The food went cold in Ace’s mouth imdiately. How did this bastard know about Earth? Why was everyone trying to surprise him since he ca to Sector Delta?
Ace didn’t make any outward expression, though. He rely dipped his spoon into his food and took another bite, then nodded to himself. "How may I help you?"
The man ca directly from the door, which ant he knew sothing about Ace and wanted sothing from him in return.
Ace was also interested in soone who knew that much about him while he knew nothing about them.
The man’s smile was flawless. "Help ? How can I ask sothing like that from you, who just ca to this despairing place? It is we who are looking to help you!"
Ace raised his head. If he didn’t know how cruel the place was, how everyone was looking to take advantage of each other, he might have believed the warm, sweet words coming out of the person’s mouth.
"Please sit, I’m interested." Ace gestured to the table and sneaked a glance at Anansi, but the man was busy eating, not paying a single bit of attention to him.
Ace found the behavior odd and amusing. Anansi, who said he should listen to him all through, was now ignoring a stranger talking with him?
That wasn’t suspicious at all.
Everyone wanted to benefit from others’ situations.
Ace didn’t mind that. As long as he also had an upper hand.
The man settled in and flashed a smile that Ace was tempted to point out only made him more suspicious, but he didn’t say anything and simply continued to eat.
"My na is Gideon, and I am from the Earth Confederation, ECF!"
Ace blinked. "Okay?"
"Oh, you don’t know what that ans," Gideon looked around and then leaned forward, completely ignoring Anansi. He whispered, "Not everyone here is human; the majority of them are not. They just wear human skin. But we of the ECF are all humans, and we ca from Earth!"
"You all passed through the door?" Ace asked. He noticed that Gideon was well past the age of a student, but that ant little if he’d spent his life there in Sector Delta.
Gideon leaned back, and his eyes darkened. "Not all of us. Sotis, humans fall through the cracks of the space fracture and end up here."
"And you can’t pass through to go back?"
"This place is a trap. It’s ant to keep things in, not out, and the powers binding this place are even above that of a God!"
Ace stiffened slightly. At the mont, there shouldn’t be an existence above the Gods, so who was the person keeping Sector Delta sealed? So many things that the author didn’t include. Were all these possible plots and subplots that could exist in the book?
He didn’t ask, though.
Gideon continued, "But we have a lot of mbers that ca through the door as well. The ECF is a standalone power on our own; we fight and preserve the dignity of humankind in this type of place!"
His voice was filled with passion as he spoke, and he clenched his fist, gesturing wildly. "What’s your na? You should join us, and we’ll use our resources to power you directly to the door. One less human to suffer here!"
"That’s so generous of you at ECF!" Ace’s eyes widened, and his mouth opened in surprise. He dropped his spoon, and his hand went forward as if he wanted to shake Gideon’s hand. "To think... to think that there would be kindness in a place like this!"
Gideon smiled softly. "We are humans. Our first duty is to protect each other and persevere in this kind of place. We’ve sent others on the way as well, so yours shouldn’t be any different."
Ace’s eyes seed to glisten with tears. "I already thought I was going to die here...!"
"By the way, brother," Gideon leaned forward again. "How did you survive till now? The wasteland isn’t a very friendly place. Are you that powerful? We could use your help in ECF before we send you on your way then!"
When he asked, Gideon’s eyes had shifted to the left slightly, as if he was sending soone a ssage. It was very subtle, but Ace caught it clearly.
There were more of them here?
Ace’s hands ca together and twisted; his eyes flickered to Anansi’s side as if he was afraid of soone. "I’m a year-one student."
Gideon didn’t miss the subtle signal Ace gave him about Anansi. And the guy who had lived that long in Sector Delta understood. "... He’s a slave of that man now? Is that how he survived...?"
"Year one? But you must have a unique power; that’s why you’re sent here to grow stronger, right?" Gideon asked again.
Ace’s head ca down; sadness seed to cradle him, and he spoke in a low tone. "No. Actually, I replaced soone because they promised to pay my family money."
Gideon shook his head sadly. "How pitiful. But cheer up! Imagine the shock on everyone’s face when you return, and they see you! You’ll get to spend the money with your family and also get so powers to boast of!"
Ace’s eyes shone with excitent. "Is it true, then, that I can get Stigma from Sector Delta?"
Gideon nodded. "Of course. We can provide you with so low-level ones so you can pass freely. The higher-level ones will corrode your body."
Even then, the excitent in his eyes didn’t lessen. "I can’t wait to go back and show off my Stigma to the others! All those who bullied should see what happens to them after!"
Gideon laughed together with him. "Are you staying in this place?"
"I... we... I think so!" Ace’s eyes flickered to the side at Anansi again.
Gideon stared at him and seed to read sothing from his face. He nodded deeply. "I see. Then I will see you later. The ECF cares about all humans!"
He stood up, bowed, and left them.
Ace stared at his food, took a bite, and shook his head. "It’s all cold now."
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