Chương 23: Iron Five

Ray accepted Adrian's hand with a forced smile. He felt the firm grip of the rival Captain's handshake, a silent battle between them. Even Ray had to admit that the Recruit had an air about him, made stronger by the confident way he introduced himself. Adrian pulled his hand back and gestured toward his team before continuing.

"Allow me to introduce my team." He held his hand in front of a red-haired young man. The young man held a large axe, and a devilish grin was plastered on his face.

"Before you is the distinguished Kellan Pyre. He is the powerhouse of our little group." Kellan flexed his biceps and winked at Kiara. Adrian gestured toward two young women. One had light blue hair and wore azure robes, while the other wore clothes resembling a desert dancer's outfit, her green hair matching the flowing garment.

"This is Selene Marr and Nia Gale. Selene is a Water Mana user and a vital part of our ensemble. Nia, on the other hand, is a rowdy temptress. Be careful, or she'll whisk you away with her annoying Wind Mana." Selene gave a slight curtsy, while Nia stuck her tongue out and made a face at her Captain. Adrian then gestured toward a black-haired teen. This young man exuded a feeling of unease, lurking even in plain sight. Even Adrian looked uncomfortable before continuing.

"This lively gentleman is Lucian Dusk. He is our infiltration specialist, so to speak. He is a Dark Mana user, but don't let his silence fool you. The guy is deadly when we get in a fight." Each member of Adrian's team looked at Ray and his team as rivals already. Pride and competitiveness showed in each of their glowing green eyes. Even Ray had to admit he felt the pressure when facing them. A notification flashed beside Adrian's shoulder. He glanced at it, smiled, and accepted before Ray could comment.

Just as Adrian's introduction concluded, the System notified everyone of the next battle. Adrian began to phase out of existence, only to appear on the screen across from another Recruit. The battle went just as Ray had seen during his viewing of battles throughout the week. From what Ray could tell, Adrian had multiple Abilities that increased his defense and made him like an immovable statue. He would presumably activate them in a sequence, shown by his body and Mana fluctuations.

He would then raise his large shield and simply walk his enemy down. This fight was no different. After only a minute or two, Adrian had managed to corner the other Recruit, who was then beaten senseless until ultimately shattering into white light. The System declared Adrian the winner, and he appeared back in front of Ray and his team. Adrian smiled and let out a light sigh before speaking.

"Sorry about that. I just couldn't refuse a battle." Ray thought the leaderboards would show nothing from this battle, since the gain from such a win against a low-ranked Recruit meant very little in terms of points. He decided not to make that comment and smiled as he began to speak.

"That was impressive, Adrian." Ray's smile widened.

"Not nearly as impressive as the battles I've seen with Kellan, or even Lucian for that matter." Adrian looked visibly annoyed at Ray's words, barely letting a grimace show on his face. Ray was fueled by the reaction and continued.

"You guys aren't that impressive individually, but from the team battles I've seen, I have to admit you guys have us beat." Ray gestured toward his team.

"We're a group of fairly strong people, but we only just recently found our synergy." Ray pulled his hand over his chest with a closed fist, performing the Empire's salute.

"I truly hope we can learn about teamwork from you," he continued.

"Though, don't worry too much about the mission. I'm sure one of us can handle the big stuff." Ray nodded at his team, and they all disconnected from the Nexus, fading from the corridor and leaving Adrian and his team standing there, with Adrian wearing a tight smile that did little to hide his annoyance. - Ray and the team met in a private room of the common area to discuss the situation. Even Jerome chimed in with information that validated what Ray had said about the Iron Five.

"Those guys are the real deal," Jerome said.

"They haven't lost a single team battle and have already completed half a dozen off-base missions. I would argue that, as a group, their track record makes ours look pitiful." The team shared this sentiment, each of them either nodding or remaining silent. It wasn't until after a few moments passed that someone finally spoke. Surprisingly, it was Frangle.

"Normally…" he paused.

"Normally, I would say we would beat them because we have Ray, but I know that is just my biased opinion." Frangle stood, a face of resolve accompanying his serious tone.

"But I think even without Ray, we could beat them. They only have better teamwork than us. That's something we can learn. I know we can learn to flow better as a group. We already have." Frangle's words hung in the air. Each member of the team digested them. Ray was currently trying to decipher the feeling he had. It wasn't fear or anticipation like usual. It was something deeper. Like a need to fully realize something. Ray could feel that this mission could be a chance for them to take that next step.

He steeled his nerves and stood before speaking.

"Synergy." The one word made the rest of the team focus, each one of them now looking directly at Ray.

"That's what they have that we don't," he continued.

"Easy. We get some." Phora nearly snorted as a laugh erupted from her, and the rest of the team followed suit. Each one of them broke out into chuckles and giggles as Ray stood there red-faced, not able to even ask what was so funny. The group fell into a chorus of laughter, and the tension in the room melted. Kiara was the first to stop laughing, gracing Ray with the first words said in the room for several minutes. Love what you're reading?

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"Aye, aye, Captain." A smug grin appeared on her face once the words left her lips. The call ignited the rest of the team as they all began to chant. Frangle, of course, was the loudest.

"AYE, AYE, CAPTAIN!" Ray shook his head, but he couldn't stop smiling. A few days earlier, most of them had barely known how to stand in the same formation without arguing. Now they were giving him a hard time together, which somehow felt like progress. At the very least, no one looked ready to face the Iron Five alone. - The northern command hall was already occupied when Ray arrived. Phora stood near the center aisle with her arms folded. Jerome leaned against a seat. Kiara sat with her head tilted back.

Frangle stood beside her, watching the doors. Ray noticed it and said nothing. That was good. The doors opened behind him. The Iron Five entered. Adrian walked in first with his shield strapped across his back. Kellan followed with his axe on one shoulder. Selene came next, calm and quiet. Nia walked beside her with a bored expression. Lucian appeared last. Ray almost missed him. A Soldier stepped onto the raised platform. He wore a dark gray uniform, and a scar ran from his left cheek to the bottom of his jaw.

The screen behind him lit up. A map appeared. The Great Lakes Military Base sat near the center. A route extended east, moving past the inner patrol zones, through forest, across two rivers, and toward a smaller outpost. Several icons appeared along the route. Three armored transport vehicles. Two supply carriers. One medical carrier.

"Your task is an escort mission. A convoy will leave the Great Lakes Military Base and travel to Outpost Verdin. You will protect the convoy until it reaches the outpost." Ray studied the route. It looked short. That made him suspicious. Red marks appeared around the middle of the road.

"This section has seen increased Beast movement over the last two weeks. Most sightings have been Stage 1. A few have reached Stage 2." The red marks were not spread out. They clustered around one section. Beasts were not supposed to gather like that unless something pushed them. Or called them. Adrian spoke first.

"Do we know why they're gathering?"

"No," the Soldier answered plainly. Selene asked about water sources and a river was highlighted beside the road. Nia asked about wind and several thin arrows appeared above the map. Kellan asked about the largest confirmed Beast. Peak Stage 2. Lucian asked about scouting range. Two hundred meters from the convoy. No farther unless ordered. The Iron Five fell silent. Ray looked at them. They had asked everything quickly. Not randomly. Each question covered something different. Reason. Terrain. Movement. Force.

Information. Ray's team had seen the same map. But the Iron Five had already divided the mission into pieces. The Soldier pressed another command and more lines appeared around the convoy icons.

"Adrian's team will take forward formation. Ray's team will take rear formation." Jerome's eyes narrowed. Ray kept his face still.

"The forward team will detect and slow threats before they reach the convoy," the Soldier continued.

"The rear team will prevent pursuit, protect the medical carrier, and respond to breakthroughs." Ray looked at the medical carrier. Rear formation was not a punishment. If something reached the back, the convoy was already in danger. The screen shifted one final time and System messages appeared in each Recruit's vision.

[Mission assigned: Escort Convoy to Outpost Verdin] [Known Threats: Stage 1 Beasts, possible Stage 2 Beast activity] [Failure Condition: Convoy destruction or assigned personnel death] [Departure: Tomorrow, 0600] [Reward: Contribution points]"This is not a Nexus battle. If you make a mistake outside the base, the System will not return your body to a corridor," the Soldier said. No one answered. The Soldier left the room. Silence. Adrian walked toward Ray and smiled warmly before speaking.

"Rear formation is important." Ray smiled.

"I know. We'll keep the medical carrier safe. You focus on walking in front of things with your shield." Kellan laughed. Adrian adjusted the strap of his shield.

"I look forward to seeing your team in action," he said. The Iron Five left shortly after. Only then did Jerome speak.

"I don't like them." Kiara leaned back in her seat.

"You don't like most people," she retorted. Ray shook his head and turned toward the map screen. He reactivated the route. The convoy appeared again. The red marks returned.

"They're better prepared than us," Phora said. Jerome clicked his tongue.

"They just asked questions." Ray walked closer to the screen. The route looked simple until he imagined protecting six vehicles moving in a line through trees. Too many angles. Too many blind spots. Too many places where one mistake could split the convoy apart.

"We don't copy them," Ray said. Phora looked at him.

"We learn what we need," she said. Frangle nodded.

"Where do I stand?" he asked. Ray looked at him before answering. The question was exactly the right one.

"Near Kiara and the medical carrier." Frangle accepted the answer without hesitation. Jerome stepped closer to the map and spoke.

"If something charges the rear, I hit it before it reaches the carrier."

"Once," Phora said.

"If you chase, you leave a gap. If you leave a gap, something slips through." Jerome looked at the medical carrier.

"Fine." - The Nexus training room created a road. Trees rose on both sides. Six transport frames rolled forward in a line. Ray's team took the rear. The first instance failed immediately. The next few failed for different reasons. Jerome moved too far. Kiara stopped moving. Frangle stayed too close. Phora gave an order too late. Ray blocked Jerome's path with a wall of mud. They repeated the drill. The failures became slower. Then smaller. Jerome learned to strike and return. Kiara moved her ward without stopping.

Frangle started moving before Kiara needed him. Phora's orders became short enough to follow but clear enough to matter. Ray stood behind them all. He hated the position. That was why he kept it. By the final attempt, the convoy reached the end of the road without the medical frame taking a single hit. [Success] Nobody cheered. They were all breathing too hard. - By the time they left the Nexus, the hallway lights had dimmed. Ray's head hurt. His body ached. The others looked the same. They were exhausted.

Phora rubbed at one shoulder while Jerome leaned against the wall like standing up had become optional. Frangle was breathing hard, and Kiara looked ready to fall asleep where she stood. None of them complained about doing the drills again. By that point, every mistake they fixed meant one less they might make outside the base. The next morning, they would leave the base. Ray opened the map one more time. The red-marked section appeared again. The Iron Five had asked what the mission needed.

His team had spent the day learning how to answer. Ray closed the map. Tomorrow would show if it was enough.