PLANET : LUNARIS
YEAR : 2350
TIMELINE : 19TH LOOP
The Abyssal Vortex is an ocean filled with deadly creatures and strong currents, lying between the Darkte Kingdom and the Sahara Desert.
In the heart of this ocean stood an imposing amphitheater.
The building had many levels of stone seats arranged in a circle. Sunlight streamed in through high windows, lighting up the dust in the air.
In the center, there was a round platform with a cracked and faded floor, surrounded by a ring of statues, each one carved from marble and standing watchfully.
The ancient amphitheater was now filled with nobles and high merchants, their conversations buzzing through the air.
The once-empty stone seats were occupied by elegantly dressed figures, each one representing power and wealth.
At the center stage stood a man wearing a plain white mask, his presence commanding the attention of everyone present.
The sunlight streaming in through the high windows highlighted the contrast between his simple mask and the opulence surrounding him.
The atmosphere was thick with anticipation as the audience watched the masked man, waiting to see what would unfold next.
Everyone present at this meeting was a member of High Society.
HIGH SOCIETY
It is an organization made up of greedy nobles who want everything they see and top merchants who see others as mere tools for their wealth.
The members are involved in slavery, human trafficking, assassination, the black market, and more.
They formed this organization to freely pursue their desires and live in luxury.
They already control the entire southwest of Lunaris from the shadows.
But greed has no boundaries.
They want more.
"I extend my greetings to all who have gathered here today for this important meeting that will shape our future"
Even though he didn't use any special equipment, the masked man's voice reached everyone in the meeting like he was using magic.
When they heard the masked man speak, everyone went quiet because they didn't want to upset him.
The whole room became silent because the masked man, who leads High Society, is known for his ruthlessness.
Seeing how everyone obeyed him without question, the man smiled behind his mask, pleased with their obedience.
"The Southwest of Lunaris is now fully under our control," the leader said, his voice strong and clear. The members smiled, thinking about their new power.
With the Southwest under their control, they could do whatever they wanted. They could kill anyone who opposed them, enslave the people, and take the women as they pleased.
Everyone grinned widely at these thoughts.
"Now our next target is Darkte Kingdom," the leader continued.
"The kingdom of Darkte doesn't have any nobles or wealthy merchants like other kingdoms. They have fertile land and abundant water resources. Their lands are rich in rare minerals and high-grade herbs. If we acquire them, we can greatly increase our power and wealth."
The moment the leader uttered the words "rare minerals" and "high-grade herbs," everyone's eyes sparkled with greed. Seeing this, he smirked and continued,
"The whole continent is under the rule of a single family, and the current ruler is Zareth El Darkte, an S-rank Awakened."
S-rank Awakened individuals are considered the strongest people in Lunaris, with only 15 existing in the entire human continent.
Even when they heard the king was an S-rank, no one reacted much, because High Society also has two S-rank Awakened members.
But their confidence and bravado shattered the moment the leader mentioned another name.
"We can easily capture the Darkte kingdom if we use the power of everyone present in this room. But first, we have to kill someone. Otherwise, our dreams will remain just that—dreams, never becoming reality."
The members expressed confusion. With their current power, everyone should be kneeling before them, and the leader, being the strongest among them, knew this better than anyone.
Yet, he spoke as if killing a single person was more difficult than capturing an entire continent.
"The person we have to kill is the crown prince of that continent, and his name is Vanitas El Darkte."
Even after hearing the prince's name, no one understood why their leader was so cautious. The leader could see their confusion.
He continued, knowing they would soon grasp the gravity of the situation, "Our information network has uncovered another identity of this prince."
"Hell's Angel"
The moment he uttered the name, everyone in the room quaked with fear and started to sweat profusely. Even the leader felt a twinge of fear when he said it.
If we grade the power of organizations from 1 to 5, the current High Society would be considered grade-2.
But Hell's Angel is the one who single-handedly massacred a grade-1 organization in the past.
The ones who named him "Hell's Angel" were not those he saved, but those from the underworld.
Hell's Angel is the nightmare of the underworld, and now they have to face him to achieve their goals.
"We found out that Vanitas isn't in the Darkte kingdom but in Sahara now. Tomorrow, the hunt for Hell's Angel will begin, and I expect all of you to participate," the leader said as a hologram of Vanitas El Darkte projected behind him.
"What?"
"He wants us to fight Hell's Angel?"
"Why should I risk my life for this?"
"I'm only an E-rank Awakened. How can I fight that monster?"
As the seconds passed, more members expressed their objections. They all feared the leader, but confronting Hell's Angel was a different matter entirely.
They joined this organization to enjoy their lives, not to die.
'These worthless cowards!' the leader cursed them in his mind, filled with disgust.
'These ungrateful bastards have been enjoying their lives because of my organization, yet they dare to shake in fear and retaliate against me when I give them a command,' the leader fumed internally.
While all this was happening, a young man sat quietly in the middle of the crowd, listening to their conversations.
His eyes were cold and lifeless, watching everything unfold.
The sheer emptiness in his gaze sent shivers down the spine of anyone who might have seen him.
[So, Vaan, when are you going to kill everyone here?]
A sinister voice echoed menacingly in the young man's mind.