He looked around, confused. "Where are we?"
Jonh replied with a tired tone. "My health plan."
Viktor furrowed his brow, not understanding anything. Before he could ask more questions, Jonh knocked on the metal door. Instantly, a camera with a long, eye-shaped format appeared, sliding out of a hidden compartment. The camera moved quickly, focusing on Jonh.
"Who's knocking at the door?" An entity's voice came from a built-in speaker. Recognizing John, the voice became even more irritated.
"Ah, it's you. Who's with you?"
John, visibly tired and in pain.
"Just open the door." He answered with almost all the strength he had.
The door opened with a metallic creak. Viktor looked at John.
"Nice person."
John gave Viktor a stern look. "Shut up, or she won't answer me."
They entered the first floor of the apartment, which was modest and functional. The interior contrasted sharply with the cold, metallic exterior. Simple wooden furniture, second-rate carpets, and a few pieces of art decorated the space, but it was clear that they were second-rate fakes that barely had any value left over from the hanging painting, giving it a somewhat cozy but worthless atmosphere.
In the center of the room, a woman in her thirties, with gray hair pulled back in a stern expression, was waiting for them. She wore a white lab coat, indicating that she was a doctor or scientist. Her eyes scanned John and Viktor from head to toe, assessing them carefully. But she caught a faint, strong odor, as if there were dirty, wet ganja in the room. She covered her nose angrily.
"So, John, what brings you and your friend I haven't met yet to my humble abode? But why did you bring a rotten smell into my home, I hope you have a good explanation?!" The woman asked, her tone of impatience extremely irritated.
John sighed and replied. "I broke my leg and I need your help."
The woman took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, still watching John.
"Of course you broke your leg!! I'm not blind!!! I want to know why you smell so rotten?"
"Ask the kid here!" She pointed with her thumb at Viktor.
"I kind of... made a makeshift mold out of animal skin..."
"...."
"But look on the bright side, it was still a little fresh... so the smell must be worse now." Viktor smiled at her.
She looked at him in disbelief, not believing what she had just heard.
"John, where the hell did you find this kid?"
"Look, you wouldn't believe it if you heard it..."
The woman sighed slowly to calm herself, still watching John.
"Very well, let's leave this alone, but you know how it works and I'll charge you extra for the mess."
Viktor, smiling but still trying to make sense of the situation, looked at John.
John replied. "She's my health insurance. One of the best doctors in town and the cheapest."
"Yes, yes, yes, I'm the doctor who charges the lowest price for you poor hunters, now go upstairs!!!"
John and Viktor nodded and went up to the second floor of the apartment with the woman behind them, where the clinic was located. The room was functional, with basic medical equipment and an examination table in the center of the room. The walls were covered with metal panels and the shelves were filled with medicine bottles and surgical instruments. The smell of disinfectant was strong.
John, exhausted and barely conscious, lay down on the bed with a groan of pain. He was holding his broken leg, which was visibly covered with animal skin that smelled bad.
The doctor, still with a stern expression.
"He needs rest and care."
John spoke with difficulty into his hand. "Wait… I need to talk to Viktor… alone."
The doctor hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave the two alone in the room, but eventually gave in.
"Okay, but don't take long. I left a jug of water, I'll try to get rid of the smell downstairs." She pointed to the jug next to John's bed, on top of a counter.
With that, she left the room, closing the door behind her. The sound of the door closing echoed through the room, leaving a heavy silence in the air.
Now alone, John looked at Viktor with tired eyes.
"I kept my end of the bargain. You brought him to safety. Now it's your turn, boy."
Viktor, still uncertain "Are you sure this is a safe place?"
John nodded slowly, irritated and tired.
"Yes, it is safe. Now, do what you promised!!!"
Reluctantly, Viktor picked up a spreadsheet that was next to him and began to write down information for John. As he wrote, Viktor and Atlas flashed back to the past, accessing the Union's records updated for the future. Memories and documents came to them in flashes. The battles, the victories, the defeats were one of the main factors in the defeat of the Rebellion.
Finally, he finished and handed the spreadsheet to John.
"This should help." He handed the spreadsheet over, as he picked up the pitcher of water and drank from it.
John, tired from the sight before him, placed the spreadsheet on the table next to his bed and would read it later.
"Thanks. ...Kid."
"No problem, now I need a favor. Lend me your Pulseira G." Viktor said with a smile on his face.
Jonh furrowed his brow, confused. "My Pulseira G? Why?"
John, tired of the whole situation, took the bracelet off his wrist and threw it to Viktor.
"It's yours!!" He shouted.
Viktor caught the bracelet and smiled, relieved. "Thank you, Jonh."
Viktor looked at John, worried. "Are you going to be okay?"
"I'll be okay. Now go. But remember what I said."
Viktor smiled, putting the bracelet on his wrist. "I'll remember."
John closed his eyes, exhausted. "Don't get into trouble... I beg you..."
"I know, John."
"Then why are you smiling?"
"Calm down, just rest, as if I'm going to cause trouble today."
Viktor left, closing the door behind him, leaving John alone to rest. Alone, John removed the mask he was wearing, revealing a face marked by fatigue and pain. He placed it next to the information he had received from Viktor and lay down on the bed. Tears of happiness began to stream down his thirty-year-old face as he muttered to himself.
"He's gone... finally!!!" John said in a tearful voice.
"I'll never recruit anyone again, especially people who fall from the sky."
He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. "I don't even care if the information is true or not. I just want him out of my life."
Jonh closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the insane events of the day. "I don't believe I had such a crazy experience in a single day. I was chased by beasts, almost became food, thrown by an avalanche, fell into a precipice, was chased by a lord, and almost got into a confrontation between two lords."
He laughed bitterly, tears still streaming down his face. "I almost peed my pants. Seriously, how did that kid cause so much chaos? I never want to have anything to do with him again."
John grabbed a blanket that was folded on a nearby chair and covered himself, not even bothering to take off his clothes, especially the smelly animal skin that was molded to his leg. He was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and just wanted to rest.
"How did all of this happen so fast?"
As he covered himself with the blanket, even though there was animal fur on his leg, but he didn't care, John felt a wave of relief greater than the smell.
"Finally, some peace... I hope he finds what he's looking for and never crosses my path again."
With these thoughts, Jonh finally allowed himself to relax, letting sleep take over his exhausted body.
However, his rest was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Jonh opened his eyes and saw his medic, but in reality, it was his boss, Katherine Desmond, the commander of the infiltrated and hidden resistance army, entering the room.
"Katherine... chief. Can I have a break?" Jonh murmured, recognizing the woman immediately.
Katherine Desmond, with a cold smile, closed the door behind her.
"Jonh, you lazybones, what have you done this time?" She was visibly irritated, with her hair ablaze with fire and her fingers snapping with impatience.
Jonh tried to get up, but the pain in his leg made him fall off the bed, landing on the floor.
"Katherine, I can explain..."
She advanced, snapping her fingers with impatience.
"Why did you bring a child here?"
Her voice was cold as ice, and her hair began to change color, becoming a fiery red, reflecting her growing anger.
John tries to cry, but he has no more tears to cry
"I would rather have stayed with the Lords."
"What? What are you talking about??" She was surprised by the answer.
Jonh was in trouble and needed to explain himself quickly to avoid more problems. He tried to get up again, but the pain in his leg made him fall again.
"Katherine, please, listen to me..."
But Katherine was in no mood to listen, she had time to listen to John's "excuses". She stepped forward, her hair ablaze with fire and her eyes blazing with anger.
"Do you know what this means, Jonh? Do you know what this can cause?" She was furious, and Jonh was desperate to justify himself, he began to recount the events that led him to this point.
"Please boss listen to my story just once! Please!!"
He told his story, beginning with being chased by wild beasts who nearly devoured him. Then he was swept away by an avalanche and struggled to breathe as the biting cold seemed to freeze his bones. The fall threw him off a cliff, thanks to the crazy boy who led him there. He plummeted, feeling the great typhoon on his face, and said he was certain he would not survive. Yet, miraculously, he survived, and in despair he credited his survival to the crazy boy.
But his story was far from over. John explained how he accidentally fell face first into the domain of the fire ants and was chased by the Fire Ant Queen, a colossal creature. And to make matters worse, he found himself caught in a confrontation between two rival Lords. It was a series of events that nearly killed him, and John was left wondering how he had managed to survive it all.
The Fire Ant Queen and the magma Salamander, a gigantic creature that exhaled heat and lava, capable of melting anything in its path. The battle between these two creatures could have been his end. The tension and fear were terrifying as he hid, trying to avoid being caught in the crossfire. He could hear the sound of the Fire Ant Queen's mandibles closing and the roar of the Lava Salamander, the intense heat almost suffocating him.
Katherine listened to everything with an incredulous expression, she stopped for a moment, she was silent, she looked at him for a moment. John looked at her silently and began to fear whether she would believe his story or not, what would be her answer? But her answer was unexpected.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
She began to laugh uncontrollably. She did not believe a word of what John was saying. Her laughter echoed throughout the room, increasing John's feeling of despair.
"Do you expect me to believe that absurd story, John?"
She quickly approached him, pulling his ear hard.
"If you keep telling me this ridiculous story, I'll pull out every single strand of your gray hair, leaving you completely bald!"John screamed in pain.
John screamed in pain.
"No, Katherine! It's true, I swear! It all happened exactly as I said!"
Jonh, still trembling, continued. "Even the ARES squad was there."
Katherine furrowed her brow in surprise. "The ARES squad? Why were they there?" She released his ear, but changed to a severe look.
"They were after the boy!!" John replied desperately.
"I had no idea why. I thought he was just a pawn, but in reality, he was a ticking time bomb of chaos wherever he went!!!"
Katherine crossed her arms, still skeptical. "Where did you find this boy?"
John took a deep breath. "He fell from the sky, destroying the transport that carried him, along with an ice golem that was chasing me. Honestly, if I had known my day would turn out like this, I would have preferred to face the golem instead of dealing with the boy."
Katherine's eyes widened. "What do you mean by 'it fell from the sky'?"
"I saw him coming down from the sky with an emergency shuttle!!"
"What happened to the emergency ship?"
"It exploded..."
"HOW?"
"It exploded when it hit the ice golem when it was chasing me."
"Ice.… golem?"
"Yeah, you didn't hear my story...?"
She closed her eyes and put her fingers over her closed eyelids to try to understand the situation, took a deep breath and sighed.
"Okay... wait, if the ship exploded... how...?"
"He jumped out!"
"You're kidding..."
"You think I'm kidding! I saw it myself!!"
Katherine shook her head in disbelief. "And why was the ARES squadron after him?"
Jonh hesitated before responding. "I don't know!!! But the boy mentioned that he had escaped from a prison..."
Katherine was silent for a moment. Then, she approached Jonh, grabbing his shoulders with her hands firmly.
"Which prison did he escape from?" Her voice filled with urgency.
Jonh shook his head, frustrated. "I don't know, Katherine. He stopped talking about it while we were fleeing. But it was crazy just listening to it."
Katherine was silent for a moment, processing Jonh's reports, and then she began to piece together the puzzle. But she shook her head in denial. Then, she sighed deeply.
"Jonh, there's something you need to know. The resistance planned an attack on one of the prison ships."
Jonh's jaw dropped. "The HQ has gone crazy? Those ships were created to be impossible to invade! No one knows where the prisoners go, and anyone who tries to approach is shot on the spot, especially those who aren't from the UNION."
As Jonh spoke, Katherine interrupted him. "Jonh, they've already invaded."
Jonh was silent, stunned. "What? That's suicide! The HQ has lost its mind?"
Katherine, furious. "They already took him."
"See, I told you it was suicide... wait, what did you say?" Jonh asked, incredulous.
Katherine sighed. "They managed to take over one of the Union's most important prison ships."
Startled, he shook his head in disbelief. "That's impossible."
Jonh, still incredulous. "But how did this happen?"
Katherine sighed, generating fire in her hands. "I was about to tell you that part!" irritated.
John clapped his hands over his mouth, immediately silencing himself and shaking his head to remain quiet.
"According to the report I got from HQ yesterday, there was an electromagnetic pulse inside the ship. They have no idea how, but according to witnesses, someone tampered with the ship's power generators."
John was surprised by this information, taking his hand away from his mouth.
"An electromagnetic pulse? Inside the ship?"
Katherine nodded. "Yes, we're assuming this caused a prisoner rebellion that facilitated the invasion. But we don't expect to find a master."
Jonh turned pale, his face white with fear. "A master? An elemental master?"
Katherine nodded. "Yes, an elemental master specializing in the lava type, we immediately recognized him as being from the Castle family, precisely Ruan Castle."
"RUAN CASTLE THAT PSYCHOPATH!!!"
Ruan Castle was a man feared by all who knew him. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he had always lived a life of privilege and luxury. He was arrogant and proud, believing that he was above the law and consequences and that his family would always protect him.
As a member of the Castle family, Ruan has always had everything he wanted, since childhood. He never had to fight for anything, never had to work hard to achieve his goals. And this made him lazy and cruel, always looking for ways to have fun at the expense of others, even cruel activities, especially with his servants who were forced to do his bidding, even if they didn't want to.
But when Ruan discovered that he had the potential to become an elemental master, his arrogance and pride increased. He became obsessed with the idea of mastering his power to control others. And he didn't hesitate to use his cruelty and lack of compassion to achieve his goals. Ever since he became an Elemental Master, his power was so great that few dared to challenge him, and he always wanted what was in front of him. One of the people at the top of the list in the resistance, especially for Katherine.
"That's impossible! A master from the Castle family? And the worst of the family was there?"
Katherine looked at him seriously. "Yes, but he's dead now."
Jonh incredulous "How?"
"By a stupid mistake." Katherine sighed "When there was an electromagnetic pulse, the ship stopped working for a few moments, leaving the gravitational field deactivated, Ruan was distracted and was stabbed in the back by one of the prisoners he was 'playing' with."
Jonh disbelieving "Do you know who killed him?"
"According to the report, someone known as the Inquisitor, who possesses the fire element as a particularity, pierced Ruan Castle from behind, straight through the heart."
She sighed, shaking her head. "It was a mess."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Katherine sighed, looking directly into Jonh's eyes. "There was only one emergency ship that escaped."