Carl climbed up from his bed early the next morning. The worries that weighed on his mind all night long made him lose the desire to sleep in.
Yet, when he turned toward Arthur's bed in excitement, he froze on the spot.
The bedding on Arthur's bed was folded as neatly as before. He placed his hand on the bed and felt no warmth whatsoever. This showed that Arthur didn't even return last night!
Rio and John happened to wake up at that moment. Since their beds were opposite Carl and Arthur's beds, they noticed what happened as soon as they looked up.
"What? Did Arthur stay out all night? I don't think there's anywhere in Brightwood Camp that can keep him all night!" John said suggestively. Judging from his expression, he seemed to be suspecting that Arthur had a late-night date with a female student.
"Nonsense. It's obvious that Arthur left with those three from the Adjudication Bureau. He's probably already on his way to
"Drop it, kid. There's nothing you can say to persuade people who have lost their will to fight!" An aloof-looking Kyd stopped Carl from speaking any further.Carl opened his mouth a few times, wanting to persuade Pierre and the other two, but chose to keep silent in the end."Hmph! If a War Spirit warrior were to lose his will to fight after a single defeat, his War Spirit would become stagnant and never advance anymore." Kyd looked disdainful."You mean, they will likely stay at rookie War Spirit level because of this and can't advance anymore?" Carl asked inside his head, surprised.He was referring to Pierre, Brook, and Fatty Pan because Sofia and Catherine were in a different situation altogether.Fear and avoidance of battles were the same in terms of results but the core of them was different. The former was a result of one being too weak and subsequently becoming afraid of fighting. The latter was a result of o
Rio approached Carl discreetly and reminded him, "All right, I think we should go and meet Clark and Thomas now!"Carl turned his head to look. Sure enough, he saw a few uniformed soldiers bearing Empire-shield Army badges a short distance away on the field. The soldiers were walking toward them with impressive momentum."Looks like it's time for goodbye…" Carl took the initiative to approach Sofia and pull her into a tight hug. He let go after several seconds.Sofia blushed and looked at him, unable to say anything. He patted her cheeks gently with an intimate smile before turning around and leaving with John and Rio.Still her cheeks still red, Sofia watched him leave. Catherine appeared next to her, grabbing her hand to comfort and encourage her.At that moment, the soldiers from the Empire-shield Army arrived in front of them. One of them, a female soldier with long blonde hair, took two steps forward and looked at
An awkward mood hung over the table. It was as if the words "fear of death" triggered endless grievances in Clark and Thomas."By the way, Carl! I'm going to let you guys in on our plans so you don't feel confused." Thomas patted Clark's shoulder, prompting the latter to swallow all of his babbling alongside the wine."Let me start by explaining the military ranks. The ranks represent your rights and duties in the Gamma Empire army. The higher you are in the ranks, the bigger your authority and responsibilities.""What about corporals like us?" Rio asked curiously. Earlier, Thomas said that War Spirit warriors who had completed the rookie War Spirit assignment would automatically be promoted as corporals.If they joined a typical army as ordinary soldiers, they would have to start as an army orderly and slowly climb their way to private, private third class, private second class, private first class, and specialist.To
"Oh, all right. Stop looking, Carl. Sofia and the others are gone!" John patted Carl on the shoulder and kindly persuaded him.Carl smiled and shook his head. "I'm all right. I'm prepared for our separation but seeing Brightwood Camp look so empty still makes me a little emotional!""I didn't know you're so sensitive!" Rio chuckled. He took out a book and began thumbing through it."By the way, Rio, I have been seeing you read this book all this time. What exactly is your War Spirit power?" Carl asked curiously. He couldn't even begin to guess how one would fight with a book as a War Spirit weapon.Before Rio could reply, John was already starting his explanation."Carl, so you still didn't know! Let me tell you then! Rio's power is super magical! He can mimic any of our War Spirit powers and predict what happens next! He's a prophet! A prophet, I tell you!"In contrast to John's joy and excitement, Carl w
Despite Link's earnest face, everyone could still see the trace of playfulness on his expression."Let him be, Yates. It's not like you don't know how naughty this kid is!" Clark laughed, unconcerned. He gave Link a look that said 'Wanna get some drinks tonight?'Link wiggled his eyebrows as a positive answer, indicating that he had received Clark's hint.Catching onto their exchange, Yates and Thomas shook his heads. There was an entire army rank of difference between a second lieutenant like Clark and a sergeant like Link. There shouldn't have been much interaction between them.However, the two of them somehow became drinking buddies during a mission. It was a trick of fate, it seemed."Oh, by the way, are these three the recruits of the Empire-sword Army?" Link asked curiously, pointing to Carl, Rio, and John.Carl and his friends saluted him at once. Though Link was just a sergeant, even a single rank
"Hey! We've never fought at this altitude before!" Even the hot-tempered John felt weak after hearing Thomas' instruction.No one had the luxury of mind to worry about his mental state. The first to react was the four common soldiers that were on the same journey.They loaded their Kalin machine guns and stood at both sides of the cabin door in alert, holding up their guns.Thomas exercised his mechanical arm unhappily. "Too bad we're not on a weapon cargo plane and aren't properly armed for this. Both Clark and I can't use our War Spirit powers properly on a plane!"Carl turned around to look at the others, thinking the same. Clark's power was to transform into a fearsome tiger while Thomas's power was using a massive war hammer. It was indeed inconvenient for them to use their powers while in a military plane.Suddenly, Clark grabbed two Kalin machine guns and handed one to Thomas. "Save the nonsense," he said coldly
"Nice marksmanship!" Clark widened his eyes. It took him a while to finally blurt out the compliment that he was holding back."This kid…" He gripped the Kalin machine gun in his hands, full of emotions that he couldn't describe. Thomas, however, could empathize with him completely.Thomas was laughing out loud. "Didn't see that coming, did you, Clark?" he said, voice carrying a trace of mockery. "He's not your student anymore! He's now an official member of the Empire-sword Army!"Clark scoffed. Though he looked displeased, the gratification and happiness in his eyes were unmistakable.Whether as a military instructor or a member of the Empire-sword Army, one would have the same feeling as Clark to see Carl turn out so outstanding.Thomas and Yates chuckled after seeing Clark's reaction. Right at that moment, the siren went off in the cabin again, followed by the pilot Jay's voice."Now's the time! If we
In contrast to John's oblivious awe, Clark was looking a lot grimmer. He didn't look at all happy despite getting rid of the flock of venomous wyverns.Feeling the faint murderous aura coming from the man beside him, Carl turned his head in surprise. However, Clark and Thomas ignored him, unwilling to explain the whole story.Link called off his Gravity Zone and sat down on the floor weakly. He gasped for breath for a moment before patting the cabin door and shouting."Jay, how long more before we get to Punk Fortress? If another flock of venomous wyverns shows up again, we'll all die here today!""Relax! I don't see any unidentified flying objects on the radar! And we'll reach Punk Fortress in ten minutes!"Jay's words made Link let out a sigh of relief. He looked as if a burden had been removed from his shoulders."Sigh. I'll be straight. I thought I'm just here to pick you guys up! Never thought I'd be