Lisa smirked, giving him a teasing salute. "Good luck, Squad Leader. Don't keep her waiting!"
Ares merely shook his head at her. He didn't want to be called squad leader or anything like that, his name would be fine.
Lisa obviously knew that too, she just loved teasing him or anyone in particular.
Bidding her goodbye, Ares hurried off, catching up with the official who had been waiting to escort him.
As they walked through the camp, Ares's mind raced with a multitude of questions. 'Why did Commander Selene want to meet with him in person? Had she discovered something about my Bloodline? Am in trouble again?'
The last meeting had been impressive enough—why would she need to see him privately again?
For someone who had a huge secret to hide, he didn't like situations such as this. Especially with someone at the level of a commander.
Such a person was definitely a terrifying expert. People at such a level had a terrible perception. It was extremely difficult to hide something from them.
After several minutes of walking, Ares noticed they were approaching the executive block. It was the only building in Chain 54 Camp that was painted a different colour from the monotonous black.
It was a place strictly reserved for the camp's most elite personnel, specifically the camp captain. Even the voice captain could only live in the normal dorms for officials.
Ares raised an eyebrow, glancing at the official. "Why are we heading here?"
"You'll see," the official replied, a faint smirk on his face as he led Ares through the entrance.
The official paused outside the closed door and nodded at him. "Commander Selene is inside. You can go in."
Ares' heart skipped a beat. 'Why is the commander in the residence of the camp captain? And why the hell are they looking for me?'
Realizing he wouldn't know without entering, he decided to just go in. With a deep breath, Ares pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The interior was quite simple. It was simpler than expected. There were simple white furniture and a plain fireplace in the living area.
Apart from a few other basic appliances, the room was completely bare.
Sitting on a couch and looking as relaxed as ever, was a woman with fiery red hair and emerald green eyes.
His breath hitched. Commander Selene, always intense and intimidating in her uniform, was in casual wear. It was a stark contrast to her usual sharp and intimidating uniform.
Her softer appearance was, frankly, stunning, and he found himself momentarily caught off guard.
Her long red hair was tied back in a relaxed style, and her piercing gaze held a youthfulness he hadn't noticed before.
She looked younger and more beautiful than he'd expected and somehow… almost approachable.
"Take a seat, Ares," she said smoothly, gesturing to the chair across from her. He quickly sat, feeling the weight of her gaze on him.
Selene didn't waste any time. "I'll get right to the point, Ares. I have an offer for you," she began, her voice calm but with a hint of urgency. "This isn't an official ZMA order. This is a personal request."
Ares blinked, surprised. "Personal?"
Selene nodded. "If you accept, I'll give you a lesser grade relic, three lesser grade techniques of your choice, and a personal recommendation to any of the top five Bloodline Academies in the world. That would practically guarantee your admission."
Ares's mind spun. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. "You… you're serious?"
She gave him an amused smirk and nodded.
Ares felt his heart skip a beat. The offer was beyond tempting, but it also left him puzzled. "And what's the catch?"
Selene's voice sharpened into a more serious tone. "It's simple. In two months, the Inter-Camp Tournament will be held. I need you to help me defeat a specific person there."
Ares sat back, reeling. 'A relic, lesser techniques, and a guaranteed recommendation?'
He could hardly believe the rewards she was offering. These rewards were unheard of!
Relics alone were near priceless. They were items from the Ancient Eldritch Era, mysterious artefacts that had been lost to time thousands of years before the extinction of dragons, resurfacing only through the bizarre effects of temporal displacement in Primordial Zones.
Finding one was nearly impossible; only a handful of people could ever dream of possessing even a lesser relic.
To have one, even a lesser relic, was like owning a piece of raw power itself. And with the additional techniques and her backing, he'd have a huge advantage in any Bloodline Academy.
Ares' curiosity grew. His mind practically whirled with thoughts.
'Who on earth does she need me to beat?' For someone of Selene's calibre to make such an offer, the opponent must be nothing short of formidable.
He took a few moments to gather his thoughts, turning the proposition over in his mind.
Selene watched him, waiting. He weighed his options carefully, considering what this might mean for his future. He didn't want to make a deal over something he wouldn't be able to fulfill.
If he failed to defeat whichever formidable opponent he was sure to face in the Inter-Camp tournament, he didn't know what she would do to him in anger.
But the offer was just too tempting. With a relic, not only would he have a powerful artifact that he could use in battle, he could also comprehend the will embedded on the relic if he was lucky.
That would automatically boost his prowess to a shocking level!
'I should take this deal. After all, I have a SSS-grade bloodline and another SS-grade one. With proper training and enough time to prepare, I should be unstoppable at my stage.'
After thinking to this point, he took a deep breath and then met her gaze.
Finally, he nodded. "I'll do it."
Selene's face softened, and for the first time, she smiled—a warm, genuine smile that somehow made her seem even more powerful and beautiful.
"Good choice," she said. "But before anything else, I need to see what you're truly capable of." She stood up, folding her arms, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "Let's have a little spar, shall we?"
_____
Power stone Goal!
50 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
100 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
200 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.