Leighton spoke calmly but firmly, "We can’t just charge in. That would only lead to more bloodshed. We need to be cautious and gather more intelligence about the whale."
Joe leaned forward, glaring. "And your solution is to send more scouts? Stop joking, teacher. You’re just sending them to their graves again."
The tension in the room thickened until Glain raised his voice, "Enough! We need to think this through. That creature’s movent is erratic. We can’t even tell if this city will beco its next battlefield."
A heavy silence fell over the table as each of them contemplated the weight of that possibility.
Then Kevin broke the silence, standing up slightly. "Then let do it. I’ll draw its attention here. With my abilities, I can lure it without getting caught."
Leo scoffed. "Idiot. You want to lure it without even knowing how fast it moves? You’re asking to be vaporized."
Glain nodded, his tone serious. "Don’t be reckless, Kevin. We don’t even know the range of its laser. For all we know, it could destroy you from miles away."
Julian had been quietly observing his surroundings. He noticed Leo, who seed to be watching the eting as if it were a form of entertainnt.
Behind him stood another figure, calm, silent, and clearly keeping a close eye on the proceedings. Whether they were rely curious or had co with the intention of claiming the Core Whale Sky itself, Julian couldn’t yet tell.
And behind Joe, Julian spotted a heavyset man who seed to be taking in the eting with a calm and composed deanor, quite the contrast to Joe, who was visibly fired up and intense.
The man listened carefully, not saying a word, but his eyes showed that he was analyzing everything.
’So they brought more than just muscle’
Knowing that this discussion was about to spiral into argunts again, Julian finally spoke. "If we want intel, I can assemble a special squad. Not a basic recon team, but an elite strike-recon unit. We won’t engage. We’ll get close enough to study it, map its behavior, and get out before it even notices."
The others turned to him. For a brief mont, the room was quiet.
Glain narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is that true, Julian?"
Julian gave a small nod, calm and confident.
Before Glain could say more, Joe slamd his fist on the table. "Another scout idea?! Hey, kid, are you trying to die?"
Julian turned to him slowly, eting his gaze with icy precision. "If you’re just here to pick fights and refuse to listen, then leave, muscle head."
Joe’s jaw clenched. His body tensed with rage as he growled, "What did you just say? You’ve got so nerve, talking to like that! You really want to die?"
But Julian didn’t flinch. He didn’t even blink. His cold gaze bore into Joe’s eyes without the slightest tremor of fear.
Across the table, Leo leaned back with a sly grin, clearly enjoying the rising tension. Several others looked anxious, Luke, Leighton, even Kevin, knowing that a fight now could shatter the fragile unity they’d just ford.
Glain raised his voice firmly. "Enough. Everyone calm down. We’ll hear what Julian has to say. Joe, this isn’t the ti to act impulsive."
Joe cursed under his breath but leaned back, scowling.
Julian took the mont. "We send soone with sharp eyes and a camouflage ability that masks both their aura and presence. A scout that can avoid detection, even by creatures sensitive to energy signatures. They’ll need an escape skill, sothing that can get them out quickly if discovered. And most importantly, an updated communication device. I’ll lead the rest of the support from a hidden point."
Then Glain turned his gaze to Julian, noticing the quiet confidence in him, as if he was certain he’d return alive with the information they needed.
But why? What was his motive? This mission held no real benefit for him. In fact, Julian had initially refused to join, fed up with Kevin’s attitude. Could it be that he had another agenda?
I’ll have to investigate that later, Glain thought to himself.
"Alright," Glain said. "We’ll start identifying candidates suited for this kind of mission. I’ll begin assembling a list tonight."
"And with that, we’ll postpone the eting until Julian successfully gathers intel on the whale."
Joe chuckled. "Hehe, good luck staying alive," he said with a sarcastic tone before turning to leave with the others.
Then Leo laughed and called out, "Haha, you’re quite the interesting one, my friend, trying to challenge that whale, good luck man."
As they walked away, Kevin approached Julian. "Are you sure you’ll be okay? I can help you with this, man. We could go as a team."
Julian didn’t even look back. "Not interested," he said flatly, then walked off without another word.
Julian walked quietly through the corridor, Veronica at his side. Her heels clicked softly against the polished stone floor.
"Tch," she muttered. "What a bunch of stubborn fools."
Julian didn’t look at her as he replied, "They’re not completely wrong. To them, this isn’t about unity. It’s about what they get out of it. Most of them... don’t trust Glain. There’s history there."
Veronica folded her arms. "That explains the tension in the room."
Then she glanced at him. "That man who looked like a hobo, he seed really scared. Do you think he’s actually strong?"
Julian nodded slightly. "Don’t judge him by appearances. He has a magnet-based skill. That kind of ability could be extrely dangerous if used right."
Veronica raised an eyebrow. "Fair point."
Then she tilted her head. "But Julian... why did you only call to accompany you? I an, shouldn’t you have picked soone smarter? Clarissa? Celestia?"
Julian stopped, turned to her, and answered evenly, "Because they’re better suited working together. They cover each other’s weaknesses when I’m not around. And you.."
He glanced over her sharply. "...you’re sharp, fast, and you handle pressure well. You’re the perfect assistant."
Veronica chuckled. "You an I look good in a secretary outfit."
She twirled playfully, showing off the white blouse that hugged her figure, the short skirt paired with dark pantyhose, and her sleek black heels, an ensemble that made her look like she’d stepped out of a high-class corporate office rather than a warzone.
Julian smiled faintly. "Maybe it’s both."
She leaned a bit closer. "So... you admit you’re attracted to my outfit?"
His eyes t hers, calm but unwavering. "Yes. I am."
There was a flicker of color in her cheeks before she quickly looked away.
"Let’s take the long route back," Julian said, his voice casual.
Veronica nodded, following his lead.
"Sure, boss."
Julian walked slowly beside Veronica, their pace relaxed as the tension of the eting faded into the cool evening air. Without a word, he reached out and took her hand.
She glanced at him with a small smirk. "You know... if you think about it, this could count as our first date."
Julian chuckled. "Could be. A strange one, but I’ll take it. Let’s call it a short date."
They strolled side by side under the pale light of the overhead lanterns, their shadows stretching long behind them. A calm silence settled until Veronica broke it again, her tone softer now.
"Hey... do you rember how badly we started off?"
Julian raised a brow. "Badly? I didn’t think so. At the ti, I thought you were just... annoyingly loud."
She rolled her eyes. "Not that part. I ant the part where I used you as bait."
Julian paused, briefly. "Oh. That part."
Her voice dropped a little. "Do you... still hate for that?"
Suddenly, Julian pulled her closer, still holding her hand as he turned to her sharply. Before she could react, his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into an embrace. Her eyes widened in surprise, their bodies pressed close in the middle of the stone walkway.
"H-Hey...!" Veronica stamred, flustered. "People are looking..."
Julian looked down at her, his eyes steady and calm. "Do I look like soone who still hates you?"
Veronica hesitated. She looked into his gaze, the sa intense stare that once made her nervous, but now it held sothing else.
Warmth and Love.
"I was just afraid," she whispered. "That one day you’d rember what I did... and start to resent ."
Julian shook his head gently. "I’ve already made better mories with you. Those old ones? They’ve been replaced."
Veronica blinked, lips parted slightly. "So... you don’t hate ."
"I’d say the opposite," Julian said.
She gave a small laugh, half in disbelief, half in relief.
"Then stop thinking about things that hurt you," he added. "Let’s just enjoy the mont we’re in now."
Veronica nodded. "Okay..."
Julian leaned in. Their lips t in a quiet, aningful kiss, unrushed, unapologetic.
Around them, the world seed to slow down. Even the whispers from passersby faded as the two stood locked in the mont, sharing sothing rare in their chaotic world.
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