"Hello, Miss Emma Gency," Thirteen said with a smile. "Are you good with dealing with seriously wounded individuals who are just a step away from kicking the bucket?"
"Sir, I am a trained dic," Emma answered. "I thrive in that environnt."
"Great." Thirteen nodded. "If you had to survive an apocalypse with only three items, what would they be?"
The young lady pondered for a bit before giving her answer.
It was not only her who was thinking of an answer to this question. Even Erica, Sherry, Shana, Cristopher, and Colbert thought about what items they would keep in that situation.
"A solar-powered phone charger, portable fan, and a coffee machine," Emma answered. "I need my daily dose of coffee to work long shifts, even if it's in the apocalypse."
"Very admirable," Thirteen comnted. "Final question—if your life had a the song, what would it be?"
"Raphael's Final Act from Baldurs Gate 3," Emma answered. "An orchestra singing while the world is about to end will make it incredibly epic."
"You have good taste." Thirteen smiled. "I like that song as well. Thank you for your ti. Please call the next one when you leave."
The girls by the wall wondered why Zion didn't make things difficult for Emma, unlike poor Al who had been wrung dry and left questioning his life choice of applying to the 69th Battalion.
As if knowing what they were thinking, Thirteen glanced in their direction and smirked.
"She's a dic, you know?" Thirteen stated. "We need as many of them as we can when we go to the battlefield."
His answer made sense, so the three young ladies no longer questioned his decision.
This ti, a young man nearly two ters in height entered the room.
He was the first person Thirteen noticed when he saw the new recruits. With his height, he inevitably stuck out like a sore thumb.
"Mr. Hugh Jass, why did you join the military?" Thirteen asked as he rested his chin on the back of his intertwined hands.
"I didn't really have any intention of joining the military in the past," Hugh replied. "But whenever I see you, I feel a heartache that I can't explain."
"Have you gone to the hospital to have it checked?" Thirteen inquired calmly.
"Yes," Hugh replied. "But the doctor said that he doesn't see anything wrong with my heart or body. Well, aside from being tall that is."
When Thirteen saw the young man, he also felt sothing that tugged at his heartstrings.
However, unlike Vincent, who looked exactly like he did in his past life, Hugh's face and appearance didn't resemble any of Thirteen's previous hosts.
Still, there was an inexplicable feeling as if they had known each other for a long ti.
Thirteen glanced at his Status Page montarily and looked at the nas under the Destiny Bond tab.
The Destiny Bond was a skill that "The One" had given him out of pity when they t for the first ti.
****
< Destiny Bond >
— You will feel the presence of the people who have a very strong connection with you. The stronger your feelings are for a person, the stronger the connection.
If your feelings for them reach a certain threshold, it is possible to pinpoint their exact location using the strings of fate that bound you to them.
List of People that are tied to your Destiny.
Gerald
Alessia
Mikhail
Shasha
Remi
Rhia
Arthur
Callista
Erica
Sherry
Shana
Cristopher
Colbert
Vincent
Hugo - (New!)
****
Thirteen blanked out for a brief mont when he saw the na Hugo appear under his Destiny Bond tab.
'Hugo… Hugh,' Thirteen thought. 'Now it made sense. Why didn't I think of it right away?'
The teenage boy's gaze softened a bit as he gazed at the tall young man in front of him.
"You know, I feel the sa way," Thirteen said with a smile. "Perhaps we were good friends in our past life."
"I do hope that's true, Sir," Hugo rubbed his nose. "If that's really the case then this must be fate at work."
The corner of Thirteen's lips twitched after hearing the word "Fate."
It was the word he hated the most. But knowing Hugh didn't an it in a bad way, the teenage boy decided to just let it slide.
"Final question," Thirteen said. "If your life in the military had a the song, what would it be?"
"I Will Survive," Hugh answered in a heartbeat. "My family and I used to live in the Cygni Continent, and like everyone, we evacuated to here, in the Sirius Continent.
"We have lost our ho, but we haven't lost our future. I am willing to fight for that future and make my stand alongside the heroes of humanity. When I say heroes, Sir, I am referring to you."
", a Hero?" Thirteen shook his head. "You should be referring to them, right?"
The teenage boy pointed at Erica and Shana, who were standing at the corner of the room and listening to the conversation between Thirteen and Hugh.
"They are indeed part of the Hero Party." Hugh nodded. "But Sir, in my eyes, you are also a Hero."
Thirteen didn't comnt right away. Instead, he stared at the young man, who reminded him of the gentle Bronze Golem who only wished to protect the tomb of his creator.
Unfortunately, his Master was a very powerful individual, and many coveted the treasures that were buried alongside him.
The Bronze Golem, Hugo, protected the tomb, even when his body was hacked into pieces by the mbers of the Hero Party in that world, who thought of him as a re Guardian Monster blocking their way.
After the Heroes looted his master's tomb, the Bronze Golem's body parts reattached themselves to each other, and it wandered the land, thinking of ways to avenge his creator.
But after reaching a sanctuary where those who had fled from the constant war gathered, Hugo decided to stay there as their Guardian.
He had faced many battles while protecting the sanctuary, and the inhabitants started to call him their Hero.
The gentle giant beca good friends with them and spent ten years with them.
He even thought there would co a ti when he didn't need to fight anymore, and everyone would be able to live in peace and harmony.
Unfortunately, peace wasn't an option in a world where Humans and Demons fought a bitter war in order to subjugate each other.
In the end, Hugo died at the hands of the General of the Demon Army, who next massacred the helpless people the Bronze Giant tried to protect.
Before Hugo died, he had two regrets—his Master's tomb and the Sanctuary. In his last monts, all he thought about was how much he hated himself for being powerless to protect the ones he held dear.
Both were now in ruins, just like his body that had been destroyed without any hope of revival.
"Hugh, you call a Hero, but in my eyes, you are the real Hero," Thirteen said as the mories of his previous host slowly faded. "Don't worry. As long as you follow and listen to my orders, I will ensure that you will survive. I swear it."
Erica, Sherry, Shana, Cristopher, Colbert, and Hans were quite surprised because the teenage boy's expression suddenly beca serious.
Thirteen liked to hide behind a fake smile, and the number of tis where he truly showed his true emotions were extrely rare.
Everyone who had been with him for the past few years could tell that he wasn't faking anything right now.
His words were all serious, and since he swore on it, he would definitely make it happen without fail.
"Don't worry, Sir," Hugh replied with a smile. "I heard you have many restrictions in your body. I will do my best to protect you. I may not be the strongest in the 69th Battalion, but I am fairly confident with my strength."
"Protect ?" Thirteen smirked. "Very well. From now on, I will let you protect . You'll beco my personal bodyguard in the Cygni Continent."
"Sir, Yes Sir!" Hugh saluted.
Thirteen returned his salute and asked the young man to call the next person in line for the interview.
When Hugh left, Thirteen glanced at Cristopher and Colbert, then asked them to arrange for Hugh's quarters to be beside his own when they arrived at the Cygni Continent.
This surprised the two young n. In their eyes, Zion wasn't soone who needed anyone's protection.
But since it was his orders, the two nodded and promised to do his orders without fail.
When the door of the office opened, the young man returned to his business-like expression and welcod the newcor.
"Mr. Penny Tration," Thirteen said. "What's your life motto?"
"When in doubt, slide in smoothly and make it look intentional, Sir," Penny replied. "Also, go as deep as you can go when it cos to relationships… like go real deep."
Erica, Sherry, and Shana were starting to question why Zion's new recruits had so very unique nas.
However, since this wasn't really their problem, the three just listened and blushed as the teenage boy continued to question the young man, who would soon beco Vincent's next best friend.
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