Heir Of Chaos

A few days passed by without anything happening. Dale spent the time resting up as much as he could.

He was the only one among his friends who had returned from their tasks and despite how dangerous it had ended up, he had come at the time he normally would have.

At some point, he was told that when he was feeling better, he would have to give a report of everything that happened.

Now, Dale adjusted his uniform and stood in front of a mirror in his room. Because of his exhaustion, he hadn’t been able to study the training doll beneath his home.

After he was done with the report, he would try his best to learn what he could about its operating mechanisms.

"Right." Dale nodded and walked out of his home. He passed by Gustav’s home, not even bothering to check if it was occupied.

After leaving Eden, he made a straight beeline for the underground city. He passed by a couple of recruits who had also returned from their tasks.

As he walked, he could hear a few people whispering and pointing.

Dale wasn’t too sure if it was because they were interested in taking his rank or the recent event.

Nonetheless, he wasn’t one to actively go looking for reasons. For all he knew, it would land him in trouble.

Amidst the buildings in the underground city, there was a small cubical office with only one door that served both as the entrance and exit.

It had security cameras fixed on its corners, showing importance.

He had never paid attention to the building but now that he was summoned, he took in the structure.

Despite its simple-looking exterior, one could tell from a glance that the materials used to make it were of extremely high quality.

Dale shrugged. ’I guess the money the government collects through exorbitant taxes has to be used somewhere.’ And entered.

Inside the building, the modern aesthetic completely vanished, replaced by an oppressive, functional minimalism.

The walls were clad in thick, sound-dampening grey alloy plates, and the air smelled heavily of ozone and sterilizers.

’Did they just build this place?’

There were no reception desks or waiting chairs.

It was just a slim corridor that seemed to lead even further underground. Dale sighed and walked forward, letting his mind drift.

He could easily imagine anyone being crushed if the corridor were to collapse. Perhaps that was the reason for it being built.

It was most likely a final form of defense against any attack.

At the end of the corridor was a simple wooden door. Dale turned the handle and stepped into the office behind it.

The office was spacious, dominated by a large, semicircular desk made of dark, wood. Behind it sat a man whose glare alone was enough to send shivers down Dale’s spine. General Malcolm.

The man was a veteran who had undoubtedly faced untold horrors. Even without wars being actively declared like they were at the moment, there were still beast hordes that had to be culled.

Dale was even sure that there must have been at least more than one attempt at a civil war.

"Sit, recruit," General Malcolm said.

Dale didn’t hesitate. He walked over to the single metallic chair opposite the desk and sat down, keeping his hands flat on his thighs.

For a long moment, there was an uncomfortable silence. General Malcolm just stared at him.

He wanted to move out of the way but he couldn’t.

’Right. Don’t look away. Looking away means guilt,’ Dale thought, forcing his expression into one of indifference.

"Second-year recruit Dale," Malcolm began, leaning forward and resting his thick forearms on the desk.

"You’ve had quite an eventful week. A routine observation assignment at Watchtower One somehow turned into a minor diplomatic crisis, the death of a highly specialized transport mercenary, and the extraction of a deep-cover intelligence asset. Care to explain how a regular student manages to stumble into all of that?"

Dale cleared his throat, ’Surely he doesn’t suspect I had anything to do with that.’

Naturally, before he spoke, he ensured his tone sounded sincere, perfectly balanced between a respectful subordinate and a traumatized survivor.

"Sir, it was purely a matter of unfortunate timing and environmental hazards," Dale stated clearly.

"My objective was simple: stay in Watchtower One and monitor the beasts. The initial day was entirely uneventful. I followed everything that I was told and didn’t do anything wrong."

Malcolm nodded slowly, his expression unreadable. "Go on. Start from the beginning of the... chain of events."

"The trouble started while I was wiping the lens. It was rather simple until a massive shadow was cast over me. Naturally, I reacted."

"And?" The general cut him short. Clearly, he was growing impatient.

Dale sucked his teeth. "A vulture-type of beast — which wasn’t included in my briefing — swooped down and almost killed me. I barely managed to escape, surviving."

He continued to narrate, completely omitting his reckless attempt at hunting a worm himself, or his knowledge of the cores inside them.

To the general, he was just a lucky kid who happened to have survived.

Malcolm leaned back in his chair, and his fingers interlocked. "That doesn’t explain how an Ascended was involved with the entire matter."

Dale nodded and resumed. "I needed to rest and treat my wounds. After doing the latter, I called the number given to me and reported the vulture incident."

He made sure to mention that crucial aspect because he was sure that the general had heard of it.

"I merely closed my eyes to rest when they came. Sera and some of her cohorts." Dale paused.

General Malcolm raised an eyebrow, "Sera? Is that the name of the Ascended woman?"

Dale nodded and continued. "I realized their presence and tried to call for help while running up the stairs. They attacked and broke down the door."

"Before I could do anything, I was knocked out and taken away. When I came to, I realized I was outmatched so I decided to be complicit and obedient to their demands. But when I saw Matt and learned of his ability skill, I formulated a plan to escape."

General Malcolm raised a hand, silencing him. "Don’t bother, I know the rest."

He stood up from his chair. "There are undercurrents of war already rippling through our nation and the signs are starting to show. It might have been unintentional but you’re undoubtedly now involved with the politics of the Utra nation."

The war veteran looked away from him and into the distance. "Because of the information Matt was able to bring, a chain of industries has been brought to its knees and the progress of the war has been stopped... for now."

Dale nodded as he listened.

General Malcolm turned back to him, "The people involved will find out about you. Sera and her cohorts know about you. No Ascended or powerhouse will take interference from a Dormant especially if they have no backing."

Suddenly, it made sense why the report was necessary in the first place. It wasn’t to know what happened but to open the grounds for the next words to leave the General.

"Dale Green. Do you accept the military as your sponsor?"