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Matthew managed to swipe the corpse of Frizz Jay Sadies before the authorities arrived. He was seated at the back of a truck, drinking coffee from a plastic cup, while staring at the corpse. Cheng Guo was driving the car while humming a tune from the radio.
"You know, I expected him to put up a fight. He may be level thirty-one, but he's comparable to a third-rate in the forties."
Matthew added, tossing away the plastic cup, barely noticing the quick glint from Frizz's body. He raised a brow, confused.
*Whack!* He lightly kicked the head.
(Were my eyes playing tricks on me?) He said, scrunching up his eyes and shaking his head.
"So that you know, I am barely fighting the urge inside me to siphon his power for myself," Cheng added from the driver's seat, tightly gripping the steering wheel while glancing at the corpse via the rear-view mirror.
"Heh. You can try, but remember, you don't have a lot of lives left." Matthew retorted, causing Cheng's expression to sour.
Matthew smiled, shrugging away his concerns. "This is quite the gift for our boss. If they grow stronger, we grow stronger too." He said with a light cackle.
Cheng had a worried glance on his face, as if not buying the whole theme. Ever since the start, he had always had a sneaking suspicion that they were mainly fodder for their boss. A sentiment that would always be shot down by Matthew, stating that a lack of faith was a sign of weakness.
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In the distance was an invisible flying eye, following the speeding truck. Nathaniel Macaraeg and Divine Hesoyam Rosa were watching the live feed, almost on the verge of panic. Inside the almost empty room were five new people, closely watching the live feed.
The anxiety permeating on the air was potent. Divine was stressfully biting her fingernails, whereas Nathaniel was restless, pacing around behind her. This situation wasn't ideal; a member of their group was killed and captured.
"Your second-rate ex-girlfriend promised to help in emergencies, where is she?!"
A woman with a rough voice added, glaring at Divine while leaning against a wall. The woman was wearing a huge grey jacket, a ballcap, and mini shorts. A beautiful and eye-catching figure, her appearance could easily excite people.
"Please, let's try to be professional, Danna."
A man with a soft voice added, sharpening a dagger. The man was lankily tall while looking pale and haggard in appearance. His white turtleneck had a lot of creases, and his pants were strangely damp. He looked, unquestionably, like a basement dweller.
"Forget about her ex when is Hei going to arrive!?"
An impatient man added, restlessly tapping his heels on the floor while a big anti-tank rifle was holstered on his back. He was wearing a black suit with a white tie, and his hair was cleanly groomed. He would be easily mistaken for an office worker.
"You guys saw that too, right? There was a quick glint from that dead body."
A young man commented, pointing at the live feed while wearing thick glasses. He was wearing a green high-school uniform, and he was also the youngest inside the room. He gives off the impression of an over-achieving valedictorian.
"Saw what?"
A young, attractive woman commented, resting her legs at the table while munching on a chocolate bar. He shakes her head, bobbing her purple dyed puffy hair. An air of carelessness and worry-free emanated from this youth.
They were the other members of the group Status Quo, called in short notice. There was an emergency, the death of a member.
"Oh... Frizz...." Divine muttered, looking at the live feed, spotting the corpse of his comrade. Frustration then bubbled, quickly turning into anger. Her sword appeared in front of her, catching the attention of the other members.
"We're told to stay put." Nathaniel reminded, grabbing Divine's arms while glaring at the live feed. Divine clicked her tongue as she whacked away the arm. While Frizz was a conflicting figure, they bonded after their heated spar.
Divine was about to shout something, but the door opened violently, slamming it against the wall. *Wham!* A tall figure, wearing a security guard's uniform marched in. The figure removed his cap, placing it on the nightstand while staring at the live feed with exhausted eyes.
The figure audibly sighed, quickly glancing at the members inside the room.
"Hei?" They all muttered in surprise, the leader of this group had finally shown up.
"Divine Hesoyam Rosa. Nathaniel Macaraeg. Danna Young. Taek Hang, Justing Hang, Nacky Ping, Rylai Capones." Hei de la Roxas said with a stern commanding voice, snapping everyone to attention.
"We have an important job to do. Retrieving a fallen member's body." He said while walking forward.
"Not everyone may have met him, but he was still crucial to our objectives. His goals have aligned with our goals. His death has caused a massive distortion to our plans."
Hei said, a hint of hatred was present in his tone. He adjusted his plans after spotting Frizz's potential and rate. Every instinct of his was telling him to contain Frizz, but he instead let him roam free and almost unguided.
Now, his mistake was displayed in front of him. Frizz was dead, lifeless and soon to be consumed by a rival enemy. Frizz's body and soul were something that could be better put in his hands.
"Hei..." A young man, Nacky Ping, said to the distracted Hei. "I don't know if this is important, but I saw Frizz's body gleam, even for just a moment. Matthew even saw it."
Hei looked back at the live feed again, deep in thought. "A gleam, huh? I don't know if that means something, but it is worth noting." He said, turning his back and heading to the door.
"Prepare yourselves, it's time to finish what our dead member couldn't," Hei said, disappearing instantly.
(Heh, you just want that dead guy's system. I know how you work. Hei.) The purple haired young woman, Rylai Capones, thought while cleaning her nails.
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