Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 365: Doubled

With William finished with his breakfast, Finch rose from his seat. He placed a firm hand on both William’s and Asher’s shoulders, and together, in an almost imperceptible blur, they vanished from their positions. In the next split second, they materialized outside the Logistics and Mission Operations Hall. Without a word, they stepped into the building with familiar, purposeful strides.

The usual hum of chatter washed over them, the conversations of other students filling the air with a low murmur. Asher, having been here numerous times, had long since come to terms with the constant presence of students, whether they were purchasing supplies, coordinating missions, or simply wandering through out of curiosity.

Without hesitation, they made their way toward the familiar facilitator, a man whose feet were casually propped atop his table as he sank deeply into his chair. The sound of their footsteps barely registered, and yet the facilitator did not need to look up to recognize who had entered. He could tell immediately.

”Great, you are back,” he said in a calm, flat tone. Even as he spoke the words, the delivery betrayed nothing of true excitement or pleasure. There was no spark of recognition or joy at Asher, William, and Finch’s presence. With a sigh, he dropped the magazine he had been holding, the pages rustling softly as they landed.

”Good morning,” Asher, Finch, and William spoke simultaneously. The facilitator merely nodded in acknowledgment, his eyes drifting toward the clock sitting on his desk. ”You arrived just on time, huh?” he added rhetorically. Asher, William, and Finch understood the question perfectly well and did not bother responding.

Seeming almost eager to get rid of the three of them, the facilitator acted with quiet efficiency. His hand rose, tracing the air above the flat platform on his table. Astra pulsed faintly through his Astra veins, and with a gentle whoosh, a large translucent blue holographic screen materialized midair between him and the trio. The light shimmered, casting a soft glow on the facilitator’s face and the attentive expressions of the students before him.

He did not speak. Instead, he opened a book and went silent, leaving Asher, William, and Finch to examine the holographic display. The translucent blue panel contained the available missions restricted solely to first-year students, each entry shimmering slightly as it hovered in midair. Their eyes scanned the list carefully, intent on identifying their options.

Their objective was simple: locate missions with maximum reward or strategic advantage. The first was a high reward mission, the second a mission commissioned by someone of considerable influence, whose favor could potentially enhance their team’s reward simply for having Wargrave’s name attached, Asher.

Reality, however, soon shattered their expectations. There were no missions issued by any high ranking individuals of notable power. Crymora seemed to tell them that those of them of considerable power were strong and powerful enough to handle their affairs.

’Did other students snatch those types of missions already?’ Finch thought, imagining the free points he had just missed. His expression tightened slightly, a mixture of frustration and disbelief crossing his features.

William seemed deep in thought as well, his brow furrowed slightly, though his silence suggested he was processing something internally. Asher, however, remained focused, his gaze locked on a particular mission that had caught his attention.

”What’s the matter?” William asked, noticing Asher’s unusual quiet intensity and the way his eyes seemed fixed in concentration.

Asher stayed silent for a moment longer, then finally spoke. ”This mission... it was here before.” He pointed directly at the entry on the holographic display, his calm voice drawing Finch out of his reverie.

William and Finch followed his gaze, their dark eyes focusing on the mission he indicated.

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[Mission: Supply Transport Escort]

Objective: Escort a supply convoy carrying food and weapons to a frontier outpost near the wilderness.

Details: The route is frequently targeted by minor beast packs and bandits. Ensure the safe delivery of the supplies and maintain communication with the convoy leader throughout.

Primary Focus: Defense strategy, patience, and crisis management.

Reward: 9000 Academy Points.

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As William and Finch read through the mission, subtle frowns appeared on their faces. Neither of them recognized the mission. With over a hundred missions listed on the holographic panel, it was nearly impossible to memorize all of them after a single glance, particularly before their first team assignment. Earlier, they had only begun acclimating to the mission system.

Asher, however, remembered it clearly. He retained knowledge of every mission on the list, except for the ones that had been added in the past week. His mind cataloged and indexed the information with meticulous ease without him having to actively do any of it.

”How did we miss a mission with such a high reward?” William murmured in disbelief.

”Indeed,” Finch added, his voice tinged with amazement, ”the reward is nine thousand points, whereas the Monster Tide mission only offered seven thousand.” Both of them shook their heads slightly, incredulous that they had overlooked such an opportunity.

Asher finally spoke, his tone calm but deliberate. ”The reward was never nine thousand points.”

”It wasn’t?” William asked, a trace of confusion crossing his features. He had no reason to doubt Asher’s intelligence or memory; he had witnessed it firsthand just yesterday.

”No,” Asher explained, his purple eyes fixed on the panel. ”It was four thousand five hundred points... but now, it has doubled.”

The words immediately drew a deeper frown from William and Finch. A mission reward doubling so suddenly almost always signaled an underlying problem, bad news of some sort. How would first year students discern such nuances when every mission was new to them, and they had only begun taking assignments in the past week?

Before they could dwell further on the non-existent implications by overthinking, the facilitator spoke. His attention remained on his book, but his voice carried authority and a hint of mild reassurance.

”There is no need for suspicion,” he said. ”With over a hundred missions listed, not every assignment receives immediate attention. Students often form teams of three, and missions vary in duration. As a result, some missions remain unattended for longer periods.”

He paused briefly, allowing the words to settle in. ”Some clients are patient, able to wait for weeks. Others cannot afford delays. Those who cannot will increase the mission rewards, as seen here. In fact, the reward for this mission was only raised ten minutes ago. By that measure, I would say you are fortunate.”

William, Asher, and Finch simply nodded, absorbing the information. From the details of the Supply Transport Escort mission, it was apparent that whoever awaited the supplies, whether soldiers, knights, or frontier guards, could not wait further. And given the remote location of the outpost, the situation likely demanded immediate attention.