Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Talent In An Apocalyptic World-Chapter 87: The Next Morning

Pamela’s visit was just aimed at clearing the air between us. She thought I had gone rogue, and when she realized I was just trying to gain some contribution points, she left. The good thing is, I got a warm meal out of the visit. It would be strange if I walked into the cafeteria, ordering food when everyone expects me to be on the frontline.

Another thing I observed was that civilians didn’t know what was going on in the frontlines. This was my conclusion after Pamela displayed deep shock at my condition when I stepped out of the portal with bloodied and torn clothes. Regardless, everything went well as expected, and I had a good sleep.

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— 5AM, The Next Day —

Stepping out of the spatial gate linked to my tent, I could hear soldiers running helter-skelter, preparing for the big day. If all goes well today, we should be able to breach the walls of Lake Charles and take the city.

The gate behind me snapped shut as I heard footsteps approaching. Soon after, I heard a clap from outside before a head stuck in—it was Sergeant Deacon, and he looked surprised to see me standing.

He probably expected me to still be asleep at this time.

"You ready?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Good. Let’s go."

Saying this, he left, and I followed. We walked around the tents and stopped where the war vehicles were kept. To my surprise, they already had what we needed for today’s mission lined up in front of us.

My eyes dilated at the sight of over thirty hovercrafts, which looked like large-displacement motorcycles used by biker gangs—only without the tires.

The sight of 30 ascendants seated on these bikes almost made me blurt out loud, unrestrained laughter, but I managed to control myself. However, what stood behind them were another 20 ascendants dressed in what I could only describe as exo-skeleton armor.

The best way to describe it was skeletal armor worn over the body—it wasn’t bulky. I walked past the hovercrafts, stopping in front of a human dressed in this exo-skeleton suit with genuine interest. The aether circuits flowing through the entire armor were just too eye-catching to ignore, especially since the aether circuit could be seen etched on the skin of the wearer.

The level of aether radiation this would cost the user is unimaginable, but that also meant the benefits would be grand.

Last night, I took my time to read about Aether Scourge, and what I saw wasn’t pretty. Aether Scourge is currently considered a virus which cannot be cured. Excess exposure to aether causes the victim’s body and organs to crystallize until they die. It is said to be excruciatingly painful—to the point where victims beg for death.

This was the ultimate end of ascendants, and most often choose to die on the battlefield when they notice signs of the virus. Realizing the truth about this virus left me with one question:

What is the point of all of this?

Why would anyone want to live a short, glorious life that will most likely end in death?

And then the answer came—Major Miller and Colonel Adins.

The higher one’s rank becomes through constant achievements, the higher the possibility of leaving the battlefield and becoming an officer who dishes out orders. At that point, your chances of suffering from Aether Scourge drop drastically. But to do that, the minimum requirement is becoming a Stage Two Ascendant—and that’s not something just anyone can achieve.

It’s crazy, seeing thousands of people running toward a goal that’s only open to a dozen people or so.

I once thought life was difficult for the average Limitless, but right now I can boldly say: no one has it harder than these ascendants.

"Life is just sad," I muttered under my breath.

"Excuse me?" the ascendant blinked in confusion at my words, but I said nothing more and just patted his shoulder.

Thud!

Upon hearing loud footsteps, I looked over my shoulder only to see Major Miller approaching with a wide grin. My eyes dilated at the sight of the pink pajamas this man had on, leaving me wondering if my eyes were playing tricks on me or something.

’Why are the weird ones always at the top?’ I cried in my heart as I turned to meet his gaze.

"You seem to like the Combat Walkers... I can get you one if you want," Miller offered.

I shook my head with a polite smile.

"That won’t be necessary. I just find the design interesting..." I responded while maintaining a smile that didn’t reach my eyes.

The last thing I wanted was to become reliant on these machines. When the time comes, I can prepare them for my personal troops—but I have no intent of using them myself.

"Okay, okay... I hear you." Miller laughed as he got closer.

Only now did I realize he was wearing bunny flip-flops, causing me to rub my eyes and double-check, just to make sure they weren’t playing tricks on me. The momentary distraction stopped me from noticing Miller’s hand reaching for my face.

He grabbed me by the jaw and moved my face left and right before speaking.

"You still look pale. Are you sure you’re alright?" he asked in a worried tone, as if we were close friends.

Infuriated, I tried to slap his arm away, but he let go and hopped back with an amused look on his face.

"Missed," he snickered, and everyone laughed out loud.

It seemed everyone here was accustomed to his annoying personality—and somehow, they found these antics amusing.

Major Miller turned around and began walking away while waving.

"I WISH YOU ALL GOOD LUCK IN TODAY’S MISSION. THE FATE OF TEXAS RESTS IN YOUR HANDS!" he yelled carelessly, and another round of laughter followed—causing me to look around and wonder what the hell was funny about what he just said.

Or is everyone here just a bot programmed to laugh at every silly thing he does?

A firm hand grabbed my shoulder amid the confusion, and I looked over to see Deacon’s hulking figure standing over me.

"It’s time to go," he said, pointing toward two empty hovercrafts in front.

My attention shifted back to Miller’s figure, and it frustrated me that I couldn’t do anything about him now.

’I’ll smash your skull in when I get the chance,’ I silently swore.

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