Free Web NovelChapter 87: Chapter 86 - Suspicions
Point-of-View: Inoka Fonseka
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"Yo, heard that you actually met the higher ups directly. How was that experience for ya?" Inquired Mike with a grin.
It was the next day, and I was currently at the cafeteria for lunch, or rather, brunch. I’d woken up kinda late and it was already well past time for breakfast, so the others had already eaten, and it was a bit too early for lunch. So, I was eating alone, until this guy showed up...
"Oh, uh, I’d rather not talk about it...just thinking about my conversation with those old farts pisses me off," I sighed dramatically.
"Yeah, I hear ya on that. By the way, I bet Zoraiz’s gloating has been pretty annoying, huh?" He remarked with a laugh, as he sat down across from me.
Hm? What’s he talking about?
"Not sure what you mean...he didn’t really talk about his mission that much, he just said that it was messy. And he fell asleep in, like, an hour or so after he showed up, so I didn’t really get to ask him about it. What, did he do something cool or whatever?" I inquired curiously.
"Oh...so, he didn’t tell anyone yet. Huh, I guess maybe he felt awkward about talking about it in front of the girls," Muttered Mike, before shrugging and taking a bite of his food.
Okay, now I’m even more curious...
"So, uh, what exactly happened that he’d gloat about?" I pressed him, unable to hold back my curiosity. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
"Heh, you really wanna know, huh?" He smirked knowingly.
"Stop being annoying and just tell me."
"Man, you guys sure are rude to me, aren’t you? But, fine, I’ll tell you...the kid totally got laid a bunch of times in the couple of days of downtime we had after completing the mission. Bet you didn’t see that coming, did you!" He grinned as he answered, before taking a sip of orange juice.
Eh?
...
Huh...well, uh, how about that.
He got laid...huh.
And I haven’t.
How old am I again? Oh, yeah, I’m twenty-two.
And he’s...nineteen. Well, shit...that’s a hit to my ego.
Huh, I guess that explains the smug look he had on his face when I almost called Kiyana cute and then got teased for being flustered or whatever...and, uh, just so we’re clear, I totally wasn’t flustered, by the way, I was just, uh...you know what, never mind, I don’t need to explain myself to anyone!
Wait, who am I talking to?
You know what, I don’t wanna think about this anymore. Let’s think about something else, like...oh, the new Outlier kid. He’s still holed up in his room, refusing to talk to anyone. Kiyana’s been delivering food to him, but other than that, he hasn’t really interacted with anyone else.
She did say that he seems to be less depressed though, so maybe someone will try to persuade him to come out soon. Well, whatever, he’s a guy, so I don’t really care that much. Now, if it were a cute girl instead, then-...
"Hey, you ready?"
"Ahh! What!? Hey, how many times do I have to tell you to just knock on the door like a normal person!?" I snapped after getting startled, Neo’s head poking out of a portal above me.
"Well, I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t deliberate, your reactions are great. Anyway, you’re supposed to train with me today, remember? Come on, let’s get this over with already, meet me in the training room," He remarked, before he head went back in and the portal disappeared.
He sure seems to have recovered from his funk. Well, at least on the outside, anyway. Whatever, I guess.
Oh, and this training thing did slip my mind, but I certainly wasn’t dreading it or anything. In fact, I’d been looking forward to it...Liling was off on a mission, and Kiyana was kinda busy, so all the Light Skill users that I know are unavailable.
True, Neo doesn’t have the Light Skill, but he is pretty strong, so I can probably learn something from him, at least.
I then got up, picked up my book of Light Skill techniques and headed for the training room we’d agreed to use, letting out a slight yawn as I made my way there. I didn’t actually get to do anything during our mission, and I’ve only been training on my own since coming here, so I could definitely use this.
"Hey, took you long enough," He greeted me as I entered the room and shut the door.
"Oh, put a sock in it, if you really wanted me to hurry, you could have just opened up a portal beneath me," I sighed in response.
"Huh...didn’t think of that. Anyway, I’m kinda sore, my shoulder is killing me, so I won’t be doing any sparring or whatever. I’ll just observe and advise," He informed me.
So, yeah, the higher ups ordered him to do this, probably hoping that he’d shape me into someone who can they control to some extent. He definitely didn’t volunteer for this, that much is certain...
"Ah, that’s too bad, so sorry to hear that. But it’s an easy enough problem to fix...here, let me heal you, then there won’t be a problem, right?" I offered with a smirk, as my hand began glowing.
"...fine, I lied. Look, just train how you always do. I’ll leave after, like, an hour or something. Feel free to ask me any questions, but no physical activity for me. My body may be fine, but my mind is totally worn out, man."
Hm...I guess that’s understandable...
"Fine, whatever, I don’t really care either way."
I then sat down and opened up the book of Light Skill techniques, flipping through the pages until I got to the technique I was currently trying to master.
Specifically, a technique called Dispel. I’ve previously mastered a technique called Negate, which can nullify simple Dark Skill techniques or effects. Dispel is a much more potent version of that technique, it nullifies any and all Dark Skill techniques and active effects.
After everything I’ve learnt about Meta-Humans, it seems like Dark Skill techniques are the ones I should be most wary of...that X girl, the twin tailed one with the scars, is suspected to be under the control of a technique called Condition, since she’s apparently hinted at that the first few times that agents of Harmony encountered her.
It’s supposed to be a nearly unbreakable spell, a highly complex technique that binds the victim to its terms, which are set by the caster...it was thought to be a technique that no one had mastered in the current era, but it seems like someone in Eden did. And I bet the Outliers that they’ve captured are under the same spell. ƒreewebɳovel.com
Then, of course, there’s what happened on Aurora’s mission, the enemies they’d captured had parts of their memories wiped using a Dark Skill.
Yeah, the idea of getting brainwashed or mind-controlled is honestly a lot more terrifying than sustaining regular old physical damage...of course I don’t want to get injured or anything, but I can heal any injuries so long as they’re not fatal or, like, a missing limb or something.
Though I am trying to figure out if that’s possible too, there aren’t any techniques in the book that can heal extremely severe injuries, but hey, it’s probably not impossible.
Anyway, getting back to what I was saying, as it stands now, I’m not exactly immune or even resistant to any highly complex Dark Skills, and Negate’s effects are too limited...so, I’m trying to figure out the more advanced Dark Skill nullification technique, Dispel.
Unfortunately, it’s not gonna be easy...apparently, no Light Skill users in Harmony has mastered it in over fifty years. But, then, that’s probably because Negate is likely usually enough to defend against most Dark Skill techniques.
Plus, highly complex Dark Skill techniques, the types that leave lasting effects on the victim, take time to cast. So they can probably only be used against someone who’s been restrained...but that’s still a definite possibility of happening, so I’m gonna prepare for it.
Not to mention the fact that natural Metas tend to have multiple Skills, so they probably don’t really focus too much attention on one particular Skill. Huh, multiple Skills...
"Hey, I know the answer’s probably a no, but...is it possible to gain new Skills? Or maybe, like, transfer a Skill from someone who doesn’t really fight to someone who does? There could be Space Skill technique that could do that, or possibly even some Aberration Skill?" I inquired hopefully.
"Huh? Oh...no, not that I know of, anyway," He replied with a shake of his head.
Hm? Was it just me, or did he hesitate a little bit before answering? He almost seemed kinda taken aback...was it because my question is a preposterous one? Or...was it because I hit the nail on the head?
Now that I think about it, it’s not impossible at all...I mean, that’s exactly what the Meta-Orbs did, transfer a Skill to someone. And originally, they’d been intended for Meta-Humans, probably the Category 0s, to receive the power contained in the orbs...meaning that it’s most certainly possible.
Seriously though, how in the world were those things created, anyway? I fairly sure that he just lied, but I also understand, for two reasons...first, they probably don’t want any details to leak to Eden, even though I’m guessing it’s too late for that, now that we’ve learnt about the existence of the Chaos faction.
And second...the higher ups. Now that I know what they’re like, I bet there’s a lot of things that Neo and other Metas aren’t allowed to talk about.
Still though, this makes me uneasy. I have no idea how the Meta-Orbs could have been constructed, so I have nothing to base this unease on, but...I don’t like it, it’s just way too suspicious...
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