"As you all know, we are gathered here for the briefing of a mission," the old man in a long white coat began, his voice calm yet carrying an air of experience. "This time, the mission may be classified as low-level, but its importance is extremely high."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle in the room. The faint hum of the holo-table filled the silence.
"And this will also be the first mission of Captain Elysia and her team," he continued. "So we need to make sure they are prepared in every possible way."
As he typed on the console before him, the map hovering over the table began to shift and sharpen. What was once a blur of gray and static slowly took form, the outline of a ruined city, bathed in pale blue light.
"The objective of this mission is simple," the old man said, his tone steady as his fingers tapped across the keys. "Captain Elysia and her team are to retrieve something from a city that has been recently reclaimed."
Vale and Amy leaned forward, their eyes fixed on the holographic display. The glow reflected off their faces, painting their features with shades of silver and blue. Jack, on the other hand, sat back in his chair, his massive arms crossed, as if embracing an invisible weight. His expression was calm, the quiet pride of a warrior who had seen too many battles.
The scientist entered a few more commands, then stopped. The hologram adjusted, focusing on a particular area of the map. A river canal cut through the center of the city, its ghostly reflection splitting the ruins in two. Some old buildings stood silently on both sides like the bones of a forgotten era.
"As you all know," the old man said, his eyes glancing toward Elysia, "Captain Elysia possesses a unique trait when it comes to dimensional space. Her task will be to bring back this building as a whole."
The hologram zoomed in one last time, revealing a tall, old building rising beside the canal. Its upper floors leaned dangerously, yet something about it seemed untouched by time, as though it was waiting for someone to come for it.
"Why does the army even need this old building?" Vale asked, leaning forward with a curious look. "And even if you do, do you really want me to believe that Captain Elysia can store this entire structure inside her space dimension?"
The old man smiled faintly, as if expecting that very question. "To explain why we need this building," he said, his tone deepening, "I'll have to go over the concept of electrical force."
He paused for a moment, the holographic city still glowing faintly across the room.
"The normal functions of our cities run on electrical force," he continued, "which is generated by the soul stones of monsters and beasts. But in the old days, before the Descent of the Unknown, people could produce electricity without the use of soul stones."
Vale and Amy exchanged glances with the old man, their curiosity growing. Only a few people in the city were aware of the ancient world or how humans had once lived before the Descent. Their lives, their systems, everything had changed since then.
"After the Descent," the scientist went on, "humanity began living within great walled cities divided into three massive districts. Each district has its own resources and limitations. But the knowledge of the old world… how people once generated power on their own… was lost. because of fewer resources with a growing human population"
"So, instead of relying on the old methods," he said, gesturing toward the projection, "we began drawing power from the soul cores of beasts, monsters, and other higher creatures. The electricity you all use every day is born from their energy."
He typed a few more commands, and a new projection flickered to life. It showed ancient diagrams, giant metallic coils, turbines, and magnetic fields spinning in synchronized harmony.
He turned slightly toward Vale, his wrinkled eyes gleaming with nostalgia. "You see, the people of the old world would spin these massive turbines inside colossal magnetic fields. That is how they produced electricity. No soul stones. No magic. Just pure science."
The room fell silent for a moment. The soft humming of the holo-table filled the still air as everyone processed his words.
Colonel Violet sat in silence, arms crossed, her face composed and unreadable. No one would have guessed she was the same colonel who had nearly erupted at the envoys of the three great houses moments ago. Now, she watched the briefing unfold with poised restraint, the cold blue light of the hologram flickering across her sharp eyes.
"By spinning these massive turbines within a magnetic field, one could easily generate electricity without depending on the soul stones of beasts or monsters," the old man explained.
"And to move those colossal turbines, the people of the old world used the power of water. Water was released from great heights, creating the force needed to spin the turbines, and in doing so, produce electricity."
Amy leaned forward slightly, her eyes reflecting the pale blue light of the hologram.
"What does all that have to do with this building? Why do you need this specific structure for that purpose?" she asked, her voice carrying both curiosity and intrigue at the idea of producing electricity without relying on soul stones.
At the same time, Varick, Liora, and Jaxon were also listening to the briefing of the mission with utmost attention and curiosity, not because this was their first mission, but because the concept of generating electricity through water and turbines was entirely new to them. Still, as Elysia had told them earlier, they were to remain silent during the briefing and were only allowed to ask questions once it ended.
Rylan, on the other hand, seemed unusually restless. No one knew the reason behind it. His eyes kept shifting toward the man sitting proudly with his arms crossed and eyes closed, as though he were a guardian.
Elysia herself listened calmly, her expression composed as always, quietly absorbing every detail being shared.
"The thing is, Saint Amy," the old man continued, turning his gaze toward her, "we only understood the concept of generating electricity using water. But until now, we never had the means to truly study how it worked in practice." His voice grew more animated as a spark of excitement crept into it. "And now, now we finally have something real before us!"
He paused, his fingers moving across the keyboard as the holographic map refocused on a particular building near the river canal. "This structure here contains turbines and the entire mechanism, still intact, though weakened and crude from centuries of decay. Unfortunately, we can't observe its internal workings without dismantling it first."
A faint sorrow crossed his wrinkled face as he stopped typing for a moment. "And doing that would collapse the building completely," he said softly. "We would lose a living fragment of history before ever learning how it functioned."
He entered a few more commands, and the holographic table flickered to life again. Animations began to play, showing the consequences of disturbing the site. The projection illustrated how even the smallest intrusion, the step of a single person, would cause the river canal beside it to shift, pulling the entire building into dust.
The room fell silent for a moment until the old man suddenly lifted his head with renewed excitement. "But thanks to Captain Elysia's ability," he said, pointing toward her with a smile that cut through his age-worn face, "we have a solution. She can restore the entire building and transport it safely back to our facility, where we can preserve it and study every detail without risking its destruction."
Everyone looked at Elysia, everyone except Violet. She already knew about Elysia's ability and her growing reputation, and she understood well why this mission had been entrusted to her.
For a moment, the entire room, including the three Saints of the Houses, turned their attention toward Elysia with different emotions written on their faces. Jack watched her with pride, Vale stared in disbelief, while Amy's eyes carried a faint restlessness.
Meanwhile, her team simply looked at her with quiet confidence. This was the kind of extraordinary thing they had come to expect from their captain.
So far, no one had ever possessed such a vast dimensional space. The most anyone could manage was storing a vehicle or two, but the idea of placing an entire building inside one's space sounded absurd.
"You still haven't answered my question," Vale said, curiosity flickering in his expression. "How can she store the whole building inside her dimensional space? If I remember correctly, the last information I had stated she could only handle half of what you're describing."
"Oh yes, you didn't know about her after that, do you Saint Vale?" The old man paused for a moment and glanced toward Violet, as though seeking her permission before revealing anything more about Elysia.
"You see, Saint Vale," he continued, "after her awakening, her dimensional space didn't just grow in size, it evolved. It now possesses entirely new aspects, and she can not only store a single building but ma—"
Another voice suddenly cut through his words.
"She can store the entire building inside her dimensional space," Violet said firmly. "That is why we chose her specifically for this mission." She cast a brief look at the old scientist, who had clearly been about to say more than he was allowed.
Realizing his mistake, the old man quickly straightened and spoke again, his tone filled with the same enthusiasm as before. "Yes, as the Captain said, the army selected her for this mission because of her unique ability to store the entire structure without causing any damage."
Everyone in the room exchanged glances; their doubts finally cleared. Both the Colonel's and the scientist's words confirmed what they had just witnessed: Elysia was indeed capable of such an extraordinary feat.
"So, Captain," Violet said, her commanding tone cutting through the quiet. "What do you think? Will you be able to complete the objective of this mission? I know it isn't fair to ask something of this scale on your very first assignment, but it's a simple task in principle. You only need to retrieve the building and bring it back to us. Then we can study it and, perhaps one day in the future, reclaim the area where we can use that knowledge to generate free electricity for everyone.
Although Violet's tone was commanding, she understood exactly what she was asking of Elysia. Only Elysia could accomplish what they required of her. This was her very first mission as a captain, and every member of her team was now her responsibility.
Everyone in the army was allowed to decline three missions if they felt unprepared or considered them too difficult. But after those three refusals, one had to accept a mission to retain their post. Since this was Elysia's first assignment, she still had the freedom to choose another mission if she wished. That was why Violet watched her so intently, waiting for her answer.
"It would be both my honor and my team's to see this mission through," Elysia said, her voice calm yet resolute, like the stillness before dawn. A faint, sincere smile curved her lips. "If our hands can build even a fragment of comfort for others, we will gladly take on this mission and see it through without failure."
Elysia accepted the mission without hesitation, showing everyone in the room her resolve and confidence in her abilities.
Vale's expression turned bitter, as though he had just lost something important. Amy's restlessness, on the other hand, deepened, her face shadowed by unease after hearing about the young captain's ability. Only Jack seemed genuinely delighted, his eyes glinting with excitement as he looked at Elysia.
"Wow, Eleesi," Jack said with a wide grin. "Can you really do that? I mean, can you actually store an entire building if you want to?" He sounded almost proud of her.
Elysia responded calmly, "Although it takes everything I have, but yes, Saint Jack, I can manage it somehow. But I'm still far from the level of someone like you. It's only a spatial storage ability."
"Good, good!" Jack chuckled, his voice booming. "Now I understand why the head of our house was so eager to bring you to our side. You truly are extraordinary! Ah, now I'm even sadder that you rejected our offer. Can't you please reconsider it?"
Rylan's face darkened at Jack's words. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but before he could open his mouth, Elysia spoke first, her tone polite yet firm.
"It's truly an honor to hear such kind words from you, Saint Jack," she said. "But as I told you before, I can't accept that offer. Your child is still very young, and he deserves the right to choose for himself."
After a few moments of awkward silence.
"It is decided then," Violet said, her voice firm as her gaze swept across the room.
"In four days, you will all embark on your very first mission. The objective is simple: retrieve the building and bring it back safely. You're allowed to prepare using all resources provided by the Army. We'll also supply the route you'll take to complete the mission."
She paused briefly, scanning the faces before her. "If anyone has questions, now is the time to ask."
Varick was the first to speak, his voice steady. "What's the level of the creatures we might face during this mission?"
"The area has already been cleared of dangerous entities," Violet replied. "So the chances of encountering high-level creatures are very low. At most, you might run into a few lesser beasts."
Liora raised her hand next, her expression focused. "How far is this city? And how long will the mission take? Is there any set timeline?"
"It's quite far from our territory," the old scientist answered, adjusting his glasses. "But with the equipment provided to you, you should be able to reach it in two days, and return in the same time, assuming everything goes smoothly. There's no strict deadline, but we do prefer if you complete the mission sooner rather than later."
Jaxon, partially hidden by his large frame, spoke next. "The path we'll take to reach the city, what kind of terrain are we dealing with? Will we need any special gear for that route?"
"Everything related to your route will be handed over to you soon," the old man replied. "We're still finalizing it, but if we discover anything that could aid your travel, you'll receive it before departure."
For a few quiet moments, no one spoke. Then Violet straightened and asked, "Any other questions?"
Silence filled the room.
"Good," she said at last. "If not, then this briefing is concluded. Good luck, Captain Elysia. Prepare yourself and your team well."
With that, Violet rose from her seat and began walking toward the exit, her long coat flowing behind her.
Meanwhile, Vale and Amy exchanged a glance. Both turned toward the two young men and the old butler standing silently behind them.
"Arrange another meeting with the head of the house as soon as possible," Vale muttered under his breath, leaving the office in haste.
Amy lowered her voice to a whisper. "Bring me the messenger of the house head. I need to deliver something…important." Her eyes flicked toward the butler before she too departed swiftly, her expression unreadable.
Only Saint Jack remained in the office now. He stood beside Elysia and her team, speaking with his usual warmth and vigor, words of courage and inspiration filling the room.
After a few moments, he too smiled, waved his hand in farewell, and said, "Good luck, Eleesi. Make sure to come back in one piece."
Then, with his usual calm stride, Jack left the room, the sound of his footsteps echoing faintly in the quiet hall.