Kapitel 11: AOS 11
Meanwhile, Carter silently on the tree line, observing the area. After a moment, he leapt down from the tree, landing softly on the ground. Just then, he noticed Rodè running toward him, gasping for breath and stumbling, his face streaked with tears.
Rodè, in his panicked state, caught sight of a figure standing near the tree line—Carter. The unexpected presence startled him, and he began to scream in terror. To his surprise, Carter screamed right along with him, his voice high-pitched and frantic.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I swear, I'm not suspicious!" Carter blurted out, looking just as frightened as Rodè.
Rodè stopped mid-scream, staring at the strange figure in disbelief. Carter, who appeared as nervous and on edge as he was, fidgeted awkwardly.
"Me… me too," Rodè stammered, his breathing slowing as he studied Carter cautiously.
"Who… who are you?" Rodè asked, though his suspicion lingered despite Carter's harmless demeanor.
"I… I'm sorry," Carter stuttered, glancing down nervously.
"I'm just a lost guard—part of the group assigned to watch over students during this trial. That's all." His words tumbled out in a jumble as he fidgeted with his fingers, avoiding Rodè's gaze.
Just then, a voice called out from the distance.
"Hey, Carter! Seriously, stop pretending to be lost already!" a woman's sharp tone echoed from the direction of the forest.
Both Rodè and Carter turned their heads in unison, startled by the voice. Rodè flinched slightly, his discomfort visible. The voice belonged to a female guard, her black uniform blending with the shadows of the trees. She wore a sleek black helmet that obscured her face.
"I… I'm sorry, but I need to go," Rodè said hastily, his voice trembling.
"I'm already slowing my team down enough." Without waiting for a response, he turned and sprinted off, eager to put as much distance as possible between himself and the guards.
"Good luck!" Carter called after him, giving a small, awkward smile.
As Rodè disappeared into the forest, Carter's team members gestured for him to hurry up and rejoin them.
"Stop dragging your feet already!" the female guard barked again.
Carter sighed, glancing back at where Rodè had just been.
"I guess I'm not the only one like that," Carter thought, feeling a strange sense of relief.
Rodè's nervous, fidgety behavior mirrored his own, making him feel oddly less alone in his discomfort and anxieties.
With that, Carter turned and hurried to catch up with his team, his thoughts lingering on the brief, strange encounter.
As Carter caught up with his team, Aria, the only female among them, grumbled under her breath. As he joined his group, Carter glanced over his shoulder, watching Rodè disappear into the distance, his figure slowly fading from view.
Meanwhile, Rodè continued running, but the unsettling encounter lingered in his mind. He suddenly stopped, his discomfort growing.
"I hope they haven't flagged me yet," he muttered to himself, glancing over his shoulder, hoping he wasn't marked as a dropout just yet.
Back with Carter's team, Few moments later, they arrived at their station, recording the progress of Team A and other teams. Suddenly, Aria's attention was caught by one of their teammates rushing toward them in a hurry.
Carter watched, sensing the tension in the air as Neil sprinted toward the group.
"Hey, slow down, Neil! What's got you so worked up?" Aria yelled, clearly annoyed.
"Calm down, dude. I'm sure it's not that important," Mike added, casually sipping from a cup of coffee as he stood by the doorway.
"I-I-I just saw a Moster!" Neil blurted out, his voice trembling with fear.
"Th- Th- The Sinder!"
He collapsed onto the floor, looking like a person on the brink of death, his eyes wide with horror.
The group fell silent, stunned by what Neil had just said. Then, as if on cue, they all burst into laughter.
George spilled his water, his hand covering his mouth as he laughed; Aria laughed so hard she almost doubled over; Victor struggled to hold back his laughter; and Leonids simply watched coldly, his expression unmoving as the others found the situation amusing.
"Did you hear that nervous guy? Seriously, this man thinks those creatures still exist in our world?" Silas laughed, his hand hanging awkwardly around Carter's neck, his discomfort palpable as usual.
"Not you and your obsession with those ancient creatures," Marcus said, walking out of the building and glancing at Neil still on the floor.
Just then, Riven's serious tone cut through the laughter as he addressed the group.
"you all need to get your act together before the captain joins us. This goofy persona isn't working in our favor. Besides, don't you find it weird that his clothes are stained with blood?" Riven said, his no-nonsense attitude shining through.
"Not you believing him already, LT," Aria teased, a smirk on her face.
Riven's gaze shifted toward Carter.
"Who is he?" Riven asked, his voice still serious.
"Oh, he's a lost guard member. We decided to keep him under our watch until we're done with the trial or find his teammates, LT," Aria answered, her tone casual as she addressed Riven.
"Oh? I haven't seen this face before in all my years of guardianship."
Riven began, his gaze fixed on Carter, who could feel the growing tension in the air.
"LT, please. How long have you been doing this? Besides, you're only 30 years old," Aria added, her tone light but pointed.
"New people join the guard every month after graduation," she concluded, trying to deflect attention.
Carter met Riven's gaze, his eyes unwavering, and the tension thickened as everyone chuckled at Aria's comment.
"Unconscious."
Carter's command was cold, cutting through the laughter.
Before anyone could react, the laughter stopped, and one by one, the entire team, including Riven, slumped to the ground, unconscious Instantly.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein