.
.
"So Rita..." Dio yawned as he stretched his body in the 4th and 5th Divisions joint activity area.
"When are you going to pay me?"
"..."
"By the way, I heard you are almost successful in convincing Rex to make the transfer huh?" He grinned provokingly towards the lady beside him.
'What almost successful??' Rita cried out in her heart,
"...You didn't see his exam video did you?" She proceeded to ask Dio a half-rhetorical question.
"Didn't need to."
"What do you mean?"
"I know from the first time I saw him killed that dire wolf that he was not normal." Dio could still remember the cold calculating decisiveness the moment that Claude had thrust his arm into the beast's mouth.
"And he's about to get stronger after today..." Rita piled on,
"You know, bets aside, I really do think someone with that level of battle instinct would be a great help during the migration."
"Yeah..." Dio also agreed with the sentiment.
"..."
"But seriously, when will you be paying me?"
"Shut up, I'm still not done yet!!" Rita fumed,
'Even if I can't request a transfer, I can still make a recommendation!'
.
.
On top of the Main Tower.
Two figures could be seen standing on the edge of the glass walls overlooking the rest of Sector-07.
One of the figures was lean and relatively tall while the other one was a bulkier guy packed with overgrown muscles that completely towered over his peers.
Claude was standing side-by-side with the strongest person in all of Sector-07. The Sector Commander himself.
He was still reminded of the first thing that was uttered the moment the guy had confirmed his identity.
(So Claude, I will be the one assisting you in your Bio-Contact procedure today.)
"..."
Claude had been rather astounded at the statement that time.
.
"...What's your first impression on Sector-07 the first time you came here Claude?" The Commander suddenly threw a question as they watched the people's activities from high above.
"When I first walked past the fence?"
*nod*
"It's magnificently breathtaking. The mountains, the clean rivers..." Claude answered without hesitation. He could still remember the first time he saw the sceneries surrounding the camps.
*pfft*
"Hah! That's your takeaway? The sceneries?" The commander was intrigued by the unexpected answer.
"What else is there?"
"Our structure? Our power, the people? Beautiful places are a dime a dozen out there in the wild."
"Yes... It's a blessing isn't it."
"..."
From Claude's experience, people and environment don't generally change for the better as much as they degraded over time.
From the stuff that he'd had observed ever since he'd been freed, the only pleasantly drastic changes he'd seen on the world was still on the abundance of overgrown wilderness that was the Forest Biome: Eden.
'This man...'
The commander's first intention had been to probe Claude on his viewpoints regarding the ideologies of ERA.
Their responsibilities and ways of life under the oppression of mother nature. Their vision towards the restructuring of society to better suit the volatile and unpredictable nature of their environments.
It'd be easier to understand a person when you understood his opinions and outlooks on life.
Even though the Nano Explosives inside his body had allowed Claude to gain the trust and not be a threat towards the people of the Alliance, as the leader of a Sector, the Commander still wanted to understand better the unknown variable that Claude was.
He had thought himself a great judge of character, but the more he observed and interacted with Claude, the more mysterious he seemed to become.
To him, Claude carried the feeling and attitude of an outsider looking in towards everything around him. Even if that thing was directly connected to his own well-being.
Or at least that's what he'd seen from the exam recordings.
.
"...May I ask a question myself?" Claude suddenly interrupted his line of thought.
"What?"
"Why is the leader of a Sector the one handling my Bio-Contact procedure?"
"Direct aren't you?" The commander finally looked to his side.
"Life's too short for speculations." Claude nodded in response.
"..."
"Alright then let's talk about it. First, what do you know about Bio-Contact?" The Commander asked.
"Using ingredients from Danger Grade-4 and above beasts, the Bio-Contact changes and enhances a person's body up to its genetic level according to certain characteristics of the animal that the main ingredient originated from."
"Correct. [Iron Skin], [Heat], and [Vigor]. Each of them differs completely from one another, starting from their effects, ingredients, and even their procedures." He clarified,
"But those three are only the most common Bio-Contact available."
"Steelback Rhinos, Crazed Mandrills, and Combat Ursas are all Grade-4 beasts after all. They're at the bare minimum level to be used as Bio-Contact ingredients."
"I've noticed." Claude replied to the looks the Commander had been giving him.
"They're also the most common because they're the easiest to supply. People at the level of 4-star rank officers or Sector Commander like myself even have a monthly quota to fill for hunting them."
"...And in terms of potential, they're also the most limited."
"Are you trying to offer me a better option, Commander?" Claude responded with a polite smile at the Commander's speech that was filled with not-so-subtle implications.
"Very astute." For the first time since their meeting, the commander finally showed his smile,
"I'm a busy man. Truthfully speaking, if not for a certain fan of yours, I would have probably overlooked your great display of combat ability in the 2nd Division examination."
'A fan?' Claude pondered at the word.
"But nevertheless I've seen it. Your skills in battle and your combat sense are both phenomenal... I would even like to spar with you if you weren't so weak."
"Thank you very much."
"But you don't have to be right?" The Commander continued, he took a semi-transparent tablet from his desk and pressed it a couple times before handing it to Claude to see a certain file.
"[Prowler] is a Bio-Contact that requires the Grade-5 beast Phantom Liger's left eyeball as its main ingredient. To the receiver of [Prowler], the effect will focus around stealth and give birth to the 'Presence Erasure' ability.
Your nails and teeth will experience the strongest growth, but without the compromise to any other aspect of your enhanced physics. That's the difference in level between it and the other three.
Trained, it can have stronger offensive power than [Heat], as much stamina as [Vigor], and almost as tough a body as [Iron Skin]." He compiled the explanations written on the tablet.
"We also only have enough ingredients for exactly one Bio-Contact procedure of it in the whole of Sector-07."
'I see. It's pretty much an offensive type like [Heat] but more subtle and on a higher level.' Claude listened silently to the explanation as he read the information on the tablet.
"I can give this power to you..." The Commander had been trying to discern Claude's expression every chance he'd gotten, but he still couldn't get any read on him.
He could see the awe in him when he mentioned the capability of [Prowler], but he never sensed any yearnings for it.
"And at what price Commander?"
"Hm... There's not really a price per se, but as they say, with great power comes great responsibility... Have you ever heard about the Great Migration?"
'The people here sure do love that quote don't they?' Claude felt a sort of awkwardness everytime he heard it being spoken.
"No, sir." He replied.
"It's an event that happened once every year or so here in Eden. Like its name, it's basically a reshuffling of all the communities of animals living in this Biome."
"During the Great Migration, every Sectors of ERA will be swarmed with random patterns of living creatures blindly passing through the forest with no regards to our territory." The Commander tried to paint a picture with his words.
"And since the patterns are always random, it'll be up to fate as to which migrating creatures they'll encounter in each Sector locations. On a good day, the Great Migration will just pass-by like a breeze..."
"...And on the worst day, it will completely decimate a Sector or two." His expression quickly turned grave,
"Of course, the Alliance is experienced in this matter, and at worst the survivors of a destroyed Sector will be distributed evenly on other locations after they evacuate. After all, this is the Alliance's primary reason in structuring their societies into multiple small Sectors in the first place."
'Interesting... What can cause such an event to happen periodically? Some animals do migrate based on temperatures or availability of foods in the area, but all of them?'
And for the first time since their meeting, the Commander saw Claude's eyes lit up like a child.
*cough*
"The next migration is estimated to happen around 4-6 months from now. During that period, every combat Divisions will take part in one way or another to ensure the survival of the Sector, however."
"As a rule of thumb, the 4th Conquest Division will always be the vanguard while the 5th Guardian Division will be our last line of defense."
"..."
"I see, so if I were to accept this [Prowler] you mentioned, you would want me to enter either the 4th or the 5th Division sir?" Claude finally caught on to what the Sector Commander was offering him.
"No, that's not possible." However, the Commander corrected.
"The [Prowler] is the best Bio-Contact for scoutings and reconnaissance. If you were to accept my offer, you may only enter the 4th Division."
"Hm."
It's not like Claude didn't understand his sentiments. Grade-5 beasts ingredients were precious, but they could only be utilized by the newly recruited trainees who hadn't undergone their Bio-Contact.
The exam helped to some extent, but in the end, it was sort of like a blind investment where the trainee could die before he/she could contribute with their powers.
In this situation where the time for the migration was coming closer. Claude had suddenly appeared showing an already well-cultivated combat techniques and a mature enough mindset that broke the record for one of the Divisions exam.
He was their best bet. The best person to nurture!
Unfortunately, he had already long made his choice regarding such matters.
"If such is the case, then I would like to humbly refuse the offer. Thank you." Claude turned to the Commander and lightly bowed his head as he rejected.
Hearing that, the Commander tried to gather back his composure by folding his arms.
"...May I hear your reasons?"
"Commander,"
"I accepted the Nano Explosives upon entering Sector-07 because of my sincerety in becoming part of the citizens here. And I am ready to do my due diligence for the Alliance, but..."
"I was also led to believe that I have a choice on where I can apply my skills for my contributions to ERA. And I just don't like to get involved with the complications of the world. Nor the internal and external matters of the Alliance."
Migrations or not, joining either the 4th or the 5th would mean getting involved in such matters. The Conquest Division was the deployed army of ERA while the Guardian Division was their protectors and law enforcement officers.
Although Claude had not been entirely honest with his explanations, the main reason he had presented for his refusal was nothing but his true feelings towards the situation.
.
.
"Then there's nothing more to say."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you." Claude smiled apologetically.
"Don't be. Remember, even as a 2nd Division Ranger, you still have a part to play in the coming Great Migration." The Commander reminded him.
"But of course."
"Then quickly pick your Bio-Contact choice from the three. My words hold true, I will be the one assisting you in the procedure."
"..."
Claude put his hand to his chin in contemplation.
He had thought long and hard for this ever since he had completed his exam, but he still wanted to make sure that he wouldn't regret anything.
'Alright then...'
"Thank you very much. I choose..."