Ella and Zeph

"So it really is true, and it seems intelligent!" Ella sat down next to Jacob, eager to talk even though he was very tired and at his limits, looking like a husk of his former self after the testing.

They lounged around in a small room with a table and chairs, waiting for Clara to return. Jacob was tired and horrified by the sudden amount of tests Clara and the researchers performed on him. 

'I thought I was6 gonna become a soldier, not a test subject' He massaged his forehead, feeling a slight headache from what he went through.

Despite seeing him in such a state, Ella was still curious and wanted to speak with him, and Jacob couldn't muster up the courage or strength to tell her to shut up.

"So this is how they do things in City H. Now I wanna see the streets of this place." She spoke, sitting next to Jacob with her head near his.

"Say, did they make you a soldier as well or just a test subject?"

"She said I was a special asset, so I guess that." He managed to respond with a mouth and tongue that refused to comply.

"You sure? You don't look like one, especially with that physique." She poked at the arm of Jacob, checking his body for strength.

"I heard people from City H are strong and buff, though i don't see that with you-" Zeph let out a chuckle after Ella spoke.

"Ella, please don't be that blunt. Don't you look too short to be a defender?" Ella was taken aback, immediately becoming flustered by Zeph's sudden comment.

"Didn't know the blademasters had sharp tongues as well." She shot back, but Zeph returned to silently thinking to himself.

'Wonder how low my energy is right now.' With a snap, the screen appeared to him, showing his current amount of energy.

[ENERGY: 1/100]

'Good lord, I'm literally hanging by a thread right now.'

Before Ella could speak again, the door to the room opened. Clara had returned, holding her phone and a bottle containing a white substance.

"Here, as compensation for the prior tests." Jacob grabbed the bottle. At first it looked like some bizarre bottle with questionable contents, until they explained what it was.

When a user's energy was depleted, they had to wait for the next day for the core's light to refill it, but the bottle held energy to immediately energize the user. 

With a twist of the top, the contents of the bottle immediately burst out, small orbs of white rapidly hit Jacob, being absorbed by his body and refilling his energy.

[ENERGY: 100/100] The status changed, and Jacob no longer felt tired, instead like he just woke up from a very long sleep.

"You may carry a few of those once you start doing missions. Just ration it since the machine and things are rather hard to make." She explained.

Suddenly, the glitch in Jacob's system came to life.

[It was a good idea to pick someone from City H!$#] The text read.

"Excellent, it's back."

[If it's for you madam, of course! And also for Jacob when he starts going out for fights.#@$] It responded.

"Looks like it has a thing for you." Jacob chuckled, Clara simply shook her head.

"What else can you do? Since the tests did not show much change with Jacob's stats and physique compared to a common soldier."

[My my, doesn't mystery always make things more interesting?] Clara sighed.

"We'll see eventually then." She turned to Jacob.

"We're still preparing the training facility for you, it should be ready in an hour, take the time to relax and reserve your energy." Finished talking, Clara took her leave and exited the room.

Ella was growing restless, unable to cope with the fact neither were in the mood for long conversations and only wanted to wait, something she despised.

"I'll just head outside and see what else the facility has." She marched to the door with a great amount of boredom, wanting to escape the silent room she was placed in.

"Just don't tamper with anything." Ella didn't respond to Zeph's plea, simply leaving the room after a second.

"Guess it's just the two of us now." Jacob spoke.

Zeph looked up and down Jacob, as if examining him.

"Worked hard labor as well?" He spoke.

"How did you know?" Zeph showed his hands, revealing dozens of small cuts.

"I know a worker when I see one, just look the hands." He responded.

"How is City B like anyway?"

"Hard, tiring, and painful." He took out his blade and placed it on the table.

"They sent me here as extra support alongside Ella, so you do not need to fear."

"You don't seem to have that same fascination as Ella with the glitch thing in me." Zeph crossed his arms.

"I'm here to fulfill my orders, and to continue experiencing live combat." Silence filled the room once he finished.

Jacob thought of his new team, trying to understand them more.

'First a curious girl, and a guy who seems more focused on being silent and following orders. This reminds me of a gacha game, all I'm missing is a bow and spear.' Jacob chuckled.

—---

While silently contemplating what may happen next, and how this training thing will go, the door opened.

"Look at what I found!" To Zeph and Jacob's horror, Ella returned carrying a plot of wheat and dirt.

"Ella…Where did you get that?" Zeph questioned her in a mix of shock and disbelief. The plot looked too large to be carried by a single person, needing two or three people just to lift the thing.

"I found it, next to a door of a place, nobody seemed to be using it so I took it back to give some more life to the room." Ella responded in a sly tone.

"How are you even carrying that!?" Jacob approached her, preparing to hold it if she dropped it.

"Relax, I can hold this, I lifted heavy stuff back in City P." She dropped it to the side and began flexing muscle on her arm, hidden behind her clothes.

Zeph and Jacob both sighed, unsure of what to do next with this.