his secret weapon, his surprise tool to deal with Director Prime. Pedro's unique powers made him the perfect ally to use against Director Prime's specific powers.
Now, however… Prime would know exactly who Pedro was. The man couldn't possibly know Micheal planned on using the Brigadier General to help counter and kill Prime, but just the fact that Prime was now aware of Pedro and his powers was enough to throw a wrench into Micheal's plans.
He sighed, rubbing at his head as he turned his focus back to Shin.
"It's good to see you, buddy." He put up a small smile as he stuck his hand out, trying to push aside his worries for a few brief moments. Shin had jumped so quickly into his explanation that Micheal hadn't had time to properly greet him.
&
nbsp; Shin was in the midst of catching his breath after spurting out a literal mountain of information. When he saw Micheal stick his hand out, he grinned mischievously and offered his floppy-sock-hand in return.
"I'm not shaking that." Micheal's smile turned to a flat poker face.
"Shake it."
"No."
"Shake it."
"I refuse."
"Shake it."
Micheal glared at Shin, all the while holding back laughter. The man never changed.
After a few moments, the mirth fled from Shin's face as his eyes grew serious.
"There is something else I need to talk to you about." Shin began as he nodded slowly. He leaned back in his bed slightly, a look of exhaustion fluttering across his face.
"Oh? What's up?" Micheal replied, his eyes narrowing.
"It's about Sophia…" Shin quickly re-explained, in more detail, what happened between them and the Nightrunners. The trauma Sophia had suffered wasn't something that could just be shrugged off.
Shin had seen and heard about the injuries Sophia suffered from. But even more than that…
Towards the end of the battle, Shin had felt as if something about Sophia had changed. He wasn't sure exactly what and hadn't seen or talked to her enough to pinpoint anything.
Still, it made him worry slightly. He took the lives of his friends seriously, even if he took little else in the same manner. And Sophia was definitely someone he considered a friend, in this new, chaotic world.
"Hmm." As he muttered aloud, his thoughts were set aflutter once more.
'Did history repeat itself?' In his own, original timeline, Sophia was a famed genius. However, she only truly transformed into that almighty warrior after she experienced several traumatic events that damaged her sanity.
Micheal hoped to avoid having her go insane in this timeline. Even if her development was slightly slower, she was still the same person. She absolutely would still have the potential to develop into a frightening genius.
'She likely has always had the potential to snap. My actions merely prevented it for a time.' He was mostly worried about how serious the ramifications were for her. He truly considered her a friend and ally, and wanted nothing but the best for her and her family.
He thought it over for a few moments, still frowning.
While he was thinking, Shin rambled on about a few other things related to her. Apparently the two had almost broken out into a scuffle when they first met up due to a misunderstanding. The way Shin phrased it made it apparent he took the blame for that.
Abruptly, Micheal's thoughts jarringly shifted tracks as he heard something that made his heart freeze.
"Wait a moment… hold on a second…" Micheal held up a hand, his eyes blazing as he looked at Shin.
"You said Sophia wanted you to mention something to me about a… seed of darkness you saw?" His mind went straight to the only thing it could when he heard that.
The Vile King.
"Oh, yeah." Shin hurriedly nodded, taken aback by Micheal's huge reaction.
"After I helped cure Head Cameron, Admiral Cardell was constantly helping guard the Godfather. He never seemed to leave the man alone, not for long. At one point, I inadvertently saw something pretty odd." Shin went on to describe exactly what he saw, detailing how a small blip of darkness shot out from Cardell and was absorbed into Head Cameron.
Shin hadn't gotten a very clear or consistent view of this and had dismissed it as nothing. Still, when they talked about Sophia, it reminded him that Sophia said he should tell Micheal about that and, as a result, he remembered the occurrence.
Micheal's heart began to pound as he heard Shin.
Admiral Cardell was one of the elite 6 Executives of the Godfather Organization. Him standing guard for the newly recovered Head Cameron wasn't unusual at all. In fact, it was perfectly normal.
'Cardell also went on to become a super powerful S Ranker, in my timeline, renowned for his great strength and overbearing power.' A sinking suspicion filled Micheal's gut. Pieces of the puzzle began to click into place.
"Shin…" Micheal returned slowly, his eyes boring into his close friend,
"Where is Head Cameron now?"
.. .. .. .. .. ..
In a room several floors distant, but in the same building…
A pristine, gently decorated room could be seen. This room had a few cheerful paintings on the wall, a lush, pink bed, and a window that was covered up for privacy. The room had an obviously feminine tone to it, one of the rooms where female patients were held.
Sitting cross-legged on that lush, pink bed was a short-haired woman. She wore, just like Shin, a set of patient gowns that one might see in a hospital. Several distinct bruises and cuts covered her visible skin, making her look almost like a victim of domestic violence.
As she sat on her bed, she was currently in the midst of meditation. A small, wooden sword rested in the palm of her hands, the center of her mental focus.
"Sophia." A warm, calming voice broke into Sophia's meditation, distracting her. She looked up, staring over at the entrance to her room.
A man with a large, grey beard that looked to be in his late 60s gave her a friendly, boisterous smile. The man was large, standing nearly 6 foot 5 (2 meters) in height. He had a short head of grey hair that was sharply cut, with a weathered face that practically screamed of experience and wisdom. He had a blocky, square jaw and steady looking grey eyes. His nose was prominent, but not overt, solidifying his appearance.
He currently wore a professional suit that perfectly covered his muscular figure. His back stood straight with immaculate posture and the man carried himself with a demeanor that held a tremendous amount of presence. Just looking at him made Sophia feel slightly nervous, as if she was staring at a grand, famous figure.
And, she technically was.
Head Cameron, the second strongest S Ranker in the Main Cluster, known to many as the Godfather.
"Head Cameron." Sophia replied demurely, nodding at the man. When she saw him, she couldn't help but feel a trace of warmth.
The Head of the Godfather Organization himself had appeared before her, not just once, but twice now. The first time was a few hours ago, after she regained consciousness from her injuries. She hadn't actually taken any injuries that were as bad as Shin's, most of hers could be easily treated given a couple of days.
"How are you recovering?" The man walked up to the side of her bed, maintaining a respectful distance. His words carried genuine concern, imbued in a deep, graceful tone that instilled confidence.
"I'm doing alright. Just trying to meditate and bring back my focus. I can't thank you all enough for the help you provided me." She thanked the man for what felt like the hundredth time.
The fact that they were housing her and treating her, with just a few minor, non-consequential questions asked, was already well beyond her expectations. She figured it had something to do with Shin's existence as a Sub-Executive, but she was still grateful, nevertheless.
"Good, good. I've looked into your family personally and I can tell you that my men are still actively searching. I've put your request on high alert and will let you know when I get anything back." Head Cameron's smile grew grave for a moment before as he talked about her family.
Sophia's face remained emotionless when she heard this.
The powerful leader of the Godfather Organization continued,
"When you have recovered, I've asked Executive Riana to assist you in some training. She is a capable Ability user that has a power very similar to your Fairy Eyes, the Vast Gaze Ability. The experience and knowledge she can share should prove invaluable to your growth." He nodded at her gently.
Sophia stared back at Cameron for a few seconds before slowly responding,
"Why are you helping me so much?" There was a gleam, deep within her eyes that couldn't be covered up. One that was harsh and cold, ruthless. This gleam was newly born, full of brutal willpower.
She had mentally pr
omised to never let herself fall into such a perilous situation again, no matter the cost.
"Why?" Cameron shook his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of amusement,
"Why do you think I worked so hard to form this organization, rescued so many children, and keep trying to reunite lost families?" His gaze seemed to pierce into her very soul as he went on,
"I want to save humanity. I want our children to one day look upon a world where they can rest safely. A place of safety and tranquility. And right now, this world is far from that." He sighed and paused for a few moments, as if in deep contemplation.
Sophia listened and watched him quietly, not offering a response.
"A few days ago, after my recovery, I had a sort of epiphany. A thought came to me that I simply could not rid myself of." Cameron raised his right hand,
"The young talents of our race are indispensable. In the future, we will rely on those like you to ensure our survival." He motioned at her with his raised hand,
"I've read the reports on you and seen the results of your talent firsthand. If you hadn't been there, it was very likely that our newest Sub-Executive would have died." Cameron wasn't aware that Sophia, and ultimately Micheal, was the reason Shin was going there in the first place, though it wouldn't have changed his opinion much even if he did know.
"This… this is my way of giving back. A way to work towards the survival of our species. You have shown incredible talent and a good heart. That is enough for me." Cameron's voice was full of passion.
"I know things are rough now, for you, and for everyone. I've come to think of that as a good thing. After all, without great hardship, humanity will never grow strong enough to defend itself. And thus, here I am." He finished speaking, his voice resounding in the small room as he smiled warmly at her.
Sophia's eyes were wide as she heard all of this. In her heart, a seed of genuine appreciation appeared. The harsh facade she had built up slid open a little as she cracked a small smile, the brutal gleam in her eyes fading.
After a few seconds, she replied,
"Thank you." Her voice was quiet as she laid back in her bed, exhaustion visible on her face.
