Chapter 45
Hayden cleared his throat and continued, “As of today, we’re planning to dispatch more Class 5 Awakened to designated provinces to work closely with military forces,” the official stated, tapping the edge of his tablet. “They’ll operate under the direct command of the assigned officer in each province. We’re just waiting for your approval, Mr. President p>
President George Grey leaned back slightly in his chair. After a long pause, he let out a slow breath and nodded. “It’s better to extend whatever help we can offer to the military,” he said firmly. “I approve it p>
With that, he turned to his left and gave Hayden a subtle nod. “Go ahead,” George said. “Continue with the briefing p>
“Class 4,” Hayden continued, “includes those with basic control over their powers. Their uniforms are steel blue with silver trim. They operate in squads and assist in missions with Class 3 leaders. They’re trained to handle smaller infectee outbreaks and Rift disturbances p>
Next came Class 3: Hunter Green with dark gray armor plates.
“These are our Squad Leaders,” Hayden explained. “They’ve proven themselves. Skilled in combat, control, and coordination. They lead field teams, handle more dangerous threats, and deal directly with Rift creatures p>
Marlon chimed in, “We’ve found that at this stage, their genetic mutation stabilizes, resulting in the first signs of specialization. Some begin showing elemental affinities, healing abilities, or tactical enhancements like enhanced senses p>
Then came Class 2, a striking red and black uniform. “Elite Operatives,” Hayden said with pride. “These guys are the backbone. Crimson red with black detailing. Each can lead multiple squads into battle. They’re trusted with heavy combat assignments, elite rescue missions, and even Rift shutdown operations p>
Marlon added, “Most Class 2 operatives undergo advanced training in both combat and mental resistance. Many Rift entities seem to affect the psyche. Our Class 2s are resistant to that influence p>
Finally, the screen displayed a figure clad in jet black armor with gold accents. A few in the room murmured at the sight.
“Class 1,” Hayden said. “Commanders. Specialists. The best of the best. They command entire divisions. When one of them shows up, the mission is either extremely dangerous… or already lost p>
“There are fewer than 20 active Class 1 AMS nationwide,” Marlon added. “Each one is a strategic asset, and some are considered national treasures in terms of raw power and ability to control p>
President Grey leaned forward, his fingers steepled. “And the new recruits? How are they integrating p>
Hayden sighed. “Roughly half are stuck in Class 5. Some never advance. But a few are progressing unusually fast. We’re keeping an eye on cases like his p>
Marlon nodded. “Especially those with unidentified mutations. The Rift phenomenon is changing. We may need to adapt our entire ranking system in the future p>
The room fell silent for a moment as the weight of that statement settled in.
President Grey leaned back in his chair. “Continue monitoring. I want weekly updates. We can’t afford any surprises, not now p>
“Yes, Mr. President,” Marlon and Hayden replied in unison.
A short while later, after the President and the other officials had left the briefing room, one of the control room operators approached Marlon and Hayden. “Sirs, we just received additional footage from Red Zone H3. You’ll want to see this p>
Marlon’s brow furrowed as he immediately made his way to the monitoring room, where rows of screens displayed live and recorded feeds. At the center, a large monitor began playing video clips captured from the Red Zone.
“Zoom in,” Hayden ordered. “Can we get a full view of his face? Identify him if possible p>
Both commanders watched in silence as the footage revealed a lone figure swiftly eliminating Infectees. Every survivor described the same man, calm, fast, and efficient. The mysterious rescuer had cleared the entire zone alone.
“Is that elemental power?” Marlon asked, squinting at the figure who was seen launching small fireballs from the shadows.
Hayden shook his head slowly. “No, there’s more to it. Look, he’s transferring energy into that axe. Enhancing it. And his speed, he moves like he’s built for this p>
Marlon leaned closer, eyes narrowing. “How the hell did he get in? We already questioned the military detail on-site. They confirmed no one entered through the checkpoints p>
“Exactly,” Hayden said grimly. “Whoever this is, his entry wasn’t authorized. Even if he saved people, he broke the law. He’s not a registered AMS under AMSO. Unauthorized activity in a restricted Red Zone is a serious offense p>
Marlon remained quiet for a moment, watching the figure vanish into smoke at the end of the footage.
“Still,” he muttered, “whoever he is… he saved forty-three lives p>
Hayden crossed his arms, unconvinced. “That doesn’t excuse protocol violations. If people start doing this, we’ll lose control fast p>
Marlon didn’t argue, but his expression said he wasn’t ready to condemn the mystery man just yet. “We keep this internal for now. We observe. Track him. But we don’t interfere unless we must. If he’s not working against us, then he might be an ally we didn’t know we needed p>
Hayden leaned against the table, arms braced. “Or a rogue variable who doesn’t care about our chain of command. We can’t risk losing control p>
“We already lost control when those meteors fell,” Marlon said calmly. “If this man’s willing to clean up where we haven’t reached, then we should understand him before we try to cage him p>
Hayden remained silent for a beat, then muttered, “I still say he’s a threat p>
“Then let’s treat him like a mystery for now,” Marlon replied. “Not a problem, unless he gives us a reason p>
Hayden’s forehead creased. Without hesitation, he said, “Get me the commander in charge at Agro Province. I want to speak to him personally. And double-check all the surveillance cameras at the checkpoints, make sure every single one is up and running.” Thıs content belongs to.net
Marlon exhaled slowly but stayed silent as Hayden continued rattling off orders. It was clear the incident had struck a nerve. No one had dared to enter a Red Zone alone before, not even the bravest AMSO recruits without official orders.
Most of those recruits, after all, had only joined because of the generous benefits offered to them and their families. But this mystery individual had risked everything with no backup, no reward, and no official protection.
Marlon’s thoughts lingered on the footage. Whoever this man was… he didn’t act like someone chasing benefits. He acted like someone on a mission.