"Marcus… let's make a deal. If you deliver this message for me, I'll help you investigate your case." Nexus offered.
This time Marcus was tempted.
"Can you do that?" A bit skeptical of his reach, after all, Nexus was only a Lead Sentinel. Marcus felt that his rank was still a long shot away from being able to pry into his case.
"You have no idea what I can do. Though I won't be promising you a satisfactory result. But I can at least point you in a good direction." Nexus offered, seriously.
Marcus began considering his offer.
"Let me make it easier for you, Keeyah and Charlotte will go with you. They'll assure your life, however, they're not allowed to engage. I doubt if the soldiers in the Western Mansion will be stupid enough to attack them."
"Do I have to fight?" Marcus asked.
He had never seen an Awakened battle before, nor had he ever witnessed Cultivators fighting, so he didn't have a proper idea of how it's done.
But if they were anything like the 5% of power that Nexus showed at the border of the First Ring, then he was almost certain that he would lose his life.
Most soldiers of the Empire have been put through a few combat training sessions, and some of them were proficient in fighting hand-to-hand. Marcus wouldn't say that he was bad at it, but he wouldn't claim to be special either.
"No, you don't have to do that, though you do have to uphold the dignity of the team. You must make sure that no one insults our dignity or walks on it, even if it would cost you your life, deal with them." As Nexus spoke, a bit of his aura leaked, suppressing everyone in the room and even causing more cracks to appear on the walls.
Marcus fell to the ground, hard, though he cushioned his fall with his hands and kept his knees off the ground, he felt blood rush up his throat.
What he had just experienced had gone beyond what he knew to be possible.
It quickly reminded him of the vision he witnessed upon awakening.
"What are you doing on the floor?" Nexus asked, acting clueless as he restrained his leaking aura. "Agree to this, and I'll give you a Cultivation Art that even the Empire would like to get from my hands."
At this point, both Keeyah and Charlotte wanted to accept the mission for themselves. "Captain, let me go. I'll be done in 30 minutes." Keeyah said.
"No, the two of you should also give up on my Cultivation Art. You're both far on your paths that learning mine would cause more harm than good to you. Marcus is still a fresh apple, he can attempt to cultivate it."
Marcus was hesitant to accept all of this. Not because he feared danger, though the warning in Keeyah's eyes made it clear that this wasn't a casual delivery.
No, his pause came from something deeper. A quiet but stubborn part of him, forged through years of hardship, survival, and discipline.
He didn't give his word lightly.
For Marcus, commitment wasn't a simple nod or a passing agreement, it was a binding promise. Once spoken, he followed it through, no matter the cost. That was his code, his unspoken law.
This wasn't a thing of pride or honor, but necessity. Brought up in the part of the world where trust was brittle and words were cheap, he'd made his own worth something solid.
He was aware that this wasn't just a task at this point, it was a test.
Marcus straightened his body and met Nexus's eyes. "What's the package?"
Nexus grinned wider. "So you're accepting?"
Without saying anything, he replied. The look in his eyes said enough.
"Good," Nexus retrieved a medal from his pocket and handed it over to Marcus. "When you reach the Western Mansion's barracks, take this to their commanding officer's office. No matter what you do, don't show any signs of fear.
"This token represents a rank only below that of the Imperial Families. With this in your hands, you would be representing me." Nexus stared into Marcus's eyes and said in a lower voice. "Show no fear.
"And also, try to hide your mental strength, At this point, you're announcing to everyone that you have a strong mind."
"How do I do that?"
"Just suppress it with your will."
Marcus did just that, and soon he felt his senses dull a bit, though they were still heightened, just not as exaggerated as before.
…
After making simple preparations, Marcus departed the Eastern Mansion's Barracks alongside Keeyah and Charlotte.
They left in an official sedan meant for someone of Nexus's standing.
The two women sat in front while Marcus was behind. He looked at the Medal in his hands.
The medal itself was just as big as a coin. It looked as if it was made out of silver, however, it felt heavier than that.
Keeyah was the one driving, from the mirror she saw Marcus staring at her.
"What are you thinking about?" Her voice jerked him out of his thoughts.
Looking at her, he wondered if he should ask.
"Why does Captain have something like this?" He raised the medal.
"Can you remember what Captain said about falling from grace in the First Ring?"
Marcus replied with a nod.
"This is what he was referring to." With that, she said no more.
Though she had answered a part of his question, it left him wondering more.
"Marcus," Charlotte called out, making him flinch.
"Whether you're a coward or not, with that medal in your hand, your rank surpasses ours and almost everyone you'll come across in the Western Mansion. Use it well, and do not disgrace our Captain… or else, I'll kill you myself."
Hearing this threat, Marcus's features turned cold, and he stared at the back of her head.
He didn't like being threatened.
I'll make sure you regret saying that in the future… teammate or not.