Chương 5: Genesis

"Just stay still and let me take care of the rest."

Without hesitation, she rolled the bandage out and deftly placed it on top of Red's palms. Before Red could even flinch at the thought of his hand being severely broken, The girl dexterously wrapped his wrists and hands to the point of seamlessness. Red was surprised after witnessing such a feat! It's as if the girl right in front of her showed skills that wouldn't be possible even with decades of medical experience. Of course, that was just in his opinion since he personally doesn't have any medical background of any sort.

"How did you do that?" Scar whoa-ed at the sight as he fumbled his fingers on a vague replication of what the girl demonstrated.

"D-don't ask me! I don't know either!" The girl stammered after admiring her handiwork.

"Thanks," Red uttered as he gave the girl a warm smile. It's not because he was showing affection to the girl, but rather because he was restraining himself from screaming in pain.

Now that I notice it... she looks really cute with her blond hair and freckles. And why is her skin so pale? Red couldn't help but wonder as he stared at the doll-like girl.

In response, the girl bashfully fidgeted after noticing Red's thoughtful gaze. She tried looking away but Red just wouldn't budge. It's as if he's staring right into her very soul.

"Freckles. That's your name." Red finally spoke up.

Wait?! So he was looking at her like that with the thought of naming her? Is she his pet or what? Blond thought to himself but unknown to him, everyone was thinking the same thing.

"Ah! Um... sure, I guess." Freckles muttered as she averted her gaze from Red. After a few seconds, she found herself staring at her own feet, losing the courage of looking at Red straight in the eyes.

"Anyways, back to the topic. Who are you really? And how could you fight like that?" Curl leaned in towards Red's face, making him impulsively move his head backward. Curl felt Red's uneasiness so she leaned her face more at Red.

"Those moves you did aren't regular moves of a teenager if you ask me." Scar backed her up.

"I could sense that the humanoid's mechanisms were of high quality and its movements were calculated down to the millimeter. In fact, it looked and moved like a peak-athletic human! What I'm curious is how you deflected and defended yourself from lethal blows coming from a literal metallic death-incarnate?"

"Trust me, I'm just as clueless as everyone here in this room," Red spoke up and by the looks of it, he really didn't have the slightest idea about it. "It felt like relying on my instinct rather than looking for the humanoid's attacks. I just don't know."

"Judging by the way the humanoid quickly attacks like that, I doubt everyone can watch out for it." Freckles shuddered at the thought. She knew that someday, she will be pitted against a humanoid and it might be well her last. It wasn't an understatement since everyone except Red and Blond thought of the same thing.

Once again, a heavy cloud descended upon the group at the thought of fighting one of those humanoids. Jarxen and Red already told them but they still can't accept that their luck finally ran out. They suddenly found themselves in an unknown area with no memory of the past whatsoever. Adding to that, they had to withstand some advanced humanoids to the death as mere slaves of the Nexus corporation.

"I swear, we're not going to rot in here forever. We're going out no matter what! If I can't do it, then I'll gladly be a meat shield for everyone. That way, we have a higher chance of surviving." Scar muttered as veins popped on his neck due to his annoyance. All of them knew that they had no choice but to comply with Jarxen's orders. Dangers aside, Scar willingly voted himself as a sacrificial pawn.

"You're a huge fan of pain, aren't you?" Curl clicked her tongue as she lay down on Red's bunk bed. "You don't have to be a meat shield for everyone here... " She trailed off as she slowly succumbed to her slumber.

"She's right. We might not know why we're here but we're here for a reason. Our topmost priorities right now are⁠— One, stalling time. And Two, forcing our minds to remember the past. We might find a clue here and there that would help us get out of this hellhole. The latter part is easy, we just have to strain ourselves, but the former... well, we have to rely on Red's teaching skills so we could go head to head with those humanoids." Blond answered lengthily."I guess we have to learn close combat one way or another."

Freckles agreed as she took a glance at Red. "That said, Red, we're counting on you."

"Sure sure," Red muttered as he slumped on his bed. That's when he noticed Curl curled up beside him.

"Curl, what are you... nevermind... " He sighed after seeing her peaceful demeanor. Taking the other side of the bed, he proceeded to claim his rest. After all, he was too tired to move to another bed.

"No one knows the time right? Then it's safe to say goodnight." Blond waved off as he headed to the last bunk bed on the other side of the room. Scar followed suit and claimed the bunk bed right on the other end of Blond's

.... ...

Wee~woo... wee~woo...

A huge alarm resembling the sound of an ambulance made everyone spring out of their beds. There were red blazing lights encompassing the room as if some sort of enemy breached the corporation. The group was still groggy but they prepared themselves for a possible attack nonetheless.

Red immediately propped the stolen earpiece on his ear, hoping to catch wind of some news. However, he only heard a steady crackle of static.

The door burst open and a strange person in a hazmat trudged into the room. It was a common white hazmat but to the group, it was sort of strange that someone would go into the room wearing one.

"Is he trying to scare us? Who's that guy?" Scar asked himself. He was about to attack the guy when Blond stopped him in his tracks.

"Relax," Blond uttered with a hint of a smile on his face. "Let's just see what happens next."

Scar swallowed his dry saliva while he carefully walked back to his bunk bed. Hearing Blond utter that single word made him think of two possible theories: One, that Blond somehow knew who the person was inside the hazmat and he doesn't see it as harmful, and Two, he's somehow on the league with Nexus Corporation and is assigned to watch over the group.

But all of Scar's doubts disappeared as soon as Blond spoke up again. "We already saw through you Jarxen Vaurg, what's up with the outfit?"

Gasp~!

Everyone except Red (somehow, he saw through Jarxen Vaurg's disguise as well) gasped at the revelation. They had no idea who the person was behind the hazmat but Blond quickly assumed that it was Jarxen.

Blond, what are you doing? You're going to get yourself killed! Freckles thought. She also believed that Jarxen wasn't the one inside the hazmat.

The hazmat acted as if it was taken aback after hearing Blond's confident declaration. Everyone heard the person inside the hazmat sigh in disappointment. He then grabbed the headpiece of the hazmat and removed it.

"Surprise surprise! It really was Jarxen after all!" Jarxen raucously guffawed in front of them. In a split second, however, his expression shifted to grave seriousness. "How did you guess that it's me, blondie boy?"

"We've never seen anyone except you assigned in the block. That means no one is allowed to enter here without permission from your leader or something. Aside from that, you're the only one we ever saw enter this block."

"Good intuition." Jarxen slowly clapped his hands at Blond's explanation.

Wait?! Did he just compliment me? This is rather unusual. Blond thought as the gears in his mind worked at maximum potential again. There's always a reason for everything.

Why the hazmat and the compliment?

"Ehrmm! ehrmm! " Jarxen cleared his throat as a panel on the ceiling of the room opened and a huge television came out. As if on cue, the television turned itself on and a huge white room flashed on the screen.

It was the Testing room!

Jarxen didn't need to explain anything to the group. The script was followed the way it previously was— with a panel opening itself and the huge chute bringing in the humanoid inside. It was a sight burned in Red's memories- the sight of the humanoid's flashing eyes and expressionless visage.

"Well, today is officially your first day, little worms. A pleasure to have you in my block." Jarxen's sarcasm broke the silence as he gestured everyone to head towards the Testing room once again.