Chapter 123: New Needs

"And once you’re done with that?"

He asked, and White exhaled.

"The only thing left for any human with power to do. Make sure no more humans suffer in the hands of our invaders."

He replied, and in that moment watched as an object suddenly appeared overhead.

It came closer, revealing a black ship.

The top surface opened up, and White saw a couple of people inside.

Their eyes were narrowed at him before they zoomed past without a word.

Even though they said nothing, White could still see the scowl and disgust deep in their eyes.

"I thought every Humanity Ascension official had to bow at the sight of a Commander?"

White noticed, turning to Commander Zoltan, who shrugged his shoulders, taking out a pack of cigarettes.

"Actually, my position as a Commander has been teetering these past few months."

He said, passing a cigarette to White, who took it with a quiet nod.

"And why is that?"

He asked, watching the Commander exhale.

"The Orb that was used to stop your consciousness from dissipating."

"Yes?"

"It was an artifact on the same level as the Awakening Manuals."

He began explaining,

"Even if we had no idea how it works, make it essentially useless, there are some people amongst the Humanity Ascension that didn’t like the idea of fusing a teenage boy with it."

"Funny enough, they didn’t mind when the idea was offered initially..."

He added, and White completed.

"Because they thought I would also be destroyed like the rest of the souls placed in it..."

"When you became the first success, now they did."

"And the talk of a human being fused with an alien body, an idea that I proposed, made me gain the reputation of the Commander slowly losing his head."

"Fusing a boy with a Primordial Grade Orb and an alien body of five hundred years. How nonsensical was the idea."

He said quietly, exhaling.

"And when it all became a success?"

White asked.

"A slap to their face that made them press on even harder to have me demoted under the guise that I allowed too much unknown power onto a random human, endangering humanity as a race."

He called, and White’s eyes narrowed.

A faint spark of blue lightning flickered in his gaze, but he quickly calmed himself, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

"When I was on the Supernaturals’ ship..."

White recalled.

"Yeah?"

"I was told that there were some humans involved with the Supernaturals’ ability to invade Aether Beyonders Academy security protocols."

"Are you saying..."

"Yes. They had human help."

Commander Zoltan froze.

"It sounds unbelievable, right?"

White continued,

"That some humans, for one reason or another, still choose to be the emissaries of their fellow man’s destruction."

"I wonder what they could seek to gain."

Commander Zoltan said.

"That’s the thing with humans. With their own hands, they bring on their own chaos."

"It’s the same thing these fools that are against you are doing."

"It’s fine."

Commander Zoltan said.

"If I were given a second chance, I wouldn’t choose differently. Not even if my Commander title is revoked."

"All that matters is getting everything needed to destroy the Supernaturals."

He murmured beneath his breath.

’His conviction is as powerful as ever.’

White thought quietly, a smile making its way to the corner of his lips before he exhaled, burning out the cigarette.

"You know, I wouldn’t mind taking up whatever plan you have to destroy the Supernaturals..."

He said as the Commander turned to him.

"My plan?"

"Oh, I know. No one has this much conviction on a goal without a plan already sketched out in their minds."

White replied, and the Commander smiled through his exhale.

"Sharp as ever."

"Besides, I wouldn’t want you losing your Commander rank just because you helped me."

"Those must come with benefits, no doubt, that would aid your plans, or you wouldn’t be one right now."

"If the leaders asking for your position to be revoked see the same thing they’ve been against deal another powerful blow to the Supernaturals, something they, with all their safe plans, couldn’t do, they’d be silenced for good."

White reasoned, and Commander Zoltan’s eyes narrowed before he smiled.

"So, you’d help me?"

"Be honest, Commander. It’s what you’ve always wanted."

He replied with a grin.

Waking up meters away in a penthouse with a good view, only the Commander with him,

Wasn’t it clear that he was trying to pull White into his worldview?

The power he held now could either be a help or humanity’s doom, since he was essentially a third existence after Humanity and the Supernaturals.

Powers like that had to be carefully checked and controlled, and White knew for sure this was the Commander testing him to see if his power should be destroyed or allowed to exist.

Since they weren’t that different and their goals were mostly the same, to destroy the Supernaturals, it was clear he’d passed the test.

Whatever the man’s intent was, White wouldn’t shy away from it, as without him, he might as well be gone for good.

It wouldn’t hurt to have one request of his fulfilled.

"There’ll be an important mission four days from now..."

Commander Zoltan said.

"Its success would be good enough to reinstate you as a Commander, won’t it?"

White asked.

"I might even get a promotion."

He replied, continuing.

"Though I have to warn you, it’s not going to be easy."

White shrugged.

"Good thing I’m not a big fan of easy. Though I do have a request before that."

"And what’s that?"

"I want to return to Xtremecyber. There’s someone I promised I would return to, and... I just want them to know I’m very much alive. A day is enough."

White requested, and the Commander smoked up the cigarette in a breath before exhaling.

"You’ve got two days."

He spoke with a smile, then reached into his pocket, drew out a device, and tapped it twice. A person’s hologram appeared.

"Prepare a flight to Xtremecyber Academy."