Shadow Slave

The five Ascended were surprised by such a colorful description, but quickly got over their shock. No one seemed to have doubts about Sunny's credentials, and for a simple reason — there were no weak Masters. Every person who had chosen to challenge the Second Nightmare and survived was an elite by definition. So, his Rank was the only proof of competence he needed to be accepted by them.

That was not to say that these government officers felt threatened by Sunny's accomplishments. All of them were experienced, battle-tested fighters... specialists. They had well-deserved confidence in their own capabilities.

Master Jet looked at them and smiled.

"Since we have already started, let's get introductions out of the way. Some of you may know each other, while others are relatively new faces…"

She went down the line, introducing each of the Ascended that were going to serve as the backbone of the First Irregular Company.

The oldest among them was a muscular man that seemed to be in his lat forties or early fifties. Of course, as an Ascended, he looked incredibly well for his age. Master Randall was mature and grizzled, with grey hair and a full beard that perfectly suited his chiseled, masculine face.

The black bodysuit lay snug against his well-pronounced muscles. Everything about the man told that he was a seasoned, consummate soldier. His presence was solid and steady.

Master Randall might have not fought side by side with the members of the First Generation when the Spell had appeared, but due to his age, he most likely witnessed its descent as a child. His well of experience was of great benefit to the company… in fact, one would have expected him to be in charge instead of Soul Reaper.

However, even if the man had any thoughts about that matter, he did not let them show.

The gorgeous woman sitting next to him stood out among the group of Masters due to her good-natured, friendly demeanor. Ascended Jesse looked almost like the opposite of Master Jet: she had straw blond hair, a healthy tan, sparkling blue eyes, and radiated a strange feeling of warmth. Coincidentally, she was the closest to Soul Reaper in terms of age.

No one would have called the beautiful blonde soft, though. Her tall, slender body brimmed with energy and barely suppressed strength. The relaxed attitude hid a sharp and cutting edge. This Master seemed to be not only enthusiastic about life, but also about combat and the carnage of battle. She was a formidable warrior, without a doubt.

So were the others.

The third woman among the officers of the company was called Ascended Winter. She was in her late thirties and seemed to be the most calm of the group. Her curly hair was dark brown and tied into a simple ponytail. Sunny didn't know what color her eyes were because, strangely, the woman wore a pair of polarized sunglasses even though they were all currently deep underground.

She sat on her chair in a pose so relaxed that it almost seemed inappropriate for this important meeting. Her beautiful face was aloof and nonchalant. The sleeves of her bodysuit were rolled up, revealing toned forearms and a solid tattoo that turned one of them completely black.

If not for the fact that Master Winter had stood up to salute Soul Reaper when they entered, Sunny would have thought that she was fast asleep.

The man next to her seemed to have the same tattoo, hinting that they were, or had been, members of the same unit in the past. He was of the same age as his female colleague, with honest eyes and a gallant bearing. There was dark stubble on his handsome face, and black circles under his eyes.

Ascended Dale seemed like a steady, stalwart warrior. Sunny did not know for sure, but felt that the man's Aspect had at least some relation to defense and protection. He sensed that if Master Dale decided to stand his ground, very few things in the world would have been able to move him.

The last officer of the First Irregular Company was slightly older and stood in stark contrast to Master Dale. His cold eyes, inexpressive face, and chilling gaze all expressed one thing…

Ascended Davis was a killer. He seemed like the most offense-oriented Master of the bunch, but that quality was not without subtlety. On the contrary, it seemed to be shrewd, quiet, and absolutely deadly.

Sunny suspected that Davis was what he himself had once wished to be — the kind of fighter who utilized cunning and stealth to destroy the enemy with one surgical strike, thus avoiding the trouble of having to withstand retaliation.

Together with Sunny and Jet, the five Masters were going to lead the First Irregular Company.

Coincidentally, just like Soul Reaper, each of the five Ascended had a nickname. Masters Randal, Jesse, Winter, Dale, and Davis were also known as Vandal, Mustang, Queen, Knight, and Pride.

Sunny was the only person without one, which made him feel slightly jealous.

'Well… I can always go by Mongrel.'

He blinked.

'What? No! That's a terrible nickname, and an even worse idea!'

Who said that he even needed a nickname? He was perfectly fine being called Sunny, anyway!

After the initial introductions were complete, Master Jet glanced at them again and said:

"We will get to know each other's Aspects and combat capabilities later. It is not too important for now, anyway, since I expect all of you to act independently of the rest more often than not. Now, let's get down to business. Today, I will bring you up to speed about the projected composition of the First Irregular Company, our purpose, and guiding military doctrine…"

She pressed something on her communicator, and a large projection appeared in the middle of the table.

Sunny studied the large archipelago with a prominent landmass in the east.

Master Jet lingered for a moment, and then continued.

"But to do that, you will have to understand the general shape of the upcoming operation. As all of you already know, this is Antarctica."

She gestured at the projection.

"All Antarctica is divided into three parts…"