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Ch 4: Feeling Important

As night fell on the second day, Emrys felt a surge of energy within him. He closed his eyes and focused harder than ever before. Suddenly, he felt a powerful vibration flow through him. It was a wave of energy, and it felt warm. Emrys opened his eyes in surprise. He could feel his ability changing.

"I can feel it!" he exclaimed softly. "I am becoming stronger!"

At that moment, he felt a shift within himself. The energy inside him settled and every bit of his body and mind became stronger. Even his spirit seemed to have gone through a slight change. It was at this moment, he knew that he had reached a new level. He was now a One Star Esper.

.....

The next morning, Emrys woke up early. The moment he opened his eyes, he remembered what happened last night.

He had finally become a One Star Esper.

But something else happened too. Right after reaching this new level, he received a message on his communication device. It was from the recruitment center. They had already assigned him to a unit.

When he read the message, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

"Report to the Combat Division's 30th Suicide Squad."

"Combat Division? Why?" Emrys muttered to himself, feeling confused. He thought his "Echo Sense" ability wasn't strong enough to be part of the Combat Division. Usually, only powerful Espers with offensive or defensive abilities were sent to the frontline. His power wasn't like that.

"Maybe it's a mistake…" he thought. But deep inside, he knew it wasn't. The recruitment center didn't make mistakes like this. But he also had a feeling that there must be a reason why they chose to recruit him to Combat Division.

He felt a mix of excitement and fear. He wanted to fight at the frontlines, but he never expected to be enlisted in a dangerous unit like the Suicide Squad.

Shaking his head, Emrys decided to stop thinking about it and just go. He needed to find out more.

After preparing his things, he left the house and headed straight to the Combat Division's base in the City of Xiye. The base was located on the northern side of the city, near the main gates. It was heavily guarded, with large gates and tall fences surrounding it. Soldiers and officers were everywhere, busy with their duties.

When Emrys arrived, he looked around nervously. He saw thousands of other Espers like him. Most of them appeared serious and determined. Emrys took a deep breath and walked up to the entrance.

"Recruit Emrys Starfall, reporting for duty,” he said, showing the message on his communication device to the guard at the gate.

The guard glanced at it, nodded, and pointed to a large building inside the base. "You've been assigned to the 30th Suicide Squad. Go to the third floor, Room 305. The Squad Leader will meet you there."

Emrys thanked him and walked into the building. His footsteps echoed in the quiet hallway as he climbed the stairs to the third floor. Room 305 was at the end of a long corridor. He stopped in front of the door, took a deep breath, and knocked.

"Come in," a deep voice called from inside.

Emrys pushed the door open and stepped in. The room was simple, with a few chairs and a large desk. Behind the desk sat a tall, muscular man with short hair and a stern face. He looked up at Emrys and raised an eyebrow.

"You must be Emrys Starfall," the man said, his voice calm but powerful. "Welcome to the 30th Suicide Squad. I'm Squad Leader Jarek."

Emrys was stunned. He didn’t expect the squad leader to know his name. He stood there in silence for a moment, his mind racing with questions. Why would the Squad Leader know him? Did something happen?

Slowly, he nodded, showing that he was indeed Emrys Starfall. He felt nervous, unsure of what to say or do.

Squad Leader Jarek noticed Emrys's confusion and gave a small smile.

"I can see that you are wondering why I know you,” Jarek said, his voice still calm but gentle now.

Emrys nodded again, his eyes wide with curiosity.

Jarek leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. Then he explained, "It's because you are the only new recruit entering the 30th Suicide Squad this time. There were many others who applied to the Combat Division, but none of them were chosen for our squad. Only you."

Emrys blinked in surprise. Unable to believe it, he couldn't help but repeat softly, "Only… me?"

"Yes, just you," Jarek confirmed. "The 30th Suicide Squad is very special. We don't accept many new members, and our missions are always very dangerous. But when we saw your ability, we realized it could be very useful for our next mission."

Emrys frowned slightly, still confused. "But… my ability isn't strong. It can't attack or defend. It's just "Echo Sense." I can only feel vibrations and detect movement. Why would that be useful for a mission?"

Jarek's eyes became serious, and he nodded slowly. "You're right, Emrys. Your ability isn't powerful in the traditional sense. It is not like controlling fire or creating shields. But that doesn't mean it's useless."

"Our next mission is special," Jarek continued. "We will be going deep into enemy territory. There will be many traps and hidden enemies. Normally, we use detection devices to sense these dangers before they get too close. But in this mission, we can't use those devices."

"Why not?" Emrys asked curiously.

"Because the enemies have started using a special interference that can disrupt all our devices," Jarek explained. "If we rely on those devices, we could get caught in a trap or ambush. But your 'Echo Sense' can’t be disrupted like that. After all, it is a natural ability, not a machine."

Emrys's eyes widened in realization. "So, you want me to use my 'Echo Sense' to detect enemies and traps ahead of time?"

Jarek nodded again and a small smile appeared on his lips. He said, “Exactly. With your ability, we can avoid danger and complete the mission safely. That's why you were chosen to join the Suicide Squad. You might not have the strongest power, but your ability can still save lives."

Emrys felt a strange sense of relief and pride. For so long, everyone said his ability was useless. But now, for the first time, someone was telling him that his ability was not useless and that it could save lives. It made him feel hopeful like he finally had a place where he belonged.

"I'll do my best, sir," Emrys said. His voice was firm and filled with determination.

Jarek then leaned back and nodded in approval."Good. You'll meet the rest of the squad soon. Get to know them, and be ready. We leave for the mission in three days. Until then, train yourself and prepare. This won't be an easy mission, but I believe you have what it takes."

Emrys took a deep breath and nodded again. He felt nervous but also excited. This was his chance to prove himself, to show that his ability was not useless. He would make sure to train hard in the next three days and be ready for whatever came next.

"Thank you, sir," Emrys said sincerely before turning to leave the room. As he walked down the hallway, his heart felt lighter. He was no longer just a weak Esper. He was a part of the 30th Suicide Squad now, and he would make sure to do his best to support his team.

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