Chapter 138 July 3rd, 2032 | The Special Forces | 4 Days Until The Rapture
Kiera watched Kaze prepping the main training grounds from the rooftop, kicking her legs off the edge with an awkward expression on her face.
She desperately wanted to know where he went during the night and how long he was gone, but—it was none of her business!
The beautiful, pink-haired woman knew how clingy and toxic she was being, but—it bothered the hell out of her!
"Hey, Kazey…." Kiera called out hesitantly, "Um… Woah, whoa-whoa-woah!
What twisted flavor of Salam witchcraft was that!?"
Kaze pulled multiple pallets of white clothing store mannequins.
After a wave of his hand, the dummies radiated gold, and a black droplet developed in each dummy's center.
Like falling droplets of ink, they expanded outward, covering the entire surface until the mannequins were a glossy black color.
It was surreal to watch.
"Hmmm?" Kaze hummed, "Why do you sound so intense?"
Her face heated up, realizing she had transposed her intense emotions onto her surprise.
"No, no...." Kiera replied awkwardly, "It was a question: was that witchcraft?
It was super dope. I mean… it was ravishing, wild, remarkable, distinctive, exquisite, certifiable, pure… witchcraft."
He turned to her with an amused expression.
The last time she used the term [dope], he chastised her, telling her that there was a surplus of words to express her feelings on the subject.
So Kiera used various words that expressed it but made it a patchwork of dissimilar meanings for ultimate panicked sarcasm. He found it charming.
"I've created a barrier to prevent the target from getting destroyed." Kaze explained, "Then I layered it with a self-restorative paint that regenerates with a simple technique.
That way, people can see where they hit and the spread before it restores."
He whipped his finger, and raw Qi sliced through the mannequin's chest.
The black gloss disappeared from the dummy, revealing the original off-white color.
Kaze waved his hand vertically, and the black gloss reappeared, healing itself.
Kiera was floored by what she watched. "That's wild. Huge fan. Please get me one for Christmas."
"We'll see." He replied strangely, "In the meantime, help me. There's much to do."
She reluctantly jumped from the roof, and the two immediately set to work, setting up the mannequins on the various training fields, including the unopened combat training.
Kiera kept trying to find a way to ask about what he did the night before, but he kept her busy until—
"Hello, gentlemen." The emperor said grandly, walking toward his guests.
"Mr. Lexicon." General Michaels nodded, "And this is…?"
Kiera's eyes widened in panic, looking at the man's medals.
She didn't know anything about the Malta military, but she did know that more emblems meant more importance as a general rule.
Now, facing someone important, she was thankful that Kaze was insistent she practiced speaking normally.
"Ahem… I… I am Kiera Snow." The pink-haired replied, reaching her hand out awkwardly.
Her voice moved from shocked to timid, evolved into confidence, and then returned to timidness when she suggested a handshake, uncertain she should shake the hand of someone important.
General Michaels chuckled warmly, grateful that someone at Immortal Skye treated him with respect.
Moreover, he was glad to find an eighteen-year-old who acted like one instead of a dictator of a G1 country.
"General Michaels." The general smiled, shaking hands. It made her sigh a breath of relief, grateful she didn't embarrass the Emperor.
"Agent Ryker." Kane added next, offering his hand.
Something about his tone, seemingly mocking Kaze by saying [this is normal], made her blood heat up.
However, she smiled, shook his hand, and walked back to the building to avoid looking at the agent.
"How would you like us to organize our soldiers?" General Michaels asked the emperor, "They're well trained, so we have time to set them up in the best way."
Kaze glided at the South Gate, which had the road leading into Immortal Skye.
He sensed the Qi from the area and felt hundreds of souls present.
"Immortal Skye allows our faction members to allocate resources, targets, and the like the best way suits them." Kaze explains.
"If you seek a predefined system, you can use their system. That's up to you.
Additionally, we offer to have our members train with yours.
It will naturally require adjustment, but it greatly expedites your growth."
The two men were surprised by his answer.
"What adjustment would we need to make to train with your students?" General Michaels asked.
"Unlike your soldiers, they're young, untrained, and undisciplined." The emperor smiled, making the men chuckle, "But they're better at breathing and learning new techniques.
Working together presents unique challenges, but you'll both benefit."
The general and agent turned to one another and talked it over.
"We'll try it out today and return to you with our thoughts for the rest of the training period." General Michaels said.
"That works for us." Kaze nodded, "Please get your soldiers; your teacher should arrive shortly."
They nodded and walked back to give the order.
The emperor grinned when he saw his faction members looking out their mansions' windows and saw a wall of black-clad special forces soldiers.
It was another demonstration.
All the elites talked about training with the special forces. Now, their words were visually verifiable.
Between the soldiers' dramatic entrance and the benign reason they were there, everyone slowly became acclimated to the military's presence.
Moreover, the female members found their presence relieving.
Half of the five hundred soldiers were women, a condition the emperor made to protect the females on campus.
He planned to steal all the soldiers, and he didn't want half a thousand male, trained soldiers trying to take advantage of his naive female members.
The ratio alone significantly impacted the psyche of the female members.
When the soldiers showed up, the emperor walked up to Agent Ryker.
"Have your soldiers [studied] the Guided Arrow technique?" Kaze asked.
"Yes. My soldiers have learned it." Kane replied professionally, "We had everyone practice in our training grounds. Everyone has a strong proficiency in it.
So we're only here to learn the calming technique."
"Is that so?" The emperor mused with a mysterious smile, making the special forces agent shudder, "I'm prepared to guide the learning of whatever you wish.
However, would you like to see Guided Arrow get used by our teacher before creating your itinerary?"
"I'd appreciate that." Kane replied straightly, putting up a stoic front to hide his desire to roll his eyes, resentful about his teaching getting questioned blindly.
However, he didn't like getting used as a punching bag more, and he was also promised a sky-grade technique by week's end and didn't want to threaten that.
So he gritted his teeth and bared it.
Naturally, Kaze saw the man's annoyance and incredulity and smirked arrogantly, leaving the man feeling raw.
The Lockheed elites arrived on site shortly after, nervous by the intimidating, orderly lines of special forces members.
Those who proliferated the propaganda about special forces training were shocked to learn they would be doing it. It was surreal for everyone.
Every soldier sized up the group with interest. Likewise, the elites analyzed who they were looking at.
While the soldiers were arrogant and confident, the elites were perplexed by them. It led to confusion and whispers among the ranks.
As soon as the elites activated Minor Sight, they saw that the special forces members' cultivation was worse than the regular faction members!
No one was foolish enough to believe that they could survive a fight with one. However, it wouldn't be long before they could.
The elite's strange confidence was simultaneously humble, making the soldiers uncomfortable.
Kaze walked up to the beginning of the target range lines, looking at the five hundred soldiers and 67 elites with a slight smile. "Welcome."
Everyone calmed down and gave him their full attention.
"Today starts the first day of your three-day training retreat at Immortal Skye." The emperor announced with a mysterious smile, "I will teach you how to use a tranquility technique.
Additionally, I will teach you breathing, military tactics, and offensive maneuvering."
Most soldiers smirked slightly, mocking the arrogant teen claiming he would teach the members of the special forces military tactics.
Each had at least five years of specialized training, so it seemed comical.
General Michaels and Kane weren't smirking. They had top-level classified information on his age and were looking forward to his training.
"Today, we may start with the tranquility technique." Kaze explained, "However, it's far more difficult, so we're offering to teach you the Guided Arrow technique first."
The soldiers narrowed their eyes. They couldn't believe the emperor offered to teach them something they could freely use.
No one doubted that Kane had already informed the emperor, so he was arrogant or stalling.
"First, let me introduce you to your general teacher." Kaze continued, giving everyone a mocking smile, "Director Hays, if you'll join us."
Jake dry-swallowed nervously and walked to the front of the soldiers with a beating heart.
His emperor expected him to gain the confidence of the Malta military that day, and he had only learned and practiced the technique he'd be teaching the day before.
Now, five hundred lethal eyes glared at him in anticipation, sizing him up. The session would be the true test of his new confidence.