Chapter 25: Lip Service
"The General personally thank you for your contributions!"
A stern-looking officer stood in front of an entrance.
Erza wanted to personally 'thank' the General for his hospitality.
'Good! Aqua did her job well.'
He was in front of a huge building, which was the General's Living Quarters.
It housed his family and people who are important to him.
There were guards patrolling the perimeter.
Erza knew that the General couldn't wake up because he was knocked out by alcohol yesterday.
With the purpose of upholding his superior's face, the officer answering Erza said that he was not available even though he knew that the General was still asleep.
One of Aqua Rose's mission is to implant micro-cameras and microphones all over the General's room and other parts of the Living Quarters.
"Then, tell General Rudolph that Erza thanks him for leading the nation's finest to protect and serve the people!"
Erza gave his lip service.
The guard saluted him and head back inside.
'6.30am.'
Erza looked at his Orange Watch.
He walked back to his convoy.
<Team, we're moving out in 30 minutes!>
…
"Ugh-my head~"
A half-wrinkled hands of a man massaged his own temple.
Just when the man was about to reach out to a glass of water, he heard a loud piercing voice.
"General! General! Urgent report! Urgent report!"
Loud banging sounds was heard from his room's door.
As a former airmen, he jumped out of his bed immediately.
'Orders from Central Government?'
He opened the door and saw a panting officer.
"So?! Tell me what's the report about!"
Catching his breath, the officer then reported to the General.
Every morning, the Air Force would prepare for rescue missions.
They will fly all over the reported areas that any important people might be at.
At 0830 hours, they would set off from the base and perform their search and rescue missions.
And approximately five to ten minutes when the aircrafts are in the air, they noticed that the electronics had a few glitches.
They reported back to the Air Force Base to see of they could figure out what happened.
None of them had any idea.
Out of the tens of helicopters and jets that flew, about five aircrafts did not have any malfunctions.
"Team Bravo has gone AWOL for almost half a day. We could not track them at all."
General Rudoplh asked the officer which model did they flew with.
"The EC725?! Track it! Track it now! Run the system until we have confirmed signal from the trackers! I don't care what you do, find me back that copter!"
The Airboss Euracopter EC725 is one the latest and most expensive helicopter they purchased.
General Rudolph was frantic because the loss of such an important asset would deter his promotion!
…
Woosh!
<I can't believe I got to ride a helicopter in this lifetime!>
A youth with sharp features exclaimed.
<Haha! If you think this is amazing enough, wait until you can fly, Zephyr!>
The excited youth was Feera.
Erza told him before that all telekinetic-based Awakened would eventually learn how to fly.
The team has successfully obtained a helicopter!
<Zoltan, could you nail the landing?>
Erza was currently leading the convoy back to their hotel.
Bucky and Feera rode the helicopter.
Mr. Zayf, Big Mark, Mrs. Numee, and Kara drove the rest of the cars.
<I'm quite confident, Zeta. The system has an assisted landing feature.>
As one of the most advanced models available in the market, electronic programming would help pilots reduce mistakes as much as possible.
The hotel has a helicopter landing pad which is usually used for dignitaries, royalties or celebrities.
'Initially, I thought that the rooftop space could become a solar farm or a greenhouse area.'
Based on Erza's past life, his almost solitary life drove him to become a meticulous planner and jack-of-all-trades.
The appearance of his family and team member's Talent completed his plans like pieces of puzzles.
'With Dad's Electricity Manipulation and Earth Princess' Earth Manipulation, energy and soil fertility issues are a thing of a past.'
<Zeus and Zarwi, how was it on your end?>
Mr. Zayf and Mrs. Numee were responsible for incapacitating the pilots and crews of the hijacked helicopter.
<They're all okay. I even healed their past injuries as a way of compensating them.>
Mr. Zayf stunned the pilots swiftly and Mrs. Numee healed them in case of the stunning bore injuries.
Combatants, especially veteran soldiers would usually have numerous injuries on their bodies.
<Great job. Magna, you made sure the mini fortress could hold out?>
Kara's role was to create a simple Earthen house about two stories high with extra tough walls for defense on the location they took over the helicopter.
<I'm pretty sure that even an S-2 would have a hard time breaking it open.>
They carried the crews' unconscious bodies to the fortress and let them keep all their weapons.
'So they could contact the base and get back alive.'
Erza isn't a cruel person.
The soldiers were just doing their jobs, and the heist did not need any lives to be sacrificed.
<Team, we are almost reaching the hotel. We will proceed with the landing first and I'll open the parking basement at the same time.>
With no obstructions, air travel is the fastest type of transportation.
They were at least fifteen minutes ahead of the convoy.
The reason why they needed to go back to the hotel was to unload the 'packages' that they were carrying.
That was why Feera was onboard the helicopter.
He could lift the items inside the aircraft into the hotel with his ability.
Erza had to spearhead the convoy as he will protect the ground team in case of any unexpected incidents.
…
"I never thought I'd miss this hotel so much after a night!"
Feera while munching.
Erza's family is currently having lunch.
Coming to the 11th day of the apocalypse, most of their food is either preserved, frozen or canned.
"Guys, we're taking the day off. Tomorrow, we fly again!"
Erza did not rush into another rescue mission immediately.
He wanted to make sure his team gets enough rest after yesterday's two unsuccessful missions.
And also to assemble and arrange the resources that they looted from the Air Force Base.
'Bucky also needs to fully adjust himself to the helicopter.'
Besides, a sudden disappearance of an aircraft would cause an uproar within the military.
He needed to lay low and avoid the radar detection of the helicopter.
Bucky has deactivated the tracking system of the helicopter that linked it to the military satellite.
The missing helicopter's case was so bizarre that the Air Force had to abandon it after unsuccessful investigations.
"Come take your Evolution Nucleus, guys."
Erza distributed the harvest.
They had a haul so bountiful that each of them could reach the mid-way to become Class-8 Awakened.
'The dark pink S-2 Evolution Nucleus.'
Erza wanted to give this to Feera, but his younger brother declined.
"Give it to Magna, she made it possible to defeat the S-2."
Although impulsive, he knew better than to take someone's credit.
He also realized that his powers and techniques are still lacking.
'I need to train more!'
After handing over the Evolution Nucleus to his family members, he heads down to the 2nd Floor.
He rang on Kara's and Big Mark's rooms respectively and gave them their share.
'Another one or two missions, they could reach Class-9.'
When Erza wanted to give Kara the S-2's Evolution Nucleus, she declined.
"Zeta, it's true that I had trapped it in the quicksand but I couldn't kill it."
She lacked the methods to kill an S-2 Infected.
"I-If you feel I deserve that dark pink bead, we could make an exchange, Zeta? Please train me to become stronger!"
'This girl. She's becoming more and more like the original Earth Princess I knew.'
Erza nodded.
He thanks her for the S-2 Evolution Nucleus.
After a few moments of conversations, she went back inside her room.
Erza visited Director Jing's room and gave him his reward for his effort. He also mentioned about how he can exchange his 'salary' for resources.
Ding dong!
Room 204.
"Hello, Master Zeta."
When the door opened, a young woman in her mid-20s appeared.
Drip.
Her hair was wet. Her big, beautiful eyes were playful and cute.
'Not bad.'
It was Aqua Rose.
She had just finished bathing and only a skimpy hotel towel is covering her modesty.
"Here, your rewards."
He handed her a bag.
There was some food and water, and a few pink beads.
"Oh!"
She immediately unwrapped some chocolate bars.
She has only been getting a minimal amount of food ever since she was 'captured' by Erza's team.
"Good job yesterday. Keep up the good work."
Aside from making the General drunk, she had to scour the room for any important information.
She was also given a device to map the General's face, voice, iris, and thumb for Bucky to hack into the military database.
All of it after 'entertaining' the General.
'But apparently, the General got sh*tfaced drunk after a bottle of wine.'
She was prepared to use her body to make the General tired, but all she got was a few rubs and hugs.
That left her sexually frustrated.
Erza wanted to leave after conversing with her about what can she buy from him with the Evolution Nucleus.
Having praised by a man she had so much hate at first, which later turned into adoration, her heart flutters.
"B-but, is it okay for a person like me to stay here? I mean, I'm not an entirely pure person at all. I've done a lot of dirty-"
Shh.
An index finger silenced her self-loathing lips.
It was Erza's.
"In my team, I only care about results. As long they complete their tasks, they can have any rewards they want."
That gesture took away her heart.
She has been with a few men before, but none of them came close to Erza's charisma.
With a pink blush, Aqua Rose asked him.
"S-so, Master Zeta. What kind of women do you like?"
She wanted to see if she has a chance with this attractive man.
As a Class-9 Awakened, his physical appearance has been enhanced a few fold.
He stands at a height of 183 centimeters, with his muscles recently developed.
He looked like a good-looking men's physique bodybuilding competitor.
Wearing a casual t-shirt and shorts, his muscle separation could be seen as he is very lean.
"I like strong women."
Ten years of living in the apocalypse have shaped his mindset differently.
'Without strength, how are we going to survive long enough to talk about intimacy?'
According to the hierarchy of needs, humans have several levels of needs.
The first was the basics.
Food, water, shelter.
Then comes security.
When one has ensured that they are strong enough to be safe, then they could talk about love.
Aqua Rose didn't understand him at first, but eventually, she did.
"W-would you like to have some drinks? I don't have much but I could make some coffee with the hotel's leftovers."
Unintentionally, she held her wet towel as if it were to slip.
Her long, fair thighs swayed left and right.
Her ample bosom almost exploding, revealing deep seductive cleavage.
If the towel were a little bit lower, one could see the edge of an erogenous pink zone.
"Aqua, you don't need to beat around the bush. It's faster if you tell me what you need."
Erza was a man of pragmatism.
"Ah! Right, we could exchange information with the method you mentioned."
She took out the Evolution Nucleus and handed it to Erza.
"What do you want to know?"
It wasn't that Aqua Rose wasn't ravishing enough, Erza has other things in his mind.
"Master Zeta, you don't want to discuss inside?"
Aqua tried one more time.
"You know, you can just tell me what you really want."
He slowly brought his face nearer to hers.
Aqua Rose could feel his breathing down her expose collarbone.
"I want you."
She dried herself with a towel but now she was wet in a specific region.
The man's charm and powerful aura aroused her.
Ever since the first time she met Erza, his intimidating aura and cold treatment to her made her want him more.
All her life, men put her on a high pedestal.
'You're the only one that has made me this submissive.'
She grabbed Erza's neck and jumped on his body.
Slam!
The door slammed close.
They spent the evening in Aqua Rose's room.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Spontaneous_Aedi
Spontaneous_Aedi Dude's not a herbivor, lemme tell you that.
;)
Weekly Power Status
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