First Mission Part II

This time, General Luis heard Val mention something, and those beside him frowned and looked at Val with concern.

The general decided he wouldn't let this go; this was crucial information. He would ask Val in private about his sources next time.

"Valens," General Luis said, "what do you mean by 'Blovik Empire'?"

Val recalled his time at the orphanage—there were indeed men dressed in black with armbands marked by that symbol. He frowned as he remembered; he hadn't realized they'd been operating in Clareo for years.

Val replied seriously, "I...might remember something. When I was at the orphanage, a group of men came by. I might have overheard them mention some of the children were from the Blovik Empire."

Everyone stared at him, waiting for him to continue, and General Luis urged him on.

Val continued, selectively revealing truths based on the information he'd received, though omitting the source. "The orphanage head didn't care much about the visitors and let them choose children. I might have noticed the armbands—the same as the one in this video."

The room fell silent. Finally, General Luis said, "Colonel Hento, I want a full report on the Blovik Empire and the men who visited that orphanage. I need it by tomorrow. You're dismissed." Both men understood which orphanage Val had meant, as Exeo and Ember had mentioned it when they first found him.

What's with this 'might or might not' nonsense this kid keeps saying? Colonel Hento thought, glancing at Val before responding with a "Yes, Sir," and leaving the room.

The information Val had provided was unexpected, and General Luis decided to wait for the report before assigning the mission. They were dismissed for the day.

The next day, Colonel Hento brought the report to General Luis, who scanned the pages, his frown deepening with each detail.

He sighed and closed the folder. This first mission was more serious than expected.

The report suggested that the group's members were numerous. To dismantle it, they would need to infiltrate and spy before taking any drastic action. Arresting them was an option, but it could cause unrest, especially since their location lay outside Clareo's jurisdiction. This would be a long mission, possibly stretching into months.

He closed the report and said, "Send in the team." Colonel Hento nodded and left to retrieve them.

A few minutes later, Exeo's team assembled before him. General Luis addressed them, "This won't be an easy mission, but it's achievable. However, given the nature of the report, infiltration will be necessary to ensure we completely disband the group." He handed the folder to Exeo, who accepted it, frowning at the details but nodding in agreement.

"Some of this information is confidential," General Luis added, glancing at the three Bellators, knowing that the orphanage connection was sensitive. Exeo returned the folder, and General Luis burned it with a wave of his hand, controlling fire at will.

Once the ashes settled, he looked at them and said, "You'll need to observe and plan the infiltration carefully. Exeo, you'll choose who observes, infiltrates, and takes out the targets. It may be a while before you're back here. Be safe." His expression hardened. "No witnesses. That's an order. Dr. Lewis will accompany you; he's already been briefed."

The team acknowledged him with a firm "Yes, Sir," and left.

Huh. They never salute, the general thought, sweat-dropping slightly. Well, that's fine, he sighed, returning to his paperwork.

In their office, they found Dr. Lewis waiting. The doctor now wore a new combat uniform like theirs, and the team packed their combat gear and cloaks.

They took a secret path to the back of the building, where a car waited with General Luis's trusted driver. Dr. Lewis, seated up front, handed out accessories: sunglasses for Exeo and Bo, a necklace for Ember, a ring for Val, and a bracelet for Riggs.

"Just channel a little mana into these, and you'll change your appearance, clothes and all," he explained. "Airport security for regular passengers won't detect these. Remember, we're just a family visiting Uryo, so let's keep a low profile."

Val, Bo, and Riggs examined the accessories with wide-eyed enthusiasm and quickly activated them, marveling at their new appearances.

The adults sighed inwardly, thinking, 'Kids…'

Upon arrival at the airport, they looked different enough to pass as strangers, though they still turned heads.

Despite their efforts to blend in, whispers rose around them: "Are they celebrities?" "The guy on the left is so attractive!" Dr. Lewis, following behind them, sighed, realizing his hopes for subtlety might have jinxed things.

Their seats were booked in business class, and they ignored the attention as they boarded. After a smooth hour-and-a-half flight, they landed in Uryo, where the reactions continued. Ember muttered, "We're drawing way too much attention," slipping on his sunglasses with a dramatic flourish that drew more admiring glances.

The others thought, 'You're adding to it yourself…'

Once outside the airport, they rented a car and drove to a hotel near their target location. After nightfall, the team met in Exeo and Ember's room. Exeo outlined the recon plan: Bo and Val would go in first.

At midnight, Bo and Val donned their black combat uniforms, raising the masks to reveal only their eyes. They slipped out through the hotel window, traveling from rooftop to rooftop until they reached the rural outskirts of their target area.

They communicated via Mind Link to confirm their arrival. Moving through a narrow alley, they frowned at the overflow of garbage bins and the rank smell of sewer water.

Stay on guard, Exeo communicated through Mind Link.

Roger, came their replies.

Val led the way to a building still lit, unusual for the area.

There's a building with lights on, Bo reported through Mind Link. We'll check it out.

Understood, Exeo replied through Mind Link.

They scaled a nearby house to get a better view. The building was surrounded by a five-meter wall topped with electric barbed wire.

Huh. I was expecting an ability-user to guard this, but it seems like a regular wall, Val noted.

Bo nodded, and with his camouflage ability, made them both invisible to others, though they could see each other.

Silently, they dropped to the ground, making their way to a slightly ajar backdoor. They slipped inside, finding themselves in a hallway. Val peeked around the corner, noting it was clear, and signaled for them to move.

They crept down a long corridor with empty rooms, eventually reaching a staircase descending to what seemed like a basement. As they descended, sounds—cries and shouting—became louder. Both frowned.

At the bottom of the stairs, they froze. The sight before them was shocking. The stench of decay and suffering hit them like a wave.

The basement was an underground prison. Each cell held 5-10 emaciated people, some even piled next to corpses. Cries echoed through the damp air: "Mommy!" "Please, let us go!" "Kill me! It hurts!"

Val clenched his jaw, the veins on his forehead prominent. He muttered, "This is unbelievable," as he slowly scanned the area.

The others, listening through the Mind Link, stayed silent, feeling the same rage.

Val was on the verge of attacking when Bo gently placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head. Val looked back, took a deep breath, and gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. They couldn't jeopardize the mission yet.

Bo lingered a moment, looking at the prisoners with clenched fists. He muttered, "We'll free you. Hold on just a little longer."

The others heard him through the Mind Link, all silently committing to the same promise: 'Hold on a little longer.'