"What happened in the Ninth Wave?" Oliver asked.

Nico felt his mouth go dry upon hearing the question. He stared intently at his drink while thinking about how to tell the story.

"The Ninth Wave was the easiest we've ever had," Nico said, mimicking the army's propaganda.

"They weren't entirely wrong. We finally had enough weaponry to fight the Orks head-on—tanks and mechs capable of facing the horrors they brought to the battlefield," the mentor explained. "Compared to the other waves, it was true. But it doesn't mean we had fewer fierce battles or fewer disasters happening."

Oliver nodded; the army still explained it this way today—that the last waves were simple to defend, with almost no losses.

"At that time, I had just graduated as a Ranger. I was a prodigy, the best in my class. Every mission I was sent on was a guaranteed success," Nico explained. "I felt invincible, and in a way, I was—or rather, I am."

He sighed as he recalled his experiences. Before continuing, the mentor took one of the ice cubes from his drink and started playing with it on the table. He tried to calm himself and avoid the feelings he was experiencing.

"My fame and success had gone to my head, although I was a good person. I think," Nico continued the story. "I believe I told you about my experience when I evolved; back then, I was constantly evolving, always increasing my power, and because of that, I was sent on increasingly difficult missions."

"On that planet, I made my biggest mistake during that mission. My squad and I were called for an emergency; at the time, we didn't yet have interstellar teleportation. So only my ship was close enough to help," Nico continued. "I don't even remember which planet it was. However, we descended to one of the colonies; Orks would attack them in the next few hours. We knew which attack squad would approach them; there was no chance that colony would survive or that we could even defend it."

Oliver couldn't imagine the level of the Orks' power, to the point that Nico's squad could not defend the base.

"All we could do was evacuate as quickly as possible. However, as quickly as possible wasn't quick enough," Nico commented. "It was an entire city, tens of thousands of people, yet a good part of the population still needed to be vacated. That's when we received the order to evacuate immediately; we were to leave the locals and return to our ship."

"Fuck," was all Oliver could say.

"The order came from someone much higher up. To them, the planet was lost; even if some escape ships fled, they would possibly be shot down by the Orks in orbit," Nico explained. "However, I was corrupted by my power and desire to save those people—to be the hero."

Nico lowered his head and rested it in both hands. His voice became choked with each new word he spoke; his throat was dry.

"Nevertheless, I went against orders and stayed on the planet. M-my squad and I faced the Ork attack line, an elite troop set up to carry out a quick attack," Nico continued. “Kid, I've already told you, that fight we had today doesn't even compare to experienced Orks. Those whose skin has already turned red—those, those are real monsters.”

"I hope you never have to encounter an Ork like that during your time with the NEA. But let me clarify: a good Ork is a dead Ork. There's no middle ground with them. They are sadistic animals." Nico's hands trembled as he explained.

"The moment one of them realized I couldn't die—" Nico paused, his voice shaking. "He tore off my arms and legs, pinned me against a wall."

Tears streamed down the Ranger's face.

"He made sure I was alive to witness the massacre. He killed my comrades—more than two hundred Rangers—in front of me. But not before slowly torturing them and raping the women who remained in the city and the squad." Oliver could feel Nico's energy emanating beneath his skin. His emotion of hatred was so pure that the mentor seemed to have lost control over his powers. However, as quickly as the energy began to flow, it stopped.

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"Each of those Rangers stayed because of my order. Even if it was the right thing to do to save civilians, Rangers are rare and difficult to train; many others had to die and suffer during the Ninth Wave because of a terrible decision," Nico sighed, finishing recounting his experience.

Oliver didn't know what to say, partly because he didn't fully grasp the gravity of Nico's experience.

He believed that Nico's mistake was human but understood that his decision had cost the lives of all his colleagues and companions. At the same time, he had saved the lives of thousands of civilians.

Nico took another sip of his drink; the ice that had been on the table had already melted.

"Because of this incident, I was dishonorably discharged from the New Earth Army and became damaged goods to the Houses. No one wants a mad dog who disobeys superiors' orders, especially during a war," the mentor explained.

"Damn. I don't know what to say," Oliver commented. "Today, I believe you made the right decision. That was your view of what a Ranger should do—put their life on the line to save civilians."

"But that's not what everyone thinks, even within my squad," Nico replied.

"Aaaah," Oliver sighed, contemplating the difficult decision.

'If it had been me, would I have abandoned or stayed?' He didn't know. His instinct until now was to focus on surviving, but at the same time, he had rushed to save Katherine when he saw her falling into the river.

The boy patted the mentor's shoulder, offering some support.

"But how did your reputation become so tarnished?" Oliver asked.

"Upon returning and being discharged, the NEA placed all responsibility for the operation on my shoulders. Then they just let the public become outraged, especially the Rangers' families." Nico explained.

Oliver had already witnessed the NEA's political maneuvers and understood that he would only be protected while he was in their good graces or remained useful. The moment he slipped, he would be discarded.

This whole scenario diminished his desire to become a Ranger even more.

Nico breathed more easily after getting the story off his chest; Oliver was the first person he had told about what happened since the investigation concluded.

The two sat silently for a while, just observing the bar, the people around them, and a group of old men arguing over a card they had found.

"Have you thought about which division you want to join?" Nico asked.

"What do you mean?" Oliver didn't quite understand the question.

"Kid, you have the potential to become a Ranger. Without a doubt," Nico explained.

"Right. But what's the deal with the divisions?" Oliver asked.

"Hmm, maybe they'll only teach you about this later?" Nico wondered aloud. "There are five divisions: Red, Blue, Yellow, Black, and Pink."

Oliver nodded; up to that point, he understood.

"Each division has a different function. Red is assault. Blue is research and reconnaissance. Yellow is logistics and supplies. Black is defense, and Pink is medical."

"Oh!" Oliver finally grasped it.

Until that moment, he hadn't known there was any connection between the divisions and their responsibilities.

"But should I already be thinking about this?" Oliver asked.

"Absolutely!" Nico explained. "At the end of the three months, if you're selected, you'll be evaluated based on the specialties of each division. Depending on your score, you may choose one or more divisions, but in many cases, your evaluation will only allow you to access a specific division."

"Right," Oliver replied, thinking about which division would be best for him.

"Kid, do you still intend to find out what happened to your parents?" Nico asked.

Oliver looked down at the table and thought deeply. He had already made peace with the past; he had tried to forget about the First Wave. He was no longer the Oliver who had lived in Seoul.

At least, that's what he told himself. But the moment Nico touched on this wound, a dormant desire rekindled within him. He wanted to know where his parents were and what had happened to them.

"I-it's been over a hundred years," Oliver said in a low voice. "What are the chances?"

"That's not what I asked," Nico replied. "Do you want to know what happened?"

"Y-yes. I do," Oliver answered firmly.

"Then use this information wisely. This is my last gift before you return to the academy," Nico explained. "Although all divisions should be equal, with the same powers and influence, in reality, it's not quite like that."

Oliver nodded, beginning to understand what Nico was getting at.

"Some divisions have more political influence than others. If you ask anyone in the academy, ninety percent will say they want to be part of the Reds," the mentor commented.

"They're not wrong; it's the best decision regarding career, influence, and power. Obviously, this makes them arrogant, real jerks. But if you truly want to find your family or discover what happened to them, your best chance is undoubtedly with the Reds," the mentor explained.

"You need to be a Red Ranger."