Chapter 475: Aetheric senses
"What do you mean ’selected randomly to participate in drills’?" asked the instructor who was supposed to wake up Nero. Today was the day they were supposed to begin easing his schedule, so he was originally supposed to be allowed to sleep a few more hours than usual. Yet when the instructor came, Nero was missing.
When he investigated, he found out that Nero had been randomly selected to participate in a seniors drill. Such a situation was quite normal, actually. On the one hand, it allowed the younger, lesser experienced cadets to come into contact with the Tainted - living beings which had been corrupted by cursed energy. On the other hand, senior cadets gained experience on how to deal with under experienced, weaker hostages in a critical situation.
Really, it was a win-win situation for everyone. The problem was that... Nero was supposed to be on a tight schedule. This should not have happened! How could this happen?
The instructor who escorted Nero away gave the man a disdainful look, but said nothing. Instead, he continued about his work.
Feeling troubled, the instructor who was supposed to watch Nero for the day quickly ran back to report to Isabella. This was not a part of their plan. Yet at the same time, this was not exactly something new either. Randomly selected was truly supposed to be a random selection.
While the instructor felt awkward about the mixup, and went to Isabella to discuss the change, Nero observed the obstacle course from the window. The rescue party, which consisted of five cadets, were being tested for various things, as far as he could tell. The cadet leading the group was gaining experience in team management and dealing with tough or intense situations, while the other four had to focus on their respective roles.
The actual course itself was completely inside the building, and Nero wasn’t exactly sure if they were forced to follow a certain path. If it were up to him, he would have tried to climb the building from the outside. As long as they could identify his location, that would be the best bet considering his location.
Maybe gathering intel was also a part of what they were being tested for. Whatever the reason was, they entered the building at which point Nero lost sight of them. He could, however, still hear their progress through the building as they fought off whatever obstacles the building contained.
Nero sat down on the ground beneath the window, closed his eyes, and began to meditate. Whether this was genuinely random, or a poor attempt at targeting him, he would not be found underprepared.