Chapter 17: The Raid
"Teras, is that your first name or your surname?" the military agent began, his tone deceptively casual.
Axel leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing as he stared at the man. "Check the documents, and tell me what you see, idiot."
The agent's smirk tightened into a thin line, but he kept his composure. "You think you can provoke me, kid? You're at our mercy right now." He reclined in his chair, confidence radiating from his posture. Axel could feel the weight of the room's tension pressing down on him, the eyes of the other two men boring into him.
"I'm Kurtly West, General of this country's S.A.A.F.," the man continued, puffing out his chest as if his title alone would intimidate Axel.
'Top brass,' Axel thought, 'no wonder he's got such a big mouth.'
S.A.A.F. was officially known as the Safety Association Against Alien Fateks. But among the rank-and-file, it was a joke: Stupid Association for All Fucking idiots.
The second man in the room, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. "I'm his assistant, and I'm not allowed to disclose my name."
The last man, seated at the far end of the table, finally introduced himself. "Seo Jinhyuk, President of the Void Tiger Association."
Axel said nothing. His mind raced as he evaluated the situation. He was well aware that the longer he remained silent, the more suspicious he would seem, but he also knew that giving too much away could seal his fate. He had been through military school, after all. He knew every lesson about torture, and he was acutely aware of how ugly this could get.
"You were confirmed dead a month and two weeks ago, at 11:24 PM, after a Fatek bit off your head. Is that correct?" Kurtly leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he sought a reaction.
Axel gave a single nod, keeping his face blank.
"Now here you are, claiming to be Axel Teras, alive and well, with your head miraculously intact. How is that possible?"
Axel had anticipated this question. "It's an ability," he began, choosing his words carefully. "I used to be able to attack people or Fateks with nightmares, but somehow I came back, thanks to my ability. Even I don't fully understand it."
Kurtly snorted, his skepticism evident. "We buried your body months ago. It should be impossible for you to come back without tearing through a coffin and digging your way through six feet of solid ground. With your current status as a hunter, you don't seem up to that standard. So, that means you're lying."
Axel felt his heart rate spike. 'There are too many loopholes, and I can't find a way out of them.'
"And why come back to life now, of all times?" Kurtly's assistant added, deepening the hole Axel found himself in.
He had no answer. He could only remain silent, knowing that every second he hesitated was another nail in his coffin.
"Mr. Teras, we suspect you might be a Fatek in disguise," Seo Jinhyuk said, his voice calm but deadly serious. "Possibly new technology to shapeshift. And whether you know it or not, we're going to make sure you understand that the military is planning to make you their personal lab rat."
The threat hung in the air like a dark cloud. Axel's mind raced. He couldn't let them turn him into a test subject. At this pace, he knew that was exactly what would happen. 'Damn, what should I do?'
"So what do you have to say to that, Teras?" Kurtly asked, clearly relishing the power he held over Axel.
Axel took a deep breath, steadying himself. "I can't explain all these phenomena to you, as I'm also not sure what happened. But if possible, I'd like you to test me. If I fail, I'll become anything you want, but if I pass, you'll grant me two wishes."
The room fell silent. Axel's fingers twitched nervously at his sides, his breathing rapid but controlled. He knew it was a long shot. He was betting everything on this one gamble.
The three men exchanged looks. Kurtly's smirk returned, but it was tempered with doubt. They could take the easy way out, subjecting Axel to endless tests, or they could humor him. The decision wasn't as clear-cut as Axel had hoped.
"Fine," Seo Jinhyuk said finally, his voice steady. "I'll run a field test for you. If you're telling the truth, you'll pass. But if you're lying…" He let the threat hang in the air.
"Nonsense," Kurtly spat. "This bastard should be killed and his body experimented on for the good of humanity."
"You're bent on taking the life of someone you swore to protect?" Seo Jinhyuk shot back, his tone sharp. "We don't know what he is, but killing a human is murder. Follow my method, Kurtly. If I'm wrong, then you can do whatever you want."
Kurtly grumbled but finally relented. "Fine. Have it your way."
Seo Jinhyuk turned back to Axel, his expression unreadable. "Now, I'll set the conditions for this test. I won't take your rank into consideration. I'll be sending you on a raiding mission."
Axel's stomach dropped. "Raid? I thought we would be testing—"
"Machines can lie, but experience will always tell the truth," Seo Jinhyuk interrupted sharply. "Now, prepare yourself for the worst part of your life. I'll be sending you with a guild into a B-rank portal."
Axel's mouth went dry. 'A B-rank portal… Fuck! What was the death rate of B-rank gates again?'
Death rates were a crucial factor hunters considered before a raid. The higher the death rate, the more dangerous the portal. Last time Axel had checked, B-rank portals were rated *Dark.*
The ratings were as follows:
- **Bothering** (10 deaths per week)
- **Worse** (20 deaths per week)
- **Dark** (50 deaths per week)
- **Brutal** (100 deaths per week)
- **The End** (Wiped out)
Even a *Worse* rating was enough to deter most hunters, but…
"The rating for B-rank has risen to *Brutal,*" Seo Jinhyuk said, his voice as cold as steel.
Axel felt his mind spiral. 'I should be worried about dying, but with the system… all I can think about is how this is going to be—'
*Exhilarating.*