Chapter 22: The Meeting's Adjourned

Wilson spoke with pride as he introduced Luke-Man's background. "Luke-Man isn't just a unique elementalist; he's also an incredibly quick learner. Back in the days of King Barry's rule, he was relegated to the role of a cage fighter, nothing more."

Wilson's gaze met Luke-Man's as he continued, "But when he came under my wing, I saw potential in him that went beyond fighting. I provided him and my people with opportunities and knowledge to become more than just warriors."

Recognizing Luke-Man's exceptional abilities, Wilson strategically placed him in the field of transportation. "I assigned Luke-Man to study the intricacies of transport craftsmanship," Wilson explained. "His fire element comes in handy for metallurgical tasks and engine work, while his electric abilities are invaluable when handling electronic control systems."

The room filled with renewed respect and appreciation for Luke-Man's diverse skill set and the potential contributions he could make to their collective journey.

Lambda said, "So you were a cage fighter turned mechanic, huh? That was good work you did, Mr. Wilson."

Rocco said to Lambda, "It was the same for you, Boss. Juice and I were just mere slaves to another crazy lord when you and your friends liberated us." Everyone was impressed by that information.

Lambda just looked at the table and said, "Hey, that was a long time ago."

Wilson asked Lambda, "Hey, giant. What did you do before all this?" It seemed like everyone also wondered about his past.

Ryland thought to himself, "Yeah, I also wonder. As far as I know, he was an adventurer before he took up mining as his career."

Lambda responded, "Heyyy, this is Luke-Man's turn. Let him finish. I'll tell you guys soon when we have the chance."

Right after he said that, he swung his right arm downward to his back, hitting Rocco right in the groin. As Rocco shouted in shock, he bent his knees and held onto Lambda's chair with his left arm, trying to endure the pain as much as he could.

Ryland and O'kuyo giggled at the situation, knowing how much pain Rocco was in.

The others, seeing Rocco in excruciating pain for discussing Lambda's past, understood that Lambda wasn't ready to talk about that issue right now.

Seeing that the issue with Lambda's past had been halted, Luke-Man continued, "Okay, I think that's all about me. Unless you have any more questions?" The room remained silent.

As Luke-Man was about to sit down, O'kuyo shouted, "Weaknesses! What are your weaknesses? You haven't told us about that yet."

Luke-Man looked at his boss questioningly. Wilson nodded and gave a thumbs-up, signaling that it was okay for Luke-Man to reveal his weaknesses.

Luke-Man sighed and continued, "If you can't guess my weaknesses, we're going to have a lot of trouble on our adventures soon. It's so basic."

"Water," Alan said, "it's the water element, right?"

Luke-Man nodded, "Yes, the water element is the natural counter for the fire element. As for my electric element, while it can spread in water and damage my enemies, I can't control the flow of water, which has resulted in friendly fire incidents before as my comrades also got caught in the water."

Everyone took note of that. Alan said, "Well, we can think of something to help you counter the water element. We'll see to it when we get to Aulia Town soon."

"I will be so grateful for that. Thank you, General Shadowstrike," replied Luke-Man.

Luke-Man continued, "Well, if that's all, I am in your care from now on, gentlemen. Looking forward to working with you all."

Then, Ryland stood up and said, "Thank you, Mr. Luke-Man. I'm sure we're all happy to have you onboard with us." Ryland pulled out his staff and held it in his left hand.

"I am Ryland Vorheus. Apparently, I am a New-Human who still hasn't awakened any power yet. But recently, I found this staff, thanks to Mr. Lambda, Rocco, and Juice over there. If not for them, I think I would have been vampire bats' blood bank by now," said Ryland, pointing to Lambda and his men.

"This staff belonged to my father, Xavier Dragonheart, who was one of the Heroes of The New World and has been missing for 15 years. I bet Mr. Wilson told you all about me, right?" Ryland said. "So, you should all know by now what this staff can do."

Without further ado, Ryland raised his staff in the air and shouted, "White Boy! Razor!" calling forth his two summons.

For those who had never seen it before, it was a magnificent sight. Light particles emanated from the staff, materializing as monsters that obeyed the person calling them, a first-time experience for them.

Meanwhile, White Boy hovered in the air, and Razor took a defensive stance on the table. Seeing unfamiliar faces, Razor began performing his defensive stance, and White Boy started hovering around, shrieking continuously.

Ryland put his palm on his face and said, "Razor... These are my friends. Don't get so dramatic. And you, White Boy, it's not always eating time when I call you out. Stop shouting about food and please stay in the same spot. You're making people anxious, you know."

Hearing this, Razor relaxed his stance, and White Boy stopped hovering, staying in place.

Everyone burst into laughter at Ryland's struggles to manage the creatures' quirks. It was like a young father learning to babysit his little tots.

Wilson said, "Well, there's nothing more I can say about you. I was there when you were just a baby. Don't worry, kid. We're all going to help you find your father and his friends."

Everyone agreed. Ryland felt touched and glad to finally experience this atmosphere, being with people other than his Grandpa and O'kuyo, who looked up to him, who would fight through thick and thin with him. Something he had never imagined before.

In the corner of his eye, Ryland could see Alan smile. A smile like none he had ever given before. Not of happiness or sadness, but of completion. To see this kid he raised becoming someone people looked up to, as if he had achieved the peak of parenthood.

After that, O'kuyo took over the meeting, "I guess that's all with our current personnel. I would say this group is almost complete. We just need some scouts, informers, trackers, weapons operators, and possibly some more powerhouses if we happen to find some."

Wilson chimed in, "We also need to clarify the positions of each party member. I have a suggestion. Let me write it down."

Wilson took a marker pen and started writing on the glass wall beside the room. The positions proposed by Wilson were:

Party Leader: General Alan "Shadowstrike" Vorheus. Vice Leader: Michael Lambda. Chief Operational Officer: Erac "Ironbringer" Wilson. Operational Officer: O'kuyo Moukoko. Logistics and Transportation Officer: Ash "Smoothride" Angel. Maintenance Officer: Luke-Man. Lookout: Ryland Vorheus.

"So, what do you guys think?" asked Wilson.

O'kuyo raised his hand and asked, "Could you elaborate, Mr. Wilson? Especially on my appointment. Don't you think a newbie like me should be another lookout like Ryland?"

Wilson explained, "I've seen how you handled the meeting. It seems like you thought about all this before you came here. That's a quality we need in an Operational Officer, or OpsO. I think everyone could agree on that. Moreover, you've become my disciple now. I want you to learn as much as you can under my wing."

Alan nodded. Lambda said he agreed, followed by everyone else in the room.

"For other positions, I appointed you all based on your previous experience and what suits your expertise. General Shadowstrike was a general before, so of course, he's going to be a leader. Mr. Lambda had his share of leadership during his adventuring days and also in his mining company; that suits him as our Vice Leader."

Everyone agreed with that. Lambda sighed but didn't resist.

"I have been planning battles and skirmishes during my days in Xavier's Army and my current 'work.' So, I have experience with operational work, plus maneuvering in the underground world."

"As for Luke-Man and Ash, obviously, they suit maintenance and transportation, respectively. The logistics fall on Ash because he is my subordinate. And among us, you could only guess how much my gang has earned from years of exploiting Mercurial in this town."

"Ryland alone is appointed as the lookout. But you're not really alone, are you, Ryland?" said Wilson as he shifted his gaze towards Ryland.

Ryland smiled and patted White Boy. "You're right, Mr. Wilson. I have my summons to help me with that task. I'm going to give it my best."

Everyone stayed silent. Then, Alan stood up and said, "Alright, everyone. As the leader of this group, I want to ask if you all agree to adjourn this meeting or should we continue with the logistics and raised issues?"

Everyone murmured. Wilson started pretending to die in his chair with his tongue out. Rocco and Juice started shaking their legs, showing signs of tiredness. Lambda put his right cheek on the table, gazing away from Alan but to everyone, mouthing "we should stop!"

Ryland and O'kuyo burst into laughter. Alan understood his now new subordinates' thoughts.

"Alright, alright! You bunch of ingrates. Stop your whining. Ash, I believe you will handle the logistics smoothly. Wilson, make sure of that, will you?" commanded Alan to Ash and Wilson.

"Aye aye, General!" responded Wilson and Ash simultaneously.

Alan continued, "Alright, now that's been decided, I adjourn this meeting, and we will depart for our first destination, Aulia Town, in 3 days!"

All of them responded simultaneously, "Aye aye, General."