NOVEL NEXT Chapter 44: Intrigued
A myriad of lights covered everything in the world—unknown colors and familiar ones intertwining to create a magnificent and mesmerizing scene.
Bodies floated for a moment before they felt solid ground beneath them again.
As the lights in Kael's vision finished their dance, the sight of the mine came into view.
The Primers were being escorted by the official authorities outside the cave, while those in white lab coats began entering the mine, holding reading equipment to ensure the Fissure would close properly.
Kael and his group were among the last to emerge from the portal.
"We're finally out," Bach Ponce said in relief. The fleeting sensation of youth faded as reality set in. He had almost died—more than once. His old heart had been bursting with adrenaline inside the Fissure, but now that he was back outside, the intensity of the experience overwhelmed his aging body, leaving him more exhausted than ever.
Trey let out a deep sigh. "This Fissure really pushed me to my limits."
As he spoke, his eyes fell on the lunatic who had nearly gotten him killed countless times. But thinking back on the experience, he had to admit—he had learned a lot, especially about fighting Behemechs and surviving.
Did he… train me?
The sudden thought caused Trey's eyes to widen. And the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
The trio was also escorted out of the mine and into the open field where the Inspector was stationed.
As Kael's group came into view, the Primers who had exited first turned their attention toward them. Only now did they remember that three normal individuals had been inside this Grey Fissure. And as the realization settled in, murmurs began spreading through the crowd.
"They're still alive?"
"Yeah. I thought they were long dead when that fire dog came out."
"Looks like Lady Luck was on their side."
"But that guy… he's strange. He even beat that sh*tty Aaron in a one-on-one fight!"
"Now that you mention it, Carina said he knows some Martial Arts. That's probably why."
"Where's Aaron?"
As the murmurs filled the air and more eyes turned toward Kael, Trey couldn't help but feel proud.
"Ha! They can't believe we're still alive. What? Just because we don't have suits, we're supposed to die? A suit means nothing when you're good at fighting!" Trey smirked arrogantly at the Primers.
"Any one of them could kill you. In front of real strength, even Martial Arts are useless," Kael said. He was already used to the attention, and the gazes filled with confusion—and even greed—were nothing more than a passing breeze to him.
"You didn't have to debunk me so soon…" Trey muttered in embarrassment.
The Miner chuckled before his expression turned serious. "What do we do now?"
"We wait for their procedures to end," Trey said, his gaze falling on the Final Boss near the cave.
The New One were surrounding the Ground Fire Hog while their leader spoke with the Inspector, who was swiping his hands through the air, likely interacting with a holographic interface.
"This is such a slow process," Trey muttered as they found a corner to stand in. "We'll have to report to that asshole and show what we gained before they let us go. He'll also update our Status Bands. Completion rating is important, too."
Kael leaned against the wall, closing his eyes.
Being weak meant following these annoying rules.
If this were before, he could have just walked out without anyone daring to stop him.
However, it didn't seem bad at all, as Kael could use this time to rest his body. His entire body was burning. Although he had no visible wounds, his muscles, veins, and bones had been put through so much pressure that it was a miracle they hadn't been ground to pieces.
Another mystery and doubt surfaced in his mind.
If a normal human attempted what he just did—using the Drakorite Techniques—they would have died instantly. But even though Kael had been reduced to a below-average human, his body had still managed to withstand the pressure from these techniques.
He had already revised them to fit his current body, yet the chances of dying after using them were still extremely high. One wrong move, and he would burst from the inside.
Was it because my body has already adapted to the techniques? Kael wondered, his closed eyes trembling slightly. If that was the case, then it made sense.
Back at Milan's house, he had checked his body. Although his strength was gone, the scars from countless battles remained, proving that he had only lost his power—not the body that had already endured years of intense training.
The trio waited for at least an hour before it was finally their turn.
The inspector, who was monitoring the holographic screens surrounding him, called out.
"Kael Draven!" His shout echoed, and the Primers' eyes locked onto the White Prime.
It was their first time hearing Kael's name, and they were all equally shocked.
The New One's group, still lingering at the site, was also surprised. They couldn't leave yet—they were waiting for the New One's carrier to retrieve the Ground Fire Hog. They planned to personally escort the Final Boss, unwilling to take any risks that criminals might attack their carrier and steal their hard-earned prize.
"Kael Draven? His parents are gutsy," Fermin commented with a chuckle, chewing gum and occasionally blowing bubbles.
"Kael…" Carina whispered, her eyes following the man who intrigued her. A man who could enter a Fissure without a suit, defeat Exoskeleton Users using only simple weapons and his bare hands—it was unheard of. He knew how to fight. He was calm, collected… but petty, unwilling to let go of a grudge. Interesting, Carina thought, resting her chin on her hand as she observed the strange man.
While fighting the Final Boss, she had also kept an eye on the battlefield. Some Primers had attacked them instead of the Ground Fire Hog, and she had killed them in response. During that time, she caught a glimpse of something others had missed.
Kael had wiped out a group of fully suited Primers. He had only used his Pulse Sniper Rifle to do it—something that should have been impossible with a standard-issue weapon. With that group's suits, they should have been able to close the distance and take him out. But they hadn't. They had been too focused on defending themselves from the fireballs, never realizing the real monster was already right in front of them.
Did he do something to his sniper? That had to be the only explanation for how he had pulled it off. The more Carina thought about it, the more intrigued she became.
Fermin's gum bubble popped when she saw the look in her leader's eyes.