The Metal Military Academy
Chapter 37: The Plan to Target the Shadow

“It's good to see you back, Major Zaky, Captain Xeron, and Captain Zeon,” said Ajhu flatly as usual. “You don't have to salute me. We go straight to the core of the discussion.”

Ajhu asked the man of advanced temper, “How is your team's mission progress, Major Zaky.”

Zaky replied accompanied by a distinctive sound audio helmet that filters out the original sound, “All set as planned. I'll give you an up-to-date report on reconnaissance at enemy headquarters to our headquarters. The rest, we are waiting for licensing from the main unit.”

“This stage is as expected. Stick to the plan, Major Zaky.”

“Ready, Sir,” says Zaky.

The one-eyed gaze of Ajhu turned on the red lizard-tailed young man. “How is your mission progress now with the team, Captain Xeron?”

Xeron sighed, “.... As always. Just going around, doing boring activities, and watching. There are no ‘do orders from the central headquarters to attack immediately? I'm tired of living a life like a loser.”

“All of it also needs a mature plan, Captain Xeron,” firmly dark hooded youth. “We can not directly attack the enemy if there is no readiness and momentum right.”

“Until when?” Xeron clasped his hands, looking at the young man. “The Ribelo Planet Orbit Force is currently in shaky time. Just wait for time until all over Ribelo experience a crisis of trust in the military. Isn't this a good time to be straight?”

“Dragon your greeting in front of Mr. Ajhu, Captain Xeron,” reprimand Girdan growled. “You're an officer, not a barbarian. Supposedly, you understand the situation we're in right now.”

“Understand, Girdan..” Casually Zaky said, “In the brain of this boy there is only a slaughter, a slaughter, and a slaughter. You're talking about strategy won't get to her brain.”

Xeron just snorted, reluctant to reply to his partner's words.

Although Xeron is known as a fairly emotional soldier, he is still a talented and reliable figure when serving in the field like this. The title he got now was the result of his toughness in fighting crippling many enemies.

“Your nature so looks like an online MC novel that deliberately contrived like to slaughter so as not to be said naive, Captain Xeron. Too maksa...,” quipped the dark hooded youth.

Xeron pointed at the young man using his hands that resembled reptilian claws. “Don't equate me with such a nut character, boy! Anyway, I don't like reading.”

“Already. Why are you debating something unimportant?” said Ajhu did not like. “Finely, you give us the latest report on the assignment of your team to the headquarters, Captain Xeron. After that, you just wait for the next decision from central headquarters.”

“Understand..., sir...,” says Xeron sounds half-literate.

This creature, once irritated, will certainly behave disrespectfully, even to his own superiors.

Now Ajhu's gaze was shifted on the dark hooded young man with his hands fed with a purple aura. “How about you, Captain Zeon?”

Zeon replied, “We just moved. It still takes time to gather more information.”

Ajhu nodded. “Good. Work well. Don't waste the trust we've given you.”

Zeon grimaced hearing it. For a moment he watched his pitch-black hands, the purple aura that was there still continued to flow like a nebula cloud in space.

Zeon will not waste this opportunity to show the universe that he deserves to be a great warrior. From this mission, he really had to prove it, even in the presence of an obnoxious officer like Xeron though.

Zeon has ambition, and he'll make it happen no matter what.

“Sorry if I was presumptuous to ask, Mr. Ajhu.” Girdan asked condolently, “Our military unit is currently focusing on reconnaissance of enemy movements. However, do we still need to do more research on Astan's corpse, Mr?”

The structure on the large tree had made the entire body of Astan turned into a tree and was no longer identified as a human corpse. That means, it is very difficult for them to look for the Resurrection Power sample from the Astan body component, even if they have to do genetic engineering once.

“You're still obsessed with getting the power that this Astan has, huh..?” xeron asked in a mocking voice.

Ajhu tried to hold back his emotions when he heard Xeron's tone. “Astan Pradipta Cornell's Power of Resurrection is the potential for our nation to progress even further. If we can identify it more fully and apply it as a biological weapon, then other nations of the entire Galactic Union will not dwell on us.”

However, the anger of Ajhu, he was still aware that the project they had done on Astan's body during these dozen years might end up in vain.

“But, I admit. The project has had no development whatsoever other than creating defective mutants.” Ajhu again said, “Another way to be able to obtain Astan's Resurrection Power aside from identifying his corpse is to search for his shadow.”

“Shadow?” Xeron was astonished to hear it.

“Iya.” Ajhu nodded.

One of Ajhu's eyes narrowed sharply, recalling the figure that had stuck with Astan while still alive and before joining Ribelo's military forces.

“Infant. A small creature resembling a black slime that used to be a parasite in Astan's mind and once almost killed him.”

Ajhu explained, “Astan gained all its great power as well because of Shadow's interference. Because the Shadow is created from the projection of the other side of Astan, then most likely he also has a power similar to Astan.”

Girdan seemed to think while rubbing his muzzle chin, “To my knowledge, Shadow has a very dangerous ability, right? That is, able to hack all the technological systems that exist in almost all the civilizations of the universe. So, all kinds of systems will not be able to escape the threat of damage he made, even technological systems implanted in the body of living things though.”

“That power is also our target. If we can get the Shadow, not only the remnants of the power of Astan we get, but also the original power of Shadow.” Ajhu is also seen starting to consider something, “Yang so the problem here is the existence of Shadow himself. Astan has never used the power of Bayang again since he joined the military.”

“From the information I got, most likely Shadow hidden by the nearest party Astan itself,” said Zaky.

“Someone who is very trusted Astan, is it?” guess Zeon.

Zaky nodded. “True. He is a highly trusted and influential person in the military agency Planet Ribelo. Who else if not Officer Grimaelo Adrael Novan?”

Ajhu glared in surprise at the name, a name that sounded gripping and so threatening to anyone who knew of its figure.

As far as Ajhu is concerned, Grim is one of the most influential officers in the Ribelo Space Military. Behind his wise nature, there was another side that made the whole team of Ribelo reluctant to him.

The strength, intelligence, and also the dark history of the Grim family lineage made its reputation so much feared by many people.

As per his nickname, he is a lifeless figure, ready to finish off anyone who stands in the way of his ambitions.

“Grim...”.

Ajhu was really furious as he recalled that monstrous figure.

“He's a very irritating creature.”

...~*~*~*~...