Chapter 398: Interrogation (1)

The haul Ray obtained from the Forgotten Lands was so massive that he was confident in his ability to take down even Grade Eight Meta-Humans, provided they weren’t monsters far beyond the norm.

From his Echoes to his newly acquired skills and the Partial Transformations, Ray’s combat prowess had skyrocketed to an entirely different level.

He hadn’t even gotten around to assigning his newly earned stat points yet.

After finishing his shower the previous night, he had simply collapsed onto his bed and slept like the dead.

Now...

It was finally the next day.

Surprisingly, every one of the boys was already awake.

That alone was unusual.

Normally, at least one person would still be buried beneath their blanket unless it was a training day.

Yet now...

They were all fully dressed.

Fully awake.

And waiting.

Because...

Tok! Tok! Tok!

Three precise knocks echoed from the door.

It was time.

Taking slow breaths to steady themselves, the boys exchanged silent glances.

The moment they had all been expecting had finally arrived.

Today, they would have to stand before the Corps’ higher-ups and explain everything that had happened inside the Forgotten Lands.

No matter what came next...

There was no avoiding it.

After calming their racing hearts, they walked over together and pulled the door open.

Standing outside was a Militant with perfect military posture.

"Captain Jake demands your presence."

The boys nodded silently before stepping into the corridor and falling in behind the Militant.

No one spoke.

The only sounds accompanying them were the steady rhythm of synchronized footsteps echoing through the hallways.

As they continued walking, more familiar faces gradually appeared.

Trisha and Chloe followed behind a single Militant since they shared the same room.

Felix trailed another.

Caster emerged from a different corridor with his assigned escort.

Soon, the entire cohort had reunited.

No greetings were exchanged.

Only brief nods.

Everyone understood the gravity of today’s meeting.

The procession continued through the Corps headquarters in complete silence.

Several minutes later, Ray noticed they were heading toward the Combat Halls.

His brows knitted slightly.

None of them voiced their thoughts.

After all, there was little point in rehearsing answers now.

None of them knew exactly what Captain Jake intended to ask.

Besides...

What was the point of lying?

Ray had already exposed far too much.

His performance during the Gate incident...

His overwhelming victory against Berg...

There was no hiding his strength anymore.

Defeating a Grade Seven Point Eight Meta-Human from one of the Big Four Families was a feat impossible to ignore.

Even Kai would have struggled against Berg in a direct confrontation.

Yet Ray had put the proud Legacy down in moments.

Perhaps Berg hadn’t managed to use the full extent of his abilities...

Or perhaps Ray had simply overwhelmed him before he ever got the chance.

Either way...

The outcome remained the same.

Berg had been utterly humiliated.

The only topic they had truly prepared for beforehand...

Was Nebula.

Without question, the Corps would ask how they managed to defeat an Emperor-Rank Beast.

The cohort had already agreed on how much of that story they were willing to reveal.

Just as Ray’s thoughts reached that point—

"We are here."

The Militant’s voice cut through the silence.

The group instinctively raised their heads.

Towering before them stood the enormous double doors leading into the Combat Hall.

’Why here instead of Captain Jake’s office?’

Ray wondered silently.

Two Militants stepped forward simultaneously.

With a heavy groan, they pushed the massive doors inward, revealing the enormous hall beyond.

The Aspirants subconsciously drew in a deep breath.

Then, exhaling together...

They stepped forward to face whatever awaited them.

The door slowly swung shut behind them, sealing the teenagers inside the spacious Combat Hall.

The usual training mechanical dolls had all been cleared away.

In their place stood a long rectangular table.

Three chairs occupied one side.

Seven chairs stood opposite them.

Already seated at the smaller side were three figures.

Captain Jake.

Sergeant Lincoln.

And a woman whose eyes were completely covered by a thick black blindfold.

"Welcome, kids. Please, have your seats." Jake greeted with a small smile.

The Aspirants exchanged brief glances.

An invisible pressure hung heavily in the room.

It wasn’t something they could see...

Yet it pressed against their shoulders, silently reminding them that this wasn’t a friendly meeting.

Ray casually strode forward with an unreadable expression.

Jake’s eyes followed the Tribrid the entire way.

A faint smirk tugged at the corner of the Captain’s lips.

Watching Ray calmly pull out a chair and sit without the slightest hesitation, Jake gave an almost imperceptible nod.

’He’s changed... both physically and mentally. Hmph.’

Seeing Ray take one of the seven seats, the others quietly followed suit until everyone was seated.

Jake folded his hands atop the table.

"First of all, let me congratulate you all on surviving a Red Gate incident.

Out of every hundred Meta-Humans, perhaps only twenty percent—excluding members of the Big Four—can confidently say they’ve entered a Red Gate and returned with every limb still attached.

You kids are one hell of a bunch."

A faint chuckle escaped Lincoln, though it disappeared almost immediately.

"Unfortunately, the second Captain overseeing this Corps isn’t around at the moment, so I’ll be handling today’s investigation myself."

"...."

The cohort exchanged another glance before giving the Captain a collective nod.

Leaning back slightly, Jake studied each of them one after another.

"You see... a Red Gate is unlike any ordinary Gate.

Simply surviving one requires strength far beyond what most people possess."

As he spoke, his gaze lingered briefly on Kai...

Then Caster...

And finally Trisha.

"I can understand those three surviving... and perhaps even carrying the rest of you.

But what I cannot understand...

Is how every single one of you returned alive.

What exactly happened inside that world?

What did you encounter?

What kind of enemies did you face?

And most importantly..."

Jake leaned forward slightly.

"How did you defeat the boss?"

Before anyone could answer, he casually lifted a finger and pointed toward the blindfolded woman seated beside him.

"Oh... and don’t even think about lying."

His smile widened ever so slightly.

"Vanessa here possesses an ability that tells her whether someone is speaking the truth... or lying."

’Of course...’

Ray’s brows knitted slightly.

’The Corps would naturally have someone like that under their command... damn it.’

His gaze drifted toward the blindfolded woman before briefly meeting those of his teammates.

Everyone remained silent.

The tension around the table only grew heavier.

Interlocking his fingers beneath his chin, Jake fixed the cohort with a calm yet authoritative stare.

"So..."

"Shall we begin?"

"Who’s going to do the talking?"

Beneath the table, several fists tightened instinctively.

Yet outwardly...

Every member of the cohort maintained a composed expression.

Ray lowered his eyes to his hands for a brief second.

Then he slowly lifted his head.

"I will."

"...."

A knowing smirk spread across Jake’s face.

______

[A/N: Good day fam. Thank you for allowing me take the break yesterday because of my health. Now I feel much better. I also appreciate the wishes and gifts for my birthday. I appreciate. Thank you Jimmy Sama 🙌]