My Hermes System

"That's enough rest, we should go back inside."

Back in Africa, Adia and the others were currently preparing to go back inside the Purple Portal. Now, from their previous set up of 1 Gold-rank Explorer and 5 Silver-rank Explorers, it has become 2 Gold-ranks and 2 Silver-ranks. With the addition of a completely bored Angela.

"Muscle demon, are you sure you don't want to just destroy this Portal like you did the last time?" Angela could not help but grunt as she slightly pulled her Explorer suit, "This thing is really inconvenient to move in, I prefer skirts."

"No, I shall remain here," Charlotte said as she sipped the beverage that was handed to her by one of the members of the Standby unit, "Let the young'uns gain their experience."

"Mr. Evans here needs a different kind of expe--" Before Angela could finish her sentence, she suddenly stopped mid-way as she looked towards a certain direction, her eyebrows slightly turning downwards, "You're right. Let's go, team."

Charlotte, of course, noticed the sudden change in Angela's expression. She looked towards where Angela was looking to see what it was, but no matter how hard she focused, the only thing she could hear was the insects buzzing through the leaves.

"W… wait!" Adia, who was still trying to put on her gauntlets, could not help but rush as she saw Angela going inside the Portal on her own-- This caused her to drop one of her gauntlets on the ground.

She was about to pick it up, but before she could do so, Van picked it up for her. "Let me," Van said as he grabbed Adia's wrist.

"O… okay," Adia could only nod her head as she stared at Van before opening up her palm, allowing Van to slide in the gauntlet around her hand. Her eyes completely focused on the earring that was dangling on Van's left ear, the earring that signified that the two of them were, in fact, engaged. Although it was just a political move and maybe completely fake, she still could not help but feel a little strange seeing it in Van now.

Van wasn't her type, of course. She preferred someone of… the same race. Add that to the fact that Van looked like he was just on his way to puberty, there was no way that Adia would actually fall for him. But still, there was this feeling inside Adia that she just couldn't shake. It was as if she was somewhat… forcibly being drawn towards him.

But alas, it was not only her that was being drawn towards Van; the camera crew was too. More specifically, their cameras were drawn towards both of them. There was no way that the media team was going to miss this kind of moment and try to sensationalize it. The host, Eli, was even whispering into his mic, saying that it was a touching scenery that the two have finally fixed their misunderstanding earlier.

The viewers in their homes, of course, were also hyping it more than it actually is. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was definitely going to last for a very long time.

"L… Let's go," Adia only cleared her throat as she slowly pulled her hand away, the expression on her face somewhat complicated. She was about to enter the Portal, but before she could do so, Angela stepped out.

"What's wrong?" Adia quickly asked. The answer to her question, however, was quickly answered by the slow disappearance of the Portal behind Angela.

"You… you cleared it?"

"Yes. Now let's go," Angela did not even glance at her as she quickly made her way back towards the truck. She then raised her hands in the air, causing all of the things that the Standby Unit set up to float in the air.

This, of course, included the glass that Charlotte was drinking from as well as the chair she was seating on, causing her to slightly stumble. All of them then floated towards the Standby unit's truck, each of the objects being clumsily thrown inside.

"Let's go, let's go," Angela clapped her hands numerous times as she urged everyone to move, "Let's finish this today, people. We have more Portals to clear."

"..." Charlotte was the first to follow her back inside the truck, quickly sitting next to her as she whispered into her ear.

"What's going on, Angie?" Charlotte asked.

'The Resistance is currently being attacked,' Angela glanced at Charlotte's face, speaking into her mind.

"Then shouldn't you go? I can watch over the boy, I won't let him die."

'No, it is alright,' Angela shook her head, 'My brother is there, he can tell me whatever is happening… my place is here.'

"Then why are you trying to rush if you're not planning to go back there?"

'It's just an irritating feeling, is all. Not being there when Master Evangeline is being attacked.'

"Just what is your relationship with that woman, Angie?" Charlotte lowered her voice even further as Van and the others started loading the truck.

'I… can't tell you. Not yet.'

"...But are you okay?" Charlotte then asked as she saw the distressed look on Angela's face.

"...I am alright, Charlotte. You don't need to worry about me," Angela then whispered before turning her head away, leaning her arm outside of the truck as she no longer spoke to Charlotte.

Van, who saw the weird atmosphere between the two, could not help but furrow his eyebrows. Van was aware of Angela's connection with her twin brother, was there something going on back in America?

Adia and the rest of the group, however, were thinking of a completely different thing-- Just what kind of people were they with? Even Kamia, the only other Gold-rank Explorer here, could not help but feel like they truly were just decoration. She didn't want to be a part of this Exploration in the first place, it would seem that she was right to feel that way.

It was an honor to be exploring alongside the White Imvubu, of course. But she knew from the start that with her with them, they were already rendered useless from the start. And now there was another abnormality in the group.

She could only imagine what the viewers were saying right now. But whatever it is, though. She was sure she was not included in it.

Kamia could only let out a long and deep sigh as she lay herself down on the long seat of the truck. Her head then turned towards the bag of her dead comrades. They were not really that close as King Badru just mixed them up at the last minute, but still, she could not help but feel sorry as their deaths would surely be overshadowed by the abnormal people they were with.

"...I just want to go home."