Chapter four: Booking a Sentinel
1069 Words
Dex came back from the battlefield, wiping blood off body while glancing at his Smart Brain.
A message suddenly popped up.
“s**t— they actually opened a pacification slot?”
His brain hadn’t even fully processed it before his hand had already tapped “Book”.
A “Booking Successful” notification flashed on the screen.
He stared at it for two seconds, his golden eyes completely blank—still not catching up.
“I actually got it?”
Pacification slots from Guides were notoriously hard to book. He had tried several times before and never succeeded. He didn’t expect that this time, when he wasn’t even trying that hard, he’d actually get one.
He had never successfully booked a Guide’s pacification before, and he wasn’t very familiar with basic Guide profiles either. He opened the details on his Smart Brain.
Name: Arya, Age: 20
Dual-Abilities Guide. Healing: S-class, Control: A-class.
Dual abilities?
Dex froze.
Was the system wrong?
No. He had heard yesterday that a new Guide had arrived at the base. It had to be her.
A grin slowly spread across his face. His short golden hair shimmered under the sunlight, and his honest, good-natured face was written all over with I’m so lucky.
He hadn’t expected to get so lucky and randomly book the new Guide’s pacification. Some Sentinels were definitely going to be jealous.
He decided to keep it to himself for now.
When he returned to his unit, he was in high spirits—completely unlike earlier. Even his injuries didn’t seem to hurt anymore.
Tomorrow he would be pacified by a Guide. The contamination that had built up over years would finally be eased, even if only a little.
He was too happy. The smile on his face wouldn’t go away.
“Captain, what’s going on with you?”
His roommate Yorhan noticed him walking in with an unusually bright expression. The earlier gloom was completely gone.
“Nothing. Just thinking of something pleasant.”
“What is it? Tell me.” Yorhan leaned closer and bumped him with his elbow.
Dex just smiled. His golden eyes curved, a little silly, like a straightforward country boy.
He wasn’t about to say it—he’d probably get beaten up if he did.
“You’ll know in a few days.”
He smiled mysteriously.
“By the way, you know the new Dual-Abilities Guide at the base, right?” Yorhan changed the subject when he realized he wouldn’t get anything out of him.
“Yeah, I know.”
“She’s amazing. I went to take a look the other day—she’s insanely beautiful. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Once her booking opens, I’m definitely applying first.”
Dex lowered his head and let out a quiet laugh, saying nothing. The golden strands of hair falling over his forehead couldn’t hide the faint, smug glint in his eyes.
He was already planning to lie low when Yorhan found out the slot had been taken.
…
“s**t—!!”
A loud explosion of voices erupted among the male Sentinels. The surrounding Sentinels all frowned.
“Which i***t is yelling like that?”
A Sentinel’s senses were far sharper than those of ordinary people. That sudden shout made several of them physically uncomfortable.
“The new Guide opened a pacification booking slot! Only one—and it’s already taken!”
“What? She opened it? How did I not know?”
The news hit like a boulder thrown into a lake. The entire group of Sentinels instantly went restless.
This was the first Dual-Abilities Guide in the interstellar era—and S-class at that. Who wouldn’t want pacification from her?
One Sentinel pulled up his Smart Brain to check. The listing had only gone live at 2 a.m. today. Somehow, none of them had noticed.
“Who the hell got it?”
The Sentinels around him started sizing each other up, trying to read something from their faces.
It was obvious—everyone was furious, their eyes full of hostility.
Of course, when facing enemies, they were still excellent soldiers and teammates.
But Contamination Level was like a blade hanging over every Sentinel’s neck. It kept them perpetually on the edge of death.
They had not experienced a true full pacification in a long time.
They would willingly die for a single pacification slot.
As long as no one was harmed, they couldn’t help but feel extreme jealousy toward the Sentinel who got it.
And worse—everyone had had a fair chance, yet someone else had taken it. No one was immune to that feeling.
The news spread quickly.
Dex, who was eating in the cafeteria, quietly exhaled. His golden eyes glanced around guiltily. After confirming no one was looking at him, he lowered his head and kept eating.
Good. He was smart enough not to hang out with the other Sentinels.
He felt genuinely lucky. He had actually gotten it.
Arya didn’t know that the single pacification slot she had opened had caused such a huge commotion among the Sentinels.
In this base, most Sentinels were out on missions, clearing nearby Aberrations and protecting civilians. So when Arya came to the cafeteria, there were only a few scattered Sentinels around.
For some reason, she kept feeling eyes on her.
And she wasn’t wrong.
The moment she appeared, that gentle, healing scent spread among the Sentinels. Just inhaling it made their mental unrest feel soothed.
The tall, strong Sentinels watched her from a distance, desire barely contained.
A few even had their Spirit Beasts slip out, only to be forcibly pulled back by their owners. Their reddened ears betrayed them—showing how unstable their emotions were.
Even the person serving her food froze when he saw her face.
Too beautiful. And a Dual-Abilities Guide at that—her name had already spread across the entire base. Yet she still looked so gentle.
Anyone would feel fond of her.
Arya found a quiet seat and began eating.
Elsewhere, Sentinels who were almost done eating unconsciously slowed down, just to linger in her scent a little longer.
Luckily, Arya was fully focused on her meal. Otherwise, those intense, hungry stares would have frightened her.
At that moment, her Smart Brain suddenly pinged.
A message from Kai. He had added her contact earlier.
Arya opened it:
“You booked a Sentinel?”
- Writer
