...
Monday, 08:03 in the morning.
Cube's sidewalk was bustling with cadets coming and going, preparing for another week of training and classes. Some were juniors, still getting used to the rigorous routine of the academy, while others, already veterans, walked with more confidence and composure.
The buzz of conversation filled the air, mingling with the sound of hurried footsteps and the gentle morning wind.
Among the many students, I was walking quietly alongside a certain brown-haired girl.
"Haa... I wanted to sleep more."
She mumbled, stretching her arms above her head before yawning. Her eyes still bore a faint trace of sleep, and her lazy expression showed that she hadn't had enough rest.
"You say that, but I'm sure you stayed up late last night, didn't you?"
I commented, casting her a sidelong glance.
Nayun stretched her lips into a slight pout, a childish gesture that went well with her spontaneous personality.
"Heh! After you left, my brother and I talked a lot. I only stopped when Dad came and sent me home."
I rolled my eyes internally. Of course she would do that. She must have bombarded him with stories about the four years he was in a coma.
"But it's a surprise. I didn't expect you to come today. I thought you were taking a day's leave."
She'd actually told me yesterday that she was actually thinking of doing it, since her brother might be being discharged today.
"Uh? Well... I thought about it, but my brother made a point of calling me and telling me not to miss any classes because of him."
Nayun grumbled, crossing her arms as we walked through the campus. Her impeccable uniform and relaxed posture made her stand out among the cadets around her, but what really caught the eye was her carefree presence, as if nothing could really shake her.
It was then that her expression suddenly changed slightly.
"By the way, Theo..."
She tilted her head at me, a curious glint in her eyes.
"Hm?"
"Did you feel that?"
I frowned slightly.
"That, what?"
She looked away for a moment, sweeping through the crowd and landing on an area of the park where there were several trees, with the sharp eyesight of a trained warrior. Her countenance became serious...
"We're being followed...."
I stopped for a second, but then continued walking normally, keeping my tone casual.
"I know."
In fact, I had already noticed as soon as I picked her up at the Teleportation Gate earlier, I noticed that one of the cadets who had passed through the Gate slowed his steps and followed her at a distance.
Chae Nayun arched an eyebrow, apparently not expecting me to be aware of the situation.
"Oh? So you knew?"
"Of course I did."
She bit her lower lip lightly, showing one of her fangs, pondered for a moment and then asked:
"And what are we going to do about it?"
"Nothing for now. He must be the person you said was watching you a few days ago. So let's just carry on as normal. If he wants something, sooner or later he'll have to come out of the shadows."
Meanwhile, I already had some suspicions about who might be watching us.
No.
I already knew who could be behind it.
'Hah! If he thinks I'm going to stand by and watch my girlfriend being watched, that narcissistic piece of shit is dead wrong.'
I raised my index finger in the air and wiggled it discreetly.
"Craaaak!"
The loud sound of splintering wood echoed through the room, followed by the crash of a tree falling abruptly.
The fright spread among the cadets nearby, some stopping midway to look, others just backing away instinctively. Nayun's gaze hardened at the same moment, his heightened senses going on alert.
Saturday's fight had apparently had some effect on her,
"What was that?! Did a tree just fall out of nowhere?"
She asked, narrowing her eyes as she tried to locate the source of the noise.
I, on the other hand, just maintained a satisfied smile as I continued walking.
"Nothing much. Maybe it was a rotten tree."
Among the startled cadets, a few heads turned in our direction when they saw us walking calmly. But most of them soon walked on again, assuming that perhaps it really was just an old tree falling by chance.
But the one watching us... They definitely felt the message.
This message has been ingrained in his head, a very large rooster will greet him as soon as he wakes up from his sleep.
...
The Veritas classroom was as busy as the sidewalk minutes before. The cadets were settling into their seats, some still chatting, while others were quickly leafing through their materials. The teacher hadn't arrived yet, and the buzz of voices filled the space.
Nayun and I sat side by side, as usual. Nayun rested her face in the palm of her hand, drumming her fingers on the table with a pensive look on her face.
I knew exactly what she was thinking, but preferred not to bring it up. After all, if the stalker really was at the behest of who I imagine him to be, Nayun certainly wouldn't like it one bit.
Before anyone could continue the conversation, the door opened and a man with impeccable posture entered the room. His uniform was perfectly aligned, and his stern expression instantly silenced all the students.
"Good morning, cadets."
His voice was firm and authoritative.
"I hope you've had enough rest, because today we're going to test your analytical skills."
The instructor, Velk, was known for his rigor and for never taking his theory lessons lightly. He walked to the front of the room, where a hologram was activated, projecting a detailed map of a military installation into the air.
"Your mission is simple. You are to analyze this scenario and come up with a plan for infiltration, information gathering and safe extraction. But, as always, there are hidden variables, hidden catches. You'll have to find these secrets in all the information available on your smartwatches."
A murmur went through the room. I felt Nayun straighten her posture next to me.
No, she was about to explode, after all, why have a theoretical lesson on infiltration when you could have a practical lesson?
"You will have fifty minutes to discuss and present your solutions. Form groups of three."
Nayun immediately turned to me...
"You don't even have to ask, right? You do the research and I'll help with the presentation."
"Yes, yes. I do all the work and you get the praise..."
I replied with a wry smile, already knowing how bad Nayun was in theory.
"But we need one more."
Before we could look up, a soft but confident voice came from behind us.
"You two already have a plan, don't you?"
We turned to find a girl with dark purple hair and her arms crossed at breast height. Yoo Yeonha, one of the best cadets in the class, was looking at us with a neutral but clearly interested expression.
"If I go with you, I only want one thing: a plan that doesn't fail."
Nayun smiled defiantly.
"Then you've come to the right team."
With the team formed, we leaned over the table and accessed the information on the smartwatch. The map of the military installation revealed an underground complex with several layers of security.
"The main entrance is ruled out. There are watchtowers, motion sensors and a few layers of magical barriers here, but if we pay closer attention we'll see that on certain floors the number of magical barriers is lower."
I said, analyzing the highlighted points.
Yeonha frowned.
"There's a ventilation path here. If we can temporarily shut down the security system, we can use it for infiltration."
Nayun leaned her chin on her hand, thoughtful.
"But that requires internal access. We need a distraction. Something big."
I smiled, this is child's play for me... Experience and knowledge were not lacking in my mind.
"Leave this to me. If we cause a short in the external generator, the security power would go into backup mode for a few seconds, even if there is an internal generator, it will take a while for everything to normalize. Ah! it's worth remembering that this military base is old, so its security network might be a little easier to break."
Yeonha nodded, liking what she was hearing.
"Right. But extraction is still a problem. We can't go out the same way we came in."
Nayun narrowed his eyes.
"There's an underground sewage outlet. It's not the best option, but it's feasible."
Time was running out, and we needed to perfect the plan before the presentation. I looked at them and said:
"Let's divide up the roles and make sure it comes out perfect."
Yeonha adjusted her smartwatch and started checking the specifications of the security system.
"It says one layer of digital defense. We can try a cyber attack before starting the infiltration."
Nayun grimaced.
"Isn't that too risky? If they detect a digital invasion, they can increase physical security before we even start."
I shook my head.
"We could simulate an internal error in the system rather than a direct attack. Something subtle, that looks like a spontaneous glitch. That way, they won't suspect a deliberate action. And even if they do, it won't do any good, most of the people who work at this base are low-ranking villains, apart from their digital security, which isn't great either."
Yeonha seemed to consider the idea, then nodded.
"That makes sense. Let's incorporate that into the plan."
Nayun crossed his arms.
"Right, so we've got infiltration through the ventilation duct, a short in the generator to create a breach and a possible digital failure to weaken the systems before we act. Now we need to detail the internal movement."
She pointed to a corridor highlighted on the map.
"This is the main patrol point. If we're right, that's where the internal security team is concentrated. We need to plot a route that avoids this sector."
Yeonha tilted her head.
"Or... we could create a distraction in that area too. If we make it look like the invasion is happening there, all attention will be diverted."
I smiled, and the two girls next to me quickly understood my point.
"I like that idea. If we plant a false noise, they'll be forced to investigate and we can go unnoticed."
The plan was becoming more elaborate by the second. Nayun seemed excited, Yeonha was focused and I knew we were putting together a solid strategy.
Time passed quickly, and soon instructor Velk announced:
"There are five minutes left. Finalize your plans and be ready to present."
I looked at Nayun and Yeonha.
"Is everything lined up?"
Yeonha smiled, clearly satisfied.
"If we fail, I'll kill you."
Nayun laughed as she stretched.
"Ah! You can trust me. It's going to be flawless here."
Now all that remained was to see how the other groups would fare... And how Velk would assess our strategy.
...