The Commander still maintained his Axiom form, sending chills down Darijan's spine.
"S-surely, Commander…"
Darijan continued following him.
After some time, they arrived at the shoreline, from where the ocean surrounding the base could be seen.
"What do you think, Darijan?"
Darijan looked at the Commander, standing behind him.
"If you're asking about the recent incidents, I think those two kids might be the reason why Matej was caught — unlike all the other similar cases we've had so far."
The Commander, hearing his opinion, took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Dark times are coming… Even the leaders aren't as stable as they were in the last few years."
"Hahhh."
"If I may say something, Commander…"
"I have a feeling that the kids who defeated Matu aren't awakened…"
The Commander was surprised, but in a situation already filled with oddities, strange details were something everyone should welcome. Most of the time, those details were indicators of solutions to their problems.
After several calculations, the Commander made his decision.
"We'll take a mediator from the Mental Institute. We'll also submit a request for this to be investigated by higher authorities."
"A truly wise choice, Commander…"
Darijan lowered his head.
The Commander was a figure who deserved this display of fear and respect from Darijan.
He had qualified as an agent from a young age, receiving the title of honor from the organization.
He had served the organization for 30 years, bringing it nothing but success.
That alone qualified him to be promoted as Commander of a battalion.
"Can I entrust this mission to you?" the Commander asked.
"Of course, Commander. You can count on me."
With that, Darijan bowed and left for the Mental Institute to recruit a mediator.
A mediator is third in the chain of command within the Institute of Psionics and Analysis. Their role is to logically deconstruct both people and threats.
According to importance, the chain of command within the Institute is divided as follows:
Observer
Awakened novices who have just discovered their world.
Assigned only for internal research and assisting higher analysts.
Interpreter
Focused on translating field reports into philosophical models of threats.
They can perform remote "meaning analysis" of awakenings.
Mediator
Works with physically awakened leaders, attending reports such as the one Darijan gave.
Often embedded with field units but never engages in direct combat.
Synthesizer
Creates Behavioral Probability Frameworks (BPFs) for awakened individuals and groups.
Can predict how a person's subjective meaning might evolve toward or away from the objective meaning of life.
Visionary
Leads an entire Division.
Usually someone who has reached an extraordinarily deep philosophical understanding (close to the "objective meaning of life").
Rarely leaves Headquarters, but when they do, it signifies an existentially crucial issue.
Making his way into HR, Darijan arrived in front of the Nexus.
The central building where all reports and investigations, from the start of the organization up until now, resided.
"Hello."
The interpreter in charge of new incoming records stopped his work and looked up at Darijan.
"Yoyo! Whatcha need??"
What a weird guy…
"I'm here to submit a report… It's my first time doing it. I assume there are better ways than just telling you everything I know…"
A look of amusement spread across the interpreter's face.
"You're a funny guy, aren't ya! How would an agent be unaware of how the Nexus — works?"
The interpreter's question wasn't literal; it was rhetorical. It showed his suspicion.
Darijan's frustration grew by the second. The person in front of him was clearly taunting him. Even though Darijan was the physical type, his mental faculties were highly advanced as well.
The interpreter, observing him, chuckled inwardly.
He loved toying with newbies.
Although this time, it might have been a dumb decision…
Whoosh.
Moving quickly, Darijan grabbed the interpreter by the shirt, lifting him into the air.
The atmosphere shifted in an instant — from chatter and cheer to a silence dripping with malice.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."
The interpreter was taken aback.
Throughout his career, he had toyed with countless newbie agents: making fun of them, sending them on pointless errands, or logic-trapping them just to piss them off.
"I didn't even do anything to provoke him yet… And he's gone batshit crazy already…"
The interpreter thought to himself.
Quickly regaining his composure, he raised his head to meet Darijan's eyes.
"Ha-ha… I'm sure you wouldn't do something as filthy as that, you brainless mongrel…"
What the interpreter didn't realize, though—
"I don't give a shit about repercussions."
Sharpening his stance, Darijan unleashed his will.
Will — similar to an Axiom, it is the mental projection of one's world (the meaning of life).
When a mental-class awakened (Noetikoi) projects their will, they cast a mental barrier that subjects two beings into an imaginary domain which operates under strict laws, depending on the projector's world.
Darijan's will worked like this:
Both himself and his opponent would have their stats equalized. The time limit depended on the difference between them. If the opponent was stronger than the projector, the time Darijan could maintain his will would be greatly reduced. Conversely, if the opponent was weaker, the time would increase.
A barrier of fire restricted any movement outside the fighting zone.
Every second, a drop of oil would spread the fire closer until both fighters were burned alive. If the will was held until then, the first person to die would mark the end of the will — regardless of who it was.
"Shit…"
The interpreter, Robert, grit his teeth in realization.
"This newbie is a hybrid — and one of the more powerful ones."
Hybrid
An awakened who has qualities of both a Noetikoi and a Somatikoi.
A hybrid could lean toward either quality.
If leaning toward Noetikoi, they would possess a Will.
If leaning toward Somatikoi, they would possess an Axiom.
It was arguable which type of hybrid carried more potential.
Within the Mental Institute, Noetikoi believed that Theletikoi (hybrids leaning toward Noetikoi) were more powerful than Kratophor (hybrids leaning toward Somatikoi).
Robert, caught off guard, hadn't had time to deploy his special suit.
The special suit — the highest technology the organization possessed.
Billions of nanobots, stored within a few centimeters, would deploy and envelop the entire body with specially-made armor of pure Zerion.
Zerion — a metal formed through countless experiments, capable of absorbing 90% of all impact.
Powered by Ascenian energy, the suit could shoot projectiles that negated Somatikoi's biological defenses by reverting affected areas to their pre-awakened state, dealing irreversible damage.
Ascen — a metal with properties opposing those of physically awakened.
By grinding the metal and harvesting its energy, an electric shock was created.
By consolidating those shocks inside a machine called an Ascenator, the energy was turned into controlled "living" electricity capable of manipulation — whether as armor, shackles, or shockwaves.
Drop.
Drop.
Drop.
The sound of water dripping echoed through the void that surrounded Robert.
"FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK—"
As Robert panicked, only his chattering filled the emptiness. Hopelessness spread over the space.
Frantically checking his pockets — where his nano-armor normally rested — he found nothing.
Due to the nature of a will, one's spiritual body entered the domain resembling their prior physical form.
Anything considered armor or weapon was invalidated in this space.
Meaning — Robert, as a Noetikoi without armor, was entirely powerless.
Drop… drop… drop.
Spark.
In a blink, the void ignited — fire surrounded Robert in a circle with a 10-foot radius.
"COME OUT!"
"I was always here."
Robert found himself being lifted by the neck into the air.
"Ahh…"
"I welcome you to my will — Searing Void."
"Good thing for you — in my will, our abilities are equalized. Bad thing though — if I'm far stronger than you, I can keep you here for as long as I like."
Robert's face dripped with sweat. Thoughts of uncertainty about his safety washed over him as he trembled before Darijan.
"M-mercy…"
Darijan grinned.
…
"HE'S BACK! SURROUND HIM!"
Multiple armored Noetikoi surrounded Darijan and Robert as soon as they returned from the will.
Trembling, Robert couldn't move. His face and eyes were bloodshot red, like the blood of a freshly slain animal.
Darijan, having released Robert, turned to the commanding officer with a stern expression.
"Identify yourself."
"Darijan X6741."
…
"What is your purpose for causing trouble in the Nexus, Darijan?"
"I'm here on behalf of my Commander."
"We've caught a mid-rank World of Pain."
The commanding officer's expression hardened.
"Is it correlated to the recent incidents?"
Holding his uncaring demeanor, Darijan simply nodded.
"It was this poor soul who obstructed my mission."
Robert, though barely conscious, understood what Darijan was trying to achieve.
"A-ah…"
Barely opening his mouth, he met the gaze of the man who put him in this state.
"I want to speak… yet my mouth isn't moving. His eyes. Yes, his eyes… they're piercing my soul…"
"So I punished him accordingly, under the authority of Nexus law."
The commanding officer grit his teeth.
"If I may…"
A tall, slender man resembling a doctor, with cyan hair, pale skin, and glasses at least a third too large for his eyes, entered the conversation.
"Even if we were to take your words at face value and assumed the poor receptionist did obstruct your purpose for being here, how would that justify unleashing your will at the center of our sacred Nexus?"
"If you claim the right to punish according to the law, shouldn't you also be on the receiving end of it?"
I see where he's going with this.
"You — what's your name?"
"You should know that changing the topic won't help you. But if you must know — my name is Nikola."
"Nikola, as a classified Nexus member, I'd assume you know our history. How were our laws established and maintained? Was it through unanimous agreement? Did they appear on their own? Or was it a powerful figure who forged them — and had the might to protect them, even if it meant crossing those laws when necessary? You should remember what our Founder did when his very brother — his own blood — betrayed him and his vision for a new world."
Spot on.
The agents surrounding Darijan, visibly nervous, didn't dare disagree. Denying Nexus history and its foundation would be nothing short of blasphemy.
"I see…"
…
"I admit, you make a strong point. But Darijan — aren't you classified as a mid-tier Theletikoi under the esteemed Commander Luka? How could an ordinary interpreter warrant the necessity of you unleashing your will? Shouldn't he be leagues below you?"
Darijan sighed.
"If he's willing to break sacred law out of selfish desire, what's stopping him from lying about his rank? You could say he's been hiding it, since nobody ever pays attention to low-lives like interpreters."
"Shit. He turned the situation in his favor. With clear suspicion of criminal activity, I can't do anything but submit."
"I… see."
…
"Stand down and return to your posts. I will handle the report you brought."
Although Darijan wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into Nikola's skull and grind it to dust, he suppressed his rage and simply nodded.