The two left the house somewhat puzzled by Adia’s last comment, but in the end, they had made the decision themselves, and therefore, they had to fulfill what was asked of them.
“Well, a deal’s a deal,” they said in unison, with a mix of resignation and determination.Another concern that weighed on them was why, now that Aiden was about to reach level four, his progress was advancing so slowly.
“I wonder if things will be like this from now on,” Aiden commented, frowning as they walked.Reia intervened then, explaining that she didn’t have a clear answer either. However, on the screen that only Podbe could see (and which Reia described in detail to Aiden), it indicated that one hundred experience points were needed to level up. The three fell silent, deep in thought, but since they still didn’t have an answer to this great mystery, they decided to set it aside for the moment and focus on finding the delivery points.
“I can’t see anything,” Aiden murmured, squinting as he tried to make out anything in the darkness. “Maybe Podbe, with his sense of smell, can guide us, but I doubt it because he wouldn’t know where to go. Everything is darker than the night itself, and all I see are trees. The houses turn off their lights at night, from what I can tell.”
Luckily for them, Reia asked them to show her the paper Adia had given them. She scanned it quickly and announced:
“Alright, I’ve got the locations we need to go to.”“Sometimes you’re useful,” Podbe remarked with a teasing smile.
Reia, pretending to be annoyed, gave him a couple of playful taps on the head.
“Stop fooling around, we need to finish quickly. Look at the time,” Aiden reminded them, pulling a pocket watch from his bag.“Yes, it’s seven in the evening, and the locations aren’t exactly closed, so let’s hurry up and finish. At least I want to get some sleep,” the boy said, raising his voice slightly with impatience.
The first location was fifty meters from where they stood. They began walking, and after covering that distance, they arrived in front of a very old house that seemed on the verge of collapsing due to its dilapidated state. They knocked three times on the door, and after a few seconds of silence, an elderly woman with tousled hair appeared. Her voice rang out sharp and threatening as she asked:
“Who are you, and what do you want at this hour of the night?”Aiden swallowed hard before responding:
“We’ve come to deliver your package on behalf of Adia.”The elderly woman lowered her tone slightly, though her gaze remained piercing.
“Well, what are you waiting for, boy? Give me the package.”Aiden, stuttering a little, handed over the package. The woman slammed the door shut, leaving them standing there. They slowly backed away until they reached a nearby tree, where they finally stopped to catch their breath.
“What happened, Aiden? I thought you weren’t afraid?” Podbe teased with a mischievous laugh.
“But don’t act so brave yourself, because you were scared too,” Reia retorted with a sly smile.
“It’s just that the presence of that old woman seemed like something out of a horror movie we watched secretly at the orphanage,” Aiden commented, still trembling slightly.
“I only had to smell her scent,” Podbe said, trying to downplay the situation.
“Yes, sure, cowards,” Reia interjected with a sarcastic tone. “Let’s keep going with the deliveries. You’ve just earned five experience points; ninety-five more to go before leveling up. If all the houses are going to be like this, we’re going to have a heart attack.”
Aiden placed a hand on his chest, feeling nervous.
“Come on, guys, I’m here with you; there’s nothing to fear. Next time, just knock, say you’re from Adia, leave the package at the door, and we’ll leave, alright?”“Alright,” the boy and the dog responded in unison, exchanging a knowing glance.
Up to that point, everything had been going well, until they noticed that starting from the fifth location, there was approximately a kilometer between each one, except for the last, which was ten kilometers away—and on top of that, up a steep mountain… They began walking faster, passing by the fifth, sixth, and seventh stops without stopping for long. They took a brief break, ate something, and drank a little of what Adia had given them before continuing their journey. This time, they decided to run to save time. They passed by the eighth and ninth stops almost out of breath, finishing off the last of their food and water.
During the journey, Reia kept them motivated by informing them of how many experience points they had accumulated, now totaling forty-five points. At that moment, they spotted the final delivery location, situated at the summit of an imposing mountain.
“Well, guys, to reach the tenth point, this is where the climb begins. Good luck,” Reia said with a teasing tone that did little to calm their nerves.
They had no choice but to keep walking, since they had already been running and had neither a drop of liquid nor a bite of food left. Nearly out of saliva, they reached the summit and knocked on the door, but this time they didn’t have the strength to say whom they were representing. Exhausted, they collapsed in front of the entrance, unable to move away from the house.
From the house emerged a tall man with arms as large as Frankenstein’s, middle-aged, and with green eyes so light they seemed to glow under the moonlight. He looked down and saw them sprawled on the ground, clutching Adia’s package. Without asking who they were, he deduced they were the delivery people. Pleased with the delivery, he grabbed the bag and took it inside, leaving the door open.
Our heroes were so exhausted they couldn’t even move. The man returned with a thermos in hand and said:
“It seems you’re not the type who exercises much. Here, this will help you recover.”He offered them the thermos, which contained an unknown liquid. Aiden tried to get up and asked Reia to check its contents, but she responded that she couldn’t identify it. The man, seeing that they were still motionless, lifted the boy, sat him down, and gave him a sip of the concoction. He then did the same with Podbe, who also took a drink.
Both swallowed the liquid with some suspicion, feeling strange at first. For a moment, they thought he had poisoned them, but quickly began to regain their strength. Aiden, now recovered, thanked the man with a bow. Podbe, always sociable, barked happily and wagged his tail enthusiastically.
“Thank you so much,” Aiden said, standing up fully. “My name is Aiden, and this is my companion, Podbe. We come on behalf of Adia. She told us about the deliveries and the long journey we had to make to get here.”
The man nodded with a kind smile.
“Thank you, boys. My name is Eduard Forest. So Adia Lard hired you, huh? Not bad. Usually, she handles the deliveries without any problems or help, but seeing how desperate you were to cross into the next country, she decided to test you, as I see it. Sometimes she goes overboard with people and makes them do quite difficult tasks.”As they listened to the man, Reia reflected silently:
“So that woman’s last name is Lard,” she thought, sharing the thought with Aiden and Podbe.Eduard asked Aiden if he had a last name. The boy responded with a hint of melancholy:
“No, I’m an orphan, and I don’t know anything about my parents.”The man nodded slowly, understanding the situation.
“I see… And now I understand, with good reason why she put you through that test. If something happens to you, there’s no one to blame,” Eduard commented with a light laugh, though his tone was kind. Then, pointing to the scratches on the boy’s face, he added, “You had some wounds on your face, but with what I gave you, they’ve all disappeared.”Aiden touched his face in surprise and looked at his knees as well.
“It’s true! I don’t have those scratches anymore! Wow! How amazing is this miraculous drink she gave us? Though at first, it had a bit of a strange taste… What was that?” the boy asked curiously.Eduard smiled mysteriously.
“Ah! It’s a family recipe, a secret. All I’ll tell you is that it heals any ailment and revitalizes the body… I’d say even the soul. Plus, you brought me the ingredients I needed for that delivery.”“Ah! So that’s what those deliveries were for,” Reia and Podbe wondered silently, exchanging a look of understanding.
Aiden, suddenly aware of the time, checked his watch and became alarmed.
“Oh no! Look at the time! It’s going to be midnight. Now we’ll have to run really fast to get back.”Mr. Eduard calmly instructed them:
“If you go straight ahead, you’ll reach Adia’s house much faster. Here, take this lantern so you can see, since the flashlight you have seems to be out of batteries. Also, take this container with the drink I gave you for the road. It was a pleasure meeting you, Aiden, and good luck with whatever you’re seeking as you cross the border.”They thanked him, and revitalized, they began to run as Reia excitedly announced:
“Fifty experience points! You’ve completed the optional quest, congratulations!”“We’re halfway there to leveling up,” Podbe commented to Reia as they descended the hill alongside Aiden.
When they arrived at the house, Adia was waiting for them with a thoughtful expression, though she pretended to be indifferent.
“Well, well! So you managed to complete the task, though a bit late, don’t you think?” she said, crossing her arms. Then, feigning nonchalance, she added, “Look at the time, it’s two in the morning. I see you’ve met Eduard; otherwise, you wouldn’t have that lantern and thermos with you. Alright, boy, a deal’s a deal. Go get your things: we’re crossing the border.”Aiden, exhausted and with dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, brightened up and went to fetch his belongings, but Adia stopped him:
“That won’t be necessary, they’re already in the stable.”In the stable, Aiden and Podbe stood staring in amazement. They all went inside and discovered a cart, but it wasn’t just any cart. It was like the ones that used to carry important people. However, instead of being pulled by horses, there was a kind of vehicle shaped like a car cabin, equipped with a wheel in the middle and, inside it, a robot that appeared to be the pilot.
“Everyone get on,” Adia instructed with a decisive gesture.
They all climbed into the back, and the machine began to move. Aiden and Podbe, worn out from the long night, fell asleep instantly once aboard the cart, thus beginning their journey and their next objective.

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Agent's Dog System 11.The Great Boot
While our heroes slept soundly, worn out from their deliveries, Agent B revealed that, thanks to his special ability, he had managed to glimpse a small, dirty animal, shaped like a dog, that had been with Agent B-Twelve at the moment a flash struck them. Later, the canine was taken away by a municipal pound worker. Perhaps that’s the key. Everyone present was left puzzled by Agent B’s words.At that moment, Marie checked her tablet to see how many nearby pounds there were in the area and began searching. The closest one was half an hour away. Then, there’s no time to lose. Agent B and I will go to the pound, and you two, Linda and Dingo, will head to the police station to investigate what they know about the plane crash and whether anyone has reported anything related to this scene, though I doubt it very much, said Marie.Miss Marie, we’re not called Linda and Dino. We’re Lidia and Rino, and both replied kindly but firmly.Oh! A thousand apologies. You’re new recruits training to be
Agent's Dog System 12.A Collar and a Tag
Immediately after crossing the border and passing through the control center, Adia instructed her robotic chauffeur to speed up in order to reach Milan. What normally takes six hours by car, they completed in less than four.Reia began reviewing the areas they were passing through and noticed that the system was sending her numerous notifications. She wanted to wake up Podbe, but seeing him sleeping so peacefully, she decided not to disturb him, not even with a few gentle electric shocks.As they approached the city, the greenery of the fields gradually gave way to concrete. More gray than green, yet they always found traces of nature in parks, gardens, and buildings like the Bosco Verticale. They could see clusters of motorcycles and cars parked everywhere, people bustling about, technology intertwined with history in both ancient and modern architecture. The sun was already high in the sky, casting its light over bridges connecting streets and canals visible from every corner, colo
Agent's Dog System 13.Adventures in the Supermarket
The dog said to Aiden that now that he had calmed down, what had that been? That girl had made him feel different. Reia wondered if perhaps opposites were attracted. If so, why hadn’t he felt the same way about Miss Adia?Aiden responded, a bit flustered, that he didn’t know. He felt, as they say, butterflies in his stomach for Elena. But Adia was an older woman, or at least he thought so. Besides, he saw her as a friend who had helped them.Reia continued, saying he was right and that they needed to finish the shopping Miss Adia had asked them to do before heading to the center. It was lucky he mentioned it because they were standing in front of the supermarket, which was already closed. A sign announced that they had moved a couple of blocks away. Without wasting time, they set off.Meanwhile, Elena, who was near the counter, noticed some money left on it. She mentioned it to the shopkeeper, who replied that the young man had probably forgotten his change. She suggested they should
Agent's Dog System 14.Is This the First Time?
Aiden’s shouts echoed through the house, startled by the intensity of Adia’s gaze. She glanced at the kitchen clock; it was three in the afternoon. “We don’t have much time to buy a suit, but at least we can fix your hair,” she said. Without giving him time to react, she grabbed the boy, lifted him as if he were a feather, and rushed upstairs with him. Podbe followed alongside, wagging his tail curiously. They entered Adia’s room, which was as spacious as Aiden’s but painted a light green that gave it a fresh and cozy feel. She sat him down in front of the mirror and observed his hair, messy and unkempt. Noticing something strange near the back of his head, close to his neck, she gently pulled on a tube that blended with his skin. To her surprise, the object turned out to be a sort of artificial hair extension.Adia looked at him curiously. “Why were you hiding the rest of your hair? It’s clever, but unnecessary.” Aiden lowered his gaze and replied shyly, “At the orphanage, they would
Agent's Dog System 15.From Love To Hate
"Now that you're level four, you've earned a point. Where do you want to place it?" Reia asked Podbe. She suggested putting it into vitality, as the system menu had changed and now displayed the skill tree for unlocking abilities. "Remember, you weren’t very fast or resilient against those bunnies," she added. "Alright, go ahead and assign it," she instructed. After doing so, she informed him that a new ability called Hardness had been activated. "Hardness?" Podbe asked, intrigued. "Yes," Reia replied. "It’s an ability that helps you protect yourself from any kind of damage, whether it’s a blow, bullets, or fire. But since it’s level one, it only allows you to protect yourself for five minutes and consumes twenty mana points." "I see," said the dog, a little annoyed that it only lasted a short time. "Now, to reach level five, you’ll need one hundred fifty experience points," Reia explained.While they were discussing the intricacies of the system, Elena and Aiden were finishing their
Agent's Dog System 16.Something Smells Bad
Finally, they arrived at Adia’s house. They repeated the same procedure: being scanned by the dragons and other security measures. Once inside, they noticed that all the lights were off. They closed the door carefully, but someone startled them from behind. It was Adia who scolded them for arriving so late. Then, laughing softly, she said:“Of course, if I were your mother, you’d already be grounded, young man.”After their souls returned to their bodies—so to speak—Adia asked the boy how his first date had gone. Aiden replied that everything had been wonderful until an incident occurred, and the girl had to leave. Adia, who normally wasn’t nosy and didn’t care much about details, simply remarked that it was fine for a first date and that there would be another chance.“Tomorrow is another day,” she said calmly.Aiden first denied that it had been a date, somewhat flustered, but then added:“Yes, you’re right, tomorrow is another day.”She told them:“Well, go to sleep.”The boy and t
Agent's Dog System 17.Find the Path
"Something smells fishy," Maria had said. Billy, a bit nervous, replied, "It’s not me—I took a bath today." She covered his mouth with her hand and whispered for him to lower his voice. Luckily for them, the driver, Rino, had turned up the music loud. Maria whispered to him that she wasn’t referring to that; rather, she found it strange that those individuals had suddenly appeared at the orphanage door. Not even the police, busy as they were, took the time to investigate on behalf of an orphan. "I think there’s something suspicious going on," Maria said. "Good thing we got in the van—let’s see where they’re headed and what they plan to do with Aiden."The car continued its journey. Meanwhile, Lidia checked that the phones were charged, which would allow them to call Marie if needed, but she decided against it and chose to go in person without Rino noticing—he was humming along to the songs he had put on.Simultaneously, while they were heading toward the site of the train derailment,
Agent's Dog System 18.Deception (1)
“What’s down that path?” asked Ezequiel, also known as Agent B.Brea, or Agent C-Two, consulted the map before responding:“If you follow that path, you’ll reach Arnoldstein.”Agent B paused thoughtfully. Then, turning to Lidia, he asked:“What was the boy’s name?”“Aiden, sir,” she replied with the formality of a soldier addressing her general.“Well, kid, you don’t have to be so formal with me like you do with bossy Marie,” said Ezequiel with a mischievous smile.Marie approached him and let out a sound of disapproval, glaring at him with a fury that didn’t require psychic interpretation to understand. Ezequiel brushed off her reaction and suggested to Lidia and Rino that they accompany them since they were already there, but not without first asking them to send him an image of the boy.“We should send the image to headquarters; it might help shorten the search,” Marie proposed.“It’s not necessary,” Ezequiel countered. “I doubt the kid has left the country.”“Alright, let’s head d
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78.Plan B It Shall Be
Everyone present on Paul and Vera’s ship began donning dark camouflage suits, adjusting their weapons and accessories with precise and methodical movements. The atmosphere was thick with tension but also determination.“In the end, we had to go with Plan B. We should have done it from the start,” Paul muttered as he finished equipping himself with the last of the mission gear. His voice carried a barely concealed tone of frustration, as if internally grappling with the feeling of having lost control of the situation.Meanwhile, at the orphanage, night slowly descended upon the building. The director, known to all as the Mother Superior, stood before the children, who were gathered in perfectly aligned rows. With her characteristic serenity, she spoke the phrase that always accompanied their nightly farewells:“Everyone has the opportunity to have a new beginning. No matter where you are heading, if you move forward with love and happiness, you will always find a new dawn.”Her words r
77.Failed Plan
Lieutenant Paul Fernandez drove alongside his team toward the location of the orphanage where Aiden had come from. The ship that transported them landed at the designated spot. With a metallic hiss, the door opened slowly. Paul stepped out with firm strides, closely followed by a companion whose face had also been altered thanks to Lady’s advanced technology. It was a crisp morning, around ten o’clock, with a clear sky promising a sunny day.Both were dressed in outfits designed to make them look like an ordinary couple, disguised as people eager to adopt a child. Their vehicle, a modest but well-maintained blue van, stopped in front of the main entrance. Paul, who was behind the wheel, rolled down the window and addressed the gatekeeper in a friendly tone:“We’re here to complete an adoption,” he explained, though his expression quickly shifted from cordial to serious, almost irritated, when the man asked if they had an appointment.The woman, sensing Paul’s sudden change in demeanor
76.The Uncovering
The team Melisa was traveling with dropped her off at her house, along with Creg and Ian. The three of them got out of the helicopter, but not before bidding farewell to the professor and his companion. They made their way into Melisa’s apartment. She opened the door and said,“Well, guys, feel free to take whatever you want from the kitchen. I’m going to take a shower after being in all that dust. If you’d like, there’s also a guest bathroom downstairs, and I think there’s some of the clothes you left last time, Creg. Ian, you can use the clothes my brother doesn’t wear anymore; they’re about the same size as yours. It’s down that hallway.”Melisa went upstairs to shower, while the other two, driven by the hunger left by their adventure, began to eat, though Creg ate more than Ian. Afterward, they took turns showering and changing.Meanwhile, Melisa had finished showering and was drying her hair with the blow-dryer. She looked in her closet and began searching for her special outfit:
75.The Start of the Play
"I have the perfect place," Doctor Laos said with a calculating smile. "Since these children are orphans, we can start with the orphanages. What was the name of the one Aiden and his group came from? Ah, yes... the Order of the Sun."Zeus nodded in satisfaction."Excellent. That way, no one would suspect a thing. Who's going to stand up for a bunch of orphans?" he added with disdain. "You're a genius."He rose from his seat, his tone firm as he continued."I'll send my men to work while you, with Lady’s team, prepare this place for large-scale Metalux production."Doctor Laos frowned, intrigued."And how do you plan to do that, boss?"Zeus flashed a malicious grin and replied casually,"If things go smoothly, I’ll have them adopted. But if it takes too long... I'll have to use plan B."His eyes gleamed with a sinister light before he turned and left.Richard, the doctor, wasted no time contacting Lady to coordinate the restructuring of the facility. They needed to adapt it for simulta
74.The Legacy Continues
“Doctor Laos, we have arrived,” announced one of the soldiers accompanying them on the ship.“Excellent. Take these four containers and tell my team to prepare them; they’ll know what to do. And, soldier,” the doctor added with a severity that made the man tremble, “be extremely careful with the contents. They are extremely fragile. If anything happens to them, you will know the fury of our lord Zeus.”The soldier swallowed hard and nodded with a rigid movement of his head, hurrying to take the four containers away on a cart. These containers, resembling polarized capsules, held the four kidnapped youths.“Where are we, Doctor?” Swang asked.“Ah, that’s right, you don’t know this place. It’s a secret base known only to high command. This place is the most important to me. This is where it all began,” Doctor Laos said as he walked off the ship, followed by Doctor Swang, who watched him with a furrowed brow and a thoughtful expression. What does he mean, ‘where it all began’? She wonder
73.Old Faces, New Paths
The ship carrying Azulema and her team quickly approached the designated direction. Leila, with a worried expression, addressed Azulema:—But how are we going to take someone else? There's no room for anyone else here. We're already cramped, and Mark is squeezed in with you.Azulema let out a light laugh before responding:—Relax, girl, we'll figure it out. Don't get all worked up, or you'll get wrinkles.Leila frowned, feeling somewhat offended, and replied:—I'm not upset, and I'm not getting wrinkles... am I?Rosa, who was sitting nearby, glanced quickly and said with a mischievous smile:—No, although you're starting to look a bit like a raisin.—Really? —Leila asked incredulously.—It's just a joke —Ada chimed in, trying to stifle a laugh.Rosa and Ada burst into laughter at Leila's offended expression, who muttered something unintelligible while crossing her arms and looking out the window.—Alright, girls, we've arrived. This is the place —Margaret announced from the cockpit as
72.The Unexpected Draw
Once the quest was completed, and they had regained some composure, the team began to leave the TV set, carefully packing the machine's parts into each backpack. Mark, ever the gentleman, held the door open for everyone. The girls thanked him with smiles, and their boss, with a more affectionate gesture, pulled his cheeks while affectionately exclaiming: — "That's my Marky! A true gentleman and a sweetheart."Leila, watching the scene from behind, couldn't help but scowl and think to herself, "Sycophant."When everyone was outside, Mark closed the door behind them. Azulema, with her usual authority, gave the order: — "Onward. Let's return to the ship."—"But the ship is far away," Margaret interjected with some concern.Azulema, undeterred, responded energetically: — "Well, what better time to start our physical training than by walking there? Today I realized that we need to improve our physical condition. I know we balance it with our mental abilities, but to be complete warriors, w
71.Mission Accomplished, Whats Next?
Inside the ship where the Zeus team was traveling, one of the guards noticed something strange. One of the injured, who had been motionless just moments ago, now seemed hypnotized, his eyes fixed on a broadcast playing on one of the monitors. The guard, curious, was also captivated by the screen.Zeus, who happened to be passing through the area at that moment, noticed the scene. At first, he called out to the guard to get his attention, but he didn’t respond. Frowning, Zeus decided to approach directly to snap him out of his trance.Just as he was about to look at the monitor, he felt a tug on his arm. It was Aragon.“Sir, don’t look at that,” he warned firmly. “Someone is using a mental control frequency to manipulate the events and memories of the battle. I’ve managed to block it thanks to my use of the aura.”Zeus raised an eyebrow, intrigued.“Your ability seems to be very effective,” he commented, as an invisible energy suddenly enveloped him. A warm sensation began to flow thro
70.Red Alert: Last Breath
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