Our mission was, in name, a search and destroy operation.

We were tasked with finding and eradicating an advancing Scourge troop numbering no more than 200. Because this troop was located around Forward Base Treehouse, we would be receiving help from the soldiers stationed there.

The difficult part about this whole operation wasn’t the battle, but the journey. The forward base was over a day’s drive away. We’d also be heading out with a full convoy’s worth of supplies for the base, so our secondary objective was simply getting there safely with all the supply trucks in one piece.

Everybody was participating. We had a Snow Dove duo, ranked Authority Nine and Ten, escorting us and acting essentially as heavy weapons during the main extermination. A bunch of normal troops and even a few mundane people were mixed in as well, filling out numbers to handle logistics like driving and unloading.

After our briefing was over, I stepped aside to speak with Polly.

There was a gap between the Stronghold and the Treehouse that had no communications. The only way the two bases communicated with each other was via a long-range Pulse Node, but that was only good for short burst long-range transmission. Our portable Aerials didn’t have enough power to cast to either base while we were between them. We’d be on our own.

Since my Aerial hosted its own Node, we’d be able to maintain local communications if necessary. But I wouldn’t be able to talk with Polly. Hopefully, we wouldn’t need her. She was primarily there if we needed reinforcements. But if there was something even our Authority 10 couldn’t handle, then having a line to her would be good for nothing more than letting her know we were soon to be dead.

So I didn’t worry much about communications. We had heavy hitters on our side, which was all I could ask for. Instead, I was concerned with the responsibilities as Liaison I would have to carry out, such as filing reports. I left the briefing room with a small stack of papers that Polly wanted done by the time we returned.

After all that, I went and got ready to deploy. I requisitioned some camping gear and packed another set of clothes for the road. I also packed some extra blankets for more camping comfort, as well as other miscellaneous supplies for a multi-day trip.

As for transportation, I decided I would be a passenger princess for this mission. Fuck if I was driving a bike all the way out there. I’d rather sit down and study.

Before long, the convoy was ready to leave. It was about an hour after sunrise that the gates flew open.

I was placed aboard a Steed with Squad Two by Pollux. Apparently Amary was with Squad Three, and she was bummed when she found out we wouldn’t be riding together. I was not.

Instead, I got to meet some new people. After crawling into the Steed and taking my place on one of the chairs bolted to the wall of the huge cargo hold, the now company-sized convoy rolled to the gates.

“You’re clear to deploy, Commander.”

“Roger. Let’s roll, Pathfinders.”

With his word, the vehicles rumbled through the gates. I took a look at my map after we diverted off our last trail.

Hare’s Pass was north of the Stronghold. The forward base was eastward. So we turned off the northern trail and changed our heading.

The path was winding, seldom tread, and not very smooth. Thankfully, these Steeds seemed to have half-decent shocks. It wasn’t unbearably uncomfortable.

I took my free time to not study, but do some much needed projection into my fifth dimension.

Most of the weapons I had now – the M1, StG 44, and Browning A5 – were all fantastic weapons, but they were also incredibly easy to find. There were surely many more powerful weapons that would boost my power until I finally advanced, but they would also take commensurate time investment.

The poison gas, flamethrower, and satchel charges were examples of these increasingly lethal weapons. And I definitely hadn’t searched the entire dimension. I knew there was more, and I was eager to find out what was in store for me.

Luckily there wasn’t anything to distract me. The day passed, and we made great progress toward the base, yet still had to stop around midnight to camp out.

Unfortunately, I only got four hours of sleep at camp since we spent a grand total of six hours camped out. Most of the other soldiers were well rested when we woke at sunrise. I, on the other hand, felt like killing myself.

I continued to miserably half-sleep on the Steed as we drove the rest of the way to the Treehouse. When I woke back up around noon, we were only a few hours out.

I yawned before looking around at the rest of Squad Two.

There were ten people in Squad Two besides myself. Six were warlocks and four were knights. Anulle, a warlock I had met before, was one of them.

I had talked to them a bit, but not much since I was busy scouring my 5th star. It seemed to suit them perfectly fine, since they also had romantic partners with them. More than half of them were involved with one of their squadmates, and only two – the driver and a knight – were single.

There were a lot of relationships in this platoon, and the Commander didn’t separate them. It made me melancholic.

I wanted my girlfriend so badly…

After groaning internally, I sighed and climbed up into one of the Steed’s turrets and looked off into the distance. We were getting close to the base so I looked in its direction, finding it.

Some miles away there was a ring of huge trees bounded by an inappropriately small valley. Each tree was at least 300 meters tall, with thick, densely packed trunks. And within that ring of trees was the Treehouse.

The name was self-explanatory once I saw it. The place was miles away, and the trees were already prominent to the naked eye. When I concentrated, I could see a bit of activity on the walls of the base, which were constructed in the gaps between the trees. There seemed to be tunnels through the trunks as well, allowing the guards to walk the length of the wall all the way around.

Natural fortifications, and from my guesses, magical in some way. I could certainly feel a distinct Aura from it all, one that towered with the trees and radiated from their very leaves.

The guards on the walls spotted us on approach, and, before long, we were rolling through a pair of trees, between which was an open gate, fresh growth around its hinges.

I took in a deep, crisp breath of fresh air. I could almost taste the earthly Aura.

“Disembark and start unloading supplies! The sooner we get everything into storage, the sooner you get to relax!”

Pollux started shouting orders orders while walking over alongside the Authority Nine and Ten.

“John! Get over here!”

“Sir!”

I heard my name and ran over, tailing the three people silently.

We headed toward the headquarters to meet the overseer of this base. Said overseer had come out to meet us.

“Miron! Glad you could make it.”

“It was either come here or sit on my ass all day. I decided not to be lazy.”

The two Authority Tens greeted each other. Ours was named Miron, apparently.

“How are you, Alois?”

“Can’t complain. Remind me to get you some syrup while you’re here. It gets better every week, especially when the Marshals aren’t hogging it all.”

“Will do. I still can’t believe you managed to snag this position.”

“Right? The only thing that would make it better is if I actually made some extra coin off of this shit.”

The two friends started walking into the headquarters, chattering on the way. Pollux and I silently followed behind, eventually finding our way into a large meeting/war room with some intelligence agents sitting around and working.

At the front was a huge map detailing the surrounding area. I stared at it and committed it to memory as the two behemoths seated themselves.

I only glanced at them once before refraining from looking over at them again. Although I’d had my fair share of encounters with people much stronger than them, Authority Tens sat in a weird spot with me.

They were incredibly powerful from my perspective, which was obvious. But many weren’t capable of controlling their Aura all that well. Those above them were stronger because of their better Auras, usually. They could at least control it, reign it in. Even Carrion could do that.

These two guys weren’t very good at that, or didn’t give a damn, which was probably why they were still Authority Ten. And given my acute sensitivity, being around them was a little… unsettling. It was like being stranded in the middle of the ocean with sharks all around you. Sure, they might not even have you in their mind. But that didn’t make their presence any less disturbing to have around.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Thankfully, by pulling in my own Aura and strictly binding it to my own body, although I became blinded to everything else around me, I also didn’t feel their raging power. It would also render them blind to mine, unless they forcefully probed – although given their lack of control, I wasn’t sure if I would make it out unscathed.

After the two sat down, they started talking business.

“So? What’s the deal? Heard you’re having trouble.”

“Mm. A fairly large Scourge troop is moving in the vicinity. Their threat to us isn’t as annoying as their threat to the surrounding environment. We don’t want them killing off all the Bluesaps and Elaion Flowers, which seems to be one of their goals. They want to drive us out indirectly, and they haven’t been easy to retaliate against. So I called you guys over to help us mount a strike against them.”

“Why not the Snow Doves?”

“Because we’ll need them later. This isn’t a half-assed operation. This is just the vanguard. If we take them out quickly, it’ll be easier to fight them later on. Up until now we’ve just been feeling each other out, engaging in a little bit of foreplay. Now that you’re here though, I intend to fuck their asses raw and send them packing, make them hesitate before coming back for another round later.”

“You’ve always had such a way with words.”

Miron chuckled and looked over at the map. On it were some red markers indicating where attacks had been carried out.

“When should we go?”

“Tonight is what I was planning on. They’ll be vulnerable and most of the Royals will be in one place. Soften them up with magic, charge in, deliver that ass fuckin’, and be home in time for breakfast.”

“Hm, sounds like a thorough plan. Maybe we should let the nerds figure out the details though.”

“Fine by me.”

“Then while they do that, show me that syrup.”

“Heh, right this way.”

Alois grinned and walked away with Miron. Pollux and I, along with our Authority Nine, were left in the room.

Then, a summoner walked over. Surprisingly, he was a Brigadier General, sporting a dragon with a pair of wings on his shoulder.

The Authority Nine seemed to have no intention of talking, so Pollux stepped up, shaking the man’s hand.

“Commander Pollux.”

“Brigadier General Hristo. Call me Hristo, or Brigg. Pleasure.”

The two shook hands before Hristo turned to me, intent on getting my name. I saluted.

“Officer Cooper, sir.”

“Cooper here is our Pathfinders’ Communications Liaison. Recently arrived from Academy.”

Pollux patted my shoulder. Hristo nodded before turning.

“Very well. Now, if you’ll come over here, I’ll attempt to translate our Brigadier’s words from before.”

Hristo waved us over to the map. Seems like they already had something of a plan. Thank God.

In short, it was just like Alois said, just in less crude fashion. We were to mount a night offensive and attack the Scourge encampment while they were at their most consolidated. This encampment wasn’t in the same place every night though, so we needed to find them first. This was actually the most dangerous part.

Hristo wanted to send a small squad out to recon the area they believed the camp would be in. Once found, that squad would need to remain there and keep watch, feeding information on numbers and combatant details back to the rest of the strike force.

Once the time was right, the offensive would kick off. It was simple ambush tactics from then on, with the star of that show being Miron, a fire warlock.

There were some other details as well. Apparently the Scourge was utilizing some odd fleshy organism that was capable of poisoning the surrounding environment, not only killing all normal flora and fauna, but transforming it into some kind of disgusting wasteland of melted biomass.

They wanted to destroy these organisms, formally called Pustule Vaporators, or Pustules for short. That would take detachments to handle and eradicate them after the camp had been destroyed.

The only thing I was worried about was the recon, because that was precisely where I wanted to be.

“I have a few men on our side that can handle infiltration, but it would be good if we can have someone good at collecting information, whether from up close or afar. Unfortunately, those I can offer would be… mediocre at best.”

“Hm.”

After hearing that, Pollux was silent in thought. That’s when I raised my hand.

“Sir, if I may.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to volunteer for the recon position.”

“...”

Both of them were silent, Hristo raised an eyebrow at me before turning to Pollux for his opinion.

After Pollux stared for a little while, he nodded.

“Very well. Brigadier, Cooper here has exceptional eyesight, as well as an Aerial that can relay communications from a great distance, much more than standard devices. It’s true that he would be fitting for the job.”

“... I don’t know if exceptional eyesight will do much. Our knights have good eyes as well, and his weakness as a summoner is a liability in that kind of position.”

“Actually… how do I put this…”

Pollux scratched his head before glancing at me. I raised my hand again.

“If I may explain.”

“Go ahead.”

Hristo responded, prompting me to point at the map. My finger landed on one of the turns on the road that led to the base, one a few miles away and where I had initially popped my head out of the Steed to gaze at the base.

“Sir, while driving to the base around this part of the road, I was able to look at the base from the Steed turret and see the faces of the men who walked along the walls between the trees.”

“... Their faces?”

“Yes sir. My eyes are very good. I can count leaves from a few miles away, and see details from even farther. So I may not be able to tell you the color of someone’s eyes from three miles away, but I could probably tell you if they’re smiling.”

“... You have a Crown, Cooper?”

“I have really good eyes, sir.”

I said that and stepped back, Hristo looking into my golden eyes for a second before nodding.

“Very well. That kind of vision will be an asset. For this recon though, you’ll need to be able to tell me the color of their eyes. I’ll want the smallest details, from the accessories those Royals wear on their clothes to the color of the claws of the beasts within the camp. How close can you get and still collect that information?”

“Depending on the terrain and light conditions-”

“A valley at midnight, possible fog.”

I thought for a moment. “1000 meters.”

“Then we’ll start at 1500 before moving in as necessary. I want you to approach from this direction. It’ll start you out at the best vantage points and allow you to acquire the camp’s location before moving in. As for your team…”

Hristo went quiet for a second.

“I’ll gather them later. The recon team will have their briefing at 1800 hours before moving out no later than 1930 hours. Since that’s taken care of, we can move on to other details.”

“Mm. John, go get some food and rest. You’ll have a long night ahead of you.”

“Yes sir.”

I saluted before heading out of the room, leaving the headquarters.

The recon team was in the most dangerous position. Now that I was on it though, it very quickly became the safest. So long as my team didn’t get me killed, of course.

I smiled. These were the kinds of opportunities I wanted to take. I had no issues putting myself out there. Honestly though, I was surprised Pollux accepted so readily. Seems he had a change in attitude about me, perhaps because of my performance, or something else.

Either way, I got the good position. Being the Liaison had its perks.

……

…

“Key Master!”

Plex strode into the Black Spider Hotel, a wide grin plastered across his face.

The Key Master, contrary to his almost permanent smile characteristic of the front desk clerk, faced Plex with an unamused visage. Never was a frown to be found on his face, but there were certainly no beaming teeth filled with joy.

“Plex. To what do I owe your impolitic presence?”

“Yes, it’s always impolitic when it’s me. But my apprentice steps foot in here and you have the grandest time chatting with him.”

“That apprentice is personable, something he certainly didn’t pick up from his self-proclaimed master.”

“I happen to have many friends.”

“Generously outnumbered by your enemies.”

“I hardly see how that matters. Now speaking of, how is my apprentice doing? Last I saw him he was being carried out of the Magisterium by his girlfriend. I hope he hasn't been eaten by the Scourge yet.”

“...”

The Key Master raised a brow at him, making Plex click his tongue.

He flicked a coin to the Key Master, imperceptibly caught by the recipient. He finally flashed a smile that disappeared as quickly as it came.

“How cheap. Always ransoming my curiosity.”

“One of my favorite pastimes. John is fine, currently stationed at Stronghold Charlie. How he will fit in remains to be seen, but based on his past history, he’ll do just fine.”

“Good! I trained him well.”

“You didn’t train him at all. He’s hardly your apprentice.”

“Hey now, I don’t know why you’re stepping all over my toes. You’re the one who threw him at me.”

“Indeed, one of my few misjudgments.”

The Key Master sighed. Plex leaned against the front table as some guests walked in.

After waiting and letting them pass by, he grinned and glanced back.

“What a great loss. I know you’re hurting, but hey, that’s no reason to get mad at me.”

“I hardly care about who he’s under. What matters is where he’s gone. My placing him under your purview was a great waste. He would have thrived elsewhere.”

“What, like at the Church? I think the markets shaped him nicely. We both know you don’t want another Paladin, nor could you get one. Those old bastards are still too scared after the last battle. They have yet to manage another Authority 9 summoner! Quite laughable, really.”

“There are places other than the Church, and away from Noble eyes, where he would have grown just fine. I admit, the danger has pushed him farther and faster than I could have imagined. And that girl serves as good motivation, hopefully with the potential to be a good ally…”

The Key Master’s visage sharpened, before his whole body momentarily flickered pitch black.

Plex rolled his eyes as the Key Master returned to normal, a smile blooming on his face.

“But the whole endeavor could have been optimized. It all happened so suddenly. There wasn’t time to plan.”

“And yet everything that’s happened feels… almost divine. You just don’t like it because you’re a perfectionist.”

“No, I just don’t roll dice like you do. And I don’t like it when you play around with Versals. There are extremely few and you almost killed one multiple times.”

“But he lived.”

“...”

The Key Master didn’t bother responding, making Plex snicker.

Then, Plex waved.

“Alright, thank you for the update. I'll stop bothering you at work.”

“I wish you would. You’re too suspicious, and I don’t like being seen with you.”

“Bold of you to assume anyone can see me.”

“I can.”

“Your fault for being so powerful.”

Plex chuckled before disappearing. The Key Master muttered one last thing.

“Keep watching Apocryon.”