Defectors

Deep into the night, everyone had already reached the inn and settled into their respective rooms.

While everyone was sleeping, Melissa was pacing around in the living room of her individual apartment.

Eventually after a few seconds, the call she was waiting for rang on her phone.

"Where are you?"

She asked. Sander, her brother, replied on the other end.

"Below the inn, meet me at the nearby bar."

"Okay."

The rescue team from the Human Federation was finally here. 

Although it may seem useless for them to be here after everything was over, at least she could rest easy now after giving them all the information and letting them do the rest of the work.

The rescue team would secure the captured anomalies, the Mystical Artifact and Rodrick, taking them to the headquarters themselves as it was obviously safer that way.

They would also assess the situation, gather information from everyone and piece together the complete situation of what exactly transpired. 

It was so that they could make a comprehensive report to upload on the Federation's database.

Since there was no active combat needed after everything was over, their roles were limited to such auxiliary tasks.

The rescue team would also be responsible for scouring the area, which they would do a far better job at than some senior students. 

Before leaving they had to make sure to neutralize any and all threats around the area if any remained in the first place. 

The heretics were a big threat after all. The more of them one killed, the better it would be for the humans.

When she came down in the lobby of the inn, the rescue team, headed by Colt, the blond haired man, was already setting up various equipment and had begun doing their job.

Some of them were changing into special suits, devised for better utilizing the skills they had, while some suits were better for the tasks they were assigned.

She nodded at Colt, and was about to head out of the inn when he said.

"Can I have the information about everything related to the mission?"

Melissa smiled and replied. "I'll give them to you after I meet my brother."

Colt frowned. "I need the information Melissa, the work is more important than meeting your brother. 

"And I am the head of the rescue team, not him."

Melissa tilted her head, not at all fazed by Colt.

"Was I asking? I did tell you after I'll give it to you after meeting my brother. It won't take much time, not to mention we are not on a time limit here anyway after everything has been dealt with."

She didn't stay to hear what he had to say. Heading towards the bar, she entered the private cabin booked by her brother.

"I am glad you're safe."

Relief washed over Sander when he finally laid eyes upon his sister. 

Melissa smiled, aware about her brother's concern, but got to the point immediately.

"Is it about Eryndor?"

"Yes. We'll need to hide some information, and his contributions."

"Because there's doubts about his ability? I mean, we do need to know what abilities students have to take precautions about them.

"Or it would turn out like Rodrick. We had no idea he had such an ability. I might have lost my life if not for Eryndor."

The Human Federation didn't only train people who had awakened an ability. Sometimes they enrolled a person if they paid a high enough amount of money, some important information or some rare resources. 

They couldn't treat a person who provided the above too badly after all, else no one would be willing to give them to the Human Federation.

If the Federation adopted a dismissive attitude towards the people living in their territory, they would rather trade with the some of the Outer Domains who had adopted a rather favourable stance against the humans of Earth.

Sander replied to her doubts.

"I know. We do indeed need to know what abilities a student possesses, but I simply don't want some people to take it too far.

"They don't want the emergence of a talented person you know. I am hundred percent sure they would cripple Eryndor if they couldn't find out anything about him.

"Because even apart from his innate abilities, you informed me that he has already cultivated to stage 2 of Qi Gathering realm. Which means he has already broken your record, which was the fastest. 

"On top of that, he can already control his Qi to cover the surface of his body and also enhance parts of his body. 

"That no longer comes under genius, he is a monster. That is, if everything you said is true."

Melissa knew what he was talking about. 

Only those with the highest level of mastery could manipulate Qi to coat their bodies at stage two of the Qi Gathering realm. 

In fact, the Human Federation had never produced an individual capable of achieving it.

Then, why was this mentioned in the practice technique's information booklet? Because the information in the technique booklet originated from the Cultivation Outer Domain, where even there, such a feat was rare.

As for enhancing parts of the body with Qi at such a low stage? Well, it wasn't achieved by anyone even back in the Cultivation Outer Domain.

Melissa frowned at his words.

"I wonder why such dangerous people are still allowed to work at the Human Federation. They are literally defectors. 

"Can't we take them out one by one? Or strip away their authority so they can't access classified information of the Federation?"

Sander took a deep breath.

"The thing is, we don't exactly know who they are. They hide themselves really well. If we rashly make a move then it could lead to distrust among the Federation itself."

Melissa wasn't really following her brother's words. She replied, voicing her doubts.

"But they should still leave traces when they make a move right? Just like the time where they made a move against you.

"You didn't deserve to get transferred to the call operator work space. Even if you had gone against the orders and even caused the death of your team, what you achieved was unprecedented.

"You were the one who stole the Amplifier Doll which I used in this mission. It caused the ritual of Heretics to go out of control, causing the demise of several of their high ranking members. 

"It also drained resources from the Outer Domain of Mages, which they still haven't recovered from to this date.

"I refuse to believe the Federation would punish you so severely, making you a call operator and even cutting off your resource supplies.

"It was definitely some high ranking defector who made a move, they should have left at least some traces, right?"

Sander flashed her a grin.

"They did, and I intend to take full advantage of it in a few weeks. This is why I also need your help to protect Eryndor. 

"I can't make a move at this critical point, this would put me under their radar once again."

Melissa looked at her brother who was radiating a very confident aura.

"What do you intend to do?"