Earth’s Doom Starts with… Me?

Chapter 35: Claim one of the cardinal thrones (3)

"Well, do you feel anything?" Elena asked me while tilting her head to the side, letting her graceful dark hair fall on her shoulder.

"I mean, probably?" I wasn't really sure how to control this skill, but I could probably try?

I extended my arm forward, and willed for the glass of iced tea to move slightly to the right. It trembled for a bit, but eventually stopped.

"Huh. Strange. Let me try again."

Probably too weak? Okay, let me try to forcefully lift it this time.

I felt my aura surged as my mana continued to rise, and all I could feel was comfort. I wonder why it had always felt comforting to use my mana?

"Come on, iced tea! Come to me!"

'BAM!'

"Oh... I'm sorry, Elena..." I looked up to the ceiling and saw that I've crashed a whole kitchen counter up there.

"You..." She looked at me with wide eyes.

"I--I don't have money to pay you back. Can I work to pay for the damage, instead?" I scratched the back of my head nervously. If only that eel had paid me properly, I wouldn't be a homeless, cashless person.

She let out a loud, amused laugh and said, "don't worry dear, you don't need to work. Instead, let me be your teacher for a while."

"But why?" I asked. This development was far too smooth and too suspicious for me.

"As I've said before, you're a crucial asset for our plan. I need to train you well." She said with her deep, sultry voice.

She stood up and approached me, "anyway, I didn't think you'd actually have the ability to control things from afar. Maybe it's psychokinesis? Or is it the ability to possess an inanimate object? Or is it invisible strings?"

"Psychokinesis, I think. I thought you already know about my ability and that's why you tested me by telling me to move the iced tea?" I asked.

"I kind of had an idea. You see, general Zhang was looking after you a lot when you were unconscious. He did not sleep for two days straight, I think." Elena said as she put a finger on her red lips.

That eel did? He must've had a hidden intention. Maybe it's for this 'plan' she kept talking about? Either way, there was no way he did that just for the sake of it.

"He told me that on the night we got the notification for the new mission, you kind of attacked him." She chuckled.

"I did? I was unconscious, though?" I tilted my head. How come I had no memory of that?

"Yeah, he said that you suddenly made random objects levitate while being unconscious. It was probably when the fusing was finished and you just gained a new power, so it went crazy for a bit."

"Ah, so you already know beforehand, but still decided to test me." I sat on a chair in front of her.

"Well, a researcher values proof over words of mouth." Her full lips curved into a smile.

"Alright, that's a fair point," I sighed, "so what do you want me to do, teacher?"

"You have excellent combat ability and combat sense, and your magic abilities are not bad," she leaned in closer to me, "however, you control your mana like a five-year-old would."

"Haha..." I avoided her eyes as my cheeks went pink from shame. Was I really that bad? I guess on the bright side, that meant I could still become stronger.

"Don't worry, that's where I come in. I will teach you how to properly control your mana," she grinned, "in secret, of course."

--------

Back in the courtyard, general Owen was busy preparing for the next raid. He gathered his men around and purposely picked the ones proficient in close-range combat.

After that, he separated them into groups of 5, and instructed them to train as a team.

"Ah, general Owen, there you are!" A blonde-haired general called out to him. She was walking alongside two expressionless men.

"General Jeanne. I see you've finished your business." Owen stopped his training and wiped off the sweat on his forehead.

"Yes. And third general Emilio and fourth general Enzo are already here, too." She gestured towards the guys behind her.

"Greetings, general Emilio, general Enzo." Owen nodded his head a bit.

"Greetings." The first man returned the greeting. He had short light brown hair that perfectly complimented his pair of light green eyes that looked a tad bit soulless. A sleeveless turtleneck hugged his body tightly, and a pair of army jeans and combat boots completed his look.

"Hello." The other man looked exactly alike, except for the scar on his left eye.

"Let's start the meeting right now, shall we? Let's head into the cafeteria." Owen stored his spear and led them away.

--------

Once they entered the cafeteria, the first thing they noticed was that there was an unattended child in the middle of the cafe, on all-fours.

"Um... You..." Owen froze at the sight.

"Aren't you... Wolf?" Jeanne exclaimed with surprise.

"Yes." The child answered absent-mindedly.

"What are you doing here, Wolf?" She approached him slowly.

"Wolf wait for big bro."

"Big bro? Who's big bro?" Jeanne tilted her head.

"Ah, Wolf! What did I tell you about sitting? Don't sit like that!" A bear-like soldier came running from the cafeteria door, holding a bag of chicken skewers.

"Wolf sorry." The brown haired child apologized and stood up to obediently sit on a cafeteria chair.

"Good boy." Dmitri ruffled his hair lovingly.

"Dmitri, why is Wolf here?" Jeanne asked, looking obviously confused.

"Wolf is a part of our army now, right, general Emilio, general Enzo?" He casually answered while passing a chicken skewer to Wolf, to which the boy happily accepted.

"I haven't heard anything about this." Owen turned towards the two generals.

"We enrolled him." General Emilio said with an expressionless face and a flat tone.

"Yeah. He's useful. And he's cute." General Enzo added in the exact same manner.

"He's just a child." Owen frowned.

"We don't judge by age," general Emilio took a fluffy pink bunny doll out of his pocket, "here kid, for you."

"And this one, too." General Enzo tossed Wolf a bag of candies.

"Thank you." Wolf hugged their gifts while continuing his meal.

The two generals said nothing, and although their expressions remained unchanged, a faint blush could be seen on their cheeks.

"Ugh... How can these twins be so cold-blooded, but so weak to children and all things cute?" Owen sighed deeply as he facepalmed.

"Let's really start the meeting now, shall we?" Jeanne interrupted the exchange and opened a map on the table.

"You're right. We don't have much time, so let's hurry," Owen started, "the raid on minotaur kingdom won't be like our usual raid."

Everyone listened carefully and nodded.

"I've picked out the soldiers that are proficient in close-ranged combats--including you, Dmitri, don't you dare ditch training, and I intend to assign them into squads." He continued.

"Wise choice." General Emilio nodded in approval.

"I'm sure you understand why," Owen pointed at the map, "this minotaur kingdom, is a whole maze."

Dmitri gulped upon hearing that.

"Ranged attacks will most likely be less useful in a tight space, and I assume there will be traps in the maze that may separate us. So, they need to be able to work in groups." Owen explained.

"True." General Enzo eyed the map intently.

"The problem is, we have no info on what's inside the maze. We just know that the walls are unbelievably high and thick, impossible to climb and destroy." Owen clenched his fists in frustration.

"Don't worry. That's where our trump card will come in." General Emilio crossed his arms.

"Trump card?" General Jeanne asked.

"Exactly. That kid." General Enzo pointed at Wolf, who was chomping down his chicken skewer.

"Yes?" Wolf's ear perked up upon the mention.