Chapter 14: Another sign of parting and a reunion

Ardent town. The town famed through the country and the world for fighting off and minimizing the disaster that otherwise, could have engulfed their whole continent. The first strike was zombies and the second was the terrifying creatures now called 'dark beast' variants of the magical beast with peculiar dark properties.

The town now became the Ardent city. The growing settlement version of a monument that signifies mankind's bravery to triumph through the unknown menace brought along by the apocalypse.

The Ardent school of the gifted set up by the GEPCA just commenced new ability users from their sapling-hood to their fully grown fruit that could plant their seed to the world and spread their influence.

Announced one-by-one, Sean's and the other's classmates are full of smiles and outlook for the future. Their life starts after they receive their certificates and diplomas. They could have their new IDs made which signifies their licensee of working adults.

They could find jobs to either have a stable lives in the Ardent city, or explore the world outside those large walls.

"S-A, Morph ability user, Jess Flynn. Accept this certificate signifying your brilliance in both brain and ability. Succeeding her education and completing the GEPCA curriculum with the third highest honor in Ardent school of the gifted!" Jess, like her peers is now fifteen years old. She treads the path to the center of the stage and receive her diploma and certificate of honor. Her parents enthusiastically takes turns in taking pictures with her and then ask a person to take one with all three of them in one frame.

"S-A, Meliorate ability user, Rick Thompson. Accept this certificate signifying your brilliance in both brain and ability. Succeeding his education and completing the GEPCA curriculum with the second highest honor in Ardent school of the gifted!" Rick then enters the stage and receive his diploma and certificate of honor. He raises it high in the sky and his face looks warped in euphoria. He could now finally catch up with his childhood friend. He also didn't expect that he would receive the second rank in school. He was one of the stupidest ones but fortunately for him, GEPCAs curriculum highly values the abilities of the students.

"S-A, Catalysis ability user, Sean Clark. Accept this certificate signifying your brilliance in both brain and ability. Succeeding his education and completing the GEPCA curriculum with the second highest honor in Ardent school of the gifted!" Sean arrives at the stage. A small dragon, a fairy, and a slime also treads along with him. He thanked the instructor who handed him the diploma an certificate of honor. The Merlin family is also present, enthusiastically congratulates him and take a lot of pictures. Sean smiles along with them naturally like they're his real family.

There's no speech from the honor students this time. The ones that starts the speech next are scouting personnel from various companies and organizations to introduce their missions and visions to the newly graduated ability users.

The personnel reached out mainly on the graduates with S-A attached to their certificates as this signifies that their abilities' Severity rank is A, which is the highest rank given to the ability with very potent effects.

The recruiters flocks in doves especially on the top three graduated students. Jess, Rick, and Sean are the current star of the show. Unfortunately for the recruiters they are all waiting for someone else to come to them. A personnel from the GEPCA and their friend who does research and recruits ability user talents. They'd rather be recruited by someone they are very familiar with.

However, that person doesn't seem to be coming. He is based in the city after all.

"Well, he's been busy lately…" Rick pats Jess on the shoulder. They don't even really know what Will does for his job. He explains them so vaguely and wouldn't talk about it unless he's asked.

Sean places all the calling cards and brochures in his backpack. He looks at his friends waiting for Will right down on the stage and to his other classmates who are going home one after another. Their faces differs which the two holding the most calling cards looks disappointed while the others who only got one or two starts celebrating in bliss.

"He told us that he might or he might not be able to come didn't he? Maybe we should just celebrate now that we can finally catch up to him… Come on. How about we eat out, just the three of us. We haven't done that before" Sean suggests.

"Are you sure the Merlins wouldn't prepare a celebration for you Sean?" Jess is skeptical about that part.

"My family probably already went to prepare a feast for me at home..." Rick adds.

"We'll do that next time then… maybe with Will too" Sean is as optimistic as always.

With that, they could only go home. The staffs are about to cleanup the place after all.

"How do you think working feels, guys? What are we going to work with anyway?... Now that I think of it, I'm not really suited in office work. I wouldn't be able to contribute to a research at all unlike you guys and Will. Wait, what am I going to do if I get sent to another completely different department?!" Rick's face turns horrid with that realization.

"I also don't think I would do a good job too once I finally starts working. What we basically did in school was wait for the three years to pass by until we finally turned fifteen so that we could be considered grown-ups. It felt like we just wasted all those years, don't you think?..." Jess feels so frustrated and then remembers that Will already left them very far behind.

"Wherever we'll be, it must be because that's where we could contribute the most. Also, in those three years, we get to prepare and have some time to resolve ourselves for the fact that we'll need to mature so soon, right? I mean, aren't we going to miss our carefree days as kids? That's what I think" Sean looks at them with a sweet smile.

Everyone who sees Sean's smile feel like the world stopped for a minute. Sean finally beat his illness which originally don't have any cure. His sickly pale skin now looks healthy and fair. His shiny soft black hair is now thicker and healthier, paired with his beautifully, gender-mutual facial features and height of five feet, eight inches tall. Taller than most adults. Jess was surpassed as the most tallest one before.

Rick also wouldn't lose much with five feet, seven inches tall. But something in Sean makes him beautiful for the eyes of anyone regardless of their gender.

"Wow, what was that?" Girls in the bus gossips with each other what kind of experience was that just now. The effect of his smile and looks is akin to seeing an angel. He's like one of those people who emit a halo once they appear and perform in TV. Like the main character of a teenage romance films or movies.

"Wow, you really know what to say at every kind of situation don't you?..." Rick realizes once again how matured Sean is. He's a kind of mature that's a lot different from Will. He couldn't help but compare the two.

Jess feels quite weird. She feels like she just betrayed Will after having her heart skip a beat after seeing Sean's smile just now. She looks down to cover her blushed face and clutch her chest.

"Well, aren't you going to miss those days before the new era? At our age, we could still do a lot of playing and stupid things… But now, everything we do should be taken seriously. It's a matter of life and death after all. When I was in the hospital, I always imagine what I would do if I was as healthy as the kids my age…" Sean turns solemn and reminisce his time growing up in the hospital. He don't miss it but most of his dreams back then could no longer be realized in the current era. He's sad about that fact. "But, it also means we could do more meaningful and our actions will be significant for our lives and the world…"

"Right… holidays aren't as celebrated. We don't feel it now, actually. The world is still trying to get back up after all. Give or take, ten years, we'll probably have something like a 'new era' celebration day or something" Rick slump his face over the headrest of the seat in front of him where Sean is sitting.

Rick then notices the girl sitting beside Sean practically pasting her body on the window and frozen while looking at Sean's face. Her face looks so red and she clutch her chest like a trapped hamster in a cage.

Rick notice this reactions from the girls whenever they're near Sean. He heaves a resigned sigh. His friend is too popular with the girls even in school. There are also some boys who shows signs of fondness for him.

Rick glance beside him to see Jess that suddenly turned silent. "Hey, are you okay? Are you car sick?..." Rick knows exactly what is happening to Jess. He just asked to tease her.

"What?!" Jess looks up at Rick.

"Oh, it looks like you're in a dilemma in which cuisine is better to eat later…" Rick pokes Jess' soft spot by saying this ambiguously and looks at her with a naughty face.

"Ow!" Rick exclaims by being punched by Jess on the shoulder. She then denies that claim by saying "I don't think about food that much! Unlike someone like you!..." Jess' face is red with both fuming anger and embarrassment.

Rick just laughed it off and then looks at Jess fondly when she isn't looking. He then asks in his mind when can it be his turn next. Jess seem to like everyone but him.

He smiles faintly with both fondness and sadness.

"Aren't you taking the wrong bus? Are you going to come home with us? Aren't you afraid that your parent might be waiting for you at home to celebrate your graduation?" Ricks teases her again, seemingly enjoying it.

"I told them beforehand. I want to see, maybe Will is preparing a surprise for you guys at home. I don't want to miss it this time…" Jess regretted so much before that she missed the important stuff because of her family residence is far from the others. "More importantly, I'm not coming with 'you', I'm coming along with Sean to the Merlins. You just happen to be in the same direction!" Her hand clamps Rick's ear and twist it.

"Ow! Why do you always choose violence?! Also, I'm coming along to go to the Merlins too! If you're with Sean, why are you here sitting beside me then?" Rick's rebuttal.

Jess just pinch Rick's ear harder. She also regrets not being able to sit with Sean. Sean entered the bus first and sat on the one where there's already someone beside it seeing that there's available two seats behind.

" Guys, maybe it really is Will at home. Aunt Claire and uncle Liam, along with tom hurriedly went home after receiving a call. They even seem to have forgotten about me. I just thought that they might have gone to prepare a celebration party for me back then, but then again, maybe I was wrong. Their real son must have come to visit them" Sean chuckles while listening to the twos banter from behind. But seeing that they banter is turning into a heated fight, Sean could only distract them by saying something about Will. They are both really fond of Will.

"Really?! I'm so glad I went along!" Jess finally releases Rick's ear and excitedly squeals.

When they get down on the bus stop, Rick was about to dash but then was stopped by Jess saying, "Don't you dare get ahead of us or I will go into your room without you knowing and record your nasty stuffs!"

"How could you think about doing that?! Aren't you disgusted at the very thought of that?!" Rick exclaims and shivers.

Jess just catwalk on the sidewalk, leaving the words, "I have to use the advantages of my ability after all" and huff with proud chin up in the air.

"No, you're a pervert! I can't imagine how many times you've done… those things! Jess, what have you done?!"

"What?! I haven't okay! Stop making up stuffs! What if others hears you?!"

"Aren't you the one who started screaming about recording me and stuff?!"

Sean could only laugh at the two. He's now used to their chaotic combination. In fact, he thinks that they're very close to do and say these things to each other.

"Guys, there's a lot of people in front of the house. Maybe other staffs came along with Will?" Sean says after seeing the car parked in front of the Merlin's family residence.

"Sean Clark? Which one of you boys is Mr. Sean Clark?" A man in suit says after seeing three teenagers arriving at the scene. They have been waiting for a while now and the guardians of the person they're looking for seems to be reluctant to help locate him. They wouldn't even give Sean a call after explaining their intent.

"Sean…" Claire right at the door looks at Sean's figure with worry.

"May I ask what this is all about?" Sean is skeptical in revealing himself right away, seeing the strange people's straightforward address while searching for him.

Sean looks at Claire right at the doorway, seemingly blocking the men in suit from entering. She looks at him too with a worried look on her face. Sean could tell that these people are not with Will. They must have came here with other intentions.

"We're personal security personnel from the Clark enterprise. We're here on behalf of the Clark family to retrieve Sean Clark" The man's voice is as cold as ice while he scrutinize the teenager who asked. He seem to match the age of Sean Clark that they're looking to get. He also have a significant resemblance of the Clark family. "Are you Sean Clark?"

"Retrieve?! Sean is not just an object that you can leave behind and retrieve back!" Claire stomps her feet on the ground as she walk to the man in suit who said that. She looks up at his face fearlessly.

"You will receive the appropriate and full sum of the agreed fee in cash. We have it ready since you wouldn't give your account number" The man looks down at Claire and then beckons his men to 'retrieve' Sean.

"Why would they want to have Sean back now?! They didn't even give us a single call since that time! How can they be so irresponsible?!" Claire is so angry that she looks like she's about to cry.

Liam is in the house to calm Tom down from doing something irreversible. He tells him that everything will be fine. His big brother Sean won't be taken away. Sean won't let them. Tom's ten shuriken slowly calms down from their rampage.

"I apologize Mrs. Merlin but we're merely doing what we're ordered. Mr. Sean Clark have to come with us now" The man looks at Claire with eyes and tones of ice.

Suddenly, a wall of shards of glass in all color separates Sean, Rick, and Jess from the men who's trying to get closer to them.

"Call and tell them that they'll have to come and get Sean themselves…" Claire's tone and eyes turns as icy as the man.

"Please don't make things harder Mrs. Merlin. As I have introduced, my men and I are personal security personnel of the Clark enterprise. We have been training to do our job properly… once again. I'm Edward. S-B Morph, size alteration ability user of the Security team from Clark's specialized security corps" the man loosens his necktie and removes the cuffs on the sleeve of his suit from his wrist alternately and puts them in his breast pocket. His suit then slowly shrinks, rather, his body rapidly bulk up. His fist looks especially large, the two of them put together has the width equaling his wide torso.

Claire just smirks. The same colorful shards of glass wraps her body and forms an armor. These shards of glass looking thing, shining in all colors are the upgraded version of Claire's ability to produce and manipulate solidified force field. This is the product of Claire maximizing its efficiency. Instead of producing large amount of the solidified force field, she integrated gemology to shape them like shards and stack them on the important parts. These shards are shaped like sharp gems that shines with luster of gleams from light hitting their unique and sharp-cut transparent material. She's basically wearing diamonds as her armor.

Claire's control of her ability already raised exponentially. She haven't fought with anyone in a match in the VR world but everyone knows vaguely how powerful she is. She's probably even more powerful than Tom.

"I'm sorry, I was rude. I haven't introduced my profession until now. I didn't know that was a given after all. I'm Claire Davidson Merlin. S-A catalysis force field ability user from GEPCA Ardent's branch under the Dark mountain research department… So, if 'you' don't want me to make things harder, please call your employers to come here if they want to get Sean, themselves…" She eyes the man with confidence and frosty gaze.

The man looks at her fiercely, not knowing how dangerous she is. He seem to be asking for death.

"Unfortunately for you, my ability dominates morph ability users. We're highly incompatible and there wouldn't be any combat if this goes on. There will only be… massacre…" As Claire was talking, new shards appear aiming at the man in suit in front of her and the others who are trying to activate their abilities.

The man in suit looks at their situation. They are clearly being dominated. He gulps and the sweat from under his chin slides down to his chest. He literally shrinks back and then beckons his men to return inside the car.

"We will do so, Mrs. Merlin… please wait for the call from their side" He says. Claire finally removes the shards aiming at the suited men, however, her armor is still up, as well as the wall that separates Sean and his friends.

"No, actually, I won't accept any call. As I said, I want them to come here themselves…" Claire's tone becomes domineering with authority.

"O-of course. I'll make sure to inform them of your intent… we're sorry for taking up your time. Well then, we'll head back first. Please have a good day" The man's mannerism suddenly takes a turn from his cold one.

"Of course. Have a good day too…" Claire smiles with a cunning look. She don't look like she's smiling at all. She seem to wordlessly say "Scram!"

With that, the car drives away.

"Oh my, I can't believe I have shown something so embarrassing. Are you okay Sean?" Claire put down her ability and checks Sean.

"Thank you aunty Claire. But, you shouldn't have troubled yourself. Also, you were very amazing…" Sean says while looking at Claire with amazement.

Rick and Jess beside looks at her with dumbfounded and wide gaped mouth.

They soon all head back inside and couldn't believe what just happened.

"Sean. They're men sent by your parents… are you fine? What do you think?" Claire rubs Sean's nape and asks him with worried face.

"I don't know, aunt Claire…" It was just so sudden. Sean don't even know how to explain his complicated emotions. He still can't think clearly. He just started planning what he would do now that he's an adult. Honestly, Sean already forgot that his real family are still living somewhere out there.

"its okay, you have some time to think about what you want. But only do what you want okay? Center yourself in making a decision how to deal with this..." Claire could only say so. She can't really make a decision for Sean despite her anger to the Clark family for abandoning him.

"Boy, you also don't have to chose between anything. You could pave your own path okay? Remember that…" Liam arrives with Tom beside him.

"Big bro Sean… will you go back to your family? It's so sad to not be with your family, I know. But we will be sad if you leave too…" Tom says and then sobs. He then runs to Sean and hug him tightly.

When Will was gone, Sean replaced his job in taking care of Tom? Now, the little one is as attached to him with Will before. Or perhaps, even more.

Sean rubs Tom's back and then hug him back. He couldn't say anything. He is both shock and confused to the rapid changes of emotions. He was just talking with Rick and Jess about their future not long ago. Then, his family that ditched him for year's suddenly wants him back.

To be honest, Sean have no feelings of attachment to his family. When he became aware of it, the nurses have been taking care of him in the hospital. He couldn't even utter the words "My house" before.

However, Sean knows the gravity of his blood relationship with them. They have all legal rights in how to treat him. They also have enough power to virtually ditch him and erase his existence from the family tree. They're family aren't easily to deal with. They have enough power commercially to even influence the government. Especially now in the new era.

Sean looks at everyone's faces. These are the people he now considers his family. It would pain him to part with them. They were the longest that have been together with him and his immunity in the matter of parting won't work anymore because he loves them dearly. He can no longer imagine how to live without them.

Those days in the hospital returns to him. Those days wasn't exactly that sad, he wasn't exactly alone. But with the Merlin family and his close friends, the warmth he felt together with them is something so irreplaceable. He's honestly scared. He don't know his parents and brother. All he knows is that they don't care for him whether he's dead or alive. They simply thinks of him as a burden.

What Rick said about him knowing what to say in every kinds of situation earlier is now proven to be wrong. Sean is being choked in the words that he badly want them to hear.

Earlier in the day. Earlier than the commencement of the graduation of the students in Ardent's school for the gifted.

Lieutenant General David Sampson is driving his outdated military vehicle towards the capital city.

Unlike before, the ground outside the walls are as dangerous as being in the monster's den.

The roads are filled with cracks and the paints on them has already been erased, weathered by the blazing sun and rain. Grass has grown on the cracks creating a peculiar combination of the black asphalt and the green mesh of webs if looked on from birds-eye view.

It's evident that the road haven't been used for years. Instead of cars, bus, or trains, people now use hovering cars or airships to traverse above ground instead when they're outside the walls of their cities or towns.

The old planes, although have great speed, their security and armory is quite lacking in dealing with flying magical creatures in the new era.

Airships now wouldn't be flown when they don't have ammunition attached to them, or else, they wouldn't be able to survive the journey. The weather is also now significantly different.

David with his sharp senses could feel the bloodlust of the creatures hiding within the overgrown grass that resembles large expanse of meadows on each side of the road.

There are also peculiarly humongous trees that couldn't have grown that much in just a span of three years. Their species also don't resemble anything from the original earth.

Ultimately, a pack of magical wolves pounce at his car and toppled it over in the tall grass.

"I don't believe it… I'd have to traverse the journey on four paws..." He murmurs after sliding out of his car. It's now dented and a wheel also bent horribly.

David watch the magical wolves. Their fur sparkles mysteriously.

"You puppies…" David says and then take off his coat and have no choice but to put it in his toppled car. "I'd get this back later…"

David place a flat backpack with the sign of the military and his rank on his belly and secures its strap in his back.

On the midst of this, an impatient magical wolf leaps at him. His reaction speed and battle senses heightened during his times fighting dark creatures so he easily evaded it on one shift of his body.

"I'm not done yet… Wait a second. There. Now then, you puppies better learn from a real wolf…" He says and then he activates his morph ability. He transforms into his dire wolf form. He looks significantly bigger than the wolves who could even topple his car. With their size difference, they look like the pack leader and the pups.

Seeing this, the magical wolves' tails tucks under between their legs. They whimper but they don't seem to want to give up. However, they also couldn't move because of the fear.

The dire wolf eyes them, seeing them shivering, he just ignore them and then starts sprinting towards the city.

The dire wolf's strides are very wide. His flexibility and muscle works in harmony to make him top a speed akin to a very expensive race car.

Many magical beasts are trying to catch him however, he evades them nimbly or graze them and they would flung in the air.

As the dire wolf sprints as light as the air, he looks like a sprite dancing on the surface of a calm lake. Unbothered by the dangers of the outside world. The canopy of leaves and branches sometimes leaves spaces for lights to pass through, creating pillars of gentle light beams. These hits the shiny medal on the bag attached to the dire wolf's neck and chest causing them to glimmer in gold and silver.

Soon, the dire wolf could see the large wall ahead as the huge trees are cleared from this area onwards.

The capital city. It's walls are huge and thick, in white color. The orange rays of the sun hits them creating a magnificent image similar to that of a grand castle from fantasy movies. The high-rise building at the center resembles the castle itself.

The dire wolf slows his sprints a notch lest he provoke the ones guarding the walls.

David tries his best to walk while displaying the military's sign on the base of his neck and chest, creating a elegant posture. He can't turn into his human form now since he would be naked.

"What's that? Is that a variant of the electric wolves? Perhaps the pack leader? Oh, it's wearing something shiny… Oh! It must be a morph wolf ability user!... Wow, based on its transformation size, it should be S-A morph ability user..  Wait that's the military insignia!"

"You're right! Three stars… that's the Lieutenant General! Hey open up the gate!"

The guards monitoring the world outside the walls are in commotion. This is the first time an ability user boldly traversed the world outside on foot. Rather, paws in this case.

A ball AI arrives near the dire wolf and identifies its identity based on the insignia its wearing on its chest. It's then identified that the dire wolf is already in the system.

"Lieutenant General David Sampson. You are allowed to enter any facilities and establishments within the city except the ones restricted from your rank. Please head this way and we will prepare a space and clothes for you" The AI robot ball guides David through the gate and arrives in an establishment attached to the wall inside. The AI was programmed with algorithm that could identify the needs of the people and it know that such large morph ability user must have ripped his shirts and pants off.

David looks at the door that is too small for his body.

Everybody near the wall gathers around him and gaze as if he's such and amazing spectacle.

Thankfully, the guards searched for a large cover for him so that he could shrink down and then head inside the establishment. He returns back into his human form naked inside the temporary tent and then enters the door.

When he comes back out again, he's now wearing the prepared clothes for him. However, the large shirt is still rather small for him. This accentuated his bulging muscles and wide shoulders. He's then guided by an AI ball when he asked the direction to his destination.

"Lieutenant General David Sampson, as a wartime central personnel your achievement and rank allows you to access anything in the explorer's organization's base and all its intelligence. Your request to see the founder would be granted with the highest importance please, this way" The AI ball leads David to a man-less car after he explained to it his mission.

"That's good. With this, I could go home sooner to my wife and daughter…" David heaves a sigh of relief.

The automatic car pulls over in front of a large building. David comes out of the car with the hovering ball. He looks up to the eye-catching sign of the explorer's organization on top of the large grand door.

This makes David realize once again that this organization raised to amazing heights in only two-plus years. Its wealth, power, and influence is now similar to the military itself. The person who founded this organization shouldn't be someone ordinary. He's about to meet that person soon.

David steps inside the building and immediately catches the attention of all the people in the lobby. They seem to wonder who he is to be escorted by an AI despite his casual clothing. However, he must be of great importance.

The AI guides David in the elevator and it is automatically cleared from people who sees the person being escorted by the AI. The AI pressed the silver button for the top floor.

"I'm sorry guys, I can't accept the holo call… I'm in the middle of something right now. Also, I'm not sure if I could come to your graduation today but I will try my best. I'm not exactly in the position to clear up my schedule after I was urgently called either. I'm so sorry, I've been busy lately…" Will is in his office in the top floor talking to Rick and the others who keeps asking if he could make it today through Point Link communication. They kept asking for a holographic video call to show off their outfit for the graduation, unfortunately, Will can't show them that he's in the office. "Yes… I will try my best to come today… I don't know when, but I promise I'll come back today after this. You know I tried my best asking permission from my superior but something urgent really happened…" Will explains to them. He makes sure that his tone is as believable as possible since of course, that was all a lie.

The communication finally ended and he rubs his temples from the headache.

"Of all people… why does it have to be someone familiar?... Lieutenant General David Sampson…" They where together surviving the zombie outbreak in the hospital three years ago. Now, they are both at the highest positions of their careers and are about to meet each other once again.

Will fixes up his suit and his table. His office is as prim and proper as him. A black cat nearby also sits up elegantly while facing the door across the room.

"He's here…" The cat says. Then, the double door promptly opens.

David face the door somehow nervously. The AI was explaining the feats of the founder of the organization just now. He don't know how to conduct himself with such an esteemed person. The AI also explained that the identity of the founder is highly restricted from the public. Only certain officials and military personnel with the highest rank and involvement in the current war against the dark beast are allowed to know his name. Much less meet him.

He don't know the reason from the founders name to be highly restricted and secured from the public, nevertheless the person himself shouldn't show himself to anyone with authority under some extent. But David knows that there must be some grave reason or circumstances circulating this mysterious founder.

Then, the double door fully opens automatically and a spacious, grand yet simple and auspiciously decorated room fills David's eyes. The arrangements, lighting, and sets of furniture isn't short from the description of simply elegant and function.

Then, the face of the founder enters David's eyes. Handsomely featured face and has a rather sharp bearing. He's wearing a thin and silver rimmed glasses that matches his sleek style. His gray suit seems to be embroidered by silver lines with complicated pattern. His hair is shiny sleek back and probably put in place by high quality product.

The founder smiles at him and then beckons David to come and sit on the high quality sofa in front of his table.

David walks towards the table and offers the founder a handshake. David's eyes are glued as he scrutinizes the familiar face in front of him.

"Nice to meet you again, Lieutenant General David Sampson. I'm Will Merlin, the founder and top manager of all explorer's organization's function and activity. I was expecting that someone from the military would come sooner or later, but I wasn't expecting such a high ranking officer like the esteemed Lieutenant General himself would bless me his presence…" Will accepts David's handshake and initiates the talk to his professional direction so that it wouldn't turn awkward. They weren't expecting in meeting each other like this again after all. "I reckon we will discuss about the labyrinth that appeared in our country, am I correct?" Will makes his smile as natural as possible.

David is utterly surprised and confused. He was so nervous how to conduct himself in front of such an amazing person after all. He never expected that it was someone so familiar.

The handshake don't seem to show any signs of ending soon.

End of chapter.