First mission

During this period, Ren spent his time shuttling between Z army headquarters and Suzaku station. He would spend a week at Suzaku station, extending to two weeks if squad four was on duty.

Ren's body developed well, not only in fitness but also in height, now standing at 160 cm, taller than when he first joined Z army at the age of 13.

From his height and demeanor, people would mistakenly guess Ren's age.

Finally, a year passed since Ren joined Z army. The time had come to determine Ren's next fate.

This mission would be crucial for Ren's future. Would he continue with Z army, allowing Zoya group to protect him even when his identity as a genomancer is revealed, or would he have to find another way to escape those pursuing him after the Trash Haunter attack?

The events with Trash Haunter were clearly an unusual phenomenon. Was it the result of an experiment, or could monsters out there also appear in such a way?

Ren didn't know, but he was sure it involved a big secret, and he unintentionally became entangled in it.

In the past year, Ren continually asked Nishino and Yuji about their first mission. Why did everyone seem different after completing their initial missions?

Nishino ignored his questions, but Yuji told Ren one thing.

"Observe the other members of squad four."

Every month, squad four would undergo a week-long mission. Ren began to notice that after each mission, one or two squad members would be missing, and some would be rushed to the hospital, lying there for weeks.

Observing this phenomenon, Ren finally realized the danger of the missions. As a new member, the risks were evidently high. However, Ren, being a Genomancer, felt he could handle it despite the danger.

But other interns might not be so fortunate. Besides Ren, about seven interns would undertake their first mission alongside him.

Most of these interns didn't seem to be children, so they only needed three months of internship before their first mission.

Departure day had arrived. Ren wore the tactical uniform, the official Z army uniform for missions.

This uniform had monster skin as its base, combined with beast steel to protect vital parts of the body. The monster skin was useful for safeguarding weak points that couldn't be protected by armor, such as the armpits, elbows, and knees.

All of this was painted glossy black with the Z emblem in white on the back.

Ren put on the uniform and then slung his bag. He walked out of the apartment, locked it, and saw some of his squad four comrades.

Ren casually greeted them. He wasn't very familiar with anyone other than Nishino and Yuji, as Ren often spent his time training.

There was an exception, though.

"Ren! Good morning."

"Good morning."

Daichi was one of the interns undertaking his first mission with Ren in squad four. He was a young man in his twenties who seemed very enthusiastic. Since their first meeting, for some reason, Daichi always approached and greeted Ren first.

His demeanor slightly reminded Ren of Kiyoshi. Therefore, he chose to treat Daichi coldly. However, that didn't deter Daichi at all; the young man continued to treat Ren as if they were close.

Both walked alongside each other in the corridor. Gradually, people entered the elevator. Unfortunately, it was full, so some had to wait. Ren, standing and waiting for the elevator, had to listen to Daichi's constant chatter.

"After that, I thought of confessing my love to her, but it turns out she already has a boyfriend!"

Sometimes he talked about love, sometimes about his daily life, sometimes about his thoughts, and even passing dogs became topics for Daichi for a quarter of an hour.

Ren could only ignore him or respond with nods or other simple replies. Fortunately, the elevator finally returned, and they quickly entered it, descending to the underground room.

Ren and the other squad four members gathered in the underground station where he first arrived with Chief Sasaki.

Around 30 squad four members were now assembled. About 7 of them were new members, and assessments would be made after the mission. The faces of these people had mostly changed, confirming Ren's belief that there were always casualties in Z army during their missions.

There were still some people Ren recognized, like Senior Yuji and Nishino; both always returned from missions in good health. It seemed their skills were indeed commendable.

Captain of squad four, Akihisa, made an announcement before departure.

"There's not much I want to talk about. For those who have been on missions, you know what we do there, but I'll discuss it briefly so that new members understand our mission.

As we know, mercenaries have the task of assisting genomancers in defending the city of Enzo. We usually operate around Naraki Fortress in the south. There, we'll join other mercenaries to clear out the roaming Hell Hounds.

This mission is very dangerous, so make sure you always listen to orders and don't act recklessly. That's all I want to convey."

With that, squad four finally departed to the front lines.

Ren entered the train car. Glancing left and right, he found almost all seats occupied. He intended to go to another car when he noticed one vacant seat. He decided to sit there.

As he sat down, he realized he was sitting next to Nishino. He calmed himself, trying not to disturb the girl.

Ren was very curious about Nishino. He could understand how Senior Yuji could endure, but it was difficult for him to imagine how this girl continued to carry out each mission safely.

Unfortunately, it seemed Nishino didn't want to talk much about it. Over the past year, Ren understood that she would ignore others when she truly didn't want to communicate.

The train then departed, carrying the squad four group toward Naraki Fortress. Since the construction of the railway to Naraki Fortress had been completed, the fortress was undergoing further expansion.

Additionally, there were plans to clear all monsters south of Naraki Fortress, then build another fortress further south, followed by constructing a city between the two fortresses. This plan was a long-term strategy designed by the leader of Enzo city.