OLD-WORLD EXTRA-Chapter 140: Using The UEF

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Walking up to the receptionist, Lyra extended her hunter ID toward him, her voice unusually quiet as she spoke:

"H-hi there... I'm here to update my hunter ID."

The receptionist stared at her for a moment, a flicker of confusion crossing his face, before he suddenly gasped audibly as if struck by a revelation.

Swiftly reaching out, he took hold of her ID and scanned it on his terminal.

A confirmation beep echoed through the air, and his gaze shifted back to Lyra, now filled with awe and disbelief.

Stuttering slightly, he managed to speak:

"Miss Amanda, you... You're alive?"

Lyra played her part, assuming a pained expression as if reminded of a haunting memory. Her voice trembled as she said:

"Yes, I... I managed to survive. Unfortunately, the others weren't as lucky. But... But I didn't do anything wrong... I SWEAR I DIDN'T!"

Taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor, the receptionist quickly sought to calm her down.

His tone softened as he said:

"Please... I was once a hunter, too. I know the dangers that lurk in ruins. No one would blame you for what happened. Don't carry the weight of their deaths on your shoulders... You are not at fault, okay?"

Tears welled up in Lyra's eyes, their drops tracing a path down her cheeks as she stuttered out her gratitude:

"T-thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me..."

The man, unsure of what to do, hurriedly spoke up:

"Listen, Hunter Amanda, as a forty-plus ranked hunter, you're eligible for survivor's guilt therapy sessions. But before that, we need you to meet with one of the managers at this branch to confirm your future actions with us. Would that be a problem?"

Lyra feigned a moment of contemplation, sniffling softly as if overwhelmed by emotions.

While doing that, she secretly hacked into the receptionist's terminal, singling out Manager Nathan as the only one who had no current visitors.

Looking like she was composing herself, she spoke:

"Yes, I would love that."

With a smile, the receptionist looked down at his terminal and saw that only one manager was available.

"Of course, now follow me, you are in luck, one of our popular managers is free at the moment."

Nodding, she followed behind him, as he exited the counter, heading towards the office area.

While walking, she called up on one of her memories where she and Emir discussed what would happen in his absence and then remembered the direct words he told her:

"Do everything you can to get Nathan on our side, threaten to kill him if you have to, we need an agent from the UEF, otherwise, things could get ugly."

She instinctively smiled when she saw his face in her memories, but quickly hid it away, continuing with her act.

After another step forward, Lyra reached his office, and the receptionist gestured towards it, saying:

"Goodbye, Hunter Amanda, hopefully, we can get you fully recovered and have you back as a working hunter in no time."

Nodding silently at his words, she knocked on the door.

Lyra entered Nathan's office after a moment, finding him seated behind his desk, surrounded by stacks of papers in disarray.

He seemed engrossed in his work, not bothering to acknowledge her presence.

Without a word, Lyra made her way to the chair in front of his desk, her posture poised, and her eyes fixed on him, much like a falcon eyeing its prey.

The silence hung in the air, only broken by the soft rustling of papers as Nathan's fingers tapped on his desk.

Finally, his gaze lifted from the paperwork, confusion evident in his piercing green eyes as he studied Lyra for a moment.

"I'm sorry, this is quite unusual, the hunters that come by my office are usually not of your kind, so apologies in advance for my harsh wor-"

Nathan's words died on his lips as he observed the shift in Lyra's demeanor.

The implications of her transformation struck him like a bolt of lightning, leaving him momentarily stunned.

His mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation and the implications it held for his own

safety.

But before Nathan could react or formulate a plan, Lyra's voice cut through the air, commanding his attention:

"Stop with whatever you have in mind, Agent Nathan," she declared, her tone laced with a dangerous edge.

"You don't want your cover to be blown now, do you?"

A gasp escaped his lips, his mind racing to assess the threat and devise a countermeasure.

The realization dawned on him that Amanda was privy to more information than he had

anticipated.

The gravity of the situation hung in the air like an invisible specter, threatening to unravel the carefully woven web of deceit he had cultivated for years.

Aether began coalescing around his hands, readying himself to attack.

Yet, he hesitated, compelled to stop by Amanda's raised hand, a gesture of control that gave

him pause.

Her next words hung in the air like a command, freezing him in place, the tendrils of his Aether dissipating as uncertainty and curiosity took hold:

"The Order..."

"They're quite a bad organization, aren't they?" She said, her voice unknowingly dripping

with disdain.

Nathan's eyes widened, the gravity of the situation hitting him like a physical blow.

He staggered backward, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief.

The revelation that Amanda, not only knew of his cover but also possessed knowledge of the infamous Order left him feeling vulnerable and exposed.

Panic surged within him, and the room seemed to close in, the walls tightening around him.

How had she come across this information? What did she truly want?

These questions raced through Nathan's mind, shattering the carefully constructed fa?ade he

had built over the years.

The pride he had felt in his cautious and calculated actions dissolved in the face of Lyra's

knowledge.

Amanda, someone presumed missing for so long, having insight into the secretive Order... It was the organization he had devoted his life to combating and monitoring, believing his actions were hidden in the shadows.

When Nathan accepted her to come to his office, he had checked her profile before their meeting and knew that she hadn't attended the UEF academy.

Instantly, he assumed that she had joined the Liberation Army during her disappearance and

had become one of the faction's leaders.

The idea that she herself had once been a part of the Order never crossed his mind.

Furthermore, the fact that Lyra wasn't truly Amanda hadn't occurred to him either.

While changing one's appearance to fit another was indeed possible, being accepted by the identification system as Amanda was not, normally that is.

And Lyra had astutely caught on to all of his assumptions, as his emotions inadvertently displayed themselves on his face like an open book.

Shaking her head, she reclined in the seat, her tone laced with disappointment:

"And here I thought UEF agents would be more composed, Nathan. Stop being so dramatic."

Letting out a sigh, he dropped back into his chair, giving up on getting out of there alive, or even thinking about the emergency protocols.

He was barely a celestial... And he knew he couldn't last a second with her as an opponent, so he let go of his fate, resigning himself to the whims of the woman in front of him.

Lyra scoffed.

"Good. This is better... Now, you see, I've heard about a certain someone, some rumors about

a kid, a strong one, he isn't an Elite, but he is still way stronger than those his age..."

"Some say you've put tabs out on him, and I've got sources around these parts, they mentioned that he met you, Nathan, now why would he be on the UEF suspicion list if he met with a normal manager? No... That wouldn't happen, he had to meet someone special, an

agent of the UEF."

"So a background check was all that I needed, I've got many things on you, my friend," she

said.

Standing up from her chair, she chanted:

"Shadow Step."

Stepping out from behind him, she put her hand on his shoulder.

"Now what do you think the hunters would do if they find out that a manager of the Hunter Association is directly involved with the UEF? Weren't you lot supposed to be neutral?"

Gripping his shoulder, almost at the point of breaking it she continued:

"How about we bet? I say that they would think that there is more to the story, they love to theorize, you know... Pandemonium would ensue, isn't that something you love to say? Well, you will see the chaos you ever so mention if you don't follow my commands."

Stepping back, she silently chanted:

"Shadow Meld."

With only her head, sticking out from the ground, she said:

"Think about this some more, I'll be waiting."

And she left, only her voice echoed behind the office, as a frozen Nathan gazed to his front, his

face struck with terror.