Chapter 7
2084words
The hall seemed quiet — faintly calm.
Cool vibrations jiggled here and there in the air.
The smell felt clean… yet heavy.
Like a silence waiting to break.
Eliza Altard stood at the entrance.
Sub-Defense Team, Vice Commander.
She took one soft breath before stepping forward.
“Sir Gru, we received a fresh report from Kover — the city located in the Eastern Region.”
For a moment, she hesitated.
Then continued, tone becoming professional again.
“The team we sent to the time portal a few days ago — we’ve lost connection.
We can’t detect them anymore.
Only a partial voice message came through… via soul connection.”
Gru clenched his jaw, but didn’t overreact.
He already knew what that meant.
This wasn’t the first time.
Two other teams had entered the Abyss of Loops.
Neither came back.
Eliza stood silently beside him, battling her own thoughts.
But she didn’t speak.
It wasn’t her place.
Whatever the upper seats were planning… only the ministers knew.
The timeline inspection team was just there to deliver the damage report — nothing more.
Still, something felt strange this time.
(The last two teams vanished completely — no trace, no message.
But this one… this one managed to leave something behind.)
That alone was terrifying.
(Eliza thought to herself.)
Gru’s voice cut through her thoughts — low and sharp:
“What did the message say?”
“Uhh—?” she blinked.
“Oh! I apologize, Mr. Gru.”
She bowed lightly and shifted her gaze to the floor.
“The message… it wasn’t complete.
Before Captain Siles could finish it, the soul connection was cut off.
But the last line that came through was…”
We’re gonna crash with—
That was all.
A pause fell.
Gru slowly lowered his head, then walked back toward his seat.
He gave Eliza a faint glance — a silent dismissal.
She bowed and stepped back.
His fingers twitched slightly — and with them, a faint green mist swirled around his knuckles.
A communication mist burst forward.
At the same time — Whispering Hill, Hill District.
Leoran's face smacked hard against Mosu's back. He groaned in pain, holding his nose with his hands.
"Arghhhhh! Why did you stop? It's the first time in a while he's reacted like that with someone. Usually, he's calm, lost in his own thoughts, or just blanking..."
"I can't believe..." Mosu said in shock.
For a moment, Leoran also backed away after seeing Mosu's reaction. He gulped. "Are you okay?" Leoran asked, his voice genuinely concerned.
Mosu was trembling, standing straight like a statue.
"Hey, say something!" Leoran asked him, shaking his arm.
"Pig tail candy."
"Pig... what?" Leoran asked him again. He couldn't believe his ears, hearing such a ridiculous name from an illogical person's mouth.
Mosu grabbed Leoran by the shoulders with both hands and shook his entire being from head to toe.
"In which world are you living? In my whole life, I don't know anyone who hasn't eaten pig tail candy!"
Leoran really felt stupid for concerning himself with that idiot for a second. He freed himself from Mosu's grip.
(And why the hell is he so strong?)
He placed his hand on his chest and breathed. "Goodbye, I'm going now. Hope we don't meet again." Leoran tried to escape, but a big, slim hand grabbed him by his collar.
"What now?" Leoran yelled at him. This time, his tone was fierce, but not that intimidating.
Mosu's face dropped like a puppy's. "How can you say that? After you seduced me, now you want to leave me?" He blinked twice at Leoran, who felt chilled to his spine.
But then, Leoran remembered something. Yes, he remembered why he was running behind him.
"Now I remember why you kissed me, you bashahegsgsg..."
"Because you seduced me..."
"Drop this bullshit!"
"Ah, ahh, why are you grumpy, bumpy? Haven't we become the best of friends in the whole world?"
Leoran gave him a side-eye. "When did I agree to become friends with you? I'm leaving now."
"Wait, wait..."
"Mister, give us two of these." Leoran silently observed him without saying anything. "Here..." Mosu took his hand and placed a pig tail candy on his palm.
(Mosu gently took Leoran’s hand and placed the pig tail candy in his palm.
He smiled — not the usual silly one, but something warmer… like sunlight in winter. Calm and open. Honest in a strange way.
A tiny flicker of something stirred in Leoran’s chest.
His fingers stayed still. His body didn’t resist.
The blank look he gave Mosu wasn’t really blank — just frozen.
Inside, a single thought echoed quietly:
“When was the last time I got something… from someone?”
The air shimmered faintly around them, like the world was holding its breath.
That small piece of candy — a silly, childish treat — felt heavier than anything he'd held.
It wasn’t about the candy.
It was about being thought of.
Even Mosu was surprised that he took it without any struggle.
"Hehehe," Mosu grinned. He was clueless about the sudden change, but he was happy that Leoran smiled and wasn't mad at him.
Leoran took the candy and placed it in his mouth.
Then he started walking.
"E...o...r...t...h."
"I hear you... You called me idiot while flapping like an eel."
"Tsk... How did he know?"
.............
"So, you say you're from the East Coast, right?"
"Ohhhhh, finally you accept me as your best friend, right, right?" Mosu said, poking him with the edge of his elbow.
Though Leoran has a low level of patience, he was slowly getting used to it.
"Why do you want to join the Wanderers?"
A gust of wind passed through them, then a little silence. The atmosphere didn't feel heavy, but it wasn't easy to feel comfortable.
This time, Leoran felt uncomfortable. "I think I shouldn't have asked that question," but the calm atmosphere didn't last three minutes.
"Because I want to protect this world from demons!" Then a devilish laugh hit Leoran in the face. "Bwahahahahha Hahahha Hahahha!"
This time, Leoran gave him a smack on his head. "Enough! Can't you give an answer normally, like any sane person?"
"Hey, I'm telling the truth! There's no other reason." Then a half-dropped smile curled his eyes, a shine in his lashes, and a smile that gave you warmth and sadness at the same time.
"It's the only reason I want to join, that's what I thought till now," he said with a sense of déjà vu.
In Leoran's heart, he knew that wasn't the reason a person would want to join the world's most powerful unit, but still, he didn't want to get into the details.
Now they almost reached the peak of the mountain, but Mosu was deadly silent.
Now Leoran was regretting asking that question.
He gave himself a slap; it startled even Mosu.
"Hey, are you stupid? Why did you slap yourself?" Leoran changed the subject. "You were really amazed when you saw those pigtail candies. Are these not sold on the East Coast?"
"Of course they sell," he said in a rhyme.
"But I haven't seen them after a long time, so I was amazed. You know how much I traveled from East to Central. I almost lost my strength midway."
"Wait a second, did you travel that much by walking?"
Leoran was amazed, shocked. "What are your legs made of - steel or something ?"
"And how much time did it take to land here?"
"One year."
.............🐦⬛............
he was speechless.
No one amazed him and made him speechless at the same time.
"Didn't the notice just come a few days ago?"
"Yes, the official notice I just got midway."
Flashback:
The notice emblem dropped by a message bird when he was eating. The emblem directly landed and dropped in his noodles perfectly.
Leoran didn't know what to say anymore, but still, there was one last thing he wanted to know.
"So why do they call this pig tail candy?"
"Oh, you didn't know?"
"Because it's made from pigs' tails."
..........🐦⬛...........
"So you're from the East Coast, I see,"
"where are you going to stay in the meantime?"
"Umm, I didn't think, so I'll just wander around here and there until I find the submission hall."
Leoran's mind was processing something. He felt like he wanted to say something. Should I, should I not? Should I, should I not? After fighting with his thoughts, he uttered,
"So, if you don't have any place to stay, do you want to come with me?"
"Wait, wait, you don't have to worry about it. I will find a place to stay." Mosu may be a clingy type of person, but he knew where to stop. "It's really good after meeting you. If I didn't meet you, I would definitely feel bored just walking and walking..." he smiled.
"So it's time to say goodbye..." But Leoran genuinely felt sad; he really had grown on him.
"Wait a second, are you feeling sad that I'm leaving?" Mosu said, giving him a smack on his back.
Leoran didn't speak; his face was downcast like a puppy's.
"Oh, man, you're making me feel bad now."
"Let's go."
"Didn't you say you were giving me a place to stay?"
Leoran's facade almost fell down while smiling, but he shifted him quickly.
Leoran's house
"Oi, old Chichua, I'm back!"
Kenran was doing his daily training.
Leoran's voice reached his ears, but he sensed a life energy source from the front gate. It wasn't Leoran's, it was someone who produced a huge amount of life-breathing force.
Even though the energy was positive, he still guarded himself.
"Oh, you are here... What did you make to eat?" Leoran asked while he placed his book that he borrowed from the library on a nearby ground table.
Their eyes meet.
Kenran and Mosu.
"Hello sir, my name is Mosu. I'm from the East Coast." He gave a 90-degree bow to Kenran.
"I see a lot of people with life force mana, but this level of amount is my first time witnessing it," Kenran thought inside his head.
"Shhh, shhh."
He whispered something in Leoran's ear.
"I think your grandfather didn't like me."
Leoran glanced over at Kenran.
"Don't worry, he's just too old."
"Cough, uhm, uhu..." Kenran coughed aggressively.
"I'm not that old! I'm just 57!"
"Really?" Mosu asked with a surprised face. "He is fooling around."
"Reverse the order of numbers "
"Numbers' position?" he asked.
"57 = 75."
"Ahhhhh, sir, you are definitely not old!"
"Right!" Kenran immediately answered.
"Wow, he took it as a compliment," Leoran said while watching their hilarious introduction.
"So you are a friend of Leoran, I see. He didn't bring anyone home, or more like, he doesn't have any friends."
That directly stabbed Leoran in the heart.
"Oh yes, sir, we just became the best of friends in the whole world!" (Mosu seemed really excited while telling this to Kenran).
"I see, I see. See, boyah, that child is really well-mannered, not like you at all!"
He said while mocking Leoran, then shifted his robe and gave a fluffy pat on Mosu's head.
"That boy is really tall," Kenran said while struggling to pat his head. He tiptoed.
"He is going to live with us for a while," Leoran spoke from the side, where he was quietly sitting, watching their dynamic.
"You don't have a problem...?" He directly asked Kenran.
"I don't have a problem. Even I feel bored while watching your face every day, so I want something fresh like him," Kenran said, pointing at Mosu.
"So where did you two meet?"
"In the library!" they both spoke at the same time.
"Okayyyy," Kenran answered in a rhyme.
"That idiot was wandering here and there searching for the submission hall. He was one of the candidates who was appointed to become a part of the unit."
"Ahh," Kenran said while anticipating the situation.
"Then why didn't you go directly to the submission hall?"
"Because he didn't know the address," Leoran answered quickly.
"Give me your emblem."
Leoran and Mosu looked at each other, then Mosu handed it to Kenran.
"Read this part."
Both Leo and Mosu were confused.
"What did it say?"
Region: Central Territory – South Inner Ring
District: Crescent Pathway District, near the South Gate
Building Name: Crestflare Hall – Entry & Trial Registration Bureau
Nickname (local slang): “The Emblem Wall” or “Gate of Names”
"Doesn't the address already mention it behind the emblem?"
..........🐦⬛.............
