Sebastian stepped out of the hospital, his mind still swirling with the recent events. His phone buzzed with a notification from the motorcycle taxi app. Glancing at the screen, he recognized the driver's ID and made his way toward the waiting vehicle. After a brief ride, he arrived at his apartment in the Sudirman office complex, located right across from a quiet cemetery.
Before heading inside, he decided to grab some lunch. As he walked past the cemetery, he experienced a strange sensation again—an unsettling feeling that something was happening nearby.
Battle...!!
The fight was taking place in the middle of the graveyard, eerily deserted. No one else seemed to be around. Sebastian's curiosity got the better of him, and he cautiously approached the scene. But just as he was about to move closer, an old man suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Come on, kid. Follow me," the old man said, beckoning Sebastian to follow him.
With little hesitation, Sebastian obeyed. They made their way into the center of the graveyard where the fight was unfolding.
"Calm down, kid. This is just practice. They're my students," the old man explained as he waved his hand toward the two fighters, who were preparing to engage.
The old man continued, "Oh yes, let me introduce you to Sanim, the gravekeeper and the principal of the 'Mahesadewa' school. It's good to see a young man with such a calm aura."
"I'm Sebastian, Master," Sebastian replied, bowing slightly.
As the two fighters squared off, each of them pulled out a weapon seemingly materializing from thin air. One fighter wielded a red scythe, while his opponent held a knife that resembled a rice cutter, both glowing with a strange energy. The weapons clashed in mid-air, sparks flying from the collision.
The scythe wielder swung his weapon with terrifying speed, and suddenly, the blade expanded, aiming for his opponent's waist. However, the other fighter managed to elongate his weapon as well, creating a fierce clash. Both fighters staggered back from the impact before returning to their fighting stances, their weapons slowly retracting back into their bodies.
Sebastian watched, mesmerized, as a faint light surrounded the two men's bodies, forming into the shapes of tigers.
Before the fight could resume, the old man raised his hand, signaling for them to stop.
"Enough!" he commanded.
Both fighters immediately complied and returned to their original positions, the lights vanishing from their bodies.
After a few more words with his students, the old man turned to Sebastian. "I wanted to see the abilities of these two. By the way, would you be interested in joining my hermitage?" he offered.
Sebastian hesitated for a moment, then politely refused. "Thank you for the offer, Mr. Sanim, but I've just started a new job and want to focus on one thing for now."
The old man nodded, understanding. "Very well, then. Excuse me, young man."
Sebastian bowed respectfully and made his way back to his apartment. As he settled back inside, he opened the file that Professor Rhinno had given him, attempting to absorb the information within.
Sebastian's gaze wandered out the window of his fifth-floor apartment, his mind racing as he tried to apply what he had learned. With his eyes closed, he focused all his energy on a single point.
Suddenly, he was startled as a soda bottle on the table in front of him expanded and exploded, spraying liquid all over the place. Shocked by his accidental outburst, Sebastian quickly grabbed a cloth and began cleaning up the mess.
Moments later, Professor Rhinno arrived with a package of food, and the two settled in for the evening.
The next phase of their journey began the following day. Sebastian and Professor Rhinno traveled across the southern border of the capital, heading toward Depok. According to the professor, only a select few "Bio-evolution" individuals were known to exist. Many kept their abilities hidden, and Sebastian was eager to learn more.
They arrived at a modern government building—the State Cyber and Crypto Bureau—where Sebastian began to understand more about Professor Rhinno's work.
"But how do I recognize someone who uses the name 'Green Sniper'?" Sebastian wondered aloud.
Professor Rhinno explained that individuals who had mastered "Bio-evolution" were often able to disguise their abilities, blending in with normal people.
Sebastian nodded as they entered the building, escorted by a duty officer who led him to the elevator. The officer pressed the button, and Sebastian was taken to the fourth floor. As the elevator door opened, he was greeted by a strange sight—young people, no older than he, working diligently on computers.
The officer led him to a door and invited him in. Inside, Sebastian found himself on a bare floor with synthetic carpets. Two men stood facing the large windows, engaged in conversation. As they turned to greet him, one of them spoke.
"You must be Sebastian, right?" The stocky man extended his hand for a handshake. "I'm Ringga."
Sebastian shook his hand. "Yes, sir!"
Ringga then introduced the other man, "And this is Pandu," he said, gesturing to the man beside him.
When Sebastian shook Pandu's hand, he was taken aback. Pandu's skin was cold to the touch, and as they made contact, a thick green light radiated from his palm.
"Green Sniper?" Sebastian said, realizing that this was the person he had heard about.
Pandu grinned, "Happy to meet you, Sebastian. We're the same age, it seems."
Ringga, who served as the Scout Supervisor, explained that it was time for Sebastian to begin his training. He would need to learn quickly, and today was his first practice session.
"Okay, Sebastian, focus on your breathing and try to create your shield," Ringga instructed.
Sebastian, who had some martial arts training, was ready to give it a shot. He crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Suddenly, his body emitted a silvery light.
Both Ringga and Pandu were impressed—such an ability usually took more than one attempt.
"Good! Keep it up!" Ringga encouraged.
Pandu then demonstrated an attack, launching a small green light at Sebastian's silver shield. The light shattered on impact. With a nod from Ringga, Pandu intensified his attack, now using a more focused, dense green light.
"Stay focused, Sebastian!" Ringga called out.
Sebastian braced himself, but the attack came faster than he anticipated. In an instant, it struck him, causing an explosion.
Pandu was knocked back, but he quickly recovered, laughing. "Nice job, Sebastian! Your level's higher than average."
Ringga explained that instincts were the key to these abilities, and as adrenaline built up, a person's power would increase.
"For example, Pandu's abilities stem from his connection to plants, which is why he forms a bow as his first weapon," Ringga elaborated.
"That's enough for today," Ringga concluded, but before Sebastian could catch his breath, a voice crackled over the intercom.
"Master, can you come to the fourth floor? We've detected something."
"Understood, we'll be right there," Ringga replied.
Sebastian's curiosity piqued, he followed Ringga as they prepared to leave the training room. Something big was coming.