CHAPTER16: CHAD’S SECRET
"I’m ready. Let’s do this!"
Alex had made up his mind—he was finally going to learn how to harness Qi. His AI smartwatch, "Rey," began teaching him the fundamentals, starting with meditation.
Under the soft glow of the moon, Alex sat cross-legged in the small courtyard. Outwardly, he appeared motionless, but inside, Rey was gradually guiding him to sense and gather his inner force—the mysterious energy field known as "Qi" in Eastern traditions.
"Slowly feel the Qi flowing through your body, like an invisible river of stardust moving in perfect harmony—endless, perpetual."
As Rey explained, Alex started to sense a faint energy coursing within him. It was as if he had just unlocked a whole new world.
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Time passed unnoticed. Under the moonlight, Alex stood up and stretched out his right hand, palm facing upward. He concentrated, channeling the energy flow from within his body toward his palm.
With a soft "whoosh," an invisible swirl of air formed in his hand. Excited, Alex shouted,
"I did it!"
But in the very next moment, his excitement turned to disappointment—the energy dissipated just as quickly as it had appeared.
"It vanished so fast…"
Frustrated, he slumped back down. But Rey reassured him,
"Don’t be discouraged. I actually expected it to take you much longer to even form Qi. You’re already doing well."
Alex smiled faintly, but before he could respond, a voice called from behind him.
"Alex, what are you doing out here so late?"
Startled, Alex turned around—it was Chad.
Chad had been on high alert, always watching for the murderous AI machines that could strike at any moment. He had just noticed that Alex was missing and went out to find him.
"I… couldn’t sleep," Alex quickly thought of an excuse. "I wanted to practice fighting those AI machines… Did I wake you? Sorry about that…"
He instinctively patted the gun holstered at his side, hoping the explanation sounded believable. Fortunately, Chad had no reason to doubt him.
"You want to learn how to aim faster? I can teach you."
Chad offered eagerly, leaving Alex with no choice but to accept. And so, Chad began instructing him on battle tactics for fighting AI machines.
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After some training, the two sat down to rest and drink some water. Alex, recalling the tension he had sensed from Chad earlier at dinner, couldn’t hold back his curiosity.
"Chad, is something bothering you? You didn’t seem too happy when you got here."
Chad sighed, his expression darkening. He stood up, fiddling with his gun in silence for a moment before finally speaking.
"My wife… was taken in this area."
Alex was caught off guard by the revelation.
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"I met her in the resistance. We fought side by side on the same team… but one day, during a battle against these AI machines, she… she saved me. She pushed me out of the way, and before I could do anything, I had to watch as they took her into 'The Hive'… I was completely powerless."
His voice grew heavy with anger and regret.
"I emptied every last bullet trying to save her, but nothing worked. I hated myself for not being strong enough. I still don’t know if there’s even a way to take down those soulless killing machines…"
Chad’s emotions boiled over—he picked up a rock and hurled it into the distance, his frustration and sorrow unable to find any other release.
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"Trainer Chad, you know about Anna Rain, right?"
Alex suddenly brought up Anna after listening in silence, though his intentions remained unclear.
"Of course I do. I also heard that the young master of the Hawk family joined the resistance all because of her..."
This story had spread throughout Rockridge Valley back then, so Chad was well aware. But now, Alex seemed unable to hide it any longer. He stood up and told Chad directly:
"I want to rescue Anna... That’s the real reason I joined this search mission!"
Alex finally revealed his true motive. He and Chad locked eyes for a long moment before, surprisingly, Chad chuckled and said:
"I already figured that out. If we still can't find that scientist in the next few days, then we’ll head there. But only if the rest of Squad 6 agrees."
Alex was relieved to see Chad being so understanding and thanked him repeatedly.
"Thanks… I was already preparing to go alone if I had to."
Chad waved a hand dismissively with a faint smile.
"Get some rest, young master."
With that, Alex had overcome his first obstacle. Now, his next challenge awaited—training his Qi.
"I have to make some real progress in the next few days!"
Determined, he steeled himself for the task ahead.
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Meanwhile, in Tacoma, the rain poured relentlessly.
Leo, Anna, and two injured squad members had been hiding in an underground shelter for the past three days. Conditions were tough, but at least their rations were holding up, allowing them to chat and pass the time while waiting for the mechanical army to leave.
Then, something strange happened.
The massive Nest that had taken over Tacoma suddenly blared a deep, thunderous horn. Startled, Anna and Leo decided to sneak outside and investigate.
"Why is it making that noise?" Leo asked.
Anna frowned.
"No idea… unless… it achieved some objective and is about to retreat?"
Her guess was on the mark. The Nest began shifting its enormous legs, shaking the entire city as it prepared to move westward toward the mainland. Meanwhile, the biomechanical soldiers were being recalled, leaving only a few mechanical spiders patrolling the streets.
Leo and Anna exchanged uneasy glances.
"Are they really leaving? Could it be..."
A chilling sense of foreboding crept over them. Without hesitation, they rushed back to the shelter.
Inside, their squadmates were already listening to a transmission from Commander Cade.
"Attention all resistance squads—unfortunately, based on intercepted intel, the Nest has found the scientist."
The news spread quickly across all remaining search teams, including Squad 6.
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"Attention all resistance squads—unfortunately, based on intercepted intel, the Nest has found the scientist."
Gathered around their communicator, Squad 6 took in the grim update. The weight of it pressed especially hard on Alex—he was the only one who had truly known Dr. Jiaang.
That day, Jiaang had insisted on staying behind to cover Alex’s escape. Deep down, Alex had already accepted that the scientist likely wouldn’t make it. Now, he could only hope Jiaang was still alive.
With the mission officially over, Chad addressed the squad openly:
"Since the search is finished, we should be heading back to Rockridge Valley. However… someone here wants to play the hero. Now’s the time for you all to decide—do you want to return, or go with him? No pressure. It’s your choice."
Chad turned to Alex, who stepped forward.
"I know we haven’t known each other for long, so I can’t ask you to come with me. But I need to rescue someone I care about. I want to prove myself to her. If you think that’s a shallow reason, that’s fine—I’ll go alone."
With those words, Alex stood his ground, looking each of them in the eye.
Silence followed.
What would they decide?