As Jordan tagged along with Marco and the rest, he finally got the chance to take a proper look around. Racks of training equipment lined the mural-adorned walls of the hall, though much of it remained unused. The space was simply too vast to fill completely. Its sheer size left him stunned. At 300 meters wide and 500 meters long, it was smaller than his earlier estimate—yet still massive. Way too massive.
As they neared the far end of the hall, Jordan made another surprising discovery. The massive space he'd just walked through led into a smaller room. Though reduced in scale, its walls looked thick enough to withstand a nuclear explosion, and the doors—just as sturdy—slid open as they stepped inside.
Stepping inside, Jordan's awe only deepened. Unlike the training hall, this room looked like it belonged in some sci-fi movie. Sleek research equipment of all shapes and sizes filled the space—none of which Jordan recognized, except for a lone microscope tucked into the far corner.
Finally, Jordan made up his mind to confront Marco about all this madness. Sure, he'd brushed off how absurd it was for a bunker to exist beneath their school, but that had been more of a spur-of-the-moment decision.
"Um… Marco, what's going on? What is all this?" Jordan asked, voicing the confusion that had been building inside him.
It was obvious why he directed the question at Marco. The guy practically oozed authority—the way he carried himself reminded Jordan of those young masters from the xianxia novels he used to read in his spare time. Except, unlike those arrogant pushovers, Marco actually had the strength to back it up. Which somehow made him even more annoying.
"Oh, Jordi, you're the curious type, huh?" Marco grinned. "This right here is our research lab. Not that any of us really know what we're doing—well, maybe one or two, and definitely not including me," he added with a wink.
At that, a vein visibly pulsed on Sebastian's forehead. Beside Jordan, Trevor let out an exasperated huff—completely ignored by Marco, who continued with a smug tilt to his voice:
"As for what's going on... well, that depends. What do you want to know?"
Jordan didn't miss a beat. "What is this place? And how the hell did you build it under the school without anyone noticing?"
"That one's easy," Marco said, puffing up a little. "This is our main base. It was here long before the school was even built. And as for why no one knows about it—well, that's because I own the school. Of course I can hide it. It's my school, after all."
Jordan stared at him, stunned. For once, he had nothing to say. It was pretty impressive for someone that young to have founded an entire school.
"So how'd you get the money for all of this? Did you steal it?" Jordan asked, half-joking.
"Of course not. It's all my money. I've dabbled in a bit of everything, you know." Marco paused for a bit before he continued. "I own an e-commerce company called Ocean. Perhaps you've heard of it?"
Marco's nonchalance caught Jordan off guard. Of course he knew about Ocean . It was the largest of its kind. Even he used their services from time to time. Its owner was the freakin' youngest billionaire in the world. But one question remained. The owner of Ocean wasn't named Marco.
"Doesn't someone named Marc Genson own Ocean?" Jordan voiced his question without much thought.
The moment those words escaped his mouth, the whole group stopped moving and turned to look at him as if he were some kind of idiot.
"Dude, it's an alias. Have you been listening at all? Our identities are a bit sensitive, to say the least. Revealing ourselves openly is like begging for trouble," Trevor answered, sparing him from further shame.
"Oh... that does make sense," Jordan replied, deciding to stay quiet about the subject.
----
After walking a bit further, Marco stopped in front of a closed door. He opened it in a fluid motion, stepped inside, and gestured for Jordan to follow.
Unlike the previous rooms, this one had a different vibe—more like a living space than a research facility. A fancy-looking couch faced a massive OLED TV mounted on the wall, beside a sleek gaming console Jordan didn't recognize—definitely not something he'd seen on the market.
As they moved deeper inside, the full picture came into view.
This wasn't just a room—it was an underground home. The place was fully equipped with a modern kitchen, two washrooms, and enough bedrooms to accommodate at least twelve people. It was cozy, surprisingly well-furnished, and way too comfortable for a tactical base.
But what truly drew Jordan's attention was the girl sitting casually on the dining table. She looked to be around his age, her eyes brimming with curiosity as they locked onto his.
Instinctively, Jordan turned to Trevor, silently hoping for some kind of explanation—only to watch him leave his side and walk straight toward her. The easy way Trevor smiled at her, the way she smiled back, said everything.
Jordan stood there, a strange sense of loneliness creeping in—different from what he was used to. She's real? The bastard wasn't lying. Jordan's surprise was palpable. He was genuinely happy for his friend, but he still felt a twinge of envy.
No girl at their school had ever confessed to him, and there was no way he'd do that himself, so it led Jordan to believe he wasn't popular among girls. Though in truth, he was actually adored. But because he rarely interacted with anyone besides Trevor, most had placed him on a pedestal—Northgate's very own "Ice Prince." He was admired by many, but none dared to approach him.
Not that he knew any of this. And even if he did, he'd probably just cringe at the thought. It was kinda gross.
He remembered Trevor mentioning a girlfriend during their recent chats, but Jordan had never paid it much mind. He'd never met her. Hadn't even imagined her, really. But seeing them now, it all made sense. He turned his attention to Marco and Sebastian—waiting for an introduction.
"She's Clarice. Same age as you and Trevor. She's also one of us..." Sebastian said, glancing toward Clarice and Trevor, who were now bickering over something. A smile formed as he turned back to Jordan. "Welcome to your new home, kid."
"Home, huh?" Jordan's expression turned thoughtful before he nodded with a small smile. He could see both Marco and Sebastian grinning at him—and their smiles felt genuine. Though he hadn't known them for long, it already felt like he'd made real connections beyond Trevor.
He followed them toward where Trevor and Clarice were. Time to get acquainted.