And once again, the people could not help but just glare as Rhys's table drowned the entire cafe with their voices. And of course, Rhys quickly grabbed Katarina's arm, pulling her closer to make her lower her voice.
"I… thought you support me becoming an Explorer?" Rhys then whispered as he slightly leaned over the table.
"I do!" Katarina loudly whispered, "But the Underworld Corps is different. You'll be living in hell, quite literally. You'll be hellishly training in the Underworld for 6 months before you can even come to the Surface again."
"Shit… finally something you and I agree on," Lina nodded several times as she heard Katarina's words, "Kat's right, Rhys. Why not just join something like the Holes Investigation Unit, or the Defense Force? At least you'll be with us. You… can live in my house while you're training."
"..." The only thing Rhys could really focus on what Lina said was her calling Katarina 'Kat'. She also called her that earlier; did… these two just become close while he was gone?
"Rhys, listen…" Katarina then let out a small but very deep sigh, "...It doesn't matter whether you live with me or with Lina. But please, don't serve for the Underw—"
"Can I borrow this while I'm there?"
And before Katarina could finish her words, Rhys suddenly placed something on the table. And as soon as she saw what it was, Katarina quickly closed her eyes.
"I… only survived the arachnes because of this."
It was the scalpel he used to kill all the arachnes back in Old York High.
"It's… incredibly sharp," Rhys then said as he slightly lifted the scalpel, causing Katarina's face to reflect on it, "I found it in your clinic."
"Rhys, that's—"
"I'm not going to ask you what this is, or why it's as sharp as it is—because I trust you, Dr. Katarina," Rhys then looked Katarina straight in the eyes,
"I hope that you can trust me back. I promise you I will live. I… have so much to do here on the Surface for me to just die down there."
"..." Katarina just returned Rhys's gaze. Staring at his eyes that were hidden by his hair for several seconds. But after a few more breaths, she once again gently held his hand and just nodded,
"I… trust you, Rhys. I just… want you to be happy."
"I know," Rhys could really only smile as she heard Katarina's words. It… felt weird hearing it coming from her mouth as he had been hearing it several times already in his mind.
And as for Lina, she had been staring at the scalpel ever since Rhys brought it out; her eyes, slightly squinted. She had received the reports from her team regarding the tragedy in Rhys's school—and a number of the arachnes there were killed by precise cuts from a small blade.
There… was also the report about the students that died in the canteen. Although most of the bodies were mangled, the reports said that their wounds were quite different from those that died outside—and Rhys was the only one left alive there.
Is it possible that he was the one who did all that to the students? No. Lina quickly shook her head off of the thoughts she was having and stood up from her seat… before just hugging Rhys without caring about the public eye.
"You… will be alright, Rhys," Lina then said as she tightened her embrace, "When… did you plan to leave?"
"Now."
"I see…" Lina nodded, "Wait…
…what do you mean now?"
And as soon as she said those words, a loud horn came from outside as a large military truck parked in the distance in front of the government building
"That's…
…my ride."
***
Amerka. One of Earth's most powerful countries, holding the record for having the most number of people in the Top 15 strongest Explorers in the world—with their best standing at Rank 2, just below the indomitable monster from the country of Russea.
But even as one of the most powerful countries in the world; the lands of Amerka, like most countries, were still covered in Danger Zones—zones that are rarely explored, and thus filled with Holes that have probably been opened ever since the first time the monsters dug their way through the Surface.
Empty fields, desolate forests, and brutal mountains in which one could just see monsters lurking everywhere.
And right in the center of one of those Danger Zones, Rhys was currently stepping out of the truck that he's been on…
…for 7 straight days.
"..." Rhys quickly stretched every inch of his body as soon as his feet touched the ground. And it wasn't only him—the 12 other recruits he was in the truck with also groaned, with some of them even dropping straight on the ground and hugging it.
Rhys has always imagined the base of Amerka's Underworld Corps would be grand, with several buildings and a fortress of gates and walls to protect them from the dangers that lurk everywhere.
But no—the only thing protecting them from the outside was a perimeter of metal grill fence. Partnered with a sliding metal grill gate. Of course, judging from all the blood he saw painting the ground outside the fences, it was probably equipped with a ton of voltage.
As for the buildings… there were no buildings.
There were just… military-grade tents of varying sizes. If anything, it was perhaps more proper to call this a camp, rather than a base.
The crowd of soldiers that were very slowly gathering to see him and the other new recruits also did not look like soldiers—no. They just looked like people who are ready to die at any time, both figuratively and physically.
"..." Rhys looked at their faces one by one. And while some had smirks on their faces, most were just… tired and sighing.
But perhaps the most noticeable part of the base was the large Hole gaped right at the very center of the base… which was just right beside where the truck unloaded them.
"Eep!"
The other new recruits seemed to have finally noticed the Hole as well, as they all either crawled or ran away from it. Rhys, on the other hand, stepped closer to the Hole—amazed by how wide it was.
The Hole he fell from back in Old York High was as wide as the length of a bus, but this one… was perhaps 10 times wider than that. Just… what sort of creature came out of this? A cyclops? Perhaps a hydra?
"I heard there was someone interesting amongst you litter of pups."
And before Rhys could become completely lost in his own thoughts, a loud and robust voice echoed throughout the entire camp—almost causing him to flinch and fall into the hole.
"..." Rhys quickly backed away, turning around to see who the voice belonged to—only to see all the soldiers that were previously smirking at them now standing straight and giving a salute; their bodies, all turned in a single direction.
"13 new victims. Just one less and you'd be like the mighty Olympians." It was a tall dark-skinned woman wearing a tank top and a pair of camo pants; her hair, braided and ornamented with a pair of feathers.
She wasn't as tall as Rhys, no—but she still towered over the other soldiers just from her sheer aura alone. Her arms were filled with power, obviously gained with effort from the fact that they were littered with scars. Her... breasts weren't as large as Katarina, but almost.
"13; well, we can fix that number…" the woman then stretched her left arm to the side—and as she did so, one of the soldiers that were standing beside her handed her a large duffel bag,
"...Let's get this started with."
And as soon as she said that, her left arm blurred; the bag she was previously holding, now right in front of one of the new recruits… and it didn't stop moving.
"!!!"
The only thing the recruit could do was let out a loud cough as the bag hit him right on the stomach… and then threw him straight into the Hole along with it. And before anyone could react, another bag flew straight toward them—throwing another into the Hole, and another… and another.
"Welcome to hell, boys and girls."
The woman then let out a small giggle as she continued throwing the recruits' bags, "This is where you'll be dying again and again until you are reborn—Oh?"
And before the woman could finish her routine monologue, her arm suddenly stopped moving as she saw a recruit dodge her throw.
It wasn't only her, the rest of the soldiers that seemed to be having fun watching the recruits fall all opened their mouths; their eyes… all staring at Rhys.
"Now, why do you have to go and avoid that?" The woman clicked her tongue several times in disappointment as she looked at Rhys from head to toe, "Now you gotta find your bag down there."
And while everyone was staring at him, Rhys was staring at the woman; his breaths, slightly fettered.
He already knew the bag was coming, he already saw where it was coming, his enhanced senses already knew it was aiming for his stomach… and yet he was barely even able to dodge the large, heavy bag by a hair's breadth.
As expected of the highest officer of the Underworld Corps.
Commander Ayesha, the only Commoner in the Top 15 Strongest Explorers in the world.
Ranked No. 14…
…And the very reason why Rhys chose the Underworld Corps.