Chapter 145: Alpha-10 "Demon Flask" |
Ninth District, temporary containment site for special personnel.
Kyle stared at the Ritual Dagger on the table. He finally made up his mind, picking it up again with his left hand while placing his right hand flat on the table, resting it exactly over the remaining bloodstains.
A damp sensation immediately spread across his palm.
Sitting across from him, D-9368 silently turned his head away.
Kyle clenched his jaw. For the fourth time today, he raised the dagger high and drove the blade through his own palm—piercing right through the Black Eye attached to the back of his right hand.
The blade scraped against the bone as it sliced into his flesh, stabbing straight into the wooden cutting board below. As soon as Kyle pulled the dagger out, the puncture wound in his palm rapidly healed. Throughout the entire process, he felt absolutely no pain; he could even calmly sense the icy chill of the blade.
The fully restored Eye Patterns turned blood-red, staring up at Kyle from his skin, their gaze seemingly carrying a hint of interrogation.
"Did it work?" D-9368 asked.
"It did. It really is tied to my state of mind." Kyle grabbed a nearby towel to wipe away the blood and waved toward the door. "That is enough testing for today."
As a Class-D Personnel who was frequently treated as a guinea pig in experiments, D-9368 was quite lucky. His first assignment upon arriving at the Management Authority was to assist Kyle in testing that One-Eyed Mark. Compared to other Anomaly Project tests that carried extremely high risks of death and left severe physical and psychological trauma, just getting startled a few times here was basically a vacation. At this rate, surviving the month and earning his freedom was just around the corner.
The security guards opened the door as usual, escorting the Class-D Personnel away first.
Kyle waited for another guard to return and escort him back to his dormitory, only to see a strange woman appear outside the door.
She was quite young, clearly a civilian clerk. She wore a pair of modest Glasses, exuding a frail and introverted temperament.
However, the fact that she could enter Kyle's monitored area, accompanied by two Security Personnel, with a Class-B employee grade on her pass proved she was no ordinary recent graduate. It meant she possessed critical clearance, ranking as a vital employee second only to the facility supervisor.
Kyle immediately stood up from his seat and saluted.
"How is your mastery over your abilities coming along, Kyle?" the woman asked.
"I have completely figured out its patterns."
The woman left the Security Personnel outside and casually sat down alone on the stool the D-Class had just vacated, acting as if she didn't even notice the bloodstained cutting board on the table.
Even though she was holding Kyle's Records right in her hands, she continued to ask, "Could you explain it to me from your perspective?"
"This eye-shaped tattoo is an Anomalous Effect associated with a Divine Entity. It is currently attached to the back of my right hand and cannot be removed. It alternates between two states: a Black Eye and a red eye. In the Black Eye state, it can rapidly heal any non-instantaneously fatal injuries, after which it turns red. In the red eye state, it can release a Cognitohazard and mental interference, after which it turns black again."
The woman flipped a page, giving a slight nod at his explanation. She glanced at the Ritual Dagger. "What have you been testing lately?"
"It also exerts another Anomalous Effect on me. It prevents me from going into shock, ensuring I always feel the full extent of the pain. As a side effect, it helps shield me from lower-level Cognitohazards... But I discovered it has a reverse effect as well. As long as I am completely fearless, my sense of pain vanishes."
"Excellent."
She closed the Folder and offered him an approving smile. "I am very glad to see that you have maintained a positive mindset during your time as a restricted member. Many Field Agents who suffer permanent Anomalous Effects during operations are unable to return to duty without undergoing long-term psychological therapy."
"That is because I still have a score to settle with that damn thing." Kyle's eyes dimmed for a moment, but that trace of gloom was swiftly replaced by unwavering resolve. "Have I passed the review? Can I participate in operations again and continue fighting Anomalies?"
"I am here to announce an appointment for you, directly from a Council Member."
Kyle's mouth instantly went dry. He stared at the person in front of him in sheer shock. "...Are you a Council Member?"
"What? No, of course not. Do I look like a Council Member? I most certainly am not!" The woman was startled by his words. Even as a simple misunderstanding, impersonating a Council Member was no laughing matter. "I was merely placed in this position by the Council Member. He sent me to recruit you. I believe he had his eye on you a long time ago. Perhaps that is exactly why he chose you to shoulder this heavy responsibility, Kyle. Do you remember your first operation? The one that made you famous within the Management Authority?"
"You mean... 'Dump Truck'? He is a Council Member?"
"He did not specify whether that cleanup operation against the Midnight Visitor was the starting point of his interest in you, but I imagine there must be some unique considerations behind it. From now on, we will refer to him by his more formal codename." The woman turned the file around to show it to him.
"S10—The Typhoon." Kyle silently read the true codename of this VIP in his mind. 'So that is how it is. Ever since the operation involving the Midnight Visitor, I have been a target for grooming.'
Now that he could truly shoulder a heavy responsibility, just as he had once fantasized, he felt absolutely no surge of proud joy.
'Are all members of the Mobile Task Force like this?'
'Do they have to tread a path paved with the deaths and blood of their comrades just to become true elites?'
Kyle suddenly noticed the classification marking at the top of the document, and he could not help but shudder—[Restricted to Class-B Personnel Only].
Currently held in custody, he was now nothing more than a Class-E Personnel—an employee grade reserved for Temporary Workers, displaced Field Agents, and other related individuals who had nowhere else to be assigned. Previously, he had been a Class-C Personnel.
'What does this mean? Have I been promoted?'
'But I...'
The next moment, the adjacent notes drew his attention away again.
Alpha-10 "Demon Flask" Formation Plan Commander: Doctor Lucretia (Class-B Personnel)
Combat Squad: Captain Kyle (Class-E Personnel, affected by the Anomalous Effect of CVA-A-2048 "Divine Corpse"), remainder pending. Support Squad: Pending. "Alpha? He wants me to be the Captain of an Alpha Mobile Task Force?"
Although the Mobile Task Forces lacked strict delineations in function and power, the teams bearing the "Alpha" designation were an exception.
Any squad starting with that prefix was only deployed when facing crucial or exceptionally thorny combat missions—most often, confronting highly dangerous Anomalies. If the members of a standard Mobile Task Force were considered the elite of the elite, an Alpha-designated Mobile Task Force was the sharpest blade in the hands of the Council Members. Once deployed, it was inevitably into various regional disasters or apocalyptic scenarios.
Astonishment was no longer enough to describe Kyle's state of mind. He felt no pleasant surprise, nor any sense of calling to bear this heavy burden. He was only deeply terrified by this honor, feeling entirely Unworthy of Position.
In an instant, he was transported back to that cavern.
This time, he stood in the position of Captain, yet no matter what he did, he could not break through the blockade of monsters. He could not find that detonator anywhere. All he could do was watch helplessly as his teammates fell in battle, one after another, listening as their dying cries faded into a deathly silence.
He did harbor a deep hatred for Anomalies, but right now, he was not worthy of this position.
'An incompetent Captain will only get his comrades killed.'
"Could you let me make a phone call to the Council Member? Or... I cannot do this. I do not have the combat proficiency required for this role. There has to be someone more suitable than me, for example—" An image of Captain Holly flashed through his mind.
Looking at the unruffled face of the woman before him, Kyle had already read the answer, yet he still asked sorrowfully, "Can I refuse this assignment?"
"The Council Member did not select you for your combat and command capabilities. Your willpower and loyalty were the primary considerations, and the containment operation against the 'Divine Corpse' has already proven your qualifications. You can do this. Besides, as you can see, a civilian Commander like me is not exactly suited for combat either. My main duty is adjusting the containment measures for those Class-A and Class-B Containment Objects. We are going to have to work closely together from now on, Kyle. I need you."
With that said, Doctor Lucretia extended her hand toward him.
Since things had already reached this point, Kyle mustered his courage, shook her hand, and accepted the mission.
"So right now, we are a Commander Without Troops?"
"Exactly. The higher-ups have given us a strict deadline of one week to screen and select all suitable team members. I have drafted a list, but I still need your help and review. Any Entity that cannot be suppressed must be excluded."
Kyle froze for a moment. "...An Entity?" His gaze flickered soon after. "You are a Containment Specialist, and I am a 'half-and-half'. Could the squad I am supposed to lead be..."
"That is correct."
Lucretia revealed a subtle, complex expression.
Her face displayed a mix of helplessness and excitement, along with the calm resignation of someone thinking, 'The Council Member has issued the order, so we will simply carry it out.'
"This is a Mobile Task Force composed entirely of those affected by Anomalous Effects and Anomaly Projects. It is a 'Demon Flask' that is about to be opened."