The massive mission board continued glowing inside the S-Unit armory.
Blue holographic light reflected across the black cybernetic armor of the sixteen Superhumans while mission files floated silently in the air.
For the first time since joining Verdancy…
Everything finally felt real.
This was no longer training.
No simulations.
No lectures.
No controlled sparring matches.
Real missions meant real enemies.
Real consequences.
And possibly…
Real death.
The room had grown unusually quiet.
Even Bobby wasn’t joking anymore.
Everyone stared at the rotating mission logs carefully while Dr.
Frost stood nearby calmly observing their reactions.
Three Full Squad Missions were displayed.
Only three.
Each marked with a glowing crimson symbol.
FULL SQUAD OPERATIONS REQUIRED.
Adrian folded his arms while reading through the mission data quickly.
Ria meanwhile carefully analyzed every detail with Sylvia and Damien beside her.
The mission files contained an absurd amount of information.
Maps.
Enemy estimates.
Satellite scans.
Facility layouts.
Possible threat levels.
Extraction routes.
Everything.
Verdancy clearly took preparation seriously.
BEEP.
Ria’s Meta Watch projected a holographic screen into the air.
Her calm eyes narrowed slightly as she studied one particular mission carefully.
“Sawyer City…” she murmured.
Damien glanced toward her projection.
The mission title appeared immediately.
MISSION FILE 01
OPERATION: IRON ROOT
Target:
Hidden Valkyrium Industries Combat Mech Development Base
Location:
Sawyer City, Neza Region
Objective:
Subjugate and capture facility data.
Destroy development infrastructure if necessary.
Threat Level:
HIGH
Special Warning:
Potential SERAPH Squad presence.
Several people reacted immediately upon seeing the word SERAPH.
Even Adrian’s expression shifted slightly.
Because despite all their confidence…
Nobody forgot what those things represented.
Ria continued reading quietly.
“The base is hidden beneath Sawyer City’s industrial district,” she explained.
“Hm…”
Sylvia crossed her arms thoughtfully.
“Looks like Valkyrium has been secretly developing advanced combat mechs there.”
Jack blinked.
“So we’re basically raiding a hidden corporate military base.”
“Pretty much,” Bobby replied.
Then Damien noticed another detail.
“Three SERAPHS.”
The room became slightly quieter again.
The mission data specifically suspected a SERAPH defense squad consisting of three units guarding the base.
Not confirmed.
But suspected.
And honestly…
That alone made the mission terrifying.
Bobby rubbed the back of his neck.
“Not gonna lie…”
He laughed awkwardly.
“I’d rather not meet killer android angels on my first mission.”
“They’re machines,” Adrian corrected dismissively.
“Machines can be destroyed.”
Drew sighed.
“You say that now.”
Ria remained calm however.
Compared to Adrian’s flashy confidence…
More thoughtful.
More reliable.
She carefully looked toward her squad.
Damien.
Bobby.
Sylvia.
Jack.
Grace.
Lisa.
Sandra.
All waiting for her decision.
Finally—
“I’ll take Operation Iron Root.”
The mission board responded instantly.
BEEEEEP.
OPERATION ASSIGNED:
SQUAD ECLIPSE VEIL
Their squad name illuminated across the screen.
Meanwhile Adrian smirked while scrolling through another mission file.
His grin widened immediately.
“Oh this one sounds fun.”
Drew already looked concerned hearing that sentence.
“What did you pick?”
Adrian enlarged the holographic mission details dramatically.
MISSION FILE 02
OPERATION: DYING EDEN
Target:
Aether Enhancement Drug Facility
Location:
Lisbon City, Lancashire Region
Corporation Affiliation:
EdenSphere Technologies
Objective:
Destroy facility and eliminate production lines.
Threat Level:
HIGH
Special Warning:
Presence of enhanced human soldiers expected.
The mission details displayed holographic images of soldiers with glowing veins and unstable Aether signatures.
Dr.
Frost finally spoke again.
“Aether enhancement drugs.”
His tone carried clear disgust.
“They are temporary stimulants developed secretly by the corporations.”
The holographic files shifted.
“They artificially increase human physical capabilities to near-superhuman levels for approximately twenty minutes.”
Jack frowned.
“That sounds ridiculously dangerous.”
“It is.”
The screen displayed severe biological damage afterward.
Internal organ collapse.
Cellular decay.
Accelerated aging.
Neural destruction.
“The drugs consume lifespan directly as fuel.”
The room fell silent.
Even Bobby looked disturbed now.
“So basically…”
Sasha narrowed her eyes.
“They sacrifice years of life for temporary power.”
Dr.
Frost nodded calmly.
“Correct.”
Adrian however simply grinned wider.
“Sounds like a fun challenge.”
“Everything sounds fun to you,” Sasha muttered.
The mission file revealed that the facility operated publicly as a pharmaceutical branch under EdenSphere Technologies.
Completely legal on the surface.
Completely illegal underneath.
“The mission was reassigned to the S-Unit specifically because standard Verdancy agents struggle heavily against enhanced soldiers,” Dr.
Frost explained.
“Ordinary humans simply cannot compete physically.”
Adrian shrugged confidently.
“Lucky for them we’re extraordinary.”
Drew immediately sighed.
“I already know this mission is going to become unnecessarily loud.”
“Obviously.”
BEEP.
OPERATION ASSIGNED:
SQUAD NOVA REIGN
Their squad name illuminated brightly across the board.
Honestly…
It fit Adrian perfectly.
The final Full Squad Mission remained unselected.
But Dr.
Frost deactivated it afterward.
“That operation will wait.”
The mission screen faded away slowly.
Then Dr.
Frost turned toward the entire S-Unit.
The atmosphere became serious again immediately.
“The first missions assigned to you will honestly prove easy.”
Several people blinked.
Easy?
The missions involved secret military facilities and possible SERAPH encounters.
Yet Dr.
Frost still called them easy.
Even Damien found that slightly absurd.
“Perhaps even too overrated to truly qualify as Full Squad operations.”
Adrian smirked immediately.
“As expected.”
Ria however remained cautious.
Dr.
Frost continued.
“These missions are not primarily about difficulty.”
The holographic displays shifted to squad formations and teamwork statistics.
“They exist to build your teamwork.”
Images of combat synchronization appeared.
“Leadership.”
More tactical displays appeared.
“Coordination.”
Then finally—
“Trust.”
The word lingered heavily inside the room.
Dr.
Frost looked specifically toward Adrian and Ria.
“I expect complete success.”
Not hope.
Not optimism.
Expectation.
Then—
BEEP.
BEEP.
BEEP.
Every Meta Watch activated simultaneously.
Mission data transferred instantly.
Maps.
Target profiles.
Entry routes.
Emergency extraction protocols.
Local Verdancy contact information.
The sheer amount of information was overwhelming.
Dr.
Frost walked slowly toward the exit.
“Once you fully familiarize yourselves with your mission details…”
A holographic world map appeared behind him.
“…you may proceed to the teleportation chambers.”
Two locations highlighted brightly.
Sawyer City.
Lisbon City.
“From there…”
Several Verdancy symbols appeared.
“…you will arrive at the closest regional Verdancy base.”
“Veteran agents stationed there will guide you toward the target locations.”
Bobby stretched slightly.
“So this is actually happening.”
“Yes,” Damien replied quietly.
It really was.
The metallic doors behind Dr.
Frost slowly began opening.
SHHHHHK.
But before leaving—
He stopped briefly.
Then glanced back toward the Superhuman Unit.
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
“I wish you luck on your first mission.”
His silver eyes reflected the blue holographic lights surrounding the armory.
Then calmly—
“But honestly…”
The doors fully opened behind him.
“…you won’t need it.”
FWOOOOOM.
The doors shut closed behind him.
Leaving the sixteen Superhumans alone with their first real missions waiting ahead.