"Do not fight back, say nothing unless spoken to, and obey. Always."
Noen stared at him in absolute shock.
–An S-Rank, who just immediately submits against his will...–
"I promised a boy something," Noen said, his voice hardening. "I am going to have a serious word with the people responsible for all this suffering. But alone, I'm too weak—"
"I'm sorry, Noen," Ben interrupted gently but firmly. "We have no chance against them."
Noen shook his head stubbornly. "Who are 'they' anyway? Those three ugly guys over there? Or is there some other guy who stands above everyone?"
"The three of them," Ben answered quietly. He shifted his posture, standing up completely straight again as the tension in the air thickened. "Apparently, their true power is..."
He was abruptly cut off. One of the three robed figures was marching back toward them, his long robes sweeping across the sandy floor.
Instantly, everyone in the formation snapped to attention, sharply crossing their arms behind their backs. Caught off guard, Noen hastily mirrored their stance, clasping his hands behind him.
The robed figure stopped a few feet away, sneering at the group. "They are already here. Fall in line over there." He lazily pointed a gloved finger to the left.
Only now, as Noen followed the man's gesture, did he truly notice the sheer scale of the gathering. In the distance, camouflaged against the vast gray of the concrete and the horizon, stood thousands of people in perfect military formations. They were completely still, without making a single sound.
"Yes, sir!" Ben shouted, his booming voice returning. He spun around to face the squad. "Everyone together, in step! March!"
Moving as one, the squad turned sharply. With the synchronized, rhythmic thud of their boots hitting the ground, they followed Ben toward the massive sea of people, eventually taking their designated place on the far right edge of the silent crowd.
In the distance, the heavy thwack of rotor blades signaled a helicopter touching down. The robed figure who had approached Noen's group had already strolled back to join his two brothers.
A single figure stepped out of the newly arrived chopper. He looked absolutely terrified. Trembling visibly, the newcomer shook hands with all three of the tall, imposing men.
Noen squinted, trying to make out the details, but it was too far away to see clearly.
However, the group soon began to move, walking directly toward the formation. Their voices carried over the dead silence of the training grounds until they stopped right in front of the massive sea of soldiers.
Now, Noen could see the newcomer much better. He was an older man, around seventy years old, rather short, and still violently shaking. The three robed men stood menacingly behind him, wearing identical, sickening grins as the old man surveyed the rigid soldiers.
"I see, y-you still have just as y-young and strong w-warriors!" the old man stammered, wiping sweat from his brow.
Khezar nodded proudly. "That is exactly right! Open your systems!"
Across the vast expanse of the concrete, the squad leaders barked in absolute unison: "Yes, sir!"
Instantly, thousands of holographic blue screens flickered to life at the exact same time, casting an eerie, pale glow over the silent army. The soldiers had been meticulously arranged, with the highest-ranking individuals positioned right at the front.
The old man walked slowly down the front line, his wide eyes darting from screen to screen, reading the bright blue letters. A... A... B... A... S?
He stopped dead in his tracks. He turned shakily back toward the three brothers, his eyes wide with disbelief. "I see you have people with S-Rank systems as w-well!"
The third robed man, Kasim, stepped forward and clamped his heavy, gloved hand onto the old man's frail shoulder.
"Of course," Kasim said, his facial expressions heavily exaggerated in an act of mocking politeness.
The old man flinched, nervously pushing his glasses up his nose with a trembling finger. "A-Alright. Then I will report this to o-our people and we will look at, at, uhm, that!" he stuttered, desperately trying to pull away from Kasim's grip.
"Gladly." Now, all three of the robed brothers were grinning ear to ear.
Khezar took a slow step forward, looming over the older man. "Then I can assume that we will receive more this time?"
The old man froze. He stared at the ground, a long, agonizing pause hanging in the air before he finally forced the word out:
".....yes."
Khezar let out a sharp, triumphant laugh that echoed across the silent crowd. "Understood, then I wish you a safe trip home!"
–More?–
The frail old man scrambled back into the helicopter. The doors slid shut, and within moments, the aircraft was lifting off the concrete, kicking up a storm of dust as it rapidly retreated into the sky.
The robed man who had directed them to the crowd earlier, Thazir, turned his attention back to the massive army. "You may all close your systems now."
One by one, a sea of blue light vanished as thousands of soldiers obediently closed their holographic screens. Noen went to swipe his hand to close his as well, but in that exact split second, a brand new system notification suddenly flared to life right in front of his eyes. A new quest.
Because Noen was standing at the very back of the massive formation, none of the three brothers noticed the glowing screen immediately. However, they instantly sensed the sudden, nervous unrest rippling through the disciplined ranks near the rear.
Thazir raised a gloved hand, narrowing his eyes. "What is going on?"
From the very back, just a few rows to the left of Noen, a soldier tentatively raised his hand and pointed a trembling finger. "This one hasn't closed his system!"
"He did what?" Khezar barked. He shoved Kasim roughly to the side and immediately began marching aggressively through the parted ranks, his heavy footsteps echoing against the concrete as he made a beeline straight for the back.
But Noen didn't even notice the murderous man approaching him. He paid him absolutely no attention.
Because the quest...
The quest was...