Game's Extra: Starting With SSS-Ranked 1000-Death Talent-Chapter 64: Mission Failed Successfully
’She got me?’ Noa thought with regret.
The first time he died because he allowed the girl.
But his sword betrayed him this second time, leaving him with nothing to defend his neck.
Strength was his only attribute; he had yet to max it out.
Still, it was only one level-up spree away from reaching the limit.
And seeing that she easily harvested his life, Noa shook his nonexistent head in annoyance.
It was his first time losing his life when he wasn’t ready for it.
In every other fight, he had always been prepared, and every death was within his expectations.
Not this one.
’Someone who actually beat me deserves my recognition.’
Noa respected her unimaginable talent.
Then another scary thing happened.
[ Echo: 780/1,000 ]
Noa lost two echoes instead of one.
Something like this had never happened, leaving him conflicted.
The only times he lost more echoes were when he killed Klaus and when he refused to revive for a long time.
This was the third time.
But it brought complications to his mind.
’She used something. Or she has a unique ability allowing her to harvest the dead. What a monster.’
As he was thinking about her, Noa chose to create a new body behind her.
Without the girl noticing, he was back in perfect shape, patting her on the back.
"Don’t do it anymore," he said, but it didn’t sound like the friendly voice he had used before.
"How?"
She repeatedly showed her confusion, lowering her thin brows.
"Let’s start by getting to know each other," Noa said, taking his broken sword.
It seemed the blade not only touched his blood when he died, but it also devoured it to the brim.
Now it was in perfect shape.
Yet its properties remained stale.
"Matilda," the girl answered, still suspicious.
Noa acted innocently.
He played the part of denying his feelings but actually showing them.
"It’s not your real name, right?" he asked, creeping towards her.
"Then you can call me ’It’s none of your business,’" she answered, her hands clasped against her chest.
"What a cold beauty," Noa whispered.
But he made sure she would hear him.
"W-what are you saying?" she stuttered again, pouting.
Abruptly, some kind of connection was born between them.
Noa couldn’t put his hands to it, but he felt it.
It was a close link, something that both of them shared, even if they couldn’t explain it.
Not only did she feel the sudden bond, but she also saw them as dark, necrotic threads, and her eyes flashed momentarily.
’What is this?’ Noa thought.
It was a familiar, nostalgic sensation.
He knew what it was, deep down to his core, but the very idea opposed him, not allowing him to build coherent thoughts in his head.
"My name is Noa...." he trailed his words. "Send your father my regards and tell him that someone spared your life today."
The girl, whose real name Noa still didn’t know, tried to call out to him.
However, he had already turned back, dashing out of the cave.
The mission failed.
It was destined to fail.
No matter who the Red Order sent to execute her, they would fail.
No Evolved could fight against her.
Only Noa was an exception, but not only did he lose once, he also felt an unexplained kinship with her.
So he left her alone, content with the consequences.
Noa took the same path, walked on the same way as before, until he found the gate to get back to the bunker. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶
He took his sweet time, ignoring every call to his phone.
When the magical tunnel swallowed him and teleported him into the den, the first thing he noticed was the deep gaze on his face.
Everyone, including Caroline, was present.
Her black hoodie hid her tall and lustrous body, but her beautiful face peeked out of it.
The beauty standards were so much higher than they were on Earth.
"What happened? Why are you so late?" Punchy asked like a true spokesperson.
Noa was in the center of the attention, feeling five pairs of eyes waiting for his answer.
He could lie and tell them that he completed the mission.
Confirming it was beyond their current capabilities, and it would allow him to win some time.
Nevertheless, Noa came clean.
"I met him, but he was she," he said, confusing others.
"What do you mean? Speak normally," Vivi replied, leaving Noa inside the circle.
"I meant what I said," Noa commented. "The son I was set to kill wasn’t a son at all. It was a daughter instead—cute one, though I am not gonna lie."
"Stop playing games and explain everything that happened," Tifa demanded.
She had changed her battle armor.
Her green dress made her a war goddess, and her soft voice worked like a charm.
Meanwhile, Noa tried to get out of the chamber.
He wanted some fresh air, but instead of getting more room, the opposite happened, and he was back in an even narrower encirclement.
"Mr. Z lied about her daughter. The rumor said that he had a son, but turns out it was bullshit," he said, coughing before continuing.
"I didn’t make a mistake. The tracker Caroline created led me to her location, and after fighting against her, I am positive she is the one."
No one said a thing.
At least before Tifa spoke in a rough voice, showing no reaction.
"Your mission was to kill her."
It sounded like a reminder—a mistake Noa didn’t make an effort to hide.
"And I refused to do it," he answered, his eyes unyielding.
A fit of anger was apparent in the room.
"You didn’t do it, or you couldn’t do it?" Punchy asked.
Even a stoic Viktor looked furious.
"Or don’t tell me she was so pretty you couldn’t kill her," Vivi taunted.
"I can punch your face, that’s for sure," Noa answered, daring her to say more.
The only one who remained calm was Tifa, but her expression displayed disdain mixed with disappointment.
"What’s your reason?" she asked.
Noa nodded but didn’t lower his head.
He realized the high stakes of the situation, saw how much effort everyone put into this mission, and knew he had lost dozens of nonexistent friendship points with them.
He had to come up with an explanation, and it had to be valid and believable.
