New One's Group

"Once I'm done here, I'm heading to the Redlight District. Want to come with me?" a man asked the person beside him.

"Sorry, I have a date," the other man replied, shaking his head.

Both of them wore sleek, black Exoskeleton Suits—seamless yet mechanical, with only a few exposed wires and streaks of coursing electricity visible. On their chests was an insignia: a circle with the number one over it. Their helmets covered their heads entirely, leaving only their faces exposed, though a faint, translucent light shimmered across their skin—an extra layer of protection.

Unlike the heavy and noisy Exoskeleton Suits worn by the surrounding Primers, theirs were lightweight and designed for mobility.

"A date? Didn't think you were that kind of guy, Lance," the first man said, surprised.

"Don't be ridiculous, Dave. You know my goal." Lance chuckled. "She's an actress. I need to at least behave when I'm with her." His eyes burned with lust at the thought of his date. With brown hair and a somewhat attractive face, he had his own charm.

"An actress, huh?" Dave sneered. "I bet she's a small-time actress who's only dating you for your money."

Unlike Lance, who had a face he could put to use when needed, Dave was tall and lanky with an ugly face—the stereotypical nerd.

"She's still an actress. What about you? The women who want to bed you are straight out of the streets. Who knows how many diseases you've already caught?" Lance shot back.

"You—!" Dave glared at Lance, his black Half-Aegis Suit letting out a faint whirring sound as he prepared to fight.

"What? You wanna go?" Lance wasn't backing down. He reached for the hilt of his sword.

"Hell yeah!" Dave shouted.

His outburst drew the attention of the surrounding Primers. As soon as they saw two Half-Aegis users about to clash, they hurriedly backed away.

They were standing beneath the towering spire—a massive, pointed structure of metal, large enough to cover an entire football field. But the real reason they were here was the swirling black-and-blue portal beneath it—the gateway that would allow them to close this Fissure.

The Primers on the scene wisely kept their distance. Unlike Lance and Dave, they only wore crude Mechanical Suits—far weaker and easier to destroy than Half-Aegis Primes. They weren't about to risk getting caught in the crossfire and losing their gear.

However, just as the fight was about to break out, a cold voice echoed under the spire.

"Stop it."

Instantly, all eyes turned toward the person walking toward the New One's group.

Like Lance and Dave, this individual also wore a black Half-Aegis Suit—but this one was sleeker, with defined curves at the hips, outlining the shape of the person within. A woman. She was accompanied by two others—one man, one woman—but most of the crowd only had eyes for her.

Deep blue eyes, a straight nose, red lips, and soft white skin. A top-tier beauty who commanded everyone's attention.

"Carina," Lance and Dave said in unison as the whirring sounds from their Exoskeleton Suits faded.

"We step away for a bit, and you two are already fighting?" Carina's cold gaze swept over them. "I told you to behave, but it seems my words as Captain are nothing more than air. I'll make sure you both receive disciplinary action once we're out of here."

"He was the one who st—" Dave pointed at Lance but quickly put his hand down upon seeing their captain's glare. "I understand."

"We'll follow your arrangements," Lance nodded, though he really wanted to smash Dave's face into the ground.

"Good. If no one shows up in the next few minutes, we'll initiate the Fissure closure," Carina said before turning to the man behind her. "Herm, take care of the suitcase. We can't take any chances with these people who think they can walk the same path as us."

Herm had a chubby face but wore a calm expression. Nodding, he clutched the suitcase tightly in his right hand.

The black suitcase had an expansion feature—once opened, it transformed into a storage rack where they kept Growth Orbs and other essential items.

"We have the most Growth Orbs here. They'll definitely have their eyes on that suitcase," Carina reminded them before turning to the other woman. "Brief us again on the monster inside."

Fermin had playful, candy-colored eyes and barely reached their captain's shoulder, making her the smallest in the group. But none of her teammates dared to underestimate her—not even Dave, the most mischievous among them, wanted to be on her bad side.

"In order to close this Fissure, we'll have to take down the Ground Fire Hog. That thing is ferocious and will fight to the death. It doesn't care about injuries…" Fermin began explaining in her cute voice, and her teammates listened attentively.

Being under a Primer Company, they had already received intel on the Final Boss before entering the Fissure. This was one of the perks of having a contract with an Organization—access to crucial information that could make a difference inside. Of course, the most important benefit was the Exoskeleton Suits they were given.

With these Half-Aegis suits, they were no longer ordinary humans. Primers who dreamed of acquiring such suits both feared and admired them, as not just anyone could wear an Aegis. However, this superiority often led Half-Aegis users to grow complacent, just as Mechanical Suit wearers looked down on Primers without a suit.

Lance and Dave sneered at the people around them, clear disgust on their faces as they continued listening to Fermin's explanation.

Soon, Fermin finished her briefing, and the group began preparing to enter the portal.

"Remember, after we kill it, we'll take the Growth Orb as fast as possible," Carina reminded them, casting a glance at Dave and Lance. "You two will swat the flies away while Fermin and I focus on the Orb. Got it?"

"Got it!" Dave and Lance responded in unison.

A few minutes later, the time had come to face the Final Boss.

"Let's go!" Carina commanded, and the New One's group moved toward the portal.

However, just as they were about to step inside, one of the Primers in the crowd suddenly exclaimed—followed by several others, their voices filled with surprise.

Carina and her team halted in their tracks, turning toward the commotion.