"All of them did well in their first missions. Although they were low-rank missions, they performed as anticipated. The missions will gradually increase in difficulty, so I'm rather curious about how they'll fare," Elaine said, her eyes scanning the details of the missions she had assigned. A satisfied smile played on her lips as she continued, "I've been toiling for so long, trying to find the right way to create enhanced mages. Now, I've barely succeeded, but the results are turning out better and better as they grow. Soon, I'll get what I desire."
"Maan! I can't believe we completed our mission that easily," Marika exclaimed, hopping onto the couch with a bounce.
"Yeah, I was nervous the whole time," Lindiwe admitted, settling down next to her.
"I know, right? Although you didn't seem nervous to me, with how you were like 'Muddy Ground!' and the floor where those guys were running on turned all muddy. It was so cool!" Marika replied, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"But still, though, I'm just happy to be back safely," Lindiwe said, a relieved smile spreading across her face.
"We practically trained all our lives for this. Of course we'll make it back," Jake chimed in, his tone rowdy and full of confidence.
Ethan, ever the stoic leader, stood up. "I'm going to submit a report. You're free till then," he said, his voice calm and detached as he left the room. Jake scoffed at Ethan's cold and unfriendly tone, rolling his eyes.
As Ethan made his way to report to Elaine, he encountered the other sixteen team leaders, the ones who had survived the rigorous training. The remaining six who weren't assigned to teams had been sold off just recently.
"So all of us were given missions on the same day," Bernard muttered as Ethan approached with Dianna walking beside him.
"What took you guys so long? We also have things to do, you know," Casper ranted, his impatience evident.
"We were discussing something. Sorry we're late," Dianna apologized, trying to smooth things over.
"Anyway, here are your devices. You can send your mission reports to us with these for convenience," Ethan said, handing them card-like devices. With that, they disbanded, each heading back to their respective teams, ready to take on more challenging missions.
"It appears your team is quite capable," Dianna remarked, her eyes scanning through the mission reports with a hint of admiration.
"You could say the same about yours," Ethan replied, a smug smile tugging at his lips. "Though, we did finish my mission faster."
"I can see that, but your execution was sloppy. You toyed with your enemies instead of going straight for the kill," Dianna countered, her tone sharp. "My team and I were more efficient in our execution."
The two of them sat in their specially assigned office, the familiar environment doing little to quell their competitive spirits. Their constant collaboration had fostered a unique bond, punctuated by their frequent squabbles.
"If I were focusing on efficiency, I would've done it even faster," Ethan shot back, his pride unmistakable.
"Then how about I propose a competition," Dianna suggested, her eyes gleaming with a challenging spark as she continued to review the reports.
"Such things are beneath my time," Ethan dismissed her proposal with a wave of his hand. "If you want a competition, challenge me directly."
"Always such a brute," Dianna retorted, rolling her eyes. She then shifted the topic, her expression turning serious. "Anyway, this pattern of these missions..."
"Yes, I can't help but notice it as well. It seems our employer wants full control over District C's underground market, and they're doing so by eliminating all opposition, great and small," Ethan said, his brow furrowing in thought.
"Edwin, wasn't it? I'm not quite sure of the name, but yes, I agree. It seems he's preparing to increase his operations and wants to eliminate any and all obstacles before they grow into larger threats," Dianna added, her fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk.
"I like that. It also seems like he's going to be requiring our services for a while now," Ethan noted, a hint of satisfaction in his voice as they continued to sift through the documents, their thoughts aligning on the growing complexities their missions presented.
After Ethan and Dianna finished reviewing the mission reports, they both took a moment to reflect on the day's events.
As evening approached, Ethan found himself wandering through the training grounds allotted to his team. He saw Jake practicing, honing his skills with fierce determination.
"It's already starting," Ethan murmured, his mana-infused eyes analyzing Jake's body. "Those whose bodies can't handle the growth of their mana pools, are met with..." His voice trailed off, a shadow of pain passing over his face as he silenced the haunting memory.
Meanwhile, Dianna returned to her quarters, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Would Edwin's ambitions affect Black Wind? She couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was at play, a sense of unease gnawing at her insides. Only time would tell.
And so, as the city lights flickered in the distance, casting a serene glow over the landscape, the day came to a quiet end. Unanswered questions lingered in the air.
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All other leaders
Team 2:
- Dianna – Subject 1 Rank 8: Four-star Junior Mage and magic engineer, 10 years old.
Team 3:
- Casper – Subject 6 Rank 1: Three-star Apprentice Mage, 10-year-old combat mage with a fierce, cruel heart.
Team 4:
- Naomi – Subject 3 Rank 6: Four-star Apprentice Mage and healer, 10 years old.
Team 5:
- Bernard – Subject 4 Rank 7: Two-star Apprentice Mage, 10-year-old spellmancer with a fusion of elf and dwarven lineage.
Team 6:
- Happiness – Subject 2 Rank 3: Two-star Apprentice Mage, 10-year-old rune mage whose spells are etched in ancient runes.
Team 7:
- Anna – Subject Rank 5 2: Three-star Apprentice Mage, 10-year-old spell weaver who commands magic with no need for circles.
Team 8:
- Nick – Subject 8 Rank 10: Four-star Junior Mage and battle mage, 10 years old.
Team 9:
- Joy – Subject 7 Rank 9: Four-star Junior Mage and alchemist, known as "the witch of poison," 10 years old.
Team 10:
- Evan – Subject 12 Rank 4: Two-star Apprentice Mage, enchanter, 10 years old with unparalleled talent for weapons.
Team 11:
- Jakob – Specializes in elven rune magic
Team 13 :
- Miranda – Specializes in elemental magic and is a quarter dragonoid the only dragonoid in Black Wind.
Team 14:
- Reason – Specializes in Dwarven rune Weaver
Team 15:
- Hans – Magic Bowman
Team 16:
- Maurice – Specializes in Swordsmanship