Xander knew this would have been their reaction.

It was rather complicated to formulate a proper explanation for why it going through with his plan was necessary. But volunteering for more missions to take advantage of the rewards the Omninexus handed out didn't resonate with any of them at all.

His father and his little brother were a bit more understanding when he went to them earlier and explained what happened at the Chalice.

Suffice to say. Rommel and Nick were unhappy with what Xander fought—a tinge of approval that he managed to defeat it, but overall displeased that he had to battle it in the first place.

Even though Xander tried to describe the potential of acquiring Ichor and mission rewards—the concept, unfortunately, flew by their heads. It was even more difficult since Xander had yet to experience what was so great about it. Although his family has always considered his gut feeling reliable, that plainly wasn’t enough in dangerous scenarios like an alien invasion of insane cultists and horrific monsters.

His father and little brother haven’t personally suffered so helplessly against an invisible signal or felt a strength gap between Xander and a sapient abomination estimated to be a tier above him.

Xander couldn’t help but shudder at how mighty the higher tiers were at full health. He wasn’t sure if their power was linear or an exponential rise. Again, another thing he needed to find out.

Ever since the Omninexus abruptly entered Xander’s life, it awoke an intense eagerness for knowledge about its inner workings.

He recalled a vital lesson that an old professor drilled into his mind—that knowledge was a powerful thing. That professor stated that the accumulation of knowledge made humanity progress so far as a civilization from cavemen to the current Intersolar Age. This age succeeded the Information age in technological and scientific development due to the expanding colonies on the Moon and Mars, as declared by the United Nations Department of Outer Space Affairs.

Nevertheless, information and power that directly affected his survival were worth pursuing.

Xander felt that the rest of his family would be more receptive to his plans after an enjoyable lunch. He was grossly optimistic about it.

His father and little brother chose to stay silent during the conversation. However, they and everyone else were in varying degrees of disapproval toward his proposal.

“Absolutely not!” Anna’s father was vehemently opposed to it. He launched a stern and discouraging gaze toward the young man. “Xander, you’ve done right by Anna and us Baltazar’s for a long time by extension. So when you, Anna, and Ben went to the Chalice, Victoria and I approved as we knew how much your friends meant to you.”

Matteo breathed a heavy sigh, “It was the right thing to do as well.”

“Then—” Xander began before the man on the other side of the table raised his palm.

“This plan of yours has little to do with helping others. It is, in my opinion, overly dangerous and selfish.”

“Selfish!?” Xander stood up from his chair and was gently pulled back down by Anna, “Sir, that is far from what I'm suggesting. This is a good thing for us. We need to take advantage of this opportunity. We should do this to help ourselves, that isn't selfish!”

“Stay home, anak.” Xander turned toward the gentle and soft voice of his mother. He could see the concern written on her face, and his resolve briefly faltered. “Going out is becoming dangerous. Your friends are already safe. I don’t understand why you would want to go out again.”

“I… Mama, it’s how we’ll survive. The Omninexus are giving us incentives to do these missions.”

“And I won’t begrudge you if one of those Priority Missions is forced on you. I’ve heard of people unable to escape being called for one.” Matteo crossed his arms and shook his head, “But this is entirely different. Volunteering when you have no need to feels irresponsible. And that you want to take Anna with you is just selfish.”

“Dad!” It was Anna’s turn to look indignified. “I can take care of myself, and Xander’s plan has merit!”

“No.” Matteo finally placed his foot down as he looked toward Anna with a stony expression. “Every time I look at your ear, I wonder what if it was something else, or worse.”

A range of emotions passed through Anna’s face, from anger to exasperation, when she heard her father.

“I’m twenty-one! I’m an adult! Just because I still live under your roof doesn’t mean I'm a child for you to baby!”

“Anna, please, we’re just concerned about you.” Anna’s mother, Victoria, calmly spoke to her daughter. “We can’t have any of our family roaming outside and into that chaos!”

“No, this is because you still think I’m still some fragile thing! It’s been three years since then!” Anna stood from her chair and began to pace with a frustrated look. “I can move on from that! I’m starting too. And you know what’s the funny thing?”

Without pausing for her parents’ response, she let out an empty laugh before continuing. “It took this damn apocalypse to give me a chance to feel confident about myself again!”

Everyone at the table sat in silence as Anna waited with bated breath for a reply. Matteo and Victoria had conflicted emotions swirling around their hearts.

Her father closed his eyes before he slightly shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Anna. Please, stay.”

Anna let out a brittle scoff before she left the table. A low response was barely audible through her gritted teeth.

“You don’t trust me.”

Without another word, Anna dejectedly walked toward her room.

“Anna, anak, wait!”

“Please, let’s talk!”

Her parents spoke simultaneously before following their crestfallen daughter.

As the previous arguments cast a gloomy atmosphere on those that remained on the table, Xander found it hard to continue his explanations. His father and little brother have yet to speak, seemingly on the fence whether his plan had merit, though it likely leaned against him.

It was his mother that made his words stutter and his throat tight. Xander had always placed his mother on a high pedestal and sought her approval and praise. Going against her took an immense amount of effort.

“Mama…” Xander steeled himself as much as he could. “I just want to protect all of us.”

Maria said nothing in response. Xander knew the silence was all he would get as he saw his mother’s misty eyes. His father's deep voice spoke beside his mother.

"Son, I think we need to take a moment. We can continue our talk later."

"I..." Xander saw the look on his parents and saw that they had little confidence in his plan. In the end, he let out a heavy sigh and left the table.

He wanted to stay and explain further the terror he felt when he was under the mental invasion.

He tried to describe the magnificence he sensed when he gazed at his soul and the allure of the golden threads of Ichor.

Xander stopped himself from looking back at the dinner table as he left the room. He didn’t want to falter when he met his family's disapproval. Perhaps it was the years he dedicated to his studies as a way to make them proud, and now that desire was backfiring him.

Lost in his thoughts, Xander didn’t even notice Nick following behind him until he reached his bedroom door, and his little brother’s hand was on his shoulder.

“Kuya. I think—”

“Forget it, Nick.” Xander gently removed his brother’s hand. “I just want to be alone for a bit.”

Nick peered into Xander’s eyes before giving an understanding nod.

Leaving his brother behind the door, Xander took in the air of his old childhood room. Flashes of memories when he spent studying and playing in this small space flitted by his mind. A person staying in their parents’ home—even until college—was considered normal in this country, but Xander felt it easier to eventually rent out an apartment with Anna during the latter half of his university life.

Still, the nostalgia always crashed against him every time he visited this house and this room.

Now, he felt under attack as darkness formed around like blinding fog. Xander sensed that he might lose it all. Not his childhood home, though he cared for the place and knew the coming times would likely lay ruin to it—it was his loved ones and the entirety that came with them that haunted Xander’s thoughts.

Xander paced around his room in a frantic attempt to quell his distress.

On the one hand, he felt conflicted as he wanted to stay with his family and feel safe with them by his side—and cater to a vague feeling of fear and resignation to flow with the tide and accept anything that happens.

On the other hand, Xander wanted to get out there and reap the benefits that came with the Omninexus’ wishes. The risks may be significant, but the rewards may be the key to ensuring their safety. There was also an insatiable desire to learn more about something so expansive as the Omninexus, the Harbingers, and the alien race assisting them—not to mention the allure of visualizing his soul and the potential greatness of the superlunary matter he had inside him.

Xander gritted his teeth briefly before his mind snapped up to an honest realization.

Staying with my family would keep everyone happy. But what’s the point if a horde of monsters tears us apart.

A rush of emotions raged in his heart as Xander steeled his gaze as he eyed the window that led outside and the two-meter high wall that separated the property from the outside.

Dying together as one is admirable. But I want to put up a fight at the least! I’ll destroy those monsters before they even have a chance to lay a claw on them.

With renewed determination, Xander moved toward the glass window and slowly removed the jalousies. After setting the glass panes on his bed and taking a mini-screwdriver out of his drawer, he unfastened the dark metal grills that prevented intruders from coming in.

Once out into the sunny noon sky and onto his mother's verdant garden, Xander stealthily crouched as he passed bushes of herbs and sprouting vegetables toward the brick wall. Xander let out a slight chuckle as he reminisced.

I haven’t snuck out like this since I was sixteen.

Xander laid a palm on the warm red bricks with a small smile and merely hopped to reach the top. Xander effortlessly pulled himself up before carefully avoiding the metal spikes that capped the wall before jumping over and landing in the narrow grassy patch of land that separated the Stahl home from its neighbor in the back.

Anna and I met right here before we headed out to rock out at a city concert with the rest of our classmates.

Xander breathed in the summer air as he stretched out his back.

“Damn, those were the times.” Xander wistfully spoke before he cracked his knuckles in determination. “Let's get this over with.”

“So, where to?” Anna casually asked beside him.

“Clubhouse. Meet Harby. Ask questions and do some shopping.”

“Cool.”

Xander nodded, took a few steps forward, and paused in confusion before facing his girlfriend abruptly.

“Anna!” Xander hissed at the young woman, who had an amused look. “You can’t be out here. Your parents, Ben, and God forbid, Nina and Gab will be pissed at me.”

Xander walked up to her with an anxious expression. As much as he wanted to take risks and reap opportunities, he began to doubt whether he wanted to put the one person he considered his other half in something so dangerous. He only had to glance at Anna’s mangled ear before he winced.

Anna dropped her sly smirk and narrowed her eyes toward him.

“I know what you’re doing. Your family, or your mother at the least, wasn’t going to approve of your plan. You don’t want to do something against their wishes, but you’re also too stubborn to let that stop you.” Xander stopped as he gaped at Anna. The young woman merely shrugged before continuing. “So you planned to sneak out, do something quickly, then come back without them knowing you left your room.”

“I…” Xander groaned before leveling a stern look at his partner. “Fine, you got me. I really should’ve expected you to do this. But, you at least need to explain why you want to do this.”

Anna paused for a moment, chewing her lip before she faced Xander.

“It’s different now. I—for once in my life, I feel like I have the power to change things.” Anna let out a heavy sigh as she sombrely looked at him. “I think this is what the Harbingers and the Omninexus intended—giving the weak a chance to rise.”

“You’re not weak, Anna.”

“Oh? Not once have you ever thought otherwise?”

Xander faltered for a moment at her inquiry.

“I wouldn’t.” Xander slowly spoke, matching Anna’s piercing eyes. “But I care for you. I know you can take care of yourself. I just can’t help but consider the consequences.”

“Well, I want to change. I know everyone is concerned for me, but I don’t want to hide forever. Fighting at the Marco was my first taste at taking my life back into my hands, and rescuing my friends proved I can be strong for others.”

Xander still had a hint of doubt within him. He knew she had fought admirably during those two missions. But he wondered if it was worth getting killed over.

Anna scowled before sending him a disparaging gaze, seeing the look on his face. “You are being a hypocrite, you know? You’re doing the same thing right now. So why the fuck are you even trying to stop me?”

Xander froze at her condemning statement, and a wave of shame washed over him. Xander looked down to hide his sheepish expression while Anna continued to stare him down. A tense air formed between them.

Xander took a few seconds to cool himself before facing back at the young woman with an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry.” Xander slowly started as Anna raised a questioning eyebrow. “I was being hypocritical. So I’m sorry.”

Anna waited a moment then dropped her glower as her mouth transformed into a slight smile. “Good. You were being a dummy, Xand.”

“Yeah, I know. Apocalypse stuff, you know. My mind is a bit messed up.”

The two briefly chuckled as the tension between them eased away. Finally, Anna stepped forward and began to walk toward the clubhouse in the distance.

“We do stupid, dangerous stuff together. That has always been our thing. Remember that.”

Xander nodded as he walked beside her.

“Always.”

The walk barely took ten minutes. The streets were as empty as a ghost town now that the cultists in the village had seemingly disappeared, and the other families stayed barricaded in their homes.

Xander and Anna had to hug the walls and keep on the lookout for any threats. The two briefly chided themselves for not bringing any protection but resigned themselves to getting something at HNH.

More than once, they saw the wary eyes of neighbors through glass planes. The two gave a reassuring wave to show they were still sane. The eyes relaxed at sight and nodded before closing their curtains.

Xander and Anna reached the clubhouse, now with a security guard at the entrance, whom they politely greeted before heading inside. The two finally came face to face with the familiar floating alien ball.

“Hey, Harbs. How’s it going?”

“Hi, Harby.”

Xander gave a casual salute toward the Harbinger while Anna smiled.

The alien in question shifted its form to face the two as it raised its tentacles in greeting.

“Good day, Conscripts. You have done well during the Chalice mission.” Harby began before solemnly nodding his entire body. “Though you may feel as if you have failed, know that immense chaos could have transpired should the ritual be left undisturbed.”

The two humans shifted their gaze away from Harby, half-heartedly nodding at the alien’s remarks.

The Harbinger, sensing the discomfort, shifted the conversation.

“Nevertheless, you feel inadequate. Let us remedy that, shall we? Conscript Xander.”

“Yes?”

“I sense unique and familiar energy within you. I see defeating the Senior Acolyte has netted you an excellent reward.”

“Aide mentioned Ichor and gave a brief description.”

“Yes, I believe you wish to turn that potential matter into something more concrete?”

Xander couldn’t help but feel giddy at the thought of adding that golden thread to himself.

“I would like an Infusion, Harby.”

“Very good! Hold still, human.”

The Harbinger looked positively elated as it moved closer to the eager Conscript.

Anna, who had been staying silent as she listened to a brief explanation of what was going on from her Aide, looked on in wonderment. It then morphed into disgust as the Harbinger’s body morphed into a gaping maw and suddenly swallowed a clueless Xander whole.

“Oh God, what the fuck!?”

Anna recoiled back as she stared with betrayed eyes at Harby.

The alien in question raised its two blue tendrils and sent a wave of calm to the young woman.

“Peace, Conscript. Your companion needs a safe and specific location to undergo this crucial process.”

Anna stumbled on her words as she tried to soothe her wild emotions. Finally, she grunted before she sent a critical glare at the Harbinger.

“You really need to stop scaring us like this.”

“I apologize. I promise I only do this to the few humans who could take the jest.”

Anna looked on incredulously before shaking her head.

“I have nothing to say to that. How long will this take, actually?”

“With the amount of Ichor he has, it will only take approximately ten minutes, depending on the changes he wishes to make on himself. More Ichor and more drastic upgrades will take longer, and the post-Infusion exhaustion will take longer.”

Anna sighed, resigned to the situation, before she moved to grab a chair.

Inside the Harbinger, much to Xander's dismay, the young man was currently experiencing a kind of terror he only experienced when he was in deep waters.

Or, at the least, he should have.

It's rather... comfortable?

The polite and deep voice of Harby reverberated in his surroundings.

"Be at peace, Conscript. This is merely a part of the Infusion process."

Right, I should probably be screaming at being eaten, right?

"You are being calmed by my abilities to prevent unnecessary harm."

Xander slowly nodded as he carefully observed his surroundings. The young man was currently in a fetal position in what was the Harbinger's interior. Xander sensed that the inside was larger than what was evident from the outside.

Xander floated in what felt like a syrupy fluid. A soft orange glow lightened his form through a thin membrane that encompassed him in an irregular sphere. He paused as a sudden realization descended on him.

Wait, I somehow feel like I'm in a womb. Is this—Oh, Christ, this is disgusting!

Xander squirmed as a chill ran down his spine, and his heart began to beat faster as he realized the weird situation he was in.

"Calm, Conscript! Calm."

Xander's movements began to slow, but he still felt agitated.

I am literally inside you, Harby. Fuck, I'm sorry, are you a guy or a girl? I really need to know. Either of those disgusts me, but I'm not sure which is worse.

"The concept of gender doesn't concern me. And neither should it concern you. Instead, think of this as being in surgery. You are in a special healing tank, and I am the doctor outside speaking to you."

Xander listened to his analogy and finally calmed down.

R-right, sorry, Harbs. Let's get this over with, then.

"Very good! Let us bring up the screens then."

The black screen of the Harbinger Nexus Hub appeared before Xander's eyes, and an excited grin spread on his face.

Sweet.