*Knock! Knock! Knock!*
Derek's knuckles hit the office door with a nervous face.
"Boss? They're here."
It was only after a moment of waiting and the sound of messy rustling inside the room did the reply finally came in,
"Come in."
Vincent's voice carried its usual smooth authority, although a faint sound of panic coughing could be heard.
Derek pushed the door open and stepped aside a bit hesitantly.
While Nero and Aurelia walked into the office.
But as they were about to get inside…
"..."
A woman briskly walked out.
Her dress was skimpy and disheveled.
It's like she's in a hurry to get dressed before getting out.
She didn't make eye contact with anyone as she practically sprinted past them, but Nero noticed the flushed look on her face as she did so.
'Looks like we interrupted a good time, huh.'
Nero raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
The same with Aurelia, as she kept her stoic expression as usual, not even sparing a glance at the passing woman.
"..."
Vincent was in front of the mirror, straightening his hair and adjusting his tie.
His pricey suit appeared brand new as usual, and he was grinning contentedly.
"Ah, Nero! Aurelia! Perfect timing."
Vincent flashed his trademark politician smile.
"I trust your mission went well? No casualties, I hope?"
"Seven shadow wolves, zero injuries. Standard cleanup."
Nero kept his tone neutral and professional.
"Excellent, excellent. You two continue to exceed expectations."
Vincent gestured to the chairs across from his desk.
"I'll cut straight to the chase. We have a situation that requires your particular skill set."
"What kind of situation?"
"An abnormal creature has been detected approximately eight miles northeast of our position."
Vincent had a serious expression while leaning forward.
"Local survivors have been attempting to contain it after their mission to eliminate it failed. But their defenses as of now are failing."
"An abnormal monster? And what do you mean contain it after failing to kill it?"
"The survivors there have encountered a peculiar plant. More specifically a carnivorous plant that's invaded their refuge."
Vincent poured another glass as he continued.
"Their frontliners tried to eliminate it, thinking it's just another B-tier monster. But unfortunately, this plant monster is special. It has something most others don't."
"Which is?"
"Intelligence."
'What the fuck…?'
Now that's something new.
"Your mission… is to subdue it if possible. Eliminate it if necessary. The choice is yours."
Nero stayed silent, considering the proposal, but later shook his head,
"That's risky. You're basically asking us to walk into an unknown situation against an intelligent enemy with little information."
"The compensation and rewards would be big, of course."
"It's not about rewards. I need to know what we're walking into."
Nero narrowed his eyes.
Vincent's gaze shifted to Aurelia, who sat perfectly still.
Her golden gaze stayed still with calm attention.
It's clear that whatever Nero would decide she would follow it without question.
"... I'm sure someone of her capabilities would be more than adequate for the task."
Vincent's sly eye flashed for a bit as he replied.
"Maybe, but I'd prefer not to test that theory unnecessarily."
Nero's voice carried a note of caution, easily retorting it.
Although Aurelia is overpowered, hearing that an anomaly has appeared and they were asked to singlehandedly take it down, Nero wouldn't play the gambling game here.
Vincent chuckled at him,
"Of course, I wouldn't send you in alone. You'll have backup."
He walked to a side door and knocked twice.
"You can come in now."
The door opened and five people entered the office.
Three of them were familiar to Nero.
Jin, the experienced team leader with her no-nonsense attitude.
Sarah, the fire mage with determined eyes and burn-scarred sleeves.
And finally… Marcus, the muscle dickhead who caused problems a month ago.
Behind them, the other two were women Nero were acquaintances with but had never really interacted much.
"I believe you know most of our strike team."
Vincent gestured toward the group.
"Jina Martinez, team leader. Sarah Kim, our fire specialist. Marcus Halner, heavy assault."
Marcus gave Nero a nod that seemed genuine enough.
Nero returned it with a neutral expression, though his eyes stayed cold.
"And our two additional team members. Rebecca Torres, earth manipulation specialist."
A woman with short brown hair and dirt under her fingernails stepped forward.
She looked like she could bench press a truck and probably had.
"Laura Frell, our skilled archer and support."
The second woman was younger, maybe early twenties, with keen eyes that missed nothing.
She carried herself like someone who'd learned to be invisible when necessary.
"Now then, let me explain the specifics of your mission."
Vincent moved to a large map spread across his desk.
Red markers indicated the camp's location and the target area.
"The creature was first spotted three days ago by a scouting party. Initial reports described it as... unusual."
"What do you mean unusual?"
"Take a look."
Vincent gestured towards the organized images on the desk.
Judging by the angle of those shots, it seems like the images were most likely taken from a drone.
"It's been growing larger each day… The survivors in the area have been using electrical barriers to keep it contained, but those won't hold much longer."
He spoke as he continued,
"Their frontliners were half wipeout, with the rest of them majorly injured. Based on what we saw, the anomaly has an insane rate of regeneration, a wide array of abilities… in which I would show you later, and has the power of ability absorption."
'Fuck, another stealing ability? Now a plant with brains this time?'
Nero cursed as the overpowered abilities were now also being given to monsters.
"What's it doing exactly? Just sitting there growing?"
Nero voiced out with nonchalance towards Vincent.
"Not exactly. It seems to be... feeding. On everything around it. Plants, animals, even the soil itself."
"How fast is it growing?"
Sarah leaned forward to get a better look.
"Current estimates put it at roughly ten percent larger each day. At this rate, it'll be the size of a city block within two weeks."
"And you want us to walk up to this thing and just eliminate it?"
Nero chuckled a bit.
"The plan is more sophisticated than that."
Vincent spread out tactical diagrams.
"Jin's team will establish a perimeter and provide cover fire. Rebecca will use her earth powers to create barriers and escape routes. Laura will maintain overwatch, range support, and coordinate communications."
"And?... What about us?"
Nero gestured to himself and Aurelia.
"You two will be our primary assault team. Get in close, assess the creature's weaknesses, and neutralize it."
"With Marcus backing us up, I assume?"
Nero asked with a chuckle as if anticipating it.
Marcus shifted slightly but kept his expression neutral.
"Marcus will provide heavy support, yes. His enhancement abilities make him ideal for prolonged combat."
"... Alright."
Nero just casually nodded with even a bit of playfulness.
"The mission begins at dawn tomorrow. You'll be transported to the staging area by truck, then proceed on foot for the final approach."
Vincent rolled up the maps and diagrams.
"Any questions?"
"What's the extraction plan if this thing turns out to be more dangerous than expected?"
"I have full confidence in your team's abilities."
"That's not really an answer."
"The mission parameters are clear. Neutralize the threat by any means necessary."
"We'll have radio contact with the base camp. If things get too dangerous, we can call for backup."
Jin stepped forward, her expression serious.
"What kind of backup?"
"Whatever we can spare."
Vincent's vague answer didn't really sound confident.
Nero looked at Aurelia, who gave him a slight nod.
The angel waifu was ready for whatever came next.
"Alright. We'll do it. But I want clear communication protocols and a solid extraction plan if things go south."
"Of course. Everything will be properly coordinated."
"And I want hazard pay for the whole team, not just specialists."
"... Everyone will be compensated appropriately."
Vincent's usual business smile was starting to crack a bit at Nero's words.
"Well, then… Report to the motor pool at 0600 hours. Your equipment will be provided."
The meeting was clearly over.
As they went out of the building, Nero caught Jin's arm.
"Hey, can I have a word?"
She nodded and stepped aside to somewhere private.
"What's your honest assessment of this mission, Jin?"
Jin glanced around to make sure they weren't being overheard.
"It's risky, but not impossible. The creature sounds dangerous, but it's clearly not beyond our capabilities."
"What about the team composition?"
"Marcus has been... better lately. Still an ass, but he follows orders."
Jin's expression was pragmatic.
"Rebecca and Laura are solid. They have good track records, and are reliable even under pressure."
"And Vincent?"
"Vincent's been acting strange lately. More meetings, more phone calls. But this mission seems legitimate."
Jin paused.
"Look, I'll do my best to keep everyone focused out there. But watch yourself, Nero. Unknown creatures can be unpredictable."
As Jin walked away, Nero felt a familiar wariness settle in his gut.
Although Jin felt cautious, Nero felt VERY cautious.
'Yeah, no shit. Something fishy is going on here.'
Although Marcus is indeed a frontliner built dickhead, their synchrony would be disrupted if paired with him and Aurelia.
Especially knowing their past history, it would do more harm to the team.
And this sly fox Vincent must already know that… unless his EQ is lower than his hairline.
'Well, with that aside, it's not like we can't disregard this mission.'
Otherwise, that anomaly would aim for the Camp next.
'It's also better to nip the bud before it fully grows.'
It's a headache, especially as someone who once dealt with a protagonist syndrome third-rate villain with similar copying ability during when the apocalypse happened.
'Oh well, it is what it is.'
Nero could only shrug.
There's no need to overthink about the future.
They'll handle it along the way.
Not that he's complacent or anything, but overthinking things could only do more harm than good at this point.
Especially with little to no information to draw conclusions from.
With that in mind, Nero walked as the strike group prepared to disembark.
***
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