Refining the Heavens (炼天)

Chapter 12: Report

"Why are you back this early, have you already completed your mission?" George questioned Kairos the moment he stepped into the Command Tent.

"No Sir, I ordered a full retreat after I sensed something is wrong."

"Give your full report."

"We are successful in the expulsion of twenty out of thirty blue team members.

We have also managed to secure another twenty-three badges from them in the last three days," Kairos described honestly, albeit clumsy in his inexperience.

"And your reason for retreating?" George asked as he observed Kairos full in the face.

It was an expression that is neither filled with anger for the disobedience nor a look of trust for the decision to shorten the operation. In any case, this new captain, Kairos, still needs to be tested. After all, even though their team have the most achievements, they appear suspicious, at J rank officially, and they were not well known before this examination.

The few that were familiar to the five is also around J rank and likewise rather unknown themselves, and they had all been called in by George to understand the squad better.

Unfortunately, his questioning revealed nothing. Those that mixed around with the five could not provide a sensible answer, primarily having dismissed Kairos' group as weaklings in the past.

It has been George's guess that Kairos and his team had been hiding their actual abilities for some reason, and during this training exercise, they had unknown incentive to show their true strength finally.

Because the real cause behind this is unknown, it left George feeling uneasy, and doubtful on utilising Kairos' crew during this exercise.

George believes that people who act with such secrecy come with self-serving motives, only when there are personal gains to be made will they reveal themselves. And this became a reason for his doubt.

"Is it fame, fortune or glory that you seek?" He thought privately, as he awaited the answer from Kairos.

Regardless what Kairos motives are, in the end, George still need this team at the fore.

Kairos has turned into the sharpest blade he has in such a crucial time.

Before deciding what he could trust them with, George designed this mission for them, to better test their abilities and personalities.

On the other hand, Kairos also understands that he is scrutinised currently, and depending on what his answer is, George will decide the role that his team will play for the rest of this exercise. He did not take this lightly, for it is possibly determinant for their results.

Kairos looks at George and calmly said carefully, "As the scouts must have reported, Luciette had underestimated our numbers at the start and handed us our initial success.

She then switched tactics, adopting to a defensive line against us, and resorted to lure our team into ambushes.

Failing this, their guerrilla units retreated, and they refused to engage us regardless what we do.

Our team could only turn to more forceful tactics.

With our progress slowing down to a crawl, I judged there is little merit to continue, especially after that reverberating howl.

I'm sure you've also felt how formidable that Orc appears to be, by the great disturbance it made in the Heavenly Energy with its roar."

Hearing this George nods in agreement. The report coincides with what the scouts have told him.