The vehicle took a long route. There were several twists and turns and they travelled for an hour inside the Keli city.
The vehicle came to a stop at a train station. By then, both Ben and Malcen were healed up and both had changed their clothes.
Malcen led the way and they moved towards the office. Just before the office there was a janitor's room, which was actually an android. Malcen took out a device and keyed in a code. The robot moved out of the way and both Malcen and Ben went into the room. The robot closed the door and went ahead with its work.
Both Malcen and Ben reached a large room. Before entering both Malcen and Ben had donned another kind of mask. Malcen explained the reason to Ben.
"The reason why our identities are being concealed is twofold. One is to prevent any leak of information. Second reason is to conceal our identities to prevent any retaliation. Only the captain know who we all are. I don't know who others are except you."
The room had countless screens and about 30 people. Some of them were working and monitoring the screens. About 12 of them were sitting around a table at the middle of the room. At the head of the table two masked people were sitting. From the aura they were emitting Ben could understand that one of them was a Lord class martial and the other was a Noble class martial. The Noble class martial had staff in his hand and he was muscular. The Lord class martial had a dagger on her waist. She exuded a dangerous aura.
Both of them sized up Malcen and Ben. Ben could feel the pressure. But it was not a big deal. He had stood in the presence of Martial Entities themselves. What can the aura of a Lord class martial do. Seeing Ben resisting it, the Lord class martial raised her eyebrow inside her mask and looked at the Noble class martial to her side. He also had a similar reaction.
The lady looked at Ben once more and then said " Since everyone is here, we will begin without further ado. Sit down."
That was not a request, but a command. Ben had learned from his studies that from the time of mission briefing onwards, a person is on mission and is under the commanding officer.
The lady looked at one of the staff and she brought up a holographic screen on the table. On this display was a map of the Kel Sherpa city and the nearby roads and highways.
The lady started, " You can call me Minerva and call his Arthur. Those would be our code names. You can also choose your code names and inform us. For now let us go into the mission details. For this mission we will be the commanding officers. The mission is the safe transport of various materials from the Central Martial repository to the district educational department."
Minerva allowed the information to sink in, then she continued, " According to intelligence reports there is threat to these transportation vessels. They might even try to manipulate these resources. We cannot allow that at all. So you mission is the inspection, protection and ultimate delivery of these resources on time in pristine condition.
The mission will start in a few days. We will inform you when. During that time, none of you should leave the city. You cannot tell anyone about this mission at all. Any communication with outsiders should be cutoff 48 hours prior to the mission.
If you don't obey any of these commands, you will court martialled.
That's all. You will get further information through your designated contacts. That's all, dismissed."
Saying this both of them stood up and so did the others. All of them saluted at the two and they saluted back.
After that each of them left the building through various doors. Malcen and Ben soon reached outside.
Ben: " Huu…., the mission briefing seems to be more tiring than the mission itself.
Malcen: You wish. You feel like that because it is your first mission. This is not even the final briefing. It will be much more exhausting than this. What will you do then.
Ben: Why…. Why can't my life be easy?
Malcen: Boy you have not even started life and you are tired. I pity your girlfriend.
Ben: Hey, are you and my teacher Mahaansh relatives by any chance?
Malcen: ( Confused) Why do you ask?
Ben: He says the same thing when we are tired. ( Then Mischievously) Do you have a problem there? Always enquiring about the performance of others.
Malcen : (Glaring) Boy, you should respect your elders.
Ben: Now you say you are an elder."
They spoke smack with each other on the way. Ben and Malcen took several detours and reached their respective hotels.
Ben had messages from Rebecca.
The crux of the matter was that she was going back to her family. She was being summoned for some kind of function. It would be some time when she would be able to come out. She also promised to stay in touch.
Ben sighed, ' It is really difficult when you have a lover. I don't know how people handle it. But I don't think it is mutual yet. Or is it mutual.... Ha, I would rather think about my increasing my power rather than thinking about this. At least that has some straightforward answers.
Ben soon delved into meditation and he controlled is energy and tamed it. He was a bit excited making his energy circulation a bit of a mess. But he controlled it and tamed it.
Unknown to him, his meridian penetration had crossed the 95 % mark. He could mobilize his power quickly and more efficiently.
Ben later went on to look at the various martial techniques for mastering. He looked at some miscellaneous techniques which included stealth, survival techniques.