The connection wasn’t perfect, but it would have to do.

“I am member of the elite team Verdict”, Kaden said and hoped it would go through. “My name is Kaden. I got separated after the attack at the remnant inside mount Vesu. I am looking for a way to return to Saint Empire.”

There was quite a bit of silence afterwards. Kaden wondered, if the connection actually cut, but then the voice returned.

“I am boosting the signal”, the voice said. This time the static was gone. “I am connecting you to your commanding officer, Captain Nelsen.”

“Hmmm, truly wondrous technology this is”, Kaden thought to himself.

“Kaden? Is that you?” Nelsen spoke through the phone. “Are you receiving this?”

“I am”, Kaden replied. “Finally I can speak to someone!”

“At least someone is still alive”, Nelsen replied. “The whole mission became a mess. Hem died in the remnant, Walden died outside as we were escaping. Sari we believe was captured, she will likely be dying once they have interrogated her enough. Olren’s fate is unknown, he probably died in the remnant. He is declared MIA. You should be the only one alive at the moment. That is just our team. Others suffered similar losses. It was bad enough with Sacronan heretics, but then those beasts came. Leoren was too injured and was also killed by that damn Cerulean Boar which then took the fire elemental’s core with it. It is likely we might have another Lower Cari to deal with soon, if the boar can use it. We know a few of these Cerulean Boars linger at edges of our territories and this one noticed a chance. Only good news is that the remnant is apparently flooding out lava and cannot be entered. We have deprived Sacronan a fresh remnant to loot.”

Kaden was starting to sweat. He was mostly concerned about the boar. What the hell? It killed the heavily injured Condensation stage leader with the most valuable loot? He was afraid that Verdict would be connected to the boar and thus eventually him. Yet, none would think this specific Cerulean Boar had already killed at least two others. He wasn’t sure, if thats all of them. If its just the crazy one left, it might become dangerous!

“Sounds quite bad”, Kaden replied after he calmed himself. “Is it possible to be extracted somehow? I only recently managed to shake of some pursuers.”

“It should be possible, but unfortunately there is something else”, Nelsen said. He didn’t seem happy. “As soon as you connected, your presence in the area became known. I received some orders the send you to deal damage. I’m not sure who decided that, but I have to follow the orders. While its not exactly a suicide mission, you are indeed at a location where you have a good opportunity. I cannot deny the value in that. If you do survive back, you should be receiving good amount of contribution points. It is also my job to send you to this mission, since I am still in command of both Judgement and seemingly Verdict, with you being the last surviving member. Still, there isn’t much that you can do, but I’ll try to arrange something that you might be able to survive and still meets the demands so you may return.”

Kaden gritted his teeth. Could it be those damn nobles again? Who else has the influence and was someone he had offended? Still, like Nelsen said. He was behind enemy lines and at position to act. There was no way to say such orders were not acceptable. Sometimes soldiers would need to be sacrificed, but it should be for a purpose. There existed a purpose this time.

“I believe there are some people who are acting against me”, Kaden said. “May I ask how many people can listen to this?”

A moment of silence.

“Only me”, Nelsen then replied.

“I did manage to advance to Formation stage with resources I got from the remnant”, Kaden explained. There was no need to hide that. Everyone would know it as soon as he returned. If he returned. “If this is indeed someone trying to kill me, I assume they would expect to get me stuck here completing a mission beyond my capability. Yet, with having advanced, I have an actual chance. If we keep this information from them, they can’t interfere with any orders you give me and raise difficulty.”

“This is good! Very good!” Nelsen said then he silecned for a moment and seemed think of something. “You didn’t mutate again did you?”

“Not this time”, Kaden replied.

“Good, I’m already thinking of some possible mission parameters for you and if I can put you among people, it makes this easier. Can you stay where you are now?” Nelsen asked.

“For the time being, yes”, Kaden replied.

“Then wait there for a few hours”, Nelsen said. “I will be arrange something in that time that you can complete. I will have signal boosted towards your current direction for a while so you aren’t cut off. Wait for the orders.”

“I understand”, Kaden replied and closed the call. “Shit. I really need to kill some people.”

Kaden sat down on top of the hawk’s nest and started to examine the high beast core he had. It seemed very similar to his own core. It was just slightly different color, but that was likely due to different kind of mana the Sandstorm Hawk used.

Still, it felt familiar. Just like the fire mana earlier from the Fire Stones. It seemed to him that the sort of mana he needed would feel like that. Even a dumb beast, not yet capable of understanding differences between mana, would still naturally take what they felt to be good for them. It made sense.

Kaden put away the core without absorbing it. He wasn’t yet done with it. Instead he had other problems to think of. This mission was likely supposed to have him killed. It had to be the nobles. Olren was dead, but they had already marked him to be removed. Perhaps they would stop once they were absolutely certain Olren was gone and they did not have acceptable replacement.

“Nah”, Kaden finally decided. “People are spiteful. Even if it doesn’t matter anymore, I already stepped on their plans and they will likely see me dead regardless. Now what to do? They might eventually succeed with their dirty tricks.”

Kaden spent some moments pondering on the matter, but came to a conclusion.

“I need to be difficult”, He muttere to himself. “To be target not worth it when there is no gain from it. I need a shield. Being part of the military makes it difficult already and they can’t just directly erase me. They have to arrange these deadly situations. With Verdict dead, I’m not sure what will happen. Whatever happens it would be best to stay in the open. These nobles still can’t act freely, if something can be tied to them.”

There was no way for him to decide yet. He had to survive that far in the first place.

“I can always fake my death or desert and disapear”, Kaden thought. Such actions were the most extreme solutions, but if it came to that, he would do it without question. Lost resources were far less valuable than his life. Loyalty? There was no such thing.

Kaden cycled his mana system for about a hour until his phone activated. He accepted the call.

“Connection still good, Kaden?” Nelsen’s voice asked.

“Yes. That signal boosting is fine”, Kaden replied. “So what is the mission?”

“You might even like this one”, Nelsen told Kaden with none of the previous uneasiness left. “I remembered those targets you once mentioned to me. One of them is nearby.”

Kaden’s mood immediately improved. Even if this was meant to be a dangerous mission, he would have taken it anyway. Which one was it? Juren?

“There is a small city nearby, Celadon”, Nelsen started to explain. “It is currently central point for local military supplies and such. Higher officers dealing with the front line around there also stay in it. Consider it a command headquarters of the area.”

“I assume defenses are probably not a joke then?” Kaden replied.

“That would be the case”, Nelsen agreed. “Your mission will be to deal as much damage as you can. In other words cause a significant disruption. Whatever means necessary. As for that target. Its that colonel Serin.”

Serin! That bastard took his mother! Whether or not that was the cause of her death, what he knew of Serin pointed to that it was a terrible fate to be toyed by him. He must die! DIE! Painfully!

“Yes, I know exactly what to do with him”, Kaden muttered to himself and then replied to Nelsen. “Where is he?”

“It seems even Sacronan military don’t really like him”, Nelsen explained. “I understand why you would hate him. He has some unusual hobbies, but is a noble that they can’t put away completely. Instead he has been placed in Celadon to govern the city as far as civilian and other things matter that he does not interfere too much with important military matters. Apparently there was some disagreements about something with the previous mayor. Intel doesn’t say what exactly happened, but it happened a few years ago already. He apparently stays in the mayors manor these days and only interferes with things, if he has to. What he does with his time isn’t certain. I would be wary. Still, he is a good target.”

“I see”, Kaden replied. “Any useful information about him?”

“Most of what we know of him is that he his behavior is questionable”, Nelsen explained. “It is obvious he has been kept… aside. He has not really been involved with anything truly significant to be noticed. He seems to prefer that way. We don’t know much about his abilities or anything more than I just said.”

“If I get stuck here for a while, do you know of any of the other target that I talked about? That captain Juren?” Kaden continued asking. This could be a good chance. “I might be able to handle him too?”

“I did look, but he is stationed much further away from here at the front lines”, Nelsen said. “There is very little chance to get to him right now, but I’ll keep him in mind.”

“Serin will have to do then”, Kaden agreed. “By the way. What is my actual status right now? If Verdict is gone, what is my position, officially?”

“Technically you are still part of Verdict, even if everyone else is gone”, Nelsen explained. “I doubt this will last. We don’t have replacements yet and probably won’t any time soon. It should be clear if… by the time you get back.”

“Acknowledged”, Kaden replied. “Anything else? I won’t be able to make connection back any time soon.”

“None”, Nelsen said. “I hope you luck.”

Then Nelsen ended the call.

Serin! He would die! That bastard was now in his reach! Kaden had some big plans for him! There was no way his end would be quick nor mercifull. Kaden almost shuddered in pleasure as he imagined what to do to him.

Kaden would fulfill his mission, but he didn’t really care about anything else but exterminating Serin. Getting stuck behind front lines in Sacronan was starting to be a boon! That dumb bird was a minor target, but Serin. Heheh. Now that was one of the main targets he had waited so patiently to get his hands on.