After the officer heard the skinny man's frantic confession, he immediately sprang into action. Without wasting a single second, he rushed to his secure terminal and flipped open his sleek black laptop. His fingers flew across the keyboard as lines of code and security logs flashed across the screen. Within moments, the truth became clear. Mia had not completely self-destructed as they had initially believed.
During the intense chaos of the earlier confrontation, she had managed to break off a small fragment from the massive humanoid giant she had created. That tiny, almost invisible piece had slipped through the defensive perimeter unnoticed and infiltrated the central database. It had extracted critical information before the system could fully isolate and destroy it.
The officer leaned closer to the screen, his eyes narrowing with concern. "Information on Tokyo, Japan — Fourth Class Mine," he mumbled to himself. He quickly saved the stolen data into a secure folder, his mind racing with the implications of this breach. This was no ordinary theft. The group was clearly planning something dangerous, and he needed to stay one step ahead.
**********
Back in Alvin's apartment, Mia let out a long, deep sigh of relief as a bright notification popped up on her computer screen: **Data Processing Complete**. The information they had risked everything for was now fully decrypted and organized. She rubbed her tired eyes and leaned back in her chair, allowing herself a small moment of satisfaction.
She turned away from the glowing monitor and noticed Alvin carefully carrying the unconscious Trevor across the room. Trevor's face was deathly pale, his breathing shallow and irregular. Alvin moved with gentle determination, supporting his friend's weight as he carried him into the adjacent resting room. He laid Trevor down on a clean bed, adjusting the pillows to make him as comfortable as possible.
As Alvin straightened up, something unexpected happened. A strange, gelatinous blob slowly emerged from the back of Trevor's neck, hovering in the air for a moment before settling. Alvin's eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively took a step backward.
"What are you?" Alvin demanded, his voice tense but steady.
The blob pulsed softly, reshaping itself slightly as it responded. "I am the main body of the blob inside you… Omar," it replied in a calm, almost soothing voice.
After hearing the creature's identity and realizing it was the same entity that had previously bonded with him, Alvin felt a wave of relief wash over him. The tension in his shoulders eased, and he exhaled slowly.
"What do you want?" Alvin asked, glancing back at Trevor's motionless form.
Omar shifted closer to Trevor, his form glowing faintly. "Trevor needs your help urgently. In that last desperate use of his abilities, he exhausted nearly all of his remaining lifespan. He has lost almost everything and is now teetering on the brink of death. Without intervention, he won't survive much longer."
Alvin froze, a cold chill running down his spine. The weight of those words hit him hard.
"How can I help?" Alvin asked, his voice filled with determination.
Omar nodded and directed his attention toward the sleek watch strapped to Alvin's wrist. "With that."
"The Time Watch?" Alvin asked, lifting his arm slightly.
"Yes," Omar confirmed. "You will earn Future Points through it and convert those points directly into lifespan energy. We can transfer that energy to Trevor to stabilize and extend his life."
"And how exactly will that work?" Alvin pressed, still uncertain but willing to do whatever was necessary.
"Don't worry," Omar replied calmly. "Leave the rest to me. I know how to channel the energy properly." With those words, the blob-like creature slowly receded, slipping back into the small opening at the back of Trevor's neck until it disappeared completely.
Alvin stood there for a few moments longer, processing everything that had just happened. He gently placed a hand on Trevor's forehead, silently promising to save his friend. Finally, he left the room, closing the door softly behind him.
By the time he returned to the main area, Mia had already finished organizing all the stolen information. She had multiple holographic screens floating around her, displaying maps, statistics, and detailed reports.
"Oh, you're back. Perfect timing," Mia said with a focused expression. "I guess we can start planning our mission now."
She brought up the most important data on the largest screen. "The mission will indeed take place in Tokyo, Japan, at a Fourth Class Mine. That part was accurate. Because it's only a Fourth Class site, no one above Glimpser tier will be able to enter. That gives us a fighting chance since we're all currently at or near that level."
Her tone grew more serious. "However, here's where it gets dangerous. In the last two weeks alone, five Glimpser-tier individuals have died inside that mine — three warriors, one scholar, and one therapist. All of them were experienced."
John and Alvin's faces turned pale as they absorbed the news. They could barely qualify as Glimpser tier themselves. The thought of seasoned fighters and specialists dying there was deeply unsettling.
Mia wasn't finished. She continued, "The leading theory among investigators is that a Time Crocodile is prowling the deeper sections of the mine. Its exact tier remains unknown, which makes the situation even more unpredictable."
If Alvin and John were stunned before, they were now genuinely scared. During the global pandemic years ago, the mysterious virus had not only affected humans but had also mutated countless animals, creating terrifying new species such as Time Crocs, Time Lions, Shadow Panthers, and many others. These creatures possessed dangerous temporal abilities that made them extremely deadly. If the crocodile turned out to be Borrower tier or, worse, Extractor tier, their mission could quickly become a suicide run.
"We can't focus on that fear right now," Alvin said firmly, trying to steady his voice and rally the group. "Our priority must be getting stronger as quickly as possible. Mia, do you have any concrete suggestions for improving our chances?"
"I've already searched the dark web and official channels," Mia replied confidently. "I found the most suitable equipment to significantly boost all of our powers. I will use a high-precision laser gun. Alvin, you should wield a laser sword for close combat. John, a durable plasma shield would complement your defensive style perfectly. And for Trevor, once he recovers, we'll give him a Time Crown. Since he's exceptionally skilled at looking into the future, the crown should increase his accuracy by at least fifty percent."
John and Alvin exchanged glances and nodded, clearly satisfied with the proposed equipment. No one raised any complaints.
"So how exactly do we obtain these items?" John asked.
"We can forge most of the components ourselves in the Academy workshop," Mia explained. "All we need are specific rare materials: several high-capacity energy batteries for my laser gun, one full kilogram of refined plasma for the shield, a pure Blue Diamond Crystal for Alvin's laser sword, and most importantly, a Time Stone for Trevor's Time Crown."
Alvin frowned deeply when he heard about the Time Stone. They were incredibly rare and difficult to acquire. These stones usually formed in locations where large numbers of time-based creatures had died, their residual temporal energy condensing over time into solid crystals. Such places were almost always infested with dangerous mutant creatures.
"Don't worry, Alvin," Mia said reassuringly. "The academy maintains a controlled Time Stone mine. If you complete a few official missions for them, we should be able to earn one as a reward."
Alvin nodded slowly, his resolve hardening. The stage was now set. With Trevor's life hanging in the balance and a deadly mission looming, the group dispersed to prepare for their individual tasks. Each member focused on gathering the materials they needed, knowing that their survival — and Trevor's — depended on their success.