After one battle, even though they were both trying their best to be mindful, Andrew felt his cooperation with Anby was less 'uncoordinated' and more 'every man for himself.'
It threw him right back to his early hunting days in the New World with the Felyne Meowscular, where he'd often try to counter an attack aimed at him, only for Meowscular to pull aggro at the last second, leaving him slicing at thin air.
But now, Andrew had gone from a rookie hunter to a seasoned veteran, and Anby's skills were actually quite reliable; she had just been at a disadvantage because of her weapon before.
So, even with them fighting their own battles, the two of them managed to pin down and finish off the monster before it could even think about fleeing to another area.
No, wait. Since coming to this world, besides that mutated dragon-type Ethereal that looked like a Rathian, he hadn't really seen any that tried to run away.
Could it be that for Ethereals, the ability to flee was a mark of a true powerhouse? That only the truly strong ones knew when to run?
For Andrew, three months of investigation was still far too short.
As the monster's corpse dissolved into ether crystals, Andrew and Anby stopped gathering materials and returned to the resting Silver Squad. The other members stared at him in silence, their eyes burning with a bright, intense gaze.
Just as Andrew was starting to feel uncomfortable under their stares, Anby, who was still wrestling with her thoughts, suddenly remembered that the "no witnesses" rule hadn't been reiterated before this mission.
With a reason to act, Anby finally looked up.
"Andrew, can you promise me you won't tell anyone about the existence of the Silver Squad? Can you keep the secret that we were here?"
Andrew, who already had a good impression of these girls who fought the Ethereals with such grit, naturally wouldn't refuse. But before that, he had a few questions he needed to discuss with the captain of the Silver Squad.
"Of course. We've hunted together, so that makes us friends. But I have a few questions for you. Just answer what you feel you can. Deal?"
"Friends...?"
She had no contingency plan for this situation. After all, standard operating procedure should have concluded in the previous step, so there were no regulations to reference for something like this.
"Okay. I'll tell you everything I know."
Since there had never been an order explicitly forbidding them from disclosing information, Anby answered with a clear conscience.
"First question: what are you, really? And what's your purpose for being here?"
Once a person breaks a rule for the first time, everything else comes naturally.
"We are a tactical squad composed of clones. We were created for the purpose of replacing human soldiers in entering Hollows to face the Ethereals. The goal of the proposal was to achieve 'the magic of creating an army from sugar and air.'"
Anby paused. Her entire worldview, shaped by her education from the moment of her creation, told her that all of this was perfectly normal and justified.
But looking at Andrew's face, so dark it looked like it was about to drip with rage, she inexplicably felt like she'd said something wrong and subconsciously apologized.
"I'm sorry. Even though I was the first one created, Number Zero, I don't know that much. This is all just what I've overheard the researchers discussing."
Realizing his expression had frightened Anby, Andrew took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in his heart, and continued his questioning.
"These clones that were made... are you eleven the only ones?"
"No."
Anby shook her head and continued.
"Including Soldier 11 at the research institute, there are currently twelve Silver Squad soldiers remaining, and zero 'defective products' left."
"Remaining?"
In response to Andrew's question, Anby nodded and replied.
"Most of the clones lacked sufficient 'superior qualities' and were deemed 'defective products,' unable to become soldiers. They were taken away from the research institute and were never seen again."
That strange feeling surged within her heart again. Not understanding what this emotion was, Anby suppressed it and continued.
"So, there are currently twelve of us left. Soldier 11 was the last clone to become a soldier."
His suspicions confirmed, Andrew's rage instantly ignited. But the extreme anger, instead of clouding his judgment, pushed him into a state of extreme calm.
The Silver Squad was innocent. The ones behind all this were the true targets for his fury.
Seeing that Anby was already starting to look fidgety, Andrew chose not to press her any further.
Nearby, the two siblings sitting on Andrew's pauldron had also heard Anby's story and were shocked speechless by the explosive revelation. The kind-hearted Belle couldn't help but poke Andrew's arm and whisper.
"Andrew, I want to save them."
Having calmed down, Andrew rubbed Belle's head and soothed her in a low voice.
"Me too. Don't worry, I think I'm starting to get an idea of how to do it."
Turning back, Andrew began to ask Anby about their specific orders.
"Since you've completed your objective for this mission, what's the next step? Do you have another assignment?"
Seeing Andrew's expression calm down, Anby couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Even though she wasn't the target of his anger, the oppressive aura that had unconsciously radiated from Andrew earlier had been suffocating.
"There are no further arrangements for this mission. According to protocol, we will return to the research institute to report in after our rest period."
"Is there a required time for you to report in after the mission is complete?"
Although she was a bit confused as to why Andrew was asking, Anby still answered honestly.
"No, but we usually head back immediately after the rest period is over."
Hearing Anby's reply, a plan began to form in Andrew's mind.
"Is that so? In that case, I suggest you rest for an additional two hours before setting out."
Anby was very tempted by Andrew's words, but she still tilted her head in confusion and asked.
"Can you tell me why?"
She was like a schoolkid who'd failed a test and knew they were in for a beating the moment they walked through the door, so they'd dawdle on the way home, hoping to postpone the inevitable for as long as possible.
But the principle of absolute obedience to orders had been drilled into her for so long that she craved a logical reason from Andrew to justify it.
"Why? Based on our current condition, we can be on our way back in fifteen minutes at most."
"Because the potion I gave you has some side effects."
Hearing about side effects, Anby actually relaxed a little.
The potion Andrew provided was too perfect. She'd never seen any medicine with such a potent healing effect, which had actually made her more worried about some terrible hidden drawback.
"What are the side effects?"
"You can't move until the medicine has been fully absorbed. You have to lie flat for two hours before that. Otherwise, it could cause your old wounds to relapse and become even worse."
Lying through his teeth without batting an eye, Andrew spun his tale with a dead-serious expression, leaving the girls completely bamboozled.
Seeing the two girls who had started to fidget immediately go still, Andrew felt a slight pang of guilt for tricking kids, but it vanished in the very next moment.
-
🔥 40% OFF to celebrate 2 new stories! 🔥
We've just launched 2 new stories, and we want you to join us! Take advantage of the 40% discount to become a member.
When you join, you get instant access to:
✅ Over 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
✅ Exclusive content and updates!
Plus, your support unlocks bonuses for the entire community. Our goals are still active:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 55 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
Secure your spot with the discount and get access to everything right now:
👻 patreon.com/Walnutchan