Oliver was still exhausted, and now carrying another person on his back hadn’t made his journey any easier. But as he crossed the creek, he could finally breathe easier. Even if a few stray Crabits appeared, they were confident they could avoid them and, at worst, simply run away.
However, their planning proved unnecessary. As soon as they crossed the river and approached the hill, dozens of soldiers surrounded them. Oliver recognized that they were all wearing Artificial Ranger Armor, but they didn’t act like cadets. Similar to what he had seen Katherine do, they seemed to have control over the shape of their armor.
Before Oliver could understand what was happening or communicate with the soldiers, Captain Caine was already standing before him.
"Are you injured?" the captain asked bluntly.
"I-I’m not, but Katherine is," Oliver replied.
Two soldiers approached, taking the girl off Oliver’s back and placing her on a stretcher. Both soldiers had symbols on their arms, indicating they were field medics. One knelt beside the stretcher, pointing a hand over the girl, a faint light.
“Initiating Scan,” the field medic announced.
Meanwhile, the second soldier read the results on their gauntlet.
"She appears to have fractured a few ribs, captain, and shows signs of exhaustion. But she's not in any danger. We’ll extract the patient now," one of the soldiers informed Captain Caine as they lifted the stretcher.
Neither Oliver nor Katherine had time to say goodbye. The girl was taken to one of the transport trucks and quickly whisked away for treatment. Oliver, on the other hand, was summoned by the captain to join him in a second vehicle.
In New San Francisco, Oliver hadn’t had many opportunities to use cars or motorcycles. His experience had been mostly with subways and buses, but the technology for those types of vehicles hadn’t changed much. That’s why, when he entered what appeared to be a futuristic Humvee, his eyes lit up with excitement. It was just the two of them inside the transport, and yet neither was driving. The captain pressed a few buttons on one of the screens, and the car began to move automatically.
While Oliver was fascinated by the vehicle, marveling at every detail of the shiny dashboard and the soft seats, Caine was observing the boy, trying to read his expressions and movements to discern truth from exaggeration or simplicity.
"So, to summarize: You spotted the horde attacking because you were separated from the group. When you saw the cadet falling into the water, you didn’t inform other officers and decided to jump in after her," Caine paused slightly, waiting for a response. "Is that correct?"
"Yes." Oliver stopped admiring the transport and turned to look at the captain. "At the time, I didn’t think about informing anyone. The captains were already overwhelmed with the Crabits, so I just jumped into the water."
Caine was using his Boon to absorb all of Oliver’s senses. Without the boy knowing, they were sharing vision and touch. During each response, the captain used touch to feel Oliver’s heart rate and vision to track where he was looking. It wasn’t a perfect technique, but it indicated that the boy was telling the truth.
"After you fell into the water, you ended up on the other side of the riverbank, and upon returning, you faced a Basilisk. Yet you’re still uninjured?" Caine continued questioning.
"That’s right. At first, we thought it was Pawn-level. But when I tried to use a boon only applicable to pawns, we discovered the creatures' power: a Knight-level monster." The boy looked at the captain, trying to recall what had happened. "Regarding the injuries, Katherine acted as the frontline, which is why she was wounded, and I served as artillery."
Both paused for a moment until the boy spoke again.
"If she hadn't been there, neither of us would have made it back. It was both impressive and terrifying." The boy remarked. Now that the danger had passed, it was easier to reflect on how close to death they both had been at several moments.
"Hmm," Caine needed more information to verify what had happened. "And what is your Boon?"
"I can observe movement patterns in opponents that are at a lower level than me." Oliver hadn’t told anyone about his recent level-up and preferred to keep it that way. However, Caine noticed a slight variation in his vision and heart rate, but it didn’t seem like Oliver was lying. It was clear that he was withholding some information. Still, it was within what the captain expected—rarely anyone would be entirely forthcoming about the full extent of their powers.
"Oliver…" Caine took a deep breath before continuing. "I’m also Nameless, so I will try to explain what will happen."
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Oliver looked confused, not fully understanding what the captain was getting at.
"Nameless are not just seen as a problem by the Empire, but also as disposable." The captain glanced out the transport window as he continued his explanation. "I’ve been through cases similar to what you’re about to face. What happened yesterday was a major failure by the military that would normally be covered up. But this time, it involved someone very important, from a highly influential family."
The boy was starting to piece things together, realizing that the York family was that powerful.
‘No wonder they control Mars,’ Oliver thought.
"The military will look for a scapegoat. In this investigation, you will undoubtedly be one of the main targets," Caine turned back to face the boy before finishing the topic. "And the military doesn’t play fair, especially against someone without influence in the Empire."
“What! But I had nothing to do with it?” Oliver asked incredulously.
"It doesn't matter," Caine explained. "The moment you entered the Academy and got involved with a Grand House, you were already a piece on the board."
Oliver wanted to protest, to complain. All he had done was save someone, and now he had a target on his back—worse, from people far more powerful than him, and he had no idea how to navigate it.
"Professor. What can I do?" Oliver asked, hoping Caine had a way out of this situation.
"Cooperate with the investigation and try not to draw attention. The sooner this matter fades, the safer it will be for you." Caine gave a brief explanation.
The boy nodded, hoping this would end soon and he could finally return to his bed and rest.
The rest of the journey was quieter. Caine had no more questions to ask, and Oliver was lost in his thoughts, trying to organize his next steps and reflect on what had happened in the past few days. One thing was clear: he would be the target of the investigation, and he needed to stay under the radar.
‘This is only happening because the Army doesn’t see me as valuable and because I don’t belong to a House.’ Oliver rationalized.
Staying under the radar might work this time, but for how long? Oliver understood that in this new world, power was everything—whether political or destructive. He needed to find a way to start evolving his own power.
When they arrived at the settlement, there were no longer any lines outside the Teleportation Center. The other students had already been evacuated, leaving only the planet’s residents behind. Many of them were quickly moving through the streets, several wearing mining gear. Others were operating small Mechs used for moving cargo.
Caine stayed with Oliver until the boy entered the teleporter. However, the captain didn’t return to the Academy; he needed to report the mission's outcome.
Oliver opened his eyes and was back at the Academy. The building with the teleporters was empty, with only one last crew remaining inside. When he looked at the sky, it was late afternoon on Earth. He didn’t have any classes today and needed to rest to recover.
Oliver slowly walked toward the dormitory, enjoying the path and finally taking a moment to catch up. When he checked his gauntlet, the Chat and Net functions had returned. His first instinct was to check his 'Status Page.'
| Status Page
| User: Oliver [Nameless]
| Level: 2 [Pawn]
| Experience: [189/200]
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| Stats
| Strength: 6 [Pawn]
| Agility: 14 [Knight]
| Constitution: 5 [Pawn]
| Energy: 14 [Knight]
‘71 Exp Points in two days… not bad?’ Oliver wasn’t sure about the pace of others, as no one had mentioned Experience Points. However, based on his experience, 71 points would take weeks of intense training.
His next instinct was to check the Ranking.
| Ranking [Cancelled]
| 1 - William Forester [First Battalion - 13th Group] - 109 Kills
| 2 - Gregory Torres [First Battalion - 1st Group] - 98 Kills
| 3 - Amanda Romanov [First Battalion - 12th Group] - 92 Kills
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| 22 - Oliver (Nameless) [Second Battalion - 14th Group] - 41 Kills
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He wasn’t sure how to feel. 22nd place seemed reasonable, especially given his number of Kills. But compared to other students, he still felt there was an almost insurmountable gap. Even so, a smile formed on his face.
If it hadn’t been for his idea and Astrid’s encouragement, he wouldn’t have grown so much in just one day.
When he arrived at the dormitory, the room was still empty. Many cadets were still finishing their classes or having dinner—two things Oliver had no interest in doing today.
He reached his bed and simply collapsed onto it. On the first day, this bed might have been uncomfortable, but today it felt like it was made of angel feathers, caressing every inch of his back.
Just before sleep took him, he took a moment to learn ‘Send.’
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| Channels
| TransportTruckFromHell [3] [Private]
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| TransportTruckFromHell
| [OliverKR] Hey! I’m back
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