2025-03-20 06:32:04The 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 return it, as she didn’t think he was far away. The man, seeing it was a slow day, gave her permission. “Take the bike from the back and return his change,” he said. “What a forgetful boy,” the owner added, shaking his head.
Elena took the red bicycle from the back of the store, a vintage bike with a front basket and a rear rack for carrying heavy items. She hopped on and began pedaling, thinking he had likely gone to the right.
Meanwhile, Aiden and Podbe arrive at the new supermarket, situated on a wide avenue. Upon entering, they saw it wasn’t a small shop but a large establishment with twelve aisles. However, before taking a step, the security guard at the entrance indicated that animals weren’t allowed, pointing to a sign with the prohibition. Aiden looked at Podbe and asked, “Now what do we do, boy? I can’t leave you out here alone.”
At that moment, Reia interjected, "It doesn’t matter if Podbe stays outside while you finish the shopping. If you need help, you can let me know. I can also hear what you’re saying thanks to the connection I have with the system, but not over a large area, so don’t wander too far, Aiden." The boy nodded, though he still worried about leaving the dog behind. After several glances back through the automatic doors, he heard Reia’s voice, slightly annoyed: “Hurry up, kid.” With that, he went inside completely, grabbing a cart to begin shopping.
Aiden checked the list and started walking through the aisles. In each one, an employee offered him free samples of various products. He liked some, others not so much. Finally, after passing through all twelve aisles, he completed the list Adia had given him. The place was somewhat crowded, and he had to wait in line behind fifteen people. Meanwhile, Elena kept pedaling until she reached the old supermarket. A hunch told her the boy might be at the new location.
For better or worse, the cashier was quick, and soon it was Aiden’s turn. When the cashier told him the total was fifty euros, Aiden reached into his pockets, but his expression changed instantly from joy to despair. The cashier scrutinized him, increasing his nervousness. Just then, Elena arrived at the supermarket, saw Podbe at the entrance, and called out, “Hello, little buddy, where’s your master?” She scratched him behind the ear and assumed he’d be inside. “Here, I’ll leave my bike with you; take care of it,” she muttered to herself, hoping she wasn’t too late.
She rushed inside and searched for the boy. When she spotted him at the checkout, she approached quickly. “Here,” she said to the cashier, saving Aiden just as he was about to be reported to security. The boy grabbed the package and the receipt, apologizing with a mix of shame and relief, as Elena pulled him by the hand toward the exit. Outside, she said, “This is all your change. You left it at the store. I thought you remembered, but in the end, you forgot.” Podbe gave Aiden a little nudge with his paw to snap him out of it. Once recovered, Aiden thanked her shyly and stammered his name: “I’m Aiden.” She smiled and replied, “Nice to meet you.”
Elena resumed the questions she had asked him at the pet store, like where he was from and other trivial details. Reia and Podbe told him to endure it and share a bit about himself; maybe they could see each other later. Aiden explained he was staying with Miss Adia and mentioned he had just arrived. “Ah, at the weird house,” she remarked. “Well, I don’t know if it’s weird, but I’m staying with Miss Adia,” Aiden replied. Elena admitted she didn’t know the owners of that house but added that she found it amusing and liked him. “What do you think about meeting up after my shift ends? I can show you around,” she proposed. Aiden, gaining a bit of courage, responded enthusiastically, “Of course!”
“Great, let’s meet at five o’clock in the afternoon at the pet store; does that work for you?” she asked. Aiden nodded. Elena took her bike and said goodbye: “See you later, then.”
On the way back, Aiden thought to himself, “And now, what do I do?” Reia, teasingly, replied that they could hear him from a kilometer away without him even speaking. Podbe suggested they should return to Adia’s “weird house,” referencing what Elena had said. “I don’t know why she said that; we should investigate a bit, don’t you think?” Reia commented, Ever practical. “For now, we need to go back with the groceries.”
Aiden carried four heavy bags and handed one to Podbe to carry in his mouth. At that moment, a notification indicated they had completed the quest. Reia, astonished, said, “I see. I think Podbe, since he couldn’t enter the supermarket, couldn’t complete the quest until you gave him one of the bags. How interesting; I’ll keep investigating these details.” Eighty-five experience points. Then another notification appeared: “Deliver the purchased items to Adia to receive your reward of five experience points.” Podbe commented, “This system sometimes does strange things, but I like the easy stuff.”
The boy and the dog returned home and delivered the groceries. The two dragons analyzed them as before and opened the door. Adia greeted Aiden and asked how their shopping trip had gone. Then she added, “I forgot to ask if you speak Italian.” Aiden replied that he spoke a little but had managed to thank a girl who also spoke his language. Adia noticed something different in his gaze and teased him: “Are you in love or something, little Don Juan?” Aiden blushed and quickly denied it. Adia insisted, “Surely someone has already asked you out, or you’ve asked her out.” Aiden admitted she had invited him. Adia, laughing, remarked, “I knew it! You have a date. And it’s your first one, too. Lucky you, I can’t even catch a cold.”
Adia told him he needed to get ready. “Leave the things in the kitchen, and we’ll see what magic I can work on you—maybe a new hairstyle.” She looked at him mischievously, making Aiden nervous and unable to utter a word.
Meanwhile, Reia said to Podbe, “We gained five more points; now we have ninety experience points. We’re close to reaching one hundred and leveling up to level four.”
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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
Agent's Dog System 19.Deception (2)
Once Adia finished styling Aiden’s hair, she thought it would be a good idea for him to wear a tuxedo, but Aiden commented that it would be too much and that the flowers would suffice. Aiden stepped out dressed in his black jeans, navy-blue jacket, black sweater, and blue polo shirt, as it was starting to get chilly outside—though not as cold as European winters. Podbe accompanied him, but not before hearing Adia say, “Go with the boy and keep an eye on him.” Inside the dog, Reia responded, “Affirmative.” The canine and the boy set off for their second outing—more than a formal date, it was their second meeting with Elena, the girl he had only met the day before but for whom he already felt an intense, overflowing teenage love.Meanwhile, Elena was finishing her workday as usual. Though she was typically kind, that day she seemed distant with customers and the public, as if she had lost her usual spark. The shop owner noticed something was wrong and, concerned, assigned her to organiz
Agent's Dog System 20.In the Wolf’s Mouth
“No, Aiden!” Reia, the artificial intelligence inside Podbe’s mind, cried out desperately. “Something is wrong; the place, the girl’s behavior—everything is off. What do we do now? I’ve lost the connection with him. I need to wake Podbe up; maybe if I use one of the electric shocks, he’ll come in,” she thought.“Get up, Podbe!” she pleaded repeatedly, but the dog didn’t move. Apparently, whatever Elena had given him the food was so strong it could have knocked out an elephant, Reia reflected.Exhausted by the lack of response, she began to meditate, hoping Podbe would wake up so they could go after Aiden. She looked at the girl lying unconscious in front of Podbe and started blaming her for everything that had happened.“That’s why I’m an intelligence: I anticipate events. If Aiden hadn’t met you, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” she muttered to herself, continuing to talk and calculate possible solutions. “You’ll hear me when you wake up, lazy dog,” she shouted at Podbe, though sti
Agent's Dog System 21.Hidden Legacy
One of the people present in the room, a little frightened, asked the doctor why he was treating the boy that way. The doctor responded with a cold smile: “It’s good that you ask. I’m doing it to activate the hidden power lying within him.”He began explaining while pressing additional buttons. A blue liquid started dripping onto Aiden, sliding slowly over his skin like oil.“You see,” the doctor continued in a calm but firm voice, “this boy appears to be the son of one of our previous experiments. Blood tests and preliminary analysis confirm it. We had to halt those experiments because we were being investigated. A reporter stuck her nose where it didn’t belong, but we managed to resolve the issue,” he added coldly, without a trace of remorse in his tone.The project was called Project Nebula. Its purpose was to combine humans with phenomena beyond our comprehension in order to prepare for potential external threats, granting subjects unique abilities. However, there were setbacks:
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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
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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
When she put on the helmet, Leila felt a force pressing down on her as she tried to concentrate and not lose her emotional balance. Sheila and Martha watched her from a distance, looking a bit more composed, saying: — "Oh no, now our time has come. Surely, with this, we'll get fired and bring down the agency," they said resignedly, because there was nothing they could do about it. With the helmet on, Leila could hear the voices and minds of all the people, even her teammates, who were also wearing visors and suffering greatly from the machine's power, which was draining their energies more intensely than before. Inside her, she began to tell herself: — "Come on, concentrate, relax." A memory came to her mind, in which she heard: — "Leila, transform the pain into happiness, relax, pay more attention to what surrounds you. Don't let your power consume you; it's yours and part of you, use it" —she remembered her boss, Azulema, teaching her to control her power. Azulema knew that Leila's
