Our high-speed boat sliced through the dark seawater, charging forward toward our destination.
I stood near the bow, gripping the cold metal railing as the salty wind whipped against my face. My faded military uniform felt stiff, a familiar weight against the chill.In the distance, a small, triangular landmass slowly cut through the ocean mist.
I must complete this mission, I thought, staring at the horizon. Everything depends on it.
"Slow down, Daniel! We're getting close," I shouted over the roar of the engine to our pilot.
At my warning, the other two team members stepped up to the deck, their eyes locking onto the distant landmass. One of them was Skull, a young operative wearing a heavy, military-grade tactical jacket with rows of heavy ammunition curved across his chest. His face, as always, was hidden behind a grim, bone-white skull mask.
"Captain, this is our final ride together, right?" Skull asked, his voice slightly muffled by the mask.
"Yes, Skull," I replied tightly. I scanned the small deck.
"Where is Raya? Get her up here now."
"Right here, Captain Rodwel!" Raya called out cheerfully from the stern of the boat. She was leaning over the edge, pulling a fishing line from the water. "Captain, look! I caught an eel just now. Want me to cook it up for dinner?"
A heavy vein throbbed in my temple. "Raya... we are on a mission. So don't use your power carelessly."
''Yes, sir. I will be more careful from now on." She bowed apologetically.
Skull let out a low chuckle behind his mask. Daniel, having adjusted the boat's automated steering, stepped into the main cabin, barely hiding a smirk at it.
"Ahem. Right, I think everyone is ready," I sighed, looking at my crew. "Daniel, prepare the briefing."
"Soldiers, we are moving toward the western region of Ceres. Coordinates uploaded to your shoulder Devices. Confirm receipt.''
They all looked at the recently made modern communication device they wore on their shoulders. A blinking red light marked their destination and a green light their positions.
" Let's discuss our objectives for this mission. Connect with Josh and Jane now.'', I ordered.
Denial moved for his military bag and carried out a device similar to a modern laptop.
''Connection is established, Captain, Daniel Said.
A fairly young man in his late 20s answered in a low voice.''Greetings, Captain Rodwell''
''Greetings, sir.'' Following him, a girl also appeared, of similar age, in military clothing.
''ok, first, Skull and I will be moving as vanguard at the front; Daniel will follow our path, providing backup when necessary. Daniel will also protect Raya from unforeseen dangers. Meanwhile, Raya will focus on finding the anomaly of the island, as we will be moving toward the center. Jane and Josh will act as bait to attract the enemy's attention.''
Everyone nodded in agreement. They never questioned the captain's judgment because that's how their squad acquired numerous victories. For them, the captain's orders are absolute and the most perfect plan.
" The plan is simple, but we all need to cover ourselves, Daniel added at the end. It can be said that Daniel and Captain Rodwell are the two most senior members of the squad.
''But...what about the seventh?'', a male voice called out from the display of the communication device.
''Oh, he has already reached there; we will meet him there.'', I replied.
''Sir, what anomaly are we about to find out? Can you brief us... for a more accurate grasp of the mission.'', skull asked when they were about to depart.
Suddenly, all eyes turned to me. But I turned my eyes to Daniel. Understanding, Daniel opens an encoded file from his device and showed it to me.
''ok, we will depart in 3 days. Before that, I will inform you about the island and its anomalies. It will be brief, so listen carefully,'' the captain said.
Everyone silently nodded and stared at me with full attention, with a mix of nervousness and thrill.
''First, this island has many names, but the most fitting one is the Island of Endless Storm. And why it's called that is because throughout the year, the island and the surrounding sea are engulfed in storms that never stop. But for 2 or more years, the storms suddenly vanished. Furthermore, Riozen is also investigating this, and maybe they have found something. We don't know what that is, but it must be quite important. That's why headquarters sent us here.''
''To eliminate Agents of Riozen and secure the valuables'', Daniel Added shortly, looking at me with approval.
''Yes, I hope everyone understands. Now our enemy might be one of the three organizations of Riozen'' I remarked.
They are all listening carefully.
''People say, if Rosbin has task forces, then Riozen has special force. Though in individual power, TF is superior, but SF has more people to fill the gap. they maybe our worst enemy. But things will go bad if RIA gets involved. RIA has ability users or even Norvans in their ranks. And this knowledge is important for you, Raya.'' I glanced at the newbie and gave a firm warning.
''We don't know what we are going to run into, so be extra careful.''