The Transmigrated Author
Chapter 218: Mission Briefing

[Eldoria, Mecerenary Headquarters - IDS Station: Equipment Room]

Rel, caught off guard by Christian's sudden outburst, instinctively took a step back.

"Calm down," he said, gently removing Christian's hands from his shoulders.

"What's going on here?"

Christian's face was flushed, and through his mask Rel could tell that his eyes were wide with panic and frustration.

"It's VE4B," he sputtered. "She's... she's..."

Rel glanced back at Vanessa, who was still glaring at the wall, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

He could practically feel the waves of irritation radiating off of her.

"She's what?" Rel moved his head slightly, raising an eyebrow.

"She's being... difficult," Christian finally managed to say, his voice barely a whisper.

"Difficult?" Rel repeated amused by Christian's reactions.

Rel looked back at Vanessa, who had now turned her head towards them, her eyes narrowed.

"Is there something you'd like to share with the class, CA25B?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"See?" Christian whispered to Rel as if proving his point. "She's being impossible!"

Rel sighed, rubbing his temples.

This was going to be a long day.

"Alright, let's just take a deep breath and try to figure this out," he said, trying to inject some calm into the situation.

"What exactly is the mission, and why is she so upset about it?"

**

"It's not that I said anything bad," Christian defended himself, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice.

"I just told her it's pointless going to an academy. She's making more money here as a mercenary than a regular hero would!"

I blinked, genuinely confused.

Vanessa's logic made a certain kind of sense, though it deviated sharply from the original plot.

In my novel, she'd never even attended an academy.

"You might want to reconsider your words," I said, taking a few steps back as the tension in the room thickened.

"But I didn't say anything wrong!" Christian's voice boomed, echoing off the walls.

I maintained a neutral expression behind my mask, but I realised how on par he was with Jan's stupidity...

"That's exactly why she's angry," I explained.

"You insulted her dreams and aspirations. Even if your intentions were good, it came across as dismissive."

Christian froze up with his shoulders becoming stiff, it seemed to finally grasp the gravity of his words.

He clasped his hands together, his head bowed in a gesture of supplication.

"Please, Axel, you gotta fix this!"

haah... seriously... I sighed tirelessly.

I'd only been with these two once, and already Christian was looking to me for solutions.

It seemed my reputation as the "fixer" had preceded me.

I realized then that taking on this mercenary job might have been more trouble than it was worth.

It wasn't just about blending in anymore; now I had to deal with the interpersonal drama of my own characters.

How stupid.

Then without a moment to waste, I watched as Jaxon Cain entered, his imposing figure filling the doorway.

He surveyed the scene, taking in the awkward distance between Christian and Vanessa, who were now standing stiffly on opposite sides of the room.

haah...

A moment of silence hung in the air as Jaxon's gaze swept over each of us.

Then, with a heavy sigh, he slumped his shoulders.

It was a gesture I hadn't expected from a living legend and a mercenary leader.

It was enough to send a shiver down my spine.

"Mr. Cain," Vanessa spoke first, her voice surprisingly calm as she offered a respectful bow.

Christian, visibly shaken, attempted to fall in line beside her.

"Get away from me."

DOOM!

But she shoved him away with an absurd amount of force, sending him crashing through several walls.

"AH!"

CRASSSH!

"What the fuck?"

My eyes widened in shock seeing the scene before me.

I was silently grateful I wasn't the one on the receiving end of her rage.

Jaxon, seemingly unfazed by the destruction, turned back to Vaness and spoke.

"Okay, so as you know, there have been rumours circulating about the recent abolishment of several organizations around the world, allegedly linked to the France incident..."

He explained that our mission was to infiltrate and assassinate Philip Han, a known criminal in the dark world with connections to a Quadra member.

Han's organization had been linked to the France incident through DNA tests on the bodies of the fallen demi-humans, and he was believed to possess dangerous ingredients that needed to be destroyed.

The implications were clear, and the weight of the task settled heavily upon our group.

Even though our leader, Yang Vieana, wasn't present, we were supposedly more than capable of handling the mission.

But the thought of killing someone made me shudder.

It was one thing to write about violence in my novels, but the reality of taking a life was something I wasn't sure I could take.

And to make matters worse, the mission was scheduled to begin on a Saturday, meaning I'd have to sacrifice my precious free time for the sake of this assignment.

Great. Just great.

***

[Pinnacle Academy, Class 1-A Lecture Room]

The following day, I sat in the familiar confines of Class 1-A's lecture room, waiting for the lesson to begin.

Kolek walked in, conspicuously without a laptop.

That was when I realised what was going on.

What we were doing was another practice exam.

With all of Class 1-A present, Kolek announced on the podium, "This is just a warm-up for your upcoming practical exam next week. And this time, you won't be fighting as individuals. Instead..."

He paused for dramatic effect, a sly grin spreading across his face. "...you'll be fighting against each other!"

A wave of excited murmurs swept through the room.

"Finally! A chance to show everyone what I'm made of!" Lucas, a brash and confident student, shouted from the back row.

"Oh no, I'm not good at fighting..." Sasha, a timid girl with a penchant for healing magic, whispered to her friend.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Bazz chimed in, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Kolek raised his hands, calming the commotion.

"Now, now, settle down," he chuckled. "Before you get too carried away, let me explain the rules."