Chapter 208 - The Crater Camp

Dumping a load of information on the soldier, Rynold made him fall silent.

In hindsight, anybody else would've done the same. Magic was still an elusive subject, after all, and it was because of Rynold's experiences with it that made him learn and grow. That said, it wasn't the same for every person out there, present company included.

"But, then again, soldiers of the military have their weapons. What use is there for you to listen to a civilian?" Rynold casually played it off like it was nothing.

"You may know what you're saying," the soldier became weary, "But, I am under strict orders not to converse with you any more than necessary. I am here to bring you to your quarters. Anything else you say won't warrant a response."

Rynold got the message.

The soldier wanted Rynold to say more about what he knew without violating his orders. It was one way of getting around whatever orders the guy had. But, Rynold wasn't willing to blabber aimlessly and disclose all types of information. Rynold wouldn't do that unless he got something in exchange.

"Alright," Rynold played ignorantly, "Then, I won't presume anything about your situation. But, what I do want to know is how Elle got in charge. I suppose it might be common knowledge, right?"

Watching the soldier's facial reaction, Rynold could tell what the guy was thinking. It was subtle, but Rynold could see the slight increase in tension on the guy's shoulders.

"Of course, you don't have to answer that," Rynold added as he guessed the answer, "Anyway, I doubt she's capable of being a leader in the army. She's around my age, after all. And, if you think that we're kids, what does that make her?"

After saying that, Rynold chuckled as he leaned forward and put his forearms on the railing.

"I'm not saying that subjectively, mind you. Objectively speaking, Elle hasn't grown in strength. Or, at least, not at our pace. Her magic was weak. I've met children who had stronger grasps of Mana,"

Rynold turned to the kid who was speaking to Neana. Then, he faced forward once more. It was a subtle, barely noticeable look.

"Anyway," Rynold scoffed and changed the subject, "I'm going to need your name, man. It's weird that the military doesn't have their names on their uniform. But, hey, if you want me to keep calling you worse and worse names, it's your call."

That said, Rynold didn't really want an answer. It was more a joke than anything serious. The tone of Rynold's words was even playfully pleasant like one would use inside a circle of friends.

"Still," Rynold continued talking as he let out a sigh, "Can't believe it came back and bit me in the ass. Who would've known Elle got to a place high up in the military. I get that her boyfriend and family had some pull in military efforts. But, it's still a surprise to find her here and in a position of power, no less."

Having gone through a monologue, Rynold had nothing else to say. He fell silent, even though he still had questions in his head. What point is there in asking when there's no answer any time soon?

"Her guidance is valuable to the military," the soldier commented, and Rynold could hear the hesitation in his voice. "She was one of the few evolvers capable of using Mana when the New World first struck. To be able to survive in the city unscathed is a feat even the military couldn't ignore."

Upon hearing that, Rynold quickly faced the soldier. He then looked away not a second after. Rynold didn't want the soldier to see the look on his face. The look of bafflement and shock rolled up into one.

'There's no way.'

That was what Rynold thought because of how ridiculous it sounded. It was sure as hell wasn't believable either. How Elle managed to fool even the higher-ups in the military was beyond Rynold.

"I see," Rynold said after absorbing the information and recovering. "It's a bit - unexpected. But, hey, whatever the military decided, it's on them."

Following that, Rynold fell silent. He still couldn't believe that Elle managed to lie, fool, cheat, and scam her way to a high position. Which, consequently, made Rynold think about what would happen if he stayed in Ark City.

To which, Rynold dismissed the idea when he remembered Elle's growth as a Magic User stunted.

"Anyway," Rynold cleared his throat as the lift continued to bring them down, "I think you should focus on improving your Mana. There's more than one way to become stronger in that regard."

Rynold turned his head slightly to see the soldier's reaction. He wasn't sure if the soldier would take offense to what he just said. After all, the two weren't exactly friends.

"It's just a suggestion," Rynold casually mentioned as he saw the brows on the soldier's head slightly narrow. "From my experience, Mana is a projection of our will. In the case of Augmenters like us, the relationship is more direct than any other type of Magic User. If you strengthen that and increase your understanding of Mana, you'll be unstoppable in no time."

To any other person, what Rynold just said was complete nonsense. But, to someone who earnestly wanted to find out what their capabilities were, it was gold. Rynold essentially gave the soldier a directional guide on how to raise their Augment abilities.

Whichever type of person the soldier was, though, was something he had to decide for himself.

"I guess we're here."

The lift gently stopped as soon as the ground appeared before them. The railing Rynold was leaning on lowered automatically, opening a way for Rynold and the group to walk.

"Please," the soldier said, his voice significantly less hostile than before, "Follow me. I shall direct you to your quarters."

Letting the guy walk first, Rynold stood still and waited for Neana and the kid. Rynold wanted to walk with them together. With that, they soon followed after the soldier's steps.

"You cheered him up?" Neana asked Rynold as they walked side by side.

"How'd you know?"

"Dunno," Neana playfully answered, "But he seems a lot less tense towards us. Whatever you said must've worked. Isn't that nice of you?"

Rynold couldn't tell if Neana was messing with him or not. But, even so, Rynold was quite glad about the outcome.

"So, what'd you find out?" Neana added, this time asking rather slyly.

"What makes you think that I found something? Can't a guy talk to another guy without any underhanded reasons?"

Neana looked at Rynold with a doubtful expression. It was as if she was saying Rynold wasn't fooling anyone. She knew better than to think Rynold was that friendly.

"Okay, fine," Rynold answered with defeat. "I didn't find anything substantial. Just some questions that needed answering is all. Like how Elle got into the military and the current state of Magic Users within the soldiers. All in all, it's really nothing worth mentioning."

"Care to explain?"

"Nea, there's really nothing to explain," Rynold shook his head and chuckled. "But, from what I can tell, the military is screwed. They're still relying on their weapons instead of magic. Sure, firearms had their benefits, but I don't think they're going to last very long."

That said, it wasn't Rynold's problem to deal with any of that. He wasn't going to go out of his way to help the military. They can take care of themselves. Rynold would only be putting himself into trouble for it.

He wasn't about to go out of his way to find trouble, especially when things settled down.

"So? What do you want to do about it?" Neana asked as if she were trying to find Rynold's reason for knowing these things.

"Dunno," Rynold answered as he shrugged. "Although, I can guarantee that I won't be messing around with them. Looking for trouble is the last thing I want to do right now. Let's just lay low and find Oliver in the morning."

"You know, you keep saying that but do you actually have any idea where he is? Ark City is huge. We're going to be wasting a lot of time just trying to find a trail."

"I don't have a clue," Rynold chuckled and casually shook his head, "I mean, I know where he's going. If we head there first, then we'll wait for Oliver to catch up."

The tone of Rynold's voice was loose, ridiculously so. It made Neana worry if Rynold knew what his plan was. But, on the other hand, Rynold himself felt calm. That's because this has always been the plan: to meet Oliver at the destination. It's impossible to follow his trail, after all, especially considering the teleportation destination was random.

"Right...," Neana nervously nodded.

"Don't worry. I'm sure things will work out in the end," Rynold reassured, "It's been a long day. So, let's relax for a bit, okay?"

Patting Neana on the shoulder, Rynold smiled. He wanted to make her feel safe during times of uncertainty. Even if there were a lot of things going on, Rynold felt responsible for Neana's safety.

"That's..., impressive."

Stopping dead in his tracks, Rynold looked at the exit of the tunnel they took. From the lift up until this point, there wasn't anything special. Not until they reached the exit of the tunnel, that is.

From where they were standing, Rynold could see the camp much better than before. It was indeed a military base, but it wasn't until now that Rynold realized it was so much more than that. There were soldiers moving around the place. And, not only that but there were also civilians too.

Why were they here?

The civilians seemed to be working at the base too. It was probably for the logistics of maintenance of the place. But, even so, why were there so many civilians around?

"Follow me, please."

The soldier caught Rynold's attention as they proceeded out of the tunnel and into the crater. Rynold, for the most part, kept looking around the place and tried to analyze whatever was around them. And, quite unsubtly, Rynold also expressed his awe.

'Wow.'

That was the only thing in his head right now as he kept looking. Rynold was honestly taken aback by how developed things were in this crater. Hell, it seemed as though these people set up camp here long before the New World came. There was power, running water, and whatever one might need in this one military camp.

Regardless, Rynold and the others kept moving on and didn't stop until the soldier did. Turning corners and passing through different buildings, the group only stopped until they reached a pristine-looking building similar to a motel.

"This is where we're staying?" Rynold asked as soon as he stood beside the soldier.

"Yes," the soldier responded with a steely confirmation, "This is a new facility dedicated to any civilians that are staying in the camp temporarily."

"Here are your keys," the soldier added as he gave Rynold two keys. "May I remind you that you are under strict instruction not to venture to any part of the camp. You will find an intercom system within your rooms if you have any requests."

"Hold on," Rynold interrupted the soldier's explanation. "Why hand me two keys? There's three of us."

"Aren't the two of you in a relationship? Surely, sharing a room shouldn't be a problem?"

Rynold could tell that the guy was messing with him. But, instead of retorting and expressing complaints, Neana had other ideas in mind.

"Yep," Neana answered for Rynold and grabbed the keys out of his hand. "Thanks for the hospitality. And, if you don't mind, I'd like to settle in first."

"Uh..., sure..?" Rynold hesitantly responded. Then, Neana gleefully took one of the rooms and took the kid with her. Confused didn't begin to cover what Rynold felt.

Regardless, Rynold was now left alone with the soldier. It was an opportune time for Rynold to find out more about this place.