Game's Extra: Starting With SSS-Ranked 1000-Death Talent-Chapter 72: Bald Ambitions

"What are you guys doing here?" Noa asked suspiciously. "And why did you find my location?"

Tifa pointed at the door, indicating that he should let them in first.

"We didn’t have to track you down."

As soon as she walked inside the garden, she said, an unusual smile dancing on her face.

"What do you mean?" Noa asked, not letting them inside the house.

Vivi shook her head and patted Noa on the shoulders.

"Aeris invited us. We didn’t come here for you."

Her voice and smugness irked him.

Then another slap was delivered when the bald man asked just as smugly,

"Can you move, please? Our host is waiting for us."

Noa held himself back from punching them and stood aside.

"Welcome to my humble home."

Caroline was present as well, holding a huge box in her hands.

"What’s that?" Noa asked before the woman crossed the doorway.

"Come inside to find out," she winked, dashing after the other members.

Viktor was the last one to approach him, his eyes pleased with unspoken gestures.

"You want alcohol, right?" Noa asked.

The man nodded, half expecting his strong denial.

But instead, Noa smiled weakly and whispered,

"How does beer sound? I want a drink as well."

Surprise flashed through the man’s hopeful eyes, his face gaining childlike clarity.

"But later. I don’t want to get caught," he murmured.

"Got you," Noa said dully, following the man behind.

The view he was greeted with was something he couldn’t have imagined.

Someone played the music on an old music box, its funky sounds creating an ambient atmosphere.

Aeris, Sylas, and Seren seemed happy but composed—a sight Noa wasn’t familiar with.

But Tifa, Caroline, and Vivi were the bigger surprise.

They looked just as excited as Noa’s siblings, conversing with them with friendly familiarity.

What’s happening? How or when did they become so close?

He was questioning reality itself when Punchy’s bald head shone in the living room.

The twins laughed as Vivi made fun of him.

Tifa was sipping black coffee beside Aeris before she noticed Noa’s presence and stood up.

Suddenly, Caroline appeared in front of him, her hands still showing the big box.

"Open it. It’s our welcome gift," she said, glancing at others.

"Ohh my," Aeris exclaimed, smiling. "You didn’t have to, especially after everything you guys have done for us."

Tifa sipped the coffee and shook her head.

"It’s nothing grand. Just a simple parting present we want you to have," she said, gesturing at Noa to open it.

However, his reaction differed from his siblings, his eyes scrutinizing the Red Order members.

"What’s in there?" he asked.

No one answered his questions.

Only the music rang in his head, leaving Noa no other option but to see what was inside the box.

He quickly got rid of the black cover, with Sylas aiding him.

"I thought it was a gaming console," the former said upon seeing the unfamiliar machinery.

Noa lost his words.

"Why?" he asked.

The item he was left with was high-end technology that Tifa, Viktor, Vivi, and Caroline worked on.

They put their own specialty on the line and created a state-of-the-art defense system that could easily protect an entire house from even Altered’s attacks.

Noa recognized it from the game.

Even though it was still a prototype and a weaker version, this item was the same Nova 0.5 Aegis Shield Hexa Double Lock Third Edition that the Order used for their second base.

"Who came up with the name?" he asked—the thing he wanted to know for a long time.

The name was written on the metallic carcass, as if it were displayed proudly.

Hearing his question, Punchy lifted his hand, declaring confidently,

"It was me. Sounds cool, right?"

The bald man was the only normal person among the geniuses who worked on the project.

So he wanted to contribute and come up with something of a questionable name.

"You know what it is?" Vivi asked.

The item looked like a piece of junk.

There was only one time screen on it, which was always turned off until someone attacked the house it was assigned to shield.

"Try me," Noa challenged. "Basically, I know it can create a shield and block everyone below the Arised grade from entering for up to half an hour. It also sends an alarm to all of you. It’s awesome, to be honest."

"But," Tifa said, smirking. "We are giving it to them, not to you. We all know you don’t deserve it."

She didn’t speak harshly, but as a matter of fact.

Noa didn’t try to argue.

Thanks anyway. I can’t ask for more, he said genuinely, thanking them as he offered a meal, which no one refused.

As everyone was busy stuffing themselves with food, Noa nodded to Viktor to follow him.

It took him an entire minute to steal two cans of beer from his own fridge without anyone noticing.

Then he led the man outside.

"Cheers, mate!" he exclaimed and clinked his drink.

Viktor said nothing.

He drank like a thirsty man escaping the endless desert—each drop widened the childish smile on his face.

They quickly gulped it down and joined others as if nothing had happened.

"I heard someone attacked you today," Tifa said after seeing Noa emerge inside the room.

She spoke softly, letting the music hide her words.

Noa wasn’t surprised by her information network and nodded slightly.

"Good to see you alive," she said and swept her eyes over to Punchy. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Abruptly, Noa was surrounded from both sides—their combined pressure descended on him.

The bald man was the first one to speak.

"I didn’t forget about our practice match."

He didn’t finish his words.

Whatever he had said was already enough for Noa to feel cold sweat sweeping down his spine.

But Tifa also had something to say, her tone playful and serious at the same time.

"We have another mission for you. It’s kind of urgent."

Noa wasn’t surprised.

Something like that was within his expectations, yet he still had to find out more.

"What do I need to do?" he asked.

"Before we talk about the mission itself, you need to become a Returne as soon as you can," she added, finishing the coffee in her cup.