Kabanata 27

Keenan clasped his hands, the painful sensation that he felt last night, it was still lingering but he could move now. The blinding light of the rising sun welcomed him, his eyes creased as he looked around.

He couldn't believe that he had overcome the disintegration. He thought he was going to die, he witnessed how his body slowly crumbled into sands. Thankfully, he was used to deep focus, his past-life occupation required high concentration. This was the main reason why he defeated the disintegration. If not for his past life, he knew that he was definitely dead right now. 

He took a deep breath and exhaled, his heart was beating hard showing that he is still alive. Nothing wins against the taste of fresh air, especially after you overcome a near-death situation. 

He stretched his aching legs and arms. Then again, he glanced at the grinning woman next to him. 

Captain Yora looked different from how he remembered. Right now, the woman was glimmering, much different than her sadistic smile when she grabbed the bag of N-cores. Keenan felt chill as he looked at her, he felt like he awakened something inside the woman. Was it admiration? Was it amazement? Nah, Keenan didn't know and he didn't care. 

His first impression was deeply imprinted in his mind, and he firmly believed that this sexy brunette woman is a bad person. An eccentric one that would leave him to death, just like what she almost did. 

"Oh come on, don't give me that look. I may almost leave you but I still stay. I even protected you. Look at these Nightmares all around."

Captain Yora said as she pointed her finger towards the dead monsters around the place. Keenan realized that this woman protected him but it was hard to put his trust. 

He scanned his current situation as Captain Yora looked at him with beaming eyes. 

'Sigh, I guess I don't have a choice but to trust her. I can't leave this place if I don't.'

He grumbled and nodded, he was in a situation that he couldn't say no.

"I'm sorry, I'm still shocked and can't think straight. Please forgive me."

He was lying, this man was thinking straight right now. And the best excuse he could think was that he was injured and couldn't think right. 

Captain Yora nodded and accepted his reason, she saw that this man was bluffing but she decided to agree. She grinned while thinking about something. 

'Hoh, so this kid is on the calculative side. Fufu, I like that, let's see how long can you last.'

She was grinning and Keenan already started to regret his decision. Yet, he decided to trust his gut feel, or else he would stay in this godforsaken land. 

They both smiled like kids who agreed to do something fun. The woman was excited while the young man was sweating hard. 

"Shana, get the ship right over our location."

Captain Yora commanded as she touched the device on her ear. 

[Wait a second.]

Shana replied. She was the operator of their ship, it didn't take a long time before the ship arrived. 

"Okay let's go."

Captain Yora tried to grab Keenan but the man shook his head. He looked at the grave of his friends.

"I'm sorry but can I have a few seconds. I want to say my farewell."

"… I'll give you five minutes."

"Thank you."

Keenan moved his aching body and reached the grave. He still had a handful of N-cores in his pocket and he was holding his dog tag. He put them in the grave and said his farewell. 

He was sad but didn't cry. Then, he turned around and asked Captain Yora something important. He was afraid that she would get angry and left him but he decided to gamble.

"C- Can I bring the bodies of my friends?"

"Hell No!"

A straight answer. It was stupid that he asked. Dead bodies stink, the ship may have a way to stop the smell such as the freezer but Captain Yora would rather use it as storage for food. 

"My ship is not a morgue or carousel for the dead."

She strictly said. She only wanted Keenan, not his dead friends. She didn't have any connection with them, to begin with. From her viewpoint, what she said was reasonable. It was her ship and she could do what she wants. No matter how much Keenan begged, she won't let stinky dead bodies be in her ship. 

Keenan grimly smiled, he knew that it was futile. He returned his eyes to the grave.

"I promise that I will return and take you to Thera after this."

Keenan knew the coordinates of this wasteland. When things became better, he would return and take them, he promised that he will do it. 

"So please stay strong and don't let any Nightmares scatter you."

"Are you going or not?"

Captain Yora yelled as she looked at her watch, five minutes already passed. 

Keenan closed his eyes for a second before walking towards her. His focus returns, he looked like a person who would go to a battlefield. Captain Yora giggled as she watched how he changed his expression into a serious one. 

' He has great control over his emotions. People with that kind of talent have a strong chance to survive this kind of occupation.'

On top of that, Keenan was outstanding in terms of concentration. Overcoming a disintegration was actually an impossible feat, but this young man just did it. Right before her eyes, she witnessed how the crumbled body started to regenerate. It was fun to watch. 

She was amused by this man. Even her, a [Redacted] Vindicator couldn't achieve that. She was confident about her concentration but she knew that she couldn't stop disintegration. The pain while the body was turning into ashes, and have to concentrate to stop the disintegration, only a crazy person could accomplish that.

'And this man did that.'

She grinned as she watched him walk. His golden eyes glowed and his jet black hair was being brushed by the wind. His uniform had holes all around and his six-pack abs were visible. 

'Oya, we got a hunk here. He looks young so perhaps he's inexperienced."

Captain Yora licked her lips. She was started thinking about multiple simulations(?) that she could do with that body of him…