So…
I guess I’m the hero now.
Me, Althea Shen.
Obviously, my stupid-ass brother can’t come along in Baekyong, so it'll only be me and my infallible sense of humor.
In preparation for Operation Sundown, I’d spent the past two months getting my ass kicked by my uncle who supposedly loves me—that’s up for debate—and stuffing as much knowledge into my peanut-sized brain. I mean, there were also the thousand-or-so expeditions but that was less important to my “specialized training.”
Now, after two long months…?
I don’t know. What’s the best word for “crazy fucking anxious” and “stupidly confident”? I was bouncing off the freaking walls, that’s the point I was trying to convey. This was my final day as Althea Shen; by tonight, I would masquerade as the [Character] Dorothea Zhang. Creative name, I know, but according to Rector and Uncle Ali, the more matching details the better. Made for an easier “immersion” and crap like that.
But who was Dorothea Zhang exactly?
She was an adorable brown-haired, dark-eyed young woman born in the great (and totally not corrupt) United States. According to her records, Dorothea was your average Chinese-American girl with a typical upbringing. Then she spontaneously [Registered] as a Slayer. Somehow, she had impressed Hwarang enough that the Flower Knight decided to recommend her to Baekyong Academy.
Any person with a two-digit IQ could figure out that her story was mostly bullshit, but that’s the point. You had to be pretty special to be recognized by Hwarang as a low-ranker, so what was Dorothea’s true story? Simple, she likely had mysterious connections to the Jianghu.
It was inevitable that I would cause a ruckus in Baekyong, let’s face it. Both the students and the administration would start investigating me if they weren’t doing so already, so we weaponized that fact against them: we planted dummy paper-trails in the Jianghu that led nowhere. When the time came, let ‘em investigate. Let ‘em go down rabbit hole after rabbit hole. They could fill in the blanks themselves, but like the many secrets within the Jianghu, they weren’t gonna find an answer.
Hell, they probably know Dorothea Zhang was a [Character], but this wouldn’t be the first time a pretty girl with cultivator origins had attended Baekyong under disguise. Really, what conclusion would they come to first? That Dorothea was a spy for Angels Guild or the secret heiress of a really important sect?
I mean…
Both were kinda true, but that wasn't not the point!
Even knowing this fact, Baekyong wouldn't expel me. In actuality, they wanted interesting students like me due to the current headmaster’s “educational philosophy.” At least, if I played my cards intelligently. I had no timeframe for my undercover assignment. Seraph and Rector said they would constantly evaluate my mission throughout the semester, seeing what progress both me and Kosmos made on our individual objectives.
Who knows, maybe we could expose Taeyang by winter? I wouldn’t get my hopes up, though. Anything could happen.
I just gotta do my best.
“SUPRISE!” the whole team shouted with a buncha confetti flying everywhere. Some of ‘em weren’t enthusiastic about the party (Aiden, Morgan), but everybody was here. For me. The big damned hero.
It wasn’t my birthday, but they had gifts stacked against Rector’s desk—like he needed more junk there.
“What the heck is this?” I asked, looking behind me at the world’s dumbest and sweetest accomplices.
My brother threw his hands up, thinking I’d yell at him like what had happened at the beginning of July. “Wasn’t my idea. Don’t blame me.”
Leo patted my shoulder and moseyed on over to the rest of the team. “It wasn’t my idea either. It was—”
“Mine!” Chie exclaimed, raising her arm high. “I know we had a big barbeque party a few days ago, but that wasn’t a party for you. So we did it again!”
Aiden commented, fiddling with his collar like a weirdo, “Without the barbeque.”
“Without the barbeque because I ate too much meat.” (“They don’t need to know that…”) “R-Right…”
Everyone from the team was here except for Seraph and Rector; they were outside handling my transportation to Korea, so I could say my goodbyes to them later. This, though, was the last time I'd be seeing the Special Task Force for a long time.
Uncle Ali stood near the Guild Masters' desks, arms crossed and showing off a rare smile on his old face. “Chie approached me with the idea. I couldn’t say no, though the barbeque really stretched the budget thin.”
Alex rolled his eyes and stood off the side, being more of a weirdo than Aiden. “You’re acting like a few confetti will put us in the red.”
Kotone firmly stated, “My gift for Althea put me in severe debt.”
“That’s fantastic, Kotone. Thank you.”
I laughed, eyeing my gifts. “I already have enough shit packed in the trunk.”
Leo said, “We’ll make them fit.” (“That’s what she said,” Victor coughed.) “I need you to shut up.”
Chunhua cleared her throat a few times before taking center-stage. “Before we go at each other’s jugulars again…” (Eyeing the demonic princess…) “…we should present our farewell gifts. I’ll start.”
Chunhua fetched her nicely-wrapped present and handed it to me. Damn, this thing had some weight. “This is an all-encompassing Chinese tea set. It has numerous teas for you to taste-test with steeping directions. I wanted your brother to get more in-touch with his heritage, but he refused, so hopefully you can correct his mistakes.”
Alex smacked his lips together. “Jin Tianyou traumatized me with tea.”
“This was way before you met him.”
My brother shrugged. Asshole. I wasn’t much of a tea person myself, but I was open to new experiences. Clearly, since being a super-spy was as new as you could get.
I set the box aside.
Kotone took her turn. “Alright! This is a CD-player with a bunch of old J-pop songs. I know, it’s really retro and analog, but I gotta convert you from K-pop. When you meet Jun-hyeok, punch him in the face for me.”
Morgan whispered to Rei, “Who’s Jun-hyeok—? Why am I asking you?” He turned to Victor. “Who’s Jun-hyeok?”
Vic had no clue either, but he was up next. “I couldn't come up with any good ideas, but I brought food and snacks. Once my mom and sister heard you were ‘studying abroad,’ they insisted on making a care package for you.”
“Alright, I’ll go next.” Morgan, with his fancy magic, levitated his gift to me.
I raised an eyebrow. “Those books?”
“Guilty. I asked your brother what books I should buy, and he suggested physical prints of your favorite webtoons. They cost too much money and I’m also in severe debt, but here you go. Enjoy them.”
Awesome! Alex did keep track of my hobbies.
Rei decided to go next. His present was katana-shaped. I think it could be a katana. “Althea-san, I’m presenting to you a full-scale replica of Yomiya Yasuyuki’s signature, [Kanzen-muketsu (完全無欠)]!”
…Cool?
Behind him, Aiden was shaking his head; they definitely tried dissuading him from buying me a whole-ass sword, but kenseis were gonna kensei. After Rei proudly walked away, it was time for the only couple in the Special Task Force to present their masterpiece. They shared a gift; by that, Aiden probably didn’t wanna go through all the effort and mooched off his girlfriend just to be nice.
Chie handed a pretty light box to me. “I made a few plushies based on my [Yokais]. They’ll make for good decorations, but uh, fair warning: the stitching might fall apart.”
Aiden sighed and scratched the back of his neck. “She spent too long makin’ these silly dolls for you—” (“Hey!”) “—so you better appreciate them. Better you than your brother. He’s not gonna appreciate ‘em.”
Alex said, “I don’t have plushes in the first place.”
“Don’t be such a dick on your sister’s last day,” Leo said, clicking her tongue. “C’mon, we’re the last one.”
Last but not least, my stupid family—plus Leo, but she was basically family at this point—came together. Their gift was the smallest one, being barely bigger than my calloused palm. Through the thin wrapping-paper, I could feel the tingly material of the box. Already, I knew what they’d gotten me.
Uncle spoke first, “After buying you so many things, we mutually decided to settle on a single item.”
Leo hummed. “Unfortunately, that meant long and heated arguments—mainly between me and your brother—but eventually, someone had to win. I hate to admit it, but he won. Whatever happens, it’s not my fault.”
“Don’t make it sound like it’ll blow up in her face, please…” Alex groaned but he smiled that stupid smile of his. “But yeah, it's a gift from all of us. Open it, Thea.”
The wrapping-paper came off. Underneath was a small but fancy jewelry box that felt nice on my fingers. I didn’t recognize the logo on the lid—then again, I wasn’t that big into jewelry either—so the brand had to be something big and impressively rich. Whatever was inside might be too expensive to wear, but my [Loadout] was probably twice as expensive funnily enough…
Ah, what the heck am I doing? I should stop delaying.
I popped the lid open.
Inside was a gorgeous golden necklace with two golden wings as the charm. Yeah, too rich for my blood. This would look good on Seraph, not her scrappy subordinate. Carefully, I looped my fingers through the chain and held it up to the light. It sparkled like the gold was blessed by the Pope himself.
“We know you probably won’t wear it,” Alex said, “but it’s a reminder that we’re in your corner. Remember, it’s not like the Cold War where communications are limited. [PMs] are a thing. Nobody can crack the System, so reach out once in a while, okay?”
“You guys…” I laughed at them and their grandiose gestures of love. “Thank you, really. I… I can’t say how much I appreciate your stupid gifts. All of your gifts, not just my family’s. I'll make everyone proud, and before you know it, I'll be back. I'm not planning on staying in Korea forever.”
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Vic pumped his first. “Go get ‘em.”
Aiden even managed to smile! Just a little bit! “Don’t die.”
Rei cheered, “You got this, Althea-san!”
Everyone had to get a word in after that, and I couldn’t tell what they were saying. All good things, though.
All good things.
Chie was violently waving her phone ‘round like it was a club. “Picture! Picture! We gotta take a picture!”
Leo shouted, “You heard the lady! C’mon, group picture! Morgan—!” (“I’ll use my magic to take it, yes.”) “You’re already on it!”
Trying to position a team of freaks and weirdos for a group picture was a nightmare, but somehow, after some yelling and moving around, we found our groove. With Morgan levitating the phone into the perfect position, we smiled widely, arms around each other’s shoulders, as Morgan began the countdown.
“Okay, cheese or whatever. Three, two, one…!”
Click.
***
“...This is everything, right?” Rector asked after fitting the last gifts in the trunk. “We don’t need another car?”
Uncle Ali looked at the small convoy that would escort me to a private airport. “I think so, mhm.”
Rector clapped his hands, his skin glowing. “Finally. This was the hardest part of the operation yet. After this, everything should be smooth-sailing!”
Enthusiasm was a weird look on him.
He knew that, so his expression went back to normal: chronically exhausted and sick of freakin’ everything. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m trying to be happy while one of my subordinates is going off into the lion’s den.”
“Have faith, Idris,” Seraph lightly scolded him. “Althea—or should I say, Dorothea—will perform magnificently in Baekyong. I apologize that we couldn’t give you a present, but you’ll be in our prayers.”
I bowed my head respectfully. “Thank you. I’m not gonna let you down.”
“You won’t.” Seraph checked her watch. “It’s time, I think. As discussed before, the self-driving convoy will transport Althea and her belongings to a private airport. Customs and everything else is already handled. By the time she steps foot in Korea, the conditions of her [Character] will activate and she will be known as Dorothea Zhang. From there, she’ll enter Baekyong Academy and hopefully, her entry will be smooth-sailing as Idris said.”
Rector crossed his fingers.
“Any questions?” Seraph said.
We didn’t have any.
This was it.
“Good luck out there, sweetheart.” Leo pulled me into a big hug first, and we stayed like that for a while. “I’m gonna watch your brother for you, okay? Just… Just be smart and don’t take anybody’s shit.”
I hugged my uncle next, the maniac who’d taught me how to kill a man in a hundred different ways. “I’m not a religious man, but I’ll start praying for your safety and your success. Remember your mission, and don’t lose yourself.”
Finally, my brother held me close and I heard his trembling heart. “...Eighteen years of my life are walking away just like that. I’m… I’m going to miss you, Thea. A lot. Please don’t do anything stupid, alright?”
“I’ll try,” I promised him, honestly.
“Good. Good…” Alex let go of me. He was doing his best to not break into tears. Seeing him like that, I almost wanted to cry myself—goddammit, you big stupid asshole. “Now get the hell out of here. Go and be a super-spy.”
I saluted him—saluted everyone—while ignoring my shaking hand. “See you ‘round, Angels.”
Rector opened the passenger door for me. “Goodbye, Althea. We’ll talk again, don’t worry, but it’s been a pleasure having you in our company.”
Seraph gently smiled and bowed her head in respect for me. “I wish we talked more, but we have time for that later. Thank you for what you’re doing, for not only us and Leona, but for the world.”
“Yeah,” that’s all I said. Totally uncool, I know, but I really was trying my best to not break out into tears. I was doing a pretty shitty job at that.
Hurrying, I hopped into the car.
For one last time, I saw everyone’s faces and the dozen different ways they were contorted. Smiling, pulled by grief and change, pulled by pride and promise, and pulled by the world itself. I was smiling too, affected by the very same things.
As Rector shut the door, I could see Alex, having his hand to his eyes.
You almost held out to the end, huh?
Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.
I’ll make sure Operation Sundown is a success.
I’ll tear down the Taeyang Group by myself if I have to.
Them, and every single fucking person who hurt us.
[Complete: Episode 1 - Farewell, Althea]
[Next: PROTOTYPE Volume 3.1 - Hero, Physician, Scion, and the Demon, Part 1 - Orientation]
***
Name: Dorothea Zhang [Althea Shen]
Codename: N/A
Slayer Rank: D-Rank Slayer
Fabel Rank: Chronicle (Deep Arcana)
Skills: 5/4
Technique Sovereign
Rank SSS
Type: Skill Accumulation
Description: By thoroughly understanding an individual, you can create an inspired ability: these are called [Techniques]. There is no limit to how many [Techniques] you are able to create and store. [Techniques] are ranked according to your understanding of an individual (the holder), from F (weak understanding) to SSS (very strong understanding).
[Techniques] have fluid growth, changing according to sudden events and your own perspective. If the comprehended individual is deceased, their respective [Technique] can still undergo development. It is possible to lose [Techniques] through dramatic events. Only one [Technique] is allowed for each individual. You can receive a personal description of each [Technique] upon selecting it.
This is an [Awakened Skill] and is thus always active without taking up a [Skill Slot].
Character Formation: Demonic Cult Style
Rank S
Type: Character Formation
Description: Through the Demonic Cult’s style, create a [Character] that will function as a separate identity for yourself. Consequently, this means your [Slayer Profile] will be altered to reflect this change similarly to an alternate account online. According to the specifications of DOROTHEA ZHANG, your [Character] closely reflects your real identity aside from changes in appearance and in other aspects of the System. For more information, tap this link.
Blur
Rank A
Type: Mobility
Description: Upon activation, you are able to move so fast that your body becomes a blur to the naked eye.
Always Sharp
Rank B
Type: Concept Application
Description: Whenever you hold an edged object, it will always be razor sharp regardless of its condition. This has no effect on the object’s durability, however.
Iron Skin
Rank C
Type: Body Enhancement
Description: Through brutal conditioning conducted by your uncle, your skin resembles iron and can withstand more severe damage with little injury.
Acquired Skills
Fast Reader
Rank C
Type: Cognitive Enhancement
Description: You can zoom through text at an incredible speed!
Holographic Mirror
Rank D
Type: Holographic Projection
Description: Whenever you’re looking at a piece of clothing or accessory, you can summon a holographic projection of yourself wearing your chosen article.
Undeveloped Skills
Anti-Slayer Techniques
Rank SS
Type: Nested, Pressure Point Techniques
Linked Skills: Sixteen-Point Obliteration [SS], Sixteen-Point Incapacitation [SS] [?], Momentum Kill [S] [?], Flow Reversal [S] [?], Phenomena Negative [S] [?]
Description: Created by Alistair Romanos, your uncle, these techniques were specifically designed for a single purpose: to eliminate Slayers as a regular, [Unregistered] human. Today, the Anti-Slayer Techniques are said to be the greatest and most coveted countermeasure against Slayers.
Acquisition Requirement: You must attain adequate mastery over all five linked [Skills]. Current progress: [4/5].
Dual Dragoneyes
Rank S
Type: Martial Art Technique, External & Internal Perception
Description: The foundational technique of the [Zhenlong School] series. One eye peers inward into the internal world, piercing through bloodstream and qi and entering the schema of the body. The other eye leers outward into the external world, marking the ebb and flow of the natural way.
Acquisition Requirement: You must discover a method to obtain the [Dragoneyes].
Zhenlong School
Rank SS
Type: Nested, Martial Arts Techniques
Linked Skills: [Tears…] [S], [Ruinous…] [S], [Dust…] [S], [Blades…] [S], [Casket…] [S], [Earth…] [S], [Spirit…] [S], [Sparrows…] [S], [Graveyard…] [S], [End…] [S]
Description: The techniques belonging to the Zhenlong Tactical School, created for the sole purpose of killing cultivators of the Jianghu. Assassins from Zhenlong are some of the most feared amongst the land for precisely these techniques.
Acquisition Requirement: You must attain adequate mastery over all ten linked [Skills]. Current progress: [0/10]
Techniques
Memento Echo
Rank S
Holder: Alexander Shen
Technique Type: Item Replication
Description: The [Technique] of your older brother, who’s too stupid for his own good. Through observation, you can perfectly replicate the signatures of others and retain any special effects (if available). This extends to any [Memento] from [Memento Recollection]. [Echoes] have a maximum duration of ten minutes, and you can retain only one [Echo] at a given time. Some [Echoes] cannot be replicated.
Observation Lock
Rank S
Holder: Shen Xingyu
Technique Type: Skill Replication
Description: The [Technique] of the best mother in the whole world. When observing a [Skill Activation], you can [Lock] the [Skill] and use it as your own. The [Locked Skill] lasts for five minutes or is replaced by another. You are able to refresh the duration with additional observation. You can possess only one [Locked Skill] at a time. Some [Skills] cannot be [Locked].
Stalwart Bastion
Rank S
Holder: Bastien Romanos
Technique Type: Body Enhancement
Description: The [Technique] of your father, and you can never forget the warmth of his arms. Thicken your muscles, your tendons and ligaments—every part of your body can exert tenfold the strength, resilience, and durability than before. The maximum duration is five minutes.
Execute
Rank A
Holder: Alistair Romanos
Technique Type: Concept Application
Description: The [Technique] of your uncle, who did everything to raise you and your brother. Mark any living target with [Execute]. The [Execute Mark] will take the physical shape of the target’s lifeforce. Destroying the [Mark], then, will conceptually kill the target; however, the shape and difficulty will depend on the target themselves. You may only have one [Execute Mark] active at a given time, and the [Mark] will last for thirty minutes before expiring.
Azure and Divine Arms
Rank D
Holder: Leona Ryu
Technique Type: Body Imbuement
Description: The [Technique] of your friend, who has taken the role of a big sister to you. Imbue your arms with the power of [Azure] and [Divine], dramatically increasing their strength and resilience. The duration is dependent on your concentration.
*
Current Loadout
Weapon(s): [Dual Magi Combat Daggers], [Constante MB]
Armor: [High Intensity Combat Suit]
Accessories: N/A
*
Weekly Commission: Alternate Investigation Team - Deep Undercover
Weekly Pay: 48,000smp
Description: You have been assigned to infiltrate Baekyong Academy and befriend the youngest heir of Taeyang, Lee Yoon-ho, for the purposes of Operation Sundown. Gather as much intel as possible, and most of all, survive whatever Baekyong has to offer.
