Level Up Love Life System

Chapter 4: Interrogation at Valkyrie Headquarters

The cold stone walls of Nymphenburg Palace felt like they were piercing Saddam's back as he was shoved into the interrogation room. The scent of iron and old dust stung his nose. His hands were handcuffed with black metal that emitted pulses of static energy. Every time Saddam tried to focus his mind to summon the System, the cuffs released a small electric shock that made his arm muscles spasm.

General Hanz Kepler stepped inside, the sound of his boots echoing loudly on the marble floor. Behind him, Felisa followed with silent steps, her gaze fixed straight ahead, seemingly ignoring the presence of the courier who now looked quite pathetic. Hanz sat in a sturdy oak chair, slamming a thick report document onto the table right in front of Saddam's face.

"Saddam, a low-level package courier from the Altstadt District," Hanz began the conversation with a heavy, oppressive voice. "According to our data, you should have died in the first five minutes when that micro-Rift opened. However, Felisa's report says something different. You didn't just survive; you even showed mana indicators spiking during physical contact with a Valkyrie captain. Explain this nonsense."

Saddam swallowed hard. His heart was racing, but beneath his consciousness, he could hear the faint hum of the System.

[Warning: Unstable heart rate. Initiating mechanical stabilization mode. Heart rate locked at 70 BPM.]

Saddam felt his chest being forcibly calmed. He looked at Hanz with a gaze he tried to make as normal as possible. "I don't know what you mean by mana, General. I'm just a lucky guy with good reflexes. I dodged and happened to be near Captain Felisa when the shield appeared. Is being lucky considered a crime now?"

Hanz narrowed his eyes, leaning forward until their faces were only inches apart. The strong smell of a cigar wafted from the old man's breath. "Lucky? Don't insult my intelligence, boy. There is no luck in the middle of a Rift battlefield. Our lie detectors never fail. If your heart rate skips even a single beat from its normal rhythm while lying, this device will burn your wrists."

Saddam glanced at his handcuffs. He knew the device worked based on extreme emotional fluctuations. However, as long as the System took control of his heart rate, he felt perfectly safe. He even managed a quick glance at Felisa, who was standing in the corner of the room. The woman looked restless, her fingers occasionally brushing the hilt of her sword.

"I really don't know," Saddam answered with a forced, calm tone. "Maybe it's a sensory talent awakened by trauma. I saw the monster's weak point not because I'm a mage, but because I'm used to seeing patterns in the packages I deliver. Everything has a pattern, General. Even that monster has one."

Felisa frowned. She felt something was wrong with Saddam's statement, but the man's heart rate did indeed sound constant to her sharp ears. Hanz slammed the table hard, making the interrogation equipment rattle.

"Sensory talent? You're trying to boast about a talent held by only ten people in the entire world?" Hanz barked. "Felisa, what do you think? Is he playing games with us?"

Felisa took a step forward, staring at Saddam with an intensity that made his breath hitch. She could feel Saddam's calm heart rate, yet there was something warm—almost like static electricity—radiating from his body whenever their eyes met. It made her feel uncomfortable, a sensation she had never felt in her rigid life.

"He is indeed strange, General," Felisa said softly, her voice ice-cold yet with a subtle tremor she didn't realize was there. "His mana energy is unstable, yet he doesn't seem like an enemy. If he truly has an unconscious sensory talent, letting him die in a cell would be a loss for our division."

Saddam suppressed a faint smile. He knew Felisa didn't fully believe him, but at least the woman was giving him a chance to get out of there. The System provided another small notification in the corner of his vision.

[Synchronization increased to 1.5 percent. User has triggered target curiosity.]

Hanz leaned back in his chair, staring at Saddam with his single eye narrowed deep. He remained silent for a long time until the atmosphere in the room felt heavy with tension. Then, without warning, he took a key from his uniform pocket and threw the unlocked handcuffs onto the table.

"I'll let you out for now," Hanz snorted in frustration. "But don't think you're free. Your sensory talent might be useful in the field, but I don't trust you completely. You will be under twenty-four-hour surveillance."

Saddam rubbed his sore wrists. He breathed a sigh of relief. He felt like he had just escaped the lion's den. Hanz stood up and looked at Felisa, giving instructions in an unquestionable tone.

"Captain, as of today, this courier is officially your personal tactical assistant. Make sure he doesn't touch anything unnecessary, and ensure he doesn't escape your watch. If he acts suspiciously, you know what to do."

Hanz turned and walked out without looking back. The heavy steel door closed with a loud thud, leaving Saddam alone with Felisa in the dimly lit room. The atmosphere suddenly became very awkward. Felisa stared at Saddam with a look that was now sharper than when she had held her sword to him in the alley earlier.

"You're lucky, Saddam," Felisa whispered, approaching him until the ends of her silver hair almost touched his forehead. "But don't think you can hide behind this assistant status. I'll be watching your every move. If I sense even the slightest lie from you, I won't hesitate to freeze you alive right here."

Saddam felt the warmth radiating from Felisa's body, a sharp contrast to the cold air the Valkyrie always emitted. He knew this was the start of another personal hell, but seeing Felisa's face from this close made the System in his brain react in a much wilder way.

"I understand, Captain," Saddam replied in a voice he intentionally made slightly deeper. "I don't mind being watched, as long as it means I get to be near the person who saved me."

Felisa's face instantly flushed. She looked like she wanted to hit Saddam, but instead, she turned away and snorted roughly. Before she could respond, the base's sirens blared again. The corridor lights turned a bright red. A soldier rushed in, panting for breath, looking at Felisa with a panicked gaze.

"Captain! A new Rift has opened right inside the Nymphenburg Palace complex! We're being attacked from within!"