2025-11-26 23:22:02"Oh, you sure are perceptive, Neo 4," F16 said, lowering his tone as he crossed his arms.
"I'm sorry, but Neo 6 has earned enough merit to have breakfast in the mess hall."
Neo 4 clenched her fists in fury. Her voice trembled with anger.
"Oh, I see... you're telling me that the guy who let three teammates die on a mission has earned more merit than me?"
The tension was thick. F16 noticed it, but didn't back down. His polite expression vanished completely.
"Listen, Neo 4. Our mission is to contain or eliminate XCPs—not to save teammates. Neo 6 completed the mission. If you're that upset... why don't you earn more merit?"
Neo 4 was speechless. She could only watch as he walked away, leaving her there, alone and burning with frustration.
***
"Hey, you're not dead, right? Neo 7, wake up!"
The voice reached him through a fog, distant and muffled. Jasper was slowly regaining consciousness.
"Hey... Suse, did you kill him?" asked another voice, this one clearer.
Jasper opened his eyes and saw Neo 5. All of the Neos he had fought were there.
"Shit!" he exclaimed, trying to sit up, but his body wouldn't respond.
"Hahahaha, chill out, Neo 4, chill out. It's way past fight time now," Neo 5 said, his usual amused tone intact.
"Yeah, Neo 4, we already danced. Now it's time to sing," Neo 6 added calmly.
"It's 'we fight,' not 'calendar.' It's 'moment,' and it's not 'sing,' it's 'talk'..." muttered Neo 4, unable to stop herself from correcting them.
Still confused, Jasper slowly sat up on the floor, surrounded by the others.
"Well, that's better." Neo 4 looked down, embarrassed. "Sorry for hitting you so hard earlier... I didn't mean to."
"Haha, forgive her, Neo 7. When it comes to tests and fights, Suse gets way too competitive. But deep down, she's a good person. She just likes acting tough," Neo 5 explained with a grin.
"Suse? I thought we weren't allowed to use real names," Jasper said, now a bit more relaxed.
"Oh yeah, we're not. But we decided to use nicknames. Mine's Lin, Neo 4's is Suse, and Neo 8's is... what was it again?"
"Sea Rainbow," the girl replied in her usual peculiar tone.
"Yeah... 'Neo 8' fits you better," Suse said, offering a sly smile.
"And what about you?" Neo 8 asked Jasper, curious.
"Snow. That's what my classmates used to call me back in high school," Jasper replied, a bit embarrassed.
"Well, Snow, it's a pleasure to be on the same team. And with that said... lunch?"
Before Jasper could answer, Suse pulled out the apple, and with perfect precision, Lin cut it into four equal parts using her claws.
"Here you go, guys," said Suse, handing out the pieces.
Jasper couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. He didn't feel like he had earned it.
"Wait... doesn't the winner get to keep the apple?"
"Yeah, I won, and I got the apple," Suse replied as she bit into her share. "And since it's mine, I decide what to do with it. And I want to share it."
Jasper stopped resisting. He took the piece and began to eat. It was the closest thing to peace he'd felt since arriving here.
"Hey, Snow! What's your ability? It's cool!" Lin asked, excited.
"Apparently, I can copy other XCPs' abilities... but I still don't really understand how it works," Jasper admitted.
This was all new to him. He still didn't know what was expected.
"You should figure that out soon. We've got a mission in a week," Suse warned, pouring water for everyone.
"A mission?" Neo 8 asked curiously.
"Yeah. You guys are new, so I doubt they told you anything. But the Neo X squad's heading to the Old West. A dangerous XCP's been detected there," Suse explained in a more serious tone.
"By then, you'd better know how to use your power... because I'll be honest with you."
Suse stood up and gathered her things. Before leaving, she delivered one last message, cold as ice:
"You'll die."
The words hit Jasper like a freezing slap. He knew. Compared to the others, he was weak.
He had to get stronger. Fast.
"Well, I guess it's time to go too. Come on, Jasper. I'll show you how to use the teleporter," Lin said with a smile.
Jasper followed her, and on the way, she explained how the different areas of the complex worked, and how to get around.
"Well, here we are again," Jasper muttered to himself as he settled into his room.
With his phone gone, he had no one to talk to, so he opted for a shower.
"God, I'm starving," he complained, already sitting on the bed.
"At least I've got a video game console. I can play until I pass out."
He reached for the console—but froze.
A memory resurfaced.
His teacher's note. Suse's warning.
If he wasted time... he'd die. No doubt about it. He would die.
"I need to get stronger. I have to improve," he thought as he stepped out of the room again.
He couldn't tell what time it was, but he was pretty sure it was night. Unlike when he walked with F16, there were barely any people in the halls.
"There it is."
Thanks to Lin, Jasper already knew some key places. One of them was the training gym.
It might not help his powers, but at least he could work on his body.
When he walked in, he saw no one.
"Nice. A whole gym to myself. This is awesome," he said, smiling.
Clack!
But he wasn't alone.
A massive dumbbell dropped from the ceiling—160 kilos at least.
"What the fuck...?"
Jasper looked up, following the sound—and saw her.
V8.
She was hanging from the ceiling, training.
Unlike the first time they met, she now wore sportswear and oversized headphones.
"Oh... I knew I felt something unpleasant," the girl said as she landed gracefully in front of him.
"So it was one of those disgusting pests," she added coolly, pulling a towel out and throwing it around her neck.
She also pulled out a sports thermos. The weird part? It came from her hair.
"Good evening," Jasper said, trying to ease the tension.
"Yes. Goodbye," she replied casually, walking straight to the door.
"Miss!" Jasper shouted, stepping forward.
(I can't miss this chance...)
"I want to get stronger!"
He needed V8's help.
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Chapter 13: Cursed City(1)
The mission cards left everyone silent. No one said a word for several seconds. The shock was obvious."Wait a second… That mission was scheduled for next week. What happened?" Suse asked, breaking the silence with a frown."Yeah, cutie, it was. But it looks like Agent R9's research team was wiped out," Slavik replied, his tone now more serious."That can't be. If something like that had happened, we would've been notified. What exactly did you do?" Suse said, visibly annoyed."I did what any responsible leader would do: I accepted the mission on the spot. Any problem with that?" Slavik shot back without hesitation.His cocky grin was starting to make everyone uncomfortable. That's when Jasper spoke up."What kind of leader puts his team at risk without thinking? To me, you're just a show-off. I didn't know Neo X had someone like you in charge."Jasper stepped forward, standing firm."Wow, the newbie's got some guts. You're Neo 7, right? I heard you showed up four days ago. Well, sorr
Chapter 12: Complete Team
Lin didn't back down and launched a kick at Jasper, but Jasper swiftly stepped back and deflected it with his hand."Not bad, Neo 7! You've gotten stronger. But... aren't you a little too cocky for calling me weak?" Lin snapped, throwing another strike.This time, Jasper didn't retreat. He lunged forward, clashing his claws against Lin's.("In the cave, my copy was physically stronger than the XCP. Let's see if that still applies.") Jasper thought, gritting his teeth and increasing the pressure on Lin."You bastard, what the hell are you doing?!" Lin shouted as he watched his claws begin to crack.The theory was correct. Jasper's claws were stronger.Realizing he was at a disadvantage, Lin quickly backed off, taking several steps away while his claws slowly regenerated."Wow, Snow... I've got to admit, you're impressive," she said with a faint smile.Jasper stepped forward calmly, never taking his eyes off her."I'm glad you haven't been wasting your time."But then, a familiar voice
Chapter 11: Neo 7 is back
"Come on, Neo 7... You were a fool to come here. If you were some kind of spy or something, it clearly didn't end well for you."E7 stared at him coldly, his eyes sharp like blades.Jasper was on his knees, panting. His body wasn't responding properly—he felt like he was breaking apart from the inside out.("It's like I've got several tons crushing me… like my body's being torn apart.")Blood poured from his nose, his eyes, and his mouth, pooling into a dark puddle at his feet. He could barely stay upright."Honestly, you almost had me fooled, kid. I'll admit it. I don't even remember when you showed up... Maybe you were the one Agent 6790 dragged in. Either way, I'll let you explain. I'm not that heartless."E7 smiled faintly and snapped his fingers.Instantly, all the blood that had spilled surged back into Jasper's body, as if time had been rewound. The pain vanished. The pressure in his chest lifted. But just as he tried to sit up, an invisible force slammed him back to his knees.
Chapter 10: Death Proof(4)
"Shit, those sons of bitches!" Jasper shouted, furious. In front of him, the XCP inside the cave stared as if it already knew how he was going to die.The monster's arms extended from the walls like living tentacles, reaching for him, trying to drag him into the darkness.("I see... those aren't just arms. They're extensions of the cave itself. This cave is the creature...") Jasper thought, struggling to escape its grasp.As it overwhelmed him, the XCP released even more arms. Without hesitation, Jasper pulled out his pistol and aimed directly at one of the creature's eyes."Son of a bitch—fuck you!"BAM!BAM!The cave trembled. The arm holding him convulsed violently before collapsing. Jasper fell to the ground, gasping for air."Okay... I need to get out of here..."He forced himself to his feet, but not without paying the price—one of the claws had slashed his leg. Limping, he pushed forward, ignoring the pain."I just have to..."But in his desperation, he lost sight of the breath
Chapter 9: Death Proof(3)
"Holy shit, no joke, that thing actually came out of the wall!"The inmate's scream erupted as he sprinted alongside Jasper. The stone corridors echoed with desperate footsteps. In seconds, the entire group had scattered, breaking formation without a second thought."Wait!" Jasper shouted, panting. "Running without a plan isn't going to help!"But his voice vanished in the chaos. As he passed inmates 17, 22, and 33, a memory flashed uninvited through his mind.(This is just like school... when that thing appeared... and I could only watch...)A wave of helplessness hit him—but this time, he refused to freeze."What are you saying? Screw the plan! All we need is for that thing to stick its hand out again, and we'll snap it in two!" yelled the sword-wielding inmate, his voice full of adrenaline and rage.Jasper frowned. It wasn't fear—it was frustration. Around him, the others were running through tunnels, disappearing into shadow. Only the four of them remained.Inmate 33 eyed Jasper,
Chapter 8: Death Proof(2)
Everyone went quiet the moment E7 raised his voice. All attention in the room locked on him. Something big was coming."Don't act surprised!" shouted the man with a crooked smile, arms wide open like he was welcoming them to a twisted party. "You all know why you're here. Human trash... You were given one last chance to escape death."Jasper swallowed hard. His eyes scanned the other inmates in green. He was surrounded by criminals. He didn't know what was coming, but one thing was clear: if he wanted to improve, he had to survive."Today, Agent ICE's squad brought in something special," E7 continued, pacing back and forth with manic energy. "An XCP… something different. A beast. One that cost us blood and lives."His voice grew louder, the tension thickening like a storm about to break. Then he held up one finger."One. I want you to figure out what its ability is."A second finger went up, that manic grin never leaving his face."Two. Find out if it has any weaknesses. Or if it even
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