Task Force Members

"Well, I own the place, so it's not weird for me to pass by now and then. " Darius replied in a nonchalant tone while approaching the two.

"That's not what I meant. " James said with a confused expression.

"I noticed that you and Adam were strangely cold this past week, so I followed you after our last strategy meeting and noticed that you've been coming here. " Darius reached the two and looked at Adam before continuing. "I never thought that Adam would grow to this extent in a mere week. You can pass the task force test now. "

"I had an excellent punching bag. " Adam said with a bashful expression while scratching his head and sneaking a slight insult to James.

"Who are you calling a punching bag?! " James yelled in an infuriated tone. "Seems like you need to be taught a lesson. " He cracked his knuckles as a devious smile surfaced on his face.

"Bring it on. Beating you twice in one day won't be a big deal. " Adam also grabbed his sword and talked in a sarcastic tone.

"Yup, okay, you two stop right there. " Darius stepped in between the two to stop their fight from escalating. "Adam, you need to go home and get some proper rest. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for you, after all. "

"It's disappointing, but he's right. " James spoke before taking off the gauntlet on his left hand. "Captain Yamamoto said that he will conduct your test personally, so it won't be an easy one. He's the embodiment of strictness... " He continued in a grave tone.

'Just what kind of monster is this captain... ' Adam thought with a curious expression after seeing James's frightened face.

______________

After tidying up the space, the trio left the building and Darius offered James and Adam a ride to their houses.

"See you tomorrow, Adam. " Darius said his farewells. "Don't forget, tomorrow your test will be at 10:30 am, in the task force headquarters. Don't be late. "

"Don't worry about it. I'll be there. " Adam said with a smile before waving his hand. "See you tomorrow. " He turned around and walked towards his apartment complex.

*Ka-chick! *

Adam opened his apartment door and entered with an exhausted expression.

*Plop! *

He immediately plopped on his bed.

*Sigh *

A deep sigh escaped his lips before he looked outside his window.

'I said all that, but honestly, beating James today was just a fluke... ' Adam thought with a bitter expression. 'If we were to fight again, I would definitely lose. ' He buried his face in his pillow.

'I wonder what the other members of the task force are like... ' Adam's thoughts started going wild as he imagined the faces of his soon-to-be companions. 'What am I thinking? I need to pass the test first... '

*Growl~ *

His stomach let out a growling sound, which made him sit up immediately.

'Guess I'm too hungry to sleep right now. ' Adam rubbed his belly before walking to the kitchen.

He fixed himself a quick cup of ramen and sat in front of the television to watch the news while eating.

'I will never understand people who eat without watching something. ' He thought as he slurped on a noodle. 'Although I have nothing to watch but the news, it's like a ritual. '

'Well, I have some money right now, and the task force will pay me a salary if I officially join. ' Adam thought while watching the same news reporters report the same boring news. 'Should I subscribe to some streaming services? Metflix would be nice. Everyone says it has some interesting shows, but I need to get internet first. '

*Slurp! *

Adam finished the ramen cup and turned off his television before heading to bed.

'I'll think about all that after I join the task force. ' He covered himself in his thin blanket and closed his eyes.

______________

The next day, at 10 a.m.

*Ring! *

*Ring! *

Adam's phone was ringing nonstop for half an hour.

"I might just break this noisy brick. " Adam woke up and complained in an annoyed tone before picking up the phone to check who it was.

The caller ID showed Darius.

*Beep. *

"Darius, what is it? " Adam replied while still yawning.

"Adam! How long are you going to sleep?! " Darius asked in an urgent tone. "The test is in half an hour! "

"Oh shit! " Adam finally realized that he was late and got up off his bed with a nervous expression. "I'll be right there! "

"Just hurry and get ready! Mark is waiting for you downstairs. " Darius spoke before ending the call.

'Shit! ' Adam hurriedly entered the bathroom.

....

10 minutes later, Adam ran out of his apartment complex, wearing a pair of black trainers and a black hoodie, which were easy to move in.

"Adam! Let's go. " Mark called out to him from the usual car.

"Mark! " Adam yelled before hurriedly entering the car. "Sorry for making you wait again. " He apologized.

*Vroom! *

Mark started the car and immediately started driving.

"I'm just doing my job, so don't be sorry, but just set an alarm for god's sake! " He reprimanded Adam while driving through the busy streets of New York City.

_____________

After a quick drive, they arrived at the task force headquarters in the nick of time.

"Follow me. " Mark turned off the engine and walked towards the entrance.

Adam also exited the car and followed Mark with a heavy heart. This was the moment he will meet the task force members for the first time, which made him quite nervous, and he was late to top it off.

'Amazing... ' Adam's mouth gaped at the outrageous amount of mana concentrated inside the building. 'These guys are actual monsters... ' The sheer amount of pressure he felt at the moment was greater than anything he felt in his entire life.

Mark opened the door and walked in along with the nervous Adam.

Inside, along with James and Darius, were 6 other people.

"What took you so long? " The first one to approach Adam was James, who asked with a worried expression.

Adam, however, was too stunned to reply. He only focused his eyes on the sheer amount of mana emanating from the other people standing in front of him.

'James is nothing compared to the guys... ' Adam thought as he looked at every individual with a surprised gaze. 'That guy at the back must be the captain... ' When his eyes reached the man at the back, they widened even more. This was definitely the strongest human that Adam ever laid eyes on.

"Is this the newbie? " An orange-haired woman with deep blue eyes, wearing a red robe over her extremely curvaceous body, spoke nonchalantly. "Doesn't seem that strong to me... "

"Let's cut him some slack. He's only been a High Human for a few weeks after all. " A burly, African-American, bald man wearing silver armor and holding a giant shield spoke with a gentle smile.

"Didn't Darius scout him personally? He must be competent to some extent. " A blue-haired girl with brown eyes, wearing an oversized hoodie, spoke while scrutinizing Adam. "He is quite handsome, though. "

"You guys want to bet on how long he'll last against captain Yamamoto? " A red-haired man with black eyes and sharp, jagged teeth said with a devious smile. "I say 2 minutes, tops. "

"Stop it, Sneed. You're going to lose and come begging us to lend you money later, anyway. " A brown-haired man with black eyes, holding a greatsword and wearing a white tank top with simple black pants, spoke. "What's your name, newbie? " He turned to Adam and asked.

"Hello! My name is Adam King. " Adam stepped forward and introduced himself while trying to hide his nervousness.

"Well, Adam. I hope we can get along. " The brown-haired man stepped forward and stretched his hand. "My name is Kevin. I'm the vice-captain of this task force "

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kevin. " Adam shook Kevin's hand with a smile.

"Nice to meet you, too. " Kevin replied.

"Is this the guy you mentioned, Darius? " The man who was standing at the back of the room finally walked forward and asked. He had pitch-black, short hair with black eyes and an average build. His face looked stern, with a single scar on his cheek and his accent sounded oriental.

"Yeah. " Darius gave a brief reply.

"I'm Adam King, you must be Mr. Yamamoto. " Adam said before stretching his hand.

"Tardiness is unacceptable. " The captain, however, did not take Adam's hand. "If you're late for a mere test, how are we going to trust you with our lives in battle? " He said while looking at Adam with an indifferent gaze.