"At this hour, Boss, I don't think anyone else will show up," remarked Toto, a slender, half-demon man with a face resembling a groundhog.
"Let's wait a bit longer. We still have two hours before departure. What if some fool comes to enlist?" Alpha Special Forces Captain, Brooke, lit a cigarette, the long scar running from his left eye to the right corner of his mouth stood out on his dark complexion.
Beside him, a towering man over two meters tall, resembling a human tower, chuckled coldly, playing with a butterfly knife in his hand.
Just then, Filia appeared.
Her slender figure, though not short in stature, seemed delicate among the group of men in the military camp.
Clad in a tight leather suit that accentuated her curves, she exuded a sensual allure, while the mask covering half her face added an air of mystery.
"Wow, beauty, you must have walked into the wrong place, right?" Toto whistled and eyed Filia up and down before speaking.
"Isn't this the recruitment site of the Alpha Special Forces? I'm here to enlist," Filia smiled and looked at the scarred man seated in a chair.
"Are you in charge? Hello," she extended her hand towards Brooke.
Frowning, Brooke extinguished his cigarette with his fingers.
"Miss, we are a serious military unit. Moreover, we are about to depart for the front lines. Please don't joke around."
Filia felt a tad embarrassed as she withdrew her hand. She scoffed lightly.
"So, you mean I'm not serious?"
"I didn't mean that. I just wanted to say..."
Before Brooke could finish his words, Filia removed the backpack from her shoulders and placed it on the table, then turned to the 'human tower' nearby.
"If I defeat him, would that make me qualified?"
The surrounding people burst into laughter.
"Miss, don't talk about defeating him. Even if you can just move him, I'll accept you," Brooke said with a chuckle, finding it amusing that she dared challenge their squad's killing machine.
"Leader, I trust your word."
Saying this, Filia walked over to the giant tower of a man.
"I seek your guidance."
The towering man, looking down at the woman barely reaching his chest, sneered and began speaking disrespectfully.
"Darling, I never lay hands on women. Women are to be cherished, and any fighting should happen in bed. Uh..."
Before he could finish his crude remark, a heavy punch landed in his stomach, nearly making him vomit breakfast. Following a sharp crack, his wrist was twisted, causing the butterfly knife in his hand to drop.
Filia swiftly seized the knife, then, grasping the giant's arm, she locked her long legs around his neck from below like a pair of scissors, spinning and effortlessly tumbling his massive frame to the ground.
Quickly regaining her footing after the move, Filia pointed the pilfered butterfly knife at the giant's artery.
The scene unfolded so quickly that before anyone could react, the victor was already decided.
With a flushed face, the towering man could only slap the ground, conceding defeat.
Upon witnessing this, Filia promptly released the giant and gracefully rose to her feet before turning to Brooke.
"Captain, am I qualified?"
"Don't call me 'Leader'! Call me Captain," Brooke felt like he hit the jackpot. He had been worried about the lack of exceptional talents in the Alpha team, but here she was, bringing a smile to his face with her spirited challenge.
Confident in her abilities, Filia wasn't concerned about that. Her worry lay in her lineage.
"Captain, there's something I need to clarify in advance."
"What is it? Salary or benefits? Rest assured, the Alpha unit offers the highest pay in the entire Alliance military. Due to the danger, the salary is high, but of course, I can't say that," Brooke explained proudly.
"It's not about the salary. It's about my lineage. I'm a half-human, half-bloodline," Filia confessed.
Despite having a new soul, memories of past prejudice still made her feel insecure about mentioning her heritage.
"Half-human, half-bloodline? What about it?" Brooke seemed puzzled by Filia's implication.
"Well, what I meant was, wouldn't you consider this aspect here?" Filia asked, seeking clarity.
At that moment, Captain Brooke finally understood.
"Hey! Those are just nonsensical rules in the regular army. We don't follow that here. Be it a werewolf, half-demon, vampire, or any other creature, as long as you can kill the enemy for me, you're all precious assets to me. Let's go, lass, I'll get you a name tag made, and we'll register your family information while we're at it."
"Ah? Family information too?" Filia felt a bit troubled. She was an orphan, with only one relative in the world - her husband, the Air Force Commander of the Star Alliance. How was she supposed to register that?
"Well, if you die, someone needs to receive the compensation. Here at Alpha, we have high salaries and high compensation, regardless of how you die. In Alpha, each head is worth three million. If you make it to the rank of junior commander, that's five million."
Brooke expressed his pride, but his words also carried a touch of solemnity.
"I... I have no family. If I die, the compensation can be donated to an orphanage," Filia brought up.
Brooke was momentarily stunned by her statement.
"Not here for money? Then why join Alpha? Do you not realize that our unit has a casualty rate of over 30%? It means in a fight that sends a hundred people, thirty won't come back. Alpha undertakes R-class missions, akin to suicide squads. You're young, with no need to earn compensation for your family, so why are you here?"
The concept of joining Alpha to earn compensation had become ingrained in Brooke's thinking, as those who joined Alpha typically did so with a readiness for the end, intending to provide a substantial sum for their families.
"I...," Filia paused for a moment, then straightened her back before Brooke.
"I am here for an ideal. I want to drive out the invaders from our country forever, avenge all the soldiers who died on the alien borders, and become the strongest warrior."
Finishing her words, her tone was resolute and filled with strength, leaving Brooke involuntarily awed.
However, after a few moments of seriousness, Brooke's face broke into a smile again.
"We'll see if you make it through alive. What's your name?"
At this point, the two arrived at a machine for making military tags.
Without hesitation, Filia blurted out a resonant name.
"I am... Athena!"