Seed of Titan

In the Ops division office, Halo was standing beside a virtual screen, facing the members of Mango Seekers who were sitting tight. Standing behind the members was Enda, who had been supervising the party so far.

"You guys look excited, but don't get your hopes too high. If you have no expectations, there won't be any disappointment," said Halo gigglingly upon seeing the overly eager eyes of Drai and his friends.

Halo was actually reminded of her own first venture along with her bubbling excitement during its briefing. But in the end, she was mostly responsible for the logistics, and the trip itself wasn't that exciting either as they only had to forage medicinal herbs and mine some minerals in a rather tame wilderness. All in all, it was quite an uneventful venture.

Halo's words succeeded in dampening the mood to some degree, but most of the members were still looking forward to their first venture regardless of how dull it might be. This was their first expedition as a party after all.

"To start with, the location you'll be going to is in the province of Desvin, specifically at the forest below Mount Zelen," Halo said as the screen showed a small mountain fully covered in vegetation. At the mountain's foot were acres of forest sprawling wide with no settlement in sight.

The members let out a muffled cheer upon finding out their destination. Some of the members looked relieved as the worst scenario they have thought of—being sent to some generic city to gather information or purchase items—was at least avoided.

The image then changed into short clips of what looked to be the view from inside the forest. There were various trees and shrubbery, and small critters were occasionally sighted running around the trees and ground.

"Why does it look so… normal?" Jian couldn't help but remark.

Hearing this, Halo shook her head in disapproval. "That's why I told you not to get your hopes up. Although the bird's-eye view looks quite magnificent, the forest barely counts as a wilderness due to the lack of big predators or other dangers. The evolution rate in the area doesn't seem to be too significant either, so the area doesn't attract much interest outside of the occasional sightseers and hikers. However…"

The screen promptly changed into an image of a small clearing among the trees with a stone building situated in the middle. It was a small single-story building with an archway as its only entrance. The walls were slightly ornamented with decorative carvings and were mostly covered in moss and dirt, but overall it was quite a simple building.

"…our intel showed that a group of hikers recently stumbled upon this stone building. Based on their testimonies, it's likely that this is some kind of ancient dwelling. These hikers have reported their findings to the local officials, but it will probably take some time for the officials to send out a team of researchers due to the bureaucracy."

"So we're going ahead of them?" Natalia asked, slightly perplexed.

"Precisely. I know how you must feel, Natalia, being a general's daughter and all, but it's not the first time we've been doing this kind of stuff," said Halo with a chuckle. "If only you knew how slow the officials are when dealing with these kinds of mundane discoveries... It would be a different story if this building were made of gold though—they'd be there in hours."

"And the academy approved this?" Natalia asked once more, still not convinced that this was allowed.

"Approved and funded," Halo replied rather proudly. "You see… our academy in general, and VV in particular, is not really fond of the government, or at least with how it's often conducted. Remember Mr. Max's case? Often times the government's bureaucracy hinders progress and result, and it's even worse when the nation's most brilliant individuals rarely end up in a governmental position. Of course there are exceptions such as your father, but most decision-makers are people who have settled for mediocrity and banal politics, impassionate duds if you will."

Natalia felt an urge to rebuke Halo's words, but she truly couldn't find any reasonable excuse. In fact, she already knew that her point was lost when Mr. Max's case was mentioned as it was an irrefutable proof of the government's lackadaisical policies, and especially so when it costed Mr. Max's life.

"In the slight chance that you do encounter the government's team, or any team for that matter, just mention our group and academy," Halo continued after sensing Natalia's resignation. "We've been doing this for so long that it's not that rare to encounter other groups on site. If that happens, Christo should coordinate with me in deciding what measures to take. The headquarters will also try reaching out to the other party's representative if possible."

The group nodded while Christo made a few notes on his comm. Behind them, Enda remained silent.

"The site is located quite far from the forest's main paths, which is why it was only recently discovered. I'll send Christo the exact coordinates later. There shouldn't be any dangers on the way, but that doesn't mean you should act carefree. Always remember to remain vigilant until you've accomplished your mission and returned here.

"For the mission, you are to document the site, including close-ups of noteworthy items, markings, and the like. An object of reference should be included in frame if possible to enable measurement, unless you guys want to measure everything there manually. Touching things is fine as long as you do it with care. Remember, no breaking any trinkets," Halo reminded as she gestured at Drai and Jian with her eyes, which made the duo scratch their heads awkwardly.

"Other than documenting, take notes of any peculiarities you find, especially if they're linked to any group, organization, country, or even person. If you find anything that you think urgently needs reporting, don't hesitate and immediately contact me through Christo. Comm coverage should be relatively stable based on our intel.

"And that's it for the main mission. As for the side mission, just bring back any object of interest you find along the way, for example if Flo discovers any plant with interesting properties. However, this isn't mandatory and you don't have to really go out of your way to accomplish this."

Not expecting her name to be mentioned, Flo nodded repeatedly, secretly promising herself that she would investigate the plants in the area whenever possible in case she really found valuable plants, especially medicinal ones which she could also add to her collection of herbs.

"And lastly, I apologize beforehand for making your party a trial group. For your first venture, there will be no seniors to accompany you on site," Halo added.

Upon hearing this, the female members looked at each other in bafflement. Christo merely raised an eyebrow while Drai and Jian didn't seem to care much about it.

"Can you explain the reason for this?" Auri inquired. She was currently feeling quite anxious as she was reminded of her conversation with her aunt regarding the safety of ventures, which now felt somewhat like a bad omen.

Sensing the members' concern, Halo sighed before explaining, "This is the decision from the higher-ups. As you know, the two first-years' venture parties are unprecedented, at least in the last decade. But some of the higher-ups think that this may be a turning point for VV, particularly regarding recruitment and operations.

"Because there are two newbie parties to directly compare, we're currently testing our methods in hopes that we'll be able to implement the better ones if we do succeed in recruiting similarly many first-years after the next open recruitment, hence our decision to let you venture by yourselves."

Even after hearing this explanation, the female members were still quite in disbelief, even starting to suspect that their president might be one of the proponents of this idea.

"Hmph! Merely some insipid forest and old building, there's nothing to fear! This Jian doesn't need any stinky ass senior to accompany me, for I only need my sword to slash away all our obstacles!" Jian loudly exclaimed upon sensing his friends' worry. He refused for his group to be seen as cowards by the seniors, especially when the venture seemed really safe.

"Sorry for being a stinky ass," Enda's voice surprised Jian, who quickly turned around and made an apologetic gesture with his hands as he didn't really mean what he said. Seeing this, Enda shook his head amusedly.

"Ahem!" Halo cleared her throat, returning the room's attention to her. "For your information, this arrangement was made after considering your party's capabilities based on Enda's reports, particularly regarding Drai's stats. In short, the higher-ups believe that you'll manage fine without any senior even if a rather unexpected situation occurs during your venture. And if you still want to object to this regardless, it must be done collectively as a group decision. So I'll now let you guys discuss the matter, but don't take all day."

Halo then proceeded to sit down at a nearby desk, opening up her comm. Following this, the members turned around to face Christo as per their habit during their party meetings.

"Come on, guys, let's just do it," Jian said as he took the initiative to persuade the others. "It's just a simple mission anyway. Walk to an old building, snap this and that, take some notes and go home. Maybe kill a few critters and pick up some leaves or rocks on the way. It's just that easy."

The girls contemplated silently. From how Jian described it, the mission really sounded quite simple, a bit too easy even.

"Why are you so timid, Auri? Our little princess have never played in the woods, eh? Don't worry, squirrels don't eat humans, especially scrawny ones like you. Hehehe," teased Jian. Earlier, he had actually sensed Auri's uneasiness after Halo mentioned about this matter.

"Who the fuck thinks that squirrels eat humans!?" Auri immediately lashed back, which made the others laugh. Auri was a bit fuming due to the teasing, but essentially, Jian had managed to relieve her from her prior excessive concern.

"And what about our little general? You seem to oppose the whole venture, not just this particular matter," Jian said as he looked at Natalia. It was apparent that he had gotten much closer to her as he dared to call her with a teasing nickname.

"Sigh... I'll just follow suit. What happened earlier was just my predisposition. If what Halo said is true, then the government is also used to our 'trespassing'. There's no need for me to dwell on this particular one," Natalia said in resignation.

"What about you, Flo? Drai?" Jian asked the other two.

"I don't really mind," Flo replied. "Like I've said before, I love being out in the nature. This matter took me by surprise at first, but I actually look forward to being there regardless if there's a senior with us or not."

"Same with me. I used to train in a similar environment back home, so I'm used to being alone in such places," answered Drai.

"See, Auri? Our fearless Drai will protect you if anything happens, so don't worry too much," Jian reassured. "What if we never get to venture abroad because our party chickened out this time? Imagine the sights we'll be missing out on…"

"Fine, fine! I'll accept the arrangements. Just stop teasing me!" Auri said, pouting in annoyance.

"Haha! So we all agree then. Senior! We're done here!"

As Halo was walking back toward the screen, Christo suddenly said to Jian, "You're not even considering my opinion, huh?"

"Heh! As if there's even a need to ask… I know that you're the most eager one to go just by looking at your expression. I bet you'd even depart today if it were up to you," Jian snidely replied, to which Christo merely smirked.

'How can I not be eager? Even the most mundane ventures can potentially turn exciting with my skills…' Christo inwardly muttered.

Following the group's decision to accept their arrangements, Halo provided more details regarding their departure and accommodations before finally concluding the briefing. Following this, Christo stayed behind to deal with certain matters while the others headed to their usual cafeteria.

***

At the rector's office, Zar and Ravi were having a conversation while sitting before an assortment of pastries and two cups of coffee. Ravi looked shabby as always while Zar was wearing the usual oversized robe, albeit in a different color; today it was violet, adorned with tiny golden stars.

"Hoho, is that so? You must be exaggerating," said Zar as he grabbed a cupcake.

"I kid you not! He didn't even complain one bit! Any other person would've probably run away in tears—not that they'd be able to though," Ravi excitedly explained.

"Well, if it's really true, then that boy of yours is quite something. His stats, which I assume are remarkable, are one thing, but that kind of mental fortitude requires one to have gone through a certain amount of hardships."

"It could also be a skill," Ravi corrected.

"Yes, but skills don't usually appear without a reason," Zar replied amidst his munching.

"True... Anyway, that's how amazing my student is. So how about increasing my research budget? I've brought in an incredible person after all…"

"You've brought him in for your own reasons, Ravi. Don't act like you did it for the academy. If you really did care about Soluna, you would've tried your best to recommend a student every year instead of once a decade."

"I never said that I did it for the academy, but that doesn't make my statement less true. I did bring someone who will excel as one of our graduates. C'mon, Zar, don't be stingy."

Apparently the two were on a first-name basis unlike other professors who would mostly address their colleagues with their title included. This was even more interesting considering the fact that Zar was way older than Ravi.

"Fine… I'll try talking to the Finance Department," Zar finally gave in. After licking his fingers clean, he asked, "Why are you trying so hard, Ravi? Won't your research be completed soon with that boy being here?"

"Of course, but there's a lot more to do after that. You know my goals, right?"

"Ah, yes… the widespread use of your miracle concoction, which you believe will be particularly suitable for oldies like us."

"Yes! And that's why the budget is essential, Zar! How long has it been since your last level up? Probably forever, right? If I manage to perfect my stimulant, not just your stats will rise, level ups will likely also be possible."

"Does it even matter, Ravi? What's the use of a few more stats? It's not like they'll make me much more stronger—or taller."

"Drai definitely sounded smarter even if he only increased his int by two," Ravi argued.

"What was his int previously?" Zar asked.

"I don't know. I'm not that rude to ask him for his exact numbers."

"And here I thought you would've known since you're experimenting on him. Oh well, if he really did seem smarter afterwards, then his int is probably on the low side. Otherwise, the effect wouldn't have been that apparent."

"Hmm… Maybe I'll try asking him to hint at it later. I admit it's a pretty significant matter to figure out," Ravi said.

"Anyway, you're looking mighty confident about your concoction, but I still doubt that its effects are as miraculous as you've described," Zar commented.

"Haha! Just wait and see, Zar. I've got the data on the initial testing and it's really promising. I can't wait to see the results of the first main procedure, hehe," Ravi boasted, his fists clenching passionately.

"Just don't go overboard, Ravi. The boy's safety should be your number one priority."

"Don't worry, I haven't gone senile yet. But you on the other hand... Looking at your age, I can't help but worry."

"What did you say again, Ravi? Oh, you're craving for a quick swim, aren't you?" Zar said as he raised his index finger, opening a portal behind him that revealed a large body of water.

Ravi gulped nervously as he faced this familiar sight. It wasn't the first time Zar had threatened to teleport him due to his remarks, and it also wouldn't be Ravi's first dip in Rivida Park's lake if Zar really followed through his threat. The swimming wasn't the worst part though, the return trip in soaked clothes was.

Seeing the meek Ravi, Zar felt satisfied and retracted his finger, closing the portal.

"Anyway, take good care of the boy and yourself, Ravi," Zar said after gulping down his coffee. "Storms are brewing…"

Hearing this, Ravi's expression turned solemn. He knew that Zar's not one to joke about this kind of matter. Although Ravi didn't know the details, he was somewhat aware of Zar's knowledge—and perhaps involvement—of various consequential matters occurring behind the scenes.

"I'm not privy to the specifics as usual, right? Then at least tell me whether it will affect my research or even Drai's well-being," Ravi said with a slightly pleading tone.

"It depends on which storm you're referring to. Some of them may implicate you and the boy, along with the academy, whereas a few others…"

Zar briefly paused as he gazed far ahead, his eyes turned solemn.

"…may just turn the whole continent upside down."

A bead of sweat dripped down Ravi's forehead as his face turned pale. A part of him regretted asking Zar about the matter, for he would have to live his days knowing about the approaching storms without being unable to do anything about them.

***