SSS-Class Profession: The Path to Mastery-Chapter 196: The Long Ride Home

The winds howled across the clearing, carrying the distant sounds of war—sirens, shouting, the sharp pop of gunfire. But here, where the broken road gave way to crumbling dirt and half-buried pylons, there was only the heavy beat of my heart.

Anthony and I crouched low, Evelyn between us, every muscle coiled tight as we waited.

Twenty minutes.

Thirty.

Every second stretched taut like wire ready to snap.

The sky overhead blurred from gray to a bruised purple. Clouds moved like smoke across the horizon.

Until finally, we heard the distant hum of rotors.

Anthony stood first, waving a strip of torn cloth tied to a rusted pole.

The black helicopter dropped from the clouds, sleek and silent but for the thudding roar of its blades. A wide cargo door opened along the side, and two men in dark flight suits leaned out, waving us forward.

"Move!" I barked, hauling Evelyn higher against my chest.

We sprinted across the broken clearing, debris crunching underfoot. The helicopter dipped lower, wheels barely skimming the ground, the downwash sending dirt and trash spiraling upward.

Anthony threw himself inside first, turning back to grab Evelyn’s arm and yank her up as I boosted her. I scrambled in after them, slamming my palm against the hatch release.

The doors slammed shut just as a series of faint pops echoed across the clearing, gunfire, somewhere behind us.

Too late.

We were already rising.

Already free.

I collapsed against the side of the cabin, Evelyn slumped against me, Anthony slouched in a seat opposite, grinning like he’d just won the lottery.

For a few blessed minutes, nobody said anything.

The city shrank behind us.

Black smoke rose in long, twisting columns, choking the skyline. Streets twisted with movement, the chaos of thousands turning against those who once ruled them. Riots burned through every avenue I’d walked these past months. Government banners were torn down, trampled underfoot.

It wasn’t just one country anymore.

As we rose higher, I saw it.

Each border we crossed, there were new fires. New uprisings. New revolutions.

The ripples of what we exposed at the Ministry had spread faster than anyone could’ve predicted.

And I—

I was numb.

Not with fear.

Not even with triumph.

Just... numb.

Hours passed as the helicopter rumbled steadily forward, crossing the coast and soaring over the dark, choppy expanse of ocean.

The world seemed so much smaller from up here and now that I had calmed down...I kinda wish I could’ve give a better goodbye to Elliot and Anika. I wasn’t dissatisfied with what I did, but with how much we had been through...I kinda wished I could’ve at least shakes their hands or give a hug. Anything better than simply running through the streets.

Looking up, I saw Anthony, across from me, who had slumped in his seat, arms folded, head tipped back against the wall. Sound asleep.

I smiled faintly.

The man had earned it.

I shifted slightly, careful not to disturb Evelyn.

She still sat beside me, sack loosely tied around her head. The rough fabric shifted every so often as she breathed, shallow and slow. But what caught my attention was her hand that was trembling.

Barely.

But enough.

Without thinking, I reached out and took it.

Her fingers twitched at the contact, surprised.

Then, slowly, she squeezed back.

"You’re not exactly...following professionalism guidelines," she muttered from under the sack, her voice sharp but embarrassingly small.

I huffed a tired laugh. "Sue me."

For a while, we just sat there.

Her hand, while still trembling a little, was already much better than before. I could feel the coldness of her hand slowly being warmed up.

The rotors drummed a slow, steady rhythm in the background.

After a few minutes, I couldn’t help myself.

I pulled up my Scan skill.

--------

Name: Evelyn Mercer

Job: Government Evaluator (A-Rank), Astronaut (B-Rank), Firefighter (B-Rank)

Skills:

Keen Observation (Lv. 7) Analyzes subtle details in movement, efficiency, and coordination to assess performance accurately

Situational Analysis (Lv. 7) Processes multiple variables in high-pressure environments to determine optimal strategies

Psychological Insight (Lv. 8) Reads body language, tone, and behavior to gauge intentions, confidence, and potential

Authority Presence (Lv. 7) Commands respect and compliance with minimal effort, ensuring directives are followed without question

--------

I blinked.

Still an A-Rank Evaluator. Still... Evelyn.

"You didn’t lose it," I murmured aloud.

She shifted slightly. "Lose what?"

"Your Evaluator job," I said, glancing down at her. "It’s still there."

She gave a low, hollow chuckle. "Would’ve been easier if I had."

I frowned. "How come they didn’t add any skills on you?"

"They didn’t have time," she said quietly. "After they realized how close you were getting...they needed me strong, fast. New jobs speed up natural enhancements, endurance, stamina, that sort of thing. Skills take time to integrate."

I nodded grimly.

"And I’m struggling with three jobs," she continued. "I can’t imagine how your body is handling more."

I laughed, real and tired.

"Yeah, me neither."

There was a brief pause.

Then, so gently I almost missed it, her fingers ran lightly across my ribs, brushing over the torn edges of my coat.

I tensed instinctively.

But she didn’t pull away.

"You’re covered in scars," she whispered.

I said nothing.

Her hand ghosted over my ribs, my shoulder, my side where Connor’s ambush had nearly torn me apart with how they threw me into glass. Over the broken mess the bear had left behind. The cuts from the facility fight, still raw under bandages. The blood was dried up by now, but it was clear that I was slowly opening the stitches back up every time I moved too much.

Honestly if it wasn’t for my skills and my job being able to physically enhance me, I would have likely been dead by now. My injuries were far beyond what any person would be able to endure and if they did well they would likely be hospitalized for years.

"This..." she said, voice cracking slightly. "This is what it cost you?"

I shifted closer, letting her lean against me fully now. "You’re worth it."

She inhaled sharply. "Don’t say things like that, boss. I—"

"We’re gonna fix this," I said, cutting across her before she could spiral deeper. "You’re going to walk into a café one day. Order a terrible coffee. And live a life where you never have to hear that stupid sentence again. A life where you can look at me in the eyes without worrying and I can do the same back to you."

For a moment, the only sound was the hum of the engines and our breathing.

Then—

Her head dropped against my shoulder, the sack slipping sideways just enough for me to catch a glimpse of her hair.

She was asleep within seconds.

I leaned my head back against the cabin wall, eyes sliding shut too.

For the first time since the trip started, I allowed myself to dream.

I woke to the jolt of landing gear scraping against reinforced concrete.

Sunlight slashed across my face as the doors opened.

I blinked hard, my body aching as I hauled myself upright, still cradling Evelyn carefully.

Anthony stretched with a loud, exaggerated groan, cracking his neck side to side.

We stepped out into warm, familiar air.

And there it was.

Our apartment tower.

One of the A-Rank complexes, though by now it was much more fortified, sleek and modern. A penthouse fortress we’d fought tooth and nail to earn.

Home.

The rooftop helipad glistened under the sun, and the doors leading inside swung open almost instantly.

Out rushed a trio of familiar figures.

Sienna.

Camille.

Alexis.

They were shouting before they even fully cleared the threshold.

"REYNARD!"

"Oh my god, what happened to you!"

"Is she....Evelyn?!"

I smiled despite myself as they practically bowled into me.

Anthony slipped past them like a ghost, already laughing.

Alexis and Sienna immediately took Evelyn from me with surprising gentleness, supporting her like she’d break otherwise.

"Let’s get her inside," Alexis said, voice already shifting into that calm, nurse-like tone she used when worried.

"I’ll make coffee," Sienna added quickly.

Evelyn, barely awake, croaked from under the bag, "I’d like to try your tea... please."

Sienna laughed softly. "You got it."

They ushered Evelyn inside with quick, efficient movements.

The world softened.

The chaos faded.

I stepped through the doors behind them before closing and locking it.

I turned, ready to collapse onto the couch and froze.

Because all three girls, Sienna, Camille, and Alexis, had turned on their heels.

They were facing me with their arms crossed and their eyes sharp like razors or a hawk stalking its prey. I didn’t need my skills to notice or understand that they were upset beyond words and that I had messed up devastatingly.

Sienna’s voice came first.

"Reynard Vale."

Camille’s voice followed, velvet and dangerous. "You’re lucky you’re cute, because we need to have a talk about your decision-making."

Alexis simply cracked her knuckles.

I sighed heavily, dragging a hand through my hair.

"...Yeah. Thought this was coming."

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