"Allia, there's something you haven't thought of. Perhaps there's actually another person in our 'home'." After finishing her bowl of grain porridge, Selene gave the pink-haired girl a small smile. As soon as Allia saw that smile, memories flashed through her mind again. Allia couldn't help but shiver in fear, shrinking as if trying to create a safe space for herself.
"Chief, please don't say it anymore…" Allia shook her head pitifully. Selene's smile widened, but she didn't speak to the girl further, which made Allia feel relieved. It seemed the Chief was genuinely going to stop teasing her this time. Slightly satisfying…
The pink-haired girl didn't notice Selene's smile widening even further. She turned to Elena and asked casually, without much concern, "Elena, what do you think of the Commander? Do you like him?"
The question sounded casual, but it immediately created a tense atmosphere in the tent. Suddenly, a feeling of unease began to build in Allia's heart again. She had misjudged! She had trusted her Chief too much! Even if the Chief didn't speak to her directly, that woman could still affect her mind!
Allia quickly got up to protest, fearing that if she let it continue, her fragile heart wouldn't be able to bear it anymore. "Chief! You can't create a harem for the Director yourself like this!"
The pink-haired girl turned to her close friend. "Tell her, Elena, that you don't like the Director. Don't let the Chief drag you into this messy relationship! I… I'm not expecting anything, understand? I'm just worried about you. It's definitely not because I'm afraid of having more rivals. I promise! I swear on my name and my very being, Allia Morgan!"
Elena laughed and shook her head lightly, not saying anything more. It was unclear whether she was refusing to answer or simply didn't want to say. However, with a heart determined to see the positive side, Allia chose to interpret it as a definitive rejection. This rejection from her best friend pleased the girl immensely. This time, the winner wasn't Chief Selene, but her… Allia! What a great feeling. She wondered when was the last time she had won like this.
"Was I wrong?" Selene mumbled nonchalantly as she leaned back comfortably on the bed, not paying the slightest attention to Allia's overly joyous reaction. Besides, the girl believed her accurate instincts could not be wrong. Elena must feel that way, she just wasn't admitting it directly, perhaps out of rare shyness, or perhaps trying to protect Allia's delicate heart.
"It seems lively here." The tent flap opened. The newcomer was a tall woman with a well-proportioned, perfect figure, like a master sculpture. No effort was needed to guess. The melodious voice, like a sound from heaven, could only belong to Ling Lian.
"Sister Lian, how is the dimensional rift? What stage is the sealing operation at?" Selene immediately got up from the bed and sat upright upon seeing the woman older than herself. Her playful, relaxed demeanor from before vanished completely, as if she were a different person. Now, Selene was the serious Chief of Team A.
"Not very good. Even though we're using the organization's most advanced technology, we still can't even close the dimensional rift. Some power is obstructing it…" When she mentioned 'power,' Ling Lian's expression became many times more serious. She added, giving a glimmer of hope:
"But it's not hopeless. The Director has modified and updated the technology specifically for this dimensional rift. Now, the sealing percentage is slowly increasing. According to my calculations, we should be able to completely close this rift in about seven days."
"That long! I heard the fluctuating dimensional rift ten years ago only took three days!" Allia found it a bit hard to believe. So, didn't this mean she was in an extremely dangerous alternate dimension? A single dimensional creature that escaped from the fluctuating rift ten years ago could destroy an entire city. So, for a dimensional rift that takes seven days to close, how dangerous would the dimensional creatures inside be?
As if sensing the pink-haired girl's thoughts, Elena shook her head, reminding her friend to prevent her from forgetting, "You always amaze me, Allia. You should have known since Sister Lian and I faced two Catastrophe-level dimensional creatures. Ordinary dimensional rifts don't even have S-level dimensional monsters."
Recalling the terrifying power of the Faceless Man, Allia shivered slightly, muttering softly to herself with a feeling of luck, "That guy was so strong, many times stronger than the A-level I fought. If it weren't for the others, I would have died many times over."
Selene heard Allia's mutterings. She reached out and gently stroked the girl's long hair. "Yes, that's why you should become stronger. You don't need to be able to help everyone, just being able to protect yourself is enough. Beyond that, I don't expect anything else."
"Chief…" Allia's eyes began to well up. Her demeanor changed very quickly. Just a moment ago, she was still sulking at Selene, but not long after, the girl couldn't do that anymore. Allia's tear ducts were about to burst.
Selene pondered for a moment before saying, "Actually, it's not just you, but all of us. From the incident with the Faceless Man, we almost all died due to insufficient strength. Even though that monster was only Catastrophe-level, it was still that strong. If it were a Collapse-level dimensional monster instead of him, how strong would it be?"
"Collapse-level…" Elena muttered, memories surfacing in her mind. It was an event almost ten years ago. The girl remembered it well. The moment a Collapse-level dimensional creature appeared in the Federation, it took only a short time to easily destroy an entire district. And only a few people in the world could deal with it.
"I think we should increase security here. This dimensional rift must definitely have a Collapse-level entity. Otherwise, we would have been able to close the dimensional gap easily," Elena expressed her opinion. As one of those who witnessed the destruction of a Collapse-level dimensional monster at that time, she knew its strength and terrifying nature well.
A Collapse-level entity was a being that could affect the stability of the Federation. If not careful, it could shake the entire Federation. In that year, for humans to deal with a Collapse-level dimensional creature, the Federation had to send its four most powerful humans to fight. One was injured, one died. This was one of humanity's most costly losses. Throughout the entire Federation, there were not many people at the same level as those four.
"I think so too." Ling Lian nodded in agreement. Then, the three of them discussed serious matters for a while longer before returning to more casual topics. The situation was tense enough already; there was no reason to add more burden to themselves by repeatedly emphasizing stressful things.
When it came to this, Allia was an excellent cat. She could surprisingly and miraculously lighten the mood. Perhaps it was her unique personality that allowed the girl to help everyone de-stress so well.
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Time passed, and Selene's negative side effects wore off. She slowly got up from the bed, stretched her arms a little before letting out a soft yawn. The girl pulled open the curtain blocking the tent entrance and walked out. The atmosphere outside was particularly lively. Once the energy shield was fully activated, the organization decided to move reinforcements into the dimensional rift area.
Now, people were happily celebrating the elimination of the Catastrophe-level dimensional monster. They weren't reckless, always remaining prepared for sudden encounters. The rift defense force simply didn't know when they would die, so they always lived happily. They knew well that this job was high-risk, but they were willing to do it, not just for the higher salary compared to other jobs. Some also had unwavering ideals of helping to protect humanity.
"Chief, try this! It's delicious! The Director made it himself." When she saw Selene exit the tent, Allia quickly trotted over to her with something in her hand. The girl extended them to Selene. She accepted the skewers before thanking Allia. After delivering the good news to her Chief, Allia disappeared mysteriously.
What she received from Allia seemed to be barbecue. Selene wasn't entirely sure. Shouldn't barbecue have fruits like tomatoes, or some vegetables? Or shouldn't it be marinated with spices? Selene couldn't detect any spices, and she wasn't sure about the cooking process the Commander used.
However, Selene didn't spend long contemplating such trivial matters. She simply allowed herself to eat without overthinking. Whether it was barbecue or not didn't matter. What mattered was that the Commander made it himself. Of course, Selene wouldn't waste it.
The moment she took a bite, the rich flavor within the meat burst forth, spreading its taste throughout her mouth. Finally, she understood. This was indeed barbecue. The answer was confirmed.
A faint aroma of spices wafted to Selene's nose. She enjoyed eating the grilled meat skewers quietly by herself beside the campfire on a log. Many thoughts ran through her head, mostly strange and inconsequential ones.
Sometimes, just sitting back, relaxing, and thinking quietly to herself was good. "It's a shame there are no stars here. Otherwise, it would be beautiful."
Selene looked up at the sky as she ate the last grilled meat skewer. She rejoined society, trying to find her Commander. He cooked deliciously, whatever it was. She had to compliment him. Besides, this was the perfect time. Under normal circumstances, Selene barely had any time for the Commander, or even for herself.
"Commander, what made you decide to cook all day?" Selene smiled in greeting as she approached the young man who was grilling meat.
He turned to her, then handed her three cooked skewers. Selene willingly accepted them. She said in a playful tone, "If you offer food like this to all the young women, they might get fat, you know. Not everyone is like Allia, who can eat without gaining weight."
"Just eat it, and I'll take responsibility…" Not letting Selene's thoughts wander, Kilenc smiled mischievously. "I mean, send them on missions to lose weight. Our organization is strict about our members' health. I would never let anyone gain weight to the point where it negatively affects their body and long-term missions."
Selene chuckled softly. "Aren't you just saying all that because you want to send us on more missions? You're so cunning, Commander. More work, but the same salary. Even the bonuses are meager. Is this all your plan?"
After speaking, the girl raised the three grilled meat skewers she had received from Kilenc earlier, saying it not entirely seriously. Then Selene slowly ate them until they were gone and threw the sticks into the trash.
"Hmm… Was I found out?" Kilenc smiled nonchalantly. He continued, confessing, "In truth, I like to fatten up the sheep before slaughtering them the most, because besides getting firm, quality meat, I also get to enjoy the slow growth process of those little sheep."
Kilenc's words carried a hidden meaning. Although they sounded like a joke, she knew well that this man never truly joked. However, Selene didn't pay it any mind. She shook her head slightly at the Commander's strange thoughts. "You're still the same, time can't change you at all. Unlike me…"
Selene paused for a moment before moving on to the next topic. "…I really wonder why people like you so much. Is it because of your strength? Your cold yet gentle personality? Or the mystery that can't be unraveled? Do you know you've made countless young women in our organization fall in love and daydream?"
"What exactly do you want to say?" Kilenc seemed a little interested as he flipped the grilled meat skewers on the grill.
"I just want to complain about you, Commander. Your actions are serious. Do you know how much they affect me? After not seeing you for just a few months, I suddenly have many more rivals in love…"
The girl hesitated for a moment. She bit her lip lightly before making up her mind. "It's all your fault. Now I feel very pressured and exhausted from work. Why doesn't the kind and gentle Director consider compensating this young lady?"
Selene's cheeks flushed slightly, charmingly. The girl slowly stepped closer to the young man until their bodies were a few inches apart. Seeing that the Commander showed no signs of resistance or rejection, Selene's courage grew even more. She closed the distance between them again. This time, they were so close that they could hear each other's breathing.
"Then how should I compensate that young lady?" Kilenc decided to see how far this brave girl's actions would go.
"It seems you've repented, Commander. Well… I'll reduce your punishment then. You just…" Selene's breath hitched. The girl stood on her tiptoes to reach his height. However, she was still slightly shorter than him.
"Just what?" Kilenc smiled inscrutably. He lowered his head to meet the expectations of the girl who was trying so hard.
Unfortunately… Before Selene's lips could touch what she desired, the girl's senses suddenly detected someone's arrival. She quickly moved away from the Commander, then glared at the person who had interrupted her crucial moment.
Elena cleared her throat, hoping to break the awkward atmosphere. "Chief, I really didn't mean to interrupt you. I just came to get the grilled skewers for Allia… Just pretend I'm not here. I'll quickly get what I need and leave immediately."
Selene rolled her eyes at Elena, her voice showing a slight displeasure mixed with disappointment. "I've lost my mood. You hurry up and take all the grilled meat. I'm leaving too. I'm not staying here anymore."
The humiliation made the courage Selene had gathered earlier crumble. She couldn't endure being with Kilenc for another second. It would make her relive that scene over and over. Selene felt like digging a hole and escaping from there immediately.