- Oliver -

  "I think this decision is quite easy," Isabe began to speak. "We will have a long mission ahead; from what they said, it will be the whole day. Therefore, we may have several fights throughout the day."

  "Right," Oliver agreed.

  "In that case, we he people responsible for battle to be capable of remaining in bat for hours," Isabe expined. "I, for example, fight for quite some time in hand-to-hand bat. But the moment I start using my Boon, I will bee incapacitated."

  "I uand." Oliver thought for a moment. "So, in this case, it would be best if Katherine and I focus otle, and you and An handle reaissance."

  "Won't you get tired from the shots?" An asked. "They must e a lot of Energy."

  "No, I trol how muergy I spend with each shot," Oliver expined. "Besides, I trained in hand-to-hand bat st week; as long as it's nothing crazy, I should be able to manage."

  An agreed with him, while Isabe was a bit surprised that he could trol his Energy to the point of altering the strength of his shots. Katherine agreed with their reasoning and had already seen Oliver fight, so she didn't mind the arra.

  Oliver looked at the line, seeing that there should still be long hours before they would be called.

  --

  --

  "Group: Oliver Nameless, Katharina York, An Aqui, and Isabe De Luca. Correct?" The teleportation ior firmed the partits.

  "Correct," Oliver affirmed.

  "Great. Before you depart, you o receive your supplies." The ior handed each group member a backpack. "Alright, walk to the ter of the ptform and prepare yourselves."

  Again, as soon as the ior finished speaking, they had already been transported. The four automatically shivered from the cold when their feet touched the ground. Even in a closed room, they could feel the chill of the pce. Perhaps due to their experieh teleportations or because of the cold, the four didn't feel muausea after the trip.

  "Wele to GL581," one of the soldiers greeted them. "You should follow this path until you meet the captains."

  As soon as the soldier finished instrug them, the fan to follow a long corridor.

  The teleportation room looked like a bunker, with thick stone walls and steel doors. The decor was simir along the corridor, with some mps scattered on the ceiling.

  At the end of the corridor, a staircase led them from the underground to the building's entrance. As soon as they poked their heads out of the stairway, the four saw the size of the y.

  It was a small city built between two enormous mountains of snow and ice. The city of steel gleamed like a crystal in the midst of the snow.

  The four could feel the harsh and unfiviher, with strong, icy winds that seemed to e from all dires. Although small, the city was filled with buildings and structures, many of them bearing corporate symbols.

  "Are they here for research?" Oliver theorized.

  "Possibly. Look at the MechaTech symbol," Katherine pointed out. "Either that, or they have some ercial retionship with the y."

  The streets were narrow and little used, mainly due to the snow that accumuted between the buildings.

  Fag the two mountains, the y seemed a lone bastion of life against the silent, relentless cold.

  The four raised their hands to block the wind as they walked to the tral square, where hundreds of groups were gathering. Right at the entrance of the square, some captains were anding the newly arrived groups.

  e saw the four approag and walked toward them. "Where are your clothes?" the captain asked.

  "What do you mean, sir?" Oliver questioned.

  "You should be wearing the winter uniform," e expined.

  "Sir, we only received these supplies, but the instru we received was to follow to the end of the corridor and joiher captains," the recruit ented.

  "Damn it. You fo to that tent. There's a space for you to ge clothes. I'm going to have to talk to the soldiers." e stormed off in search of the soldier who gave the wrong information.

  'If any i happens, they'll have my liver, and this soldier gives me the wrong instrus,' the captain thought, bubbling with anger.

  The four headed to one of the logistical support buildings. Inside, several soldiers and officers were preparing all the necessary support for aion of this size.

  "Sir, we're not receiving unication from the satellites around GL670. There must be some interference."

  "It must be a snowstorm. Keep trying to unicate."

  "Yes, sir."

  The four tried to avoid disrupting the flow as they went to the station's restrooms. The new uniform included a heavy green hood, a thick coat, and an additional yer of pants to be worhe uniform.

  Upon leaving the station, the four could already feel the differen prote.

  "I wonder what it's like to fight wearing something like this?" Isabe asked.

  "Soon enough, we'll find out," Oliver replied.

  "ow! Oliver, look at this!" An shouted, pointing to the entrance of the city.

  As soon as Oliver turhey could see groups of fantic mechas passing through the city's protective gate.

  "I've never seen one so close," Oliver ented.

  "They are two Titanbounds, Model Y; those are relics from the Seventh Wave," An remarked.

  Oliver didn't know enough the models of the mechas but was astonished by the sight.

  The two mechas marched through the snow with their shiny bck hulls. Each step thuhrough the frozen ground, leaving deep impressions irail as steam hissed from hiddes, giving it almost a breath-like feeling.

  In their hands, they carried what looked like long nces shaped like drills. However, except for the heir only other ons were on their shoulders, where a barrage of missiles repared.

  These a war maes seemed to have been modified and lost some of their ferocity over time. However, their titanic stature made it clear that when they were in bat, nothing could stop them.

  "They must be mechas modified for mining. Still, it's impressive; imagine a monster like that drilling into the ground," An ented happily.

  The girls were also ied, especially sine army divisions use mechas. However, that wasn't their specialty.

  Upourning to the square, it was even more crowded thahey left. The groups were scattered without a formation.

  "Attention!"

  The sound caused the entire square to fall silent. Major Five, apanied by the other captains, stood at the entrance of the square.

  "Recruits! Pay attention. We are going to start the reaissance exam. Each group should go to the security gate; there, you will receive the necessary equipment and the area you must explore," the major expined. "Stay within your areas; eastructor should have already informed you about the dangers you may enter on this p. Do not uimate them."

  "To clude, this exercise will st six hours. The tdown will automatically start as soon as you receive your equipment and step out of the city. At the end of the period, return to the teleportation station to return to the Academy." Five fihe expnation and cleared the passage at the square's entrance, allowing the groups to advao the security gate slowly.

  'I o find Damian. Damn, it's been a while since I've seen that boy; I barely remember his face,' Oliver thought as he moved toward the exit.

  Several soldiers were assisting the groups at the gate, ready to depart.

  "Which of you will be responsible for reaissand mapping?" the soldier asked.

  An and Isabe stepped forward.

  "Extend your arms. I need access to yaus," the soldier instructed.

  As soon as both preseheir gaus, the soldier ected with his own until a beep sighe end of the update.

  "Yaus are now figured with the reaissance system, as well as the exam's tdown. The moment you pass through the gates, it will start," the soldier expined.

  "To map, you simply o walk to the position; you see the bck areas that are not mapped," the soldier poio the hologram projected by his gau. "Also, throughout the map, you will find red lihat indicate the limit of exploration. Do not advance beyond these lines."

  "Any questions?" the soldier asked.

  "What do we do if we find an anomaly or a creature?" An asked.

  "Great," the soldier said, bringing up the hologram again. There is a notification button in the er of your s; just select the area and click the button. It will ask you to detail what was found."

  An nodded.

  "Good luck, recruits," the soldier said, dismissing the four.

  "Ready?" Oliver asked.

  "Yes," came the unanimous reply.

  GCLopes