We were gathered in the meeting room of one of the private GEAS Bases within the academy. Not just any base—this one belonged to the infamous GOD squad. And the name? No surprises there.
G.O.D Base.
Cason Linus, the captain of the squad, stood at the front of the room, grinning like a man who had just won a lottery he never entered. The squad members sat around the long meeting table, exchanging glances—some confused, some wary, all waiting for an explanation.
Cason clapped his hands together. "Alright, everyone. I'm sure you all know who Noah is." He gestured toward me. "He'll be assisting us with the secret tower mission."
A heavy silence settled over the room. Some squad members looked outright stunned. Others frowned, clearly trying to process this unexpected announcement.
One of them, an S-rank with a faint scar on his left cheek, finally spoke up. "Err… Captain, this—"
"What?!" Cason cut him off before he could finish. "What now? Am I not allowed to make decisions? Am I not the captain?"
His arms crossed, he leaned back in his chair, sulking like a kid who'd been told no at a candy store. His squad members shifted uncomfortably, glancing at one another, but no one dared to challenge him outright.
I sighed, shaking my head slightly. This guy… was something else. I cleared my throat.
"Cason, I think this should be discussed with your squad first before making a final decision," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "They're your team. I'm just an outsider."
Cason waved me off dismissively. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm the leader of the squad and the base. I make the decisions here."
Then, turning back to his squad, he jabbed a finger at them. "It's my first time making a decision on my own. Usually, I let you all decide everything. And what do you do? Nag. 'Captain, you should be more decisive!'" He mimicked an exaggerated whiny voice before scoffing. "Now that I finally make a decision? You're still nagging. So tell me, am I the captain or what?"
Silence.
Not a single protest.
Cason's grin stretched wider, victorious. Then, without warning, he turned to me and clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Besides, Noah's not an outsider. I've decided to take him as my brother."
…What?
Since when? And why was I not consulted on this?
I forced an awkward smile. "Erm… Cason, you don't have to do that. We're both from the same academy anyway."
"Nonsense," he dismissed immediately, his smug expression unwavering. "I'm Cason Linus. If I want to take you as my brother, then you're my brother. That's that."
What kind of logic was that?
Cason smirked. "Besides, I hate Gaius. And I heard he tried to investigate you the other day. Normally, I don't care what that bastard does, but I find it very interesting that he's digging into a C-rank of all people." He leaned in slightly. "Don't worry. This big brother will protect you from that lunatic."
You're also a lunatic.
I kept that thought to myself and instead forced a weak smile.
"Great. Now that's settled," Cason declared, clearly pleased with himself. "Let's discuss the mission, shall we?"
A holo-map materialized at the center of the meeting table, projecting the tower's location. Red markers highlighted key mission points and areas of concern.
Despite everything, I turned my attention to the map. As ridiculous as Cason was, one thing was clear: this mission was no joke.
The mission itself was straightforward—at least on paper. Conquer the Level 10 Tower Guardian.
When the details were laid out, I quickly realized something: this wasn't just any squad mission. It was a directive from GAIA itself.
According to the mission report, GAIA had issued similar orders across the world. Every Elite GEAS squad was expected to conquer GAIA Towers as part of their training.
The official explanation?To prepare awakeners for real battles—not just to defend the towers from invasions on other planets, but also to conquer them, ensuring their stability under GAIA's control.
That last part caught my attention.
So my hunch was right. GAIA wasn't just overseeing awakeners for the sake of Earth—it was preparing them for something bigger. It granted people abilities, trained them through tower conquests, and then… what? Sent them off to invade towers beyond this planet?
For what purpose? Why?
But something about this didn't sit right.
Every mission I'd received from Codebreaker never once referred to the towers as GAIA Towers, nor did it acknowledge the guardians as GAIA's Tower Guardians. It was always just "the Tower" or "the Tower Guardian."
And then there was Avroc's attack on our tower. He had outright said GAIA planned everything.
So did GAIA really own these towers?
What if none of them belonged to GAIA—including the ones on other planets?
I kept my thoughts to myself as the meeting continued. The squad members discussed tactics, exchanging ideas on how best to bring down the Level 10 Guardian. Strategies were proposed, countered, refined—the usual back-and-forth of a high-level squad planning a difficult raid.
Then someone dropped an interesting piece of information.
"This mission isn't exclusive to us. The other MODS family squads were given the same directive. We might run into them inside the tower."
Cason, who had been listening with his usual smug confidence, suddenly frowned.
"Hold it right there." His voice dripped with irritation. "So you're telling me I have to deal with that lunatic's team as well?"
The squad member hesitated before nodding. "Well… considering his family is also one of the MODS—"
"The lowest-ranked MODS," Cason sneered, practically spitting the words.
Then, as if something snapped, he burst out. "Why the hell are they joining in?! That tower is Linus family territory. They have their own damn towers to deal with!"
"Apparently, it was a direct order from GAIA," the squad member replied.
Cason clicked his tongue in frustration. "Damn it. It's bad enough that I have to play along with my family's expectations for this so-called 'secret mission'—and now I have to deal with the other MODS, too?"
His fingers drummed against the table, his frustration barely contained. I had a feeling this mission was going to be a lot messier than expected.
Cason turned his attention to me. "What do you think, Noah? Think you can handle the mission?"
I rubbed my chin, pretending to mull it over, even though I'd already made up my mind.
There was no way I was letting any of them take down the Tower Guardian.
Something about this mission didn't sit right with me. My instincts screamed that the moment we conquered the Guardian, GAIA would swoop in and claim the real prize. Whatever that prize was, I had no intention of letting them have it.
Especially not GAIA.
But for now, I kept my plans to myself. No need to set off any alarms.
"Yeah, I can handle it," I said, nodding. "I have drones specialized in recon and discreet maneuvering. I can EMP the tower guardian's systems, create an opening—but it won't last long. You'll have to move fast."
Cason grinned, clearly pleased with my answer. Good. Let him think I was just another pawn in his game.