The black door leads to a mess hall. The laughter of the veterans and the rookies can be heard. Fresh food and cold drinks are being served, and the joyous atmosphere is infectious. I then noticed Katharina eating alone in the corner.

"Hey, newbie! Stop moping and come eat with us."

"Yeah, rookie, come sit with us!"

The familiar faces of Renard and Adriana showed up. They are accompanied by the rookies who survived the "Training Day." Their smiling faces give Katharina a sense of comfort.

"Okay, okay, sheesh, I'll come right now. Just wait a bit."

Katharina took a huge spoonful of food and stuffed it in her mouth. She then quickly stood up with the tray in her hand. Renard saw this and quickly laughed at Katharina while pointing at her.

"Goddamnit... HAHAHA... rookie, you are quite funny. Here, sit beside us."

"Dang, newbie, I didn't know you could shoot like that. Where did you even learn that?"

Katharina sat beside Adriana, her face still full of food. She then swallowed it and smiled at Adriana before drinking some water.

"Ahhhh... I don't really know, Adriana. I just aimed at the leader, and then he just fell down."

"You are a natural, newbie. It's good to have you on the team."

"Dang, you hit a moving target that has speed magic with a damn pistol. Now that is quite an impressive feat, rookie."

"Whoops, sorry, we didn't introduce ourselves properly. My name is Renard, and these folks right here are Austin, Red, Wallace, Lotus, and lastly, Wilhelm."

"Nice to meet you all. My name is Katharina."

It was quite a peaceful atmosphere. At least Katharina felt a sense of normalcy here. I then noticed the mercenaries that had just arrived. They were much more armed and armored, with Bracus, the leader, in the middle.

"Attention, everyone. The mission was a success. To all veterans and the rookies who took part in the mission, I will be giving you some rewards, so please enjoy the night and celebrate."

Bracus's voice echoed, and cheers erupted from the veterans and rookies. Bracus then walked toward Katharina's group, his face smiling and his actions calm.

"So... who killed the leader during the mission?"

"It was Katharina, sir. She killed the leader of the enemy using that pistol, sir."

"Ahh, young lady, I will have to discuss something with you in private. Can you come with me?"

"Of... course, sir."

Katharina then stood up. Renard and Adriana assured her that nothing would happen. The mercenaries and Katharina then walked outside the mess hall. They first walked down a long corridor, both of them silent, until they arrived at an office.

"Take a seat, young lady. The rookies said you killed the leader. That kind of potential should not be wasted, young lady."

"Thank you, sir. It was simply luck."

"Please don't humble yourself. May I ask, young lady, do you know how to read?"

"A bit, sir... I don't have any kind of education, sir."

"Don't worry about it. Pickard here will teach you. And also, I want you to keep this a secret, young lady. Please follow me."

Bracus then walked toward the bookshelf. He removed a book, and a hidden mechanism suddenly clicked, revealing a hidden staircase. Bracus and his mercenary entered, followed by Katharina.

"Young lady... these are the hidden dungeons. I want you to keep this a secret. Do you understand?"

"... Sir, may I ask, why did you choose me for this? I am just a newbie here."

"That, young lady, is because of your potential. I can see it in your eyes—you hold some power within. Do you know, young lady, that I don't have any kind of offensive magic?"

"No, sir... then you are a suppor—"

"Supporter... yes, I am a supporter. I can sense the mana within; I can then gauge what rank you are. Sometimes it's not perfect, but at least it's something."

I followed them behind. They reached a prison hall, where many prisoners were tied up in chains. Some were manic and screaming, while others were violent, trying to escape their chains.

"Pickard, you will teach the young lady how to read. Also, give her a sniper rifle, young lady."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Understood, sir."

"Now then, young lady, I will be assigning you to the Ghost Division. Of course, you will accompany the rookies to gain combat experience."

"May I ask, sir, what is the Ghost Division?"

"The Ghost Division handles assassination, extracting information, and espionage."

"... I don't understand, sir."

"Don't worry, young lady. You will understand soon enough."

This is the place where Katharina learned how to torture that guy in the video and track Adriana to the bunker... Ghost Division... Is that why Katharina's actions or habits are not showing? I will need to learn more about this.

"Pickard, you will teach this young lady how to extract information."

"Of course, sir. Please follow me."

Katharina then followed Pickard to a cell where a man was tied up in a chair. He was crying, trying to plead with his eyes, his mouth covered with tape.

"Okay then, missy, wait here. I will be taking some tools from the counter."

Pickard then left the cell, leaving Katharina behind with the man. He kept screaming, but his voice was muffled. Katharina looked at the man in pity.

"Mmmphh... Mmmppph... Mmmmppphh!"

"Shut it, you!"

A slap was then heard. Pickard arrived with an assortment of tools, his face smiling—he was enjoying the man's suffering.

"Okay, missy, this is a thumbscrew, this is a spiked baton, this is a tool for the blood eagle, and my favorite one is the tongue tearer."

"Sir, what are these things?"

"These things are for taking information. I'll show you."

Pickard then used the thumbscrew and inserted it on the man's finger. The man screamed in his muffled voice, and Pickard laughed at him.

"Fucker... tell me where the headquarters of Andanial Merc Corp is. If you don't fucking tell, I'll fucking insert this into you."

Pickard then removed the tape from the man's mouth. Katharina was baffled by his reaction. Crying and shouting could be heard in the cell.

"Please, I don't know. I am just a hired merc. The head executive won't tell any of us."

"Stop lying, fucker. Missy, use that baton and hit his damn thigh. I want the shape of the spike to be formed on his thigh."

"But—"

"No buts. Just do it, missy."

Katharina was shaking as she grabbed the baton. She then slammed it on the man's thigh, and he screamed, praying to God.

"God, please, I don't really know... it hurts, please stop."

"Again."

Thud.

"Arghhhh... please stop!"

"Again."

Thud.

"No more... no more... God, it hurts so much, please don't kill me, I have a family."

"Again."

Thud.

"Stop, please, have mercy, my son is waiting for me at home."

Katharina kept slamming the man's thighs. The wounds opened up, revealing his crushed bones. Blood splattered everywhere, and bits of flesh hung from his thigh.

"Please stop! I will tell. It is in the northern region of Germania. There is a secret underground bunker in the city of Kamforth. Please, that's all I know!"

"Okay, the dead man does talk. Anyway, lady, since he finally spilled the beans, I want you to use the tongue tearer."

"No! No! No! Please let me go. I told you the location. Please, I will do anything, just don't kill me."

"But sir... he did tell the location."

"Missy, you have to understand that in war, we have to use every means to win. This fucker right here is still hiding something. That is why all kinds of information are needed. And besides, missy, dead men tell no tales."

What happened next was one of the most gruesome tortures I had ever witnessed. The man's screams as he struggled to escape his chains sent shivers down my spine. His ribs on his back formed like wings, blood dripping, his face sunken—there were no signs of his original face. It was a disgusting procedure, and on top of it all, Katharina was silent as she did all these things to the man.

"Ahh, missy, you are quite a fast learner... Now then, time to dispose of the body. Do you know how to butcher a human?"

"No..."

"Well, you learn now."

I didn't watch the procedure anymore. I was feeling sick; I wanted to vomit. This fucked-up mercenary group... they train kids to do this kind of shit... Fuck... Katharina, do you still hold your sanity? How many years have you been with this mercenary group?

I finally noticed a black door. I wish her subconscious is in there at least. I can try to converse with her. My hands and legs were shaking as I walked toward the door. I then opened it, and the cold darkness greeted me.

It was a conference meeting where all the men and women of the Knights of Kaldoon gathered. In the center of the stage was Bracus, explaining their mission on a holographic map.

"Everyone, the Weiss Family has hired us to attack a warehouse of the Enlytic Corporation in the city of Eurossia, called Vatstadanya. The mission is to steal the new tech called the Alcubierre Mana Drive. The Weiss Family will provide all of the heavy weapons, such as tanks, soldiers, some mechs, and artillery."

"Adriana, come here. You will explain the battle plan for the assault."

Adriana then stepped up to the stage, her prosthetic legs echoing as she walked. She was handed a microphone to begin her explanation.

"Everyone, this mission requires 30 regiments of the Knights of Kaldoon. Our plan is to split into at least three divisions. The first division will consist of the veterans and the heavy weaponry. You will be the spearhead of the attack, and your main job is to cause as much damage as possible.

"For the second division, you will be the flankers. When the enemy is distracted, your main job will be to get into the back lines and create havoc there.

"And lastly, the third division, your job is to sneak into the warehouse. But don't worry—you will be armed with the best gear possible. You will be tasked with stealing the Alcubierre Mana Drive. If successful, retrieval will be initiated.

"So that's all. Of course, we have some fail-safes if things don't go as planned. If you have any questions, please ask."

No one in the crowd seemed to have any questions. Bracus then approached the stage, his demeanor calm.

"The mission will start approximately on Thursday at 16:00. I want all of you to be rested and in top form, understood? Now, you are all dismissed."

The meeting finally ended, and Adriana made her way down from the stage to meet Katharina and Renard. They were now 16 years old and had become veterans of the Knights of Kaldoon.

"That was a nice speech, Adriana. Dang, I thought you might stumble, you know."

"You were less nervous, comrade... I'm proud of you, hehe."

Adriana smiled at the two, and they made their way to the exit. Crowds of people were also leaving, and the voices of the three could barely be heard as they finally reached their bunk beds.

"Shit... What do you think of this Weiss Family? It seems like info is lacking on them."

"Yeah, even the Info Brokers say that a family member of theirs is in a quarrel, but those are just rumors."

"Look, both of you, don't worry about those small details. The important thing is we're getting paid, and I can't wait for the game system."

The three were deep in discussion. Their client's information was unknown—not even a damn speck could be found, except for the rumors.

'So I was right that Katharina only got a few bits of info on me.'

The calm serenity of the room was suddenly shattered when a red door appeared. Its mana was like a storm, violently spreading. I then made my way inside, revealing what was behind the door.