**DING!**
The small brass bell above the glass door chimed brightly as Chrites and his older brother stepped inside the warm, brightly lit cafe.
The rich scent of roasted beans and toasted pastries hung thick in the air.
Navigating the crowded room, his brother led the way toward a quiet booth nestled in the back corner.
Sitting at the wooden table were two men of the exact same age as his brother.
They wore rugged, practical tactical coats, their postures straight and alert.
These were Kieran and Derrick, his brother’s old college friends who currently worked closely with the continental defense forces.
Chrites slid into the booth next to his brother, keeping his slouched, completely average posture intact.
“So, what is the thing you need me for?” Chrites asked, speaking with a curious, mild tone.
His brother gestured toward the two men across the table.
“Kieran and Derrick are helping coordinate an upcoming official military operation.
It is a large-scale joint deployment, and they desperately need a highly skilled analyst to manage the ground logistics.”
“An analyst?” Chrites repeated, tilting his head with a clueless expression.
“Exactly,” Kieran leaned forward, speaking with a serious, deeply impressed tone.
“Your brother has told us incredible stories about your logistical planning.
He showed us the highly efficient routing strategies you made for massive academy field trips, complex school picnics, and civilian transit schedules.
You have the natural mind of a master strategist.
In fact, some of the tactical deployment routes your brother provided us for previous military operations were actually based entirely on your analytical frameworks.”
Because Kieran and Derrick were old college buddies rather than corporate colleagues, they frequently asked his brother for strategic advice.
His brother, recognizing Chrites’s brilliant knack for organization, had simply passed along his younger brother’s flawless logistical ideas.
Chrites listened silently.
In reality, he was an incredibly strong, god-tier fighter, but keeping his absolute civilian cover intact, he simply acted like a humble, organized student.
“This joint military operation takes place on the Cebel continent,” Derrick added, taking a sip from his cup.
“It begins this Sunday and will last for exactly one week.
We need someone who can process terrain data and map safe retreat paths.”
The moment Chrites heard the name Cebel, his tactical mind stalled for a fraction of a second.
*That continent again?* he thought to himself with a highly alert, cautious feeling.
Cebel was the heavily fortified main stronghold of the DNT organization.
The terrifying supreme leader, Trcids, resided there.
However, Chrites quickly relaxed his shoulders.
Trcids had only seen his painted demon mask and his formal syndicate attire.
The DNT leader had absolutely no knowledge of his real civilian identity.
Operating openly as a simple teenage analyst would be the perfect, undetectable disguise.
“Okay, I would be interested in coming,” Chrites answered slowly.
“But can some of my classmates come along as well?
Six of my friends, including me, would like to participate.”
Kieran and Derrick exchanged a quick, approving look.
“Are they ordinary academy recruits like you?” Kieran asked.
“Yeah, we are all in the same division,” Chrites confirmed.
“Then there is no problem at all,” Derrick smiled warmly.
“It is perfect, actually.
You will all be stationed at the secure command base far away from the front lines, so there is absolutely zero risk or chance of anyone getting injured.
Bringing extra recruits to assist with basic filing and observation is highly encouraged.”
“Okay, I will tell my friends to pack for Sunday,” Chrites agreed.
**CLINK!**
The waitress set down fresh porcelain cups.
The four of them ordered hot coffees and warm sandwiches, spending the next half hour casually discussing basic travel schedules.
Once the plates were cleared, they stood up and walked toward the exit.
As they stepped out onto the paved pavement, Kieran stopped and looked closely at Chrites.
“You know, your brother is right,” Kieran noted, speaking with a highly respectful, praising tone.
You have sharp eyes.”
Chrites instantly dropped his gaze, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
“No, I cannot believe anyone would say I am smart.
Literally no one has ever said that to me before.”
“Do not sell yourself short,” Derrick laughed heartily, clapping Chrites on the shoulder.
“You are genuinely brilliant at analyzing data.
The strategies your brother relayed to our units saved us hours of mapping.
We will see you on Sunday.”
Sharing polite goodbyes, Kieran and Derrick walked away toward the transit station.
Chrites and his older brother walked back to the parked civilian sedan.
**VROOM!**
The engine hummed smoothly to life as his brother pulled out into the evening traffic.
Driving along the illuminated highway, his brother glanced over at the passenger seat.
“Are you sure you do not have any problem with this deployment?” his brother asked, speaking with a gentle, concerned tone.
“If you have other personal plans for the week, you do not have to force yourself to go just to help my friends.”
“No, no, I do not have any plans at all,” Chrites denied smoothly, looking out the glass window.
“A one-week military operation sounds like a great experience.”
Navigating the remaining avenues, they finally reached their property.
Chrites stepped out of the vehicle, walked inside the quiet house, and headed straight upstairs to his private bedroom.
**CLICK!**
He shut the wooden door securely.
Pulling his smartphone from his pocket, Chrites sat on the edge of his mattress.
He needed to coordinate his team immediately.
Bypassing group chats entirely, he initiated a direct, personal phone call to each and every one of his six friends.
**RING!**
The first call connected instantly.
“Hello?
Chrites!” Rivb’s voice exploded through the speaker, sounding incredibly loud and energetic.
“What is going on, bro?”
“Rivb, pack your bags,” Chrites instructed calmly.
“We have been invited to join an official military operation on the Cebel continent as logistical assistants.
It starts this Sunday and lasts for exactly one week.”
“Are you serious?!” Rivb shouted, laughing boisterously with pure excitement.
“A whole week away from boring classroom lectures?
That is absolute paradise!
Count me in, bro!
I am definitely going!”
Chrites ended the call and dialed the next number.
**RING!**
“Chrites, what is the situation?” Chrono answered, his voice carrying a deeply serious, practical tone.
“We secured a one-week deployment to the Cebel command base starting Sunday,” Chrites explained.
“Logistical mapping and observation duties.”
“That is a highly valuable opportunity,” Chrono analyzed, speaking with a focused, approving tone.
“Participating in a live military operation will allow us to gain immense tactical information and real command knowledge.
I will prepare my standard gear immediately.
Thank you for including me.”
Hanging up, Chrites tapped the third contact.
**RING!**
“Hey, what’s up?” Shevy answered casually, chewing on something crunchy in the background.
“Military operation in Cebel this Sunday.
One week.
You want to come?” Chrites asked bluntly.
“Leave it to you to find a way to drag us across the ocean for a week.
Fine, I will come.
It is definitely better than sitting through another ancient history lecture.
Send me the assembly time.”
Chrites disconnected and called the fourth number.
**RING!**
“Hello, Chrites?” Melise’s voice echoed softly, carrying a gentle, shy tone.
“Hi Melise, the group is going on a one-week observation trip to a military base in Cebel starting Sunday,” Chrites relayed gently.
“Shevy and the others are already confirmed.
Would you like to join us?”
“Oh, if Shevy and everyone else are going, I would love to come,” Melise agreed, speaking with a warm, relieved tone.
“It sounds like a wonderful learning experience.
I will start packing tonight.”
Ending the call, Chrites dialed Linease.
This call required careful subtext.
**RING!**
“Chrites,” Linease answered instantly, her voice dropping to a sharp, attentive tone.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, everything is perfectly normal,” Chrites said, emphasizing his words carefully.
“I just arranged for our ordinary school group to attend a one-week military operation on the Cebel continent starting Sunday.
Purely as civilian analysts.”
A brief, heavy silence hung on the line as Linease processed the dual meaning.
She knew Cebel was the DNT stronghold.
Going there under the protection of an official military operation was a stroke of absolute genius.
“Oh, that is incredibly smart,” Linease responded, speaking with immense, enthusiastic subtext.
“A perfect observation trip.
I am completely on board, Chrites.
I will make sure my schedule is clear.”
Finally, Chrites dialed the sixth and final number.
**RING!**
“Hello Chrites, it is wonderful to hear from you,” Vaelora answered, her voice radiating an elegant, deeply friendly tone.
Despite her recent rejection, she maintained her refined composure perfectly.
“Hi Vaelora,” Chrites greeted politely.
“Our class division group is participating in a one-week logistical operation in Cebel this Sunday.
Since we agreed to be good friends, I wanted to invite you along with us.”
“I would be absolutely delighted to join you,” Vaelora smiled through the phone, speaking with pure, cheerful appreciation.
“Spending a week together gaining field knowledge will be a fantastic way for all of us to bond as friends.
I will have my family secure my travel clearance immediately.”
**BEEP!**
With all six calls successfully completed and his entire circle fully mobilized for Sunday, Chrites tossed his smartphone onto the soft pillows.
The civilian arrangements were flawlessly set.
Now, he had urgent shadow business to attend to.
**SWISH!**
Chrites tapped into his spatial core.
He quickly shed his casual civilian shirt, summoning his tailored black formal suit and heavy obsidian coat.
He reached out and pulled the terrifying painted demon mask securely over his face, completely erasing the humble student.
The dark liquid shadows pooled rapidly across the bedroom floor, surging upward to swallow him whole.
In a fraction of a millisecond, the quiet house vanished, and he teleported directly into the subterranean headquarters of The Obsidian Syndicate.
Stepping out of the void onto the cold steel floor of the bunker, Chrites’s glowing blue eyes narrowed sharply.
Heavy, deliberate footsteps echoed through the massive operations room.
Standing directly beneath the bright overhead lights, waiting specifically for him to arrive, was a highly imposing, incredibly important figure whose presence would change the entire course of their war.