"This is my first day as a recruit and we're already doing such a thing. Why am I here for, anyway? I was supposed to be dead."
A few minutes after the meeting that brought upon their unavoidable fate, Lev was back in his room, wracking his brain. Well, he's as helpless as a newborn chick though. As a recruit, there's nothing he could do about the captain's absolute orders. All that he could do is come to an acceptance.
"What do you mean?" Titania interrupted Lev's line of thought with a question, causing him to turn towards her with a somewhat confused expression.
"Nothing. How's your wound?" Lev decided to just change the topic. 'It's not like she'll understand if I tell her.'
After staring into space for a couple of seconds, Titania brought her hand as slowly as she could towards her stomach. Her pain receptors were already so sensitive that they expected the pain to shoot up even though she hasn't touched anything yet. However, the moment she did so, she let out an exhale due to the immense pain. "It doesn't hurt when I don't touch it." She responded.
"Obviously." Lev sighed.
Since Lev was just new to this world of space exploration, he didn't know what to expect when they go to Tartarus, all that he had to do was try to prepare much as he could. And even that goal was as vague as a view on a foggy day. After all, he doesn't know how to specifically prepare in the first place.
"You know, if you're ever having a hard time, you should tinker with that communications device strapped on your wrist. I don't think every information will be there but you can pretty much look up anything. In ancient times, the internet was invented— that's like version 2.0 of it."
"I see, thanks for that," Lev said, looking up information about Tartarus, the Alcatraz, and everything else in between. He just couldn't rely on everyone with information since it might be inaccurate. Back then, he decided to rely on Lineus of the exploration team and look where that got him— back to square one.
"You really are weird, you know. You seem like you know a lot but at the same time, you're just an idiot. There's your class as well which confuses me. The way you act is of the Carnage Class but your features tell me otherwise. Are you a Gargantuan Class?"
"Well, that idiot just saved your life, and you get to stay in this space cruiser because of that idiot. Don't you think you a lot of things to that idiot?" Lev retaliated with a satisfied grin, making Titania 'hmph' at her loss.
"Still, why are you a recruit in such a beat-up space cruiser? With your abilities, you should've joined a better exploration team. Your team right now is all trash, no offense." Titania continued.
Lev shook his head. Point taken. Upon witnessing the exploration team— Bracket Delta— perform, he knew for a fact that they were not the best exploration team out there. Of course, that doesn't mean that they have their basics down pat. But Lev knew that what they experienced wasn't the cause of unluckiness. Misdjugments here and there brought upon the end of a planet and they have no excuse for that. What Titania said was right on point, there really are better exploration teams out there.
"I'm not actually part of the exploration team. I was just sent out as punishment since I hit the captain on the head." Lev explained. "I'm originally a recruit, but now a temporary member of the exploration team. Or at least, until we complete this 25th Voyage."
Ti-ring.
Just when they were having a proper conversation, someone rang the doorbell to Lev's room. They weren't expecting room service or anything right now so Lev and Titania were a bit confused as to why someone came to visit them.
"It's Benedict." Someone called out from behind the door.
Lev didn't hesitate to open the door.
"How's your wound?" He asked as soon as he entered in.
"It doesn't hurt when I don't touch it," Titania repeated.
"Of course, are you stupid?" Benedict said, heaving out a sigh before collapsing on Lev's bed. "I brought some food and some first-aid stuff to replenish your stock. With the new mission from the higher-ups, we're working out a lot of things at the moment. Fortunately, they allowed me to visit you after I informed them of this little girl's wound."
"I am not a little girl!"
"I know, just let me rest for a few minutes." Benedict continued. "Captain Zed just informed the crew that it might take more preparations than expected to fly to Tartarus, that's why we'll be returning to Main Earth for a stopover. That doesn't mean the 25th Voyage is over though."
"What?! We're going to Tartarus? Why? That's plain suicide, you know! Is your Captain mad? I guess that's probably why Lev hit him." Titania crossed her arms, flinching since it bumped her wound a bit.
"Orders from the Main Earth. We're there to capture a certain criminal."
"An Elemental Class?"
"A Pyro-sync Class."
"Isn't that like... dangerous? As expected of the 25th Voyage. You did say this is the 25th Voyage, right?"
Benedict nodded, let out another sigh, and buried his head on Lev's pillow as he forced himself to sleep. He should've just asked Lev to hit him on the head for instant effectiveness.
"Are we sure about this? Do the higher-ups from the Main Earth have a grudge against this space cruiser? I mean, this space cruiser is barely running and they're sending it for an S-Rank Mission?"
"SS-Rank." Benedict corrected.
"Even worse,"
Lev just intently listened to Benedict and Titania's conversation, trying to get as much information as he could but to his disappointment, he couldn't keep up with their exchange. The only thing that sunk in was the fact that they were going back to Main Earth.
"That's why pack your things. This may very well be our last stopover before we meet our deaths. Hopefully not." Benedict said. A split second later, he was already snoring.