As the Watcher completed his statement and fell into silence, a disturbance rippled through the darkness beneath him. From the very shadow he stood in, a figure emerged, his lower half still submerged in the void.
"Message delivered." The figure spoke, his voice muffled as he covered his mouth. A striking scarlet "5" was etched deeply into the back of his hand. Unlike the Watcher, this man exuded an aura of divinity, every detail of his appearance immaculate. A sense of authority and power radiated from him as he spoke: "Qing, ensure you leave a Blight Mark on the heir; his competence is yet to be determined."
Qing, the Watcher, did not turn to acknowledge him. His voice, filled with an edge of disdain, responded without a glance. "That was unnaturally fast, Huang. What makes you so sure I can leave a Blight Mark on the heir without him noticing? And why do you trust me so easily? That is even more unlike you."
Huang, unconcerned by the slight, descended smoothly into Qing's shadow, his voice echoing throughout the vast hall. "What do you mean? I trust you completely, just as I trust all my other comrades. You should too."
His tone shifted, growing more serious. "For your information, the Head wasn't as pleased with the news as we expected."
Qing's laughter rang out, but this time, it was mocking rather than joyous. He paused, letting the sound linger for a moment, before reaching up to touch his face. Slowly, he placed his fingers into his eye socket, and with a subtle twist, his form vanished completely, leaving no trace behind.
…
Back in Alexander Levison's room, Otto Morphy was detailing their encounter with October and his intentions. After hearing the full account, Alexander only shook his head gently, his mind clearly elsewhere. A soft blue orb materialized in his hand.
"Thought as much…" he murmured quietly to himself, before his gaze turned inward, considering something deeper. "But… being able to wield multiple ethereal arms? Interesting…"
Kris, unable to hold his curiosity any longer, interjected. "Wait, what do you mean, 'thought as much?'"
Without moving a muscle, Alexander replied in a calm, measured tone, "Since the situation has already escalated to this point, there's no reason to hide it any longer."
He leaned forward slightly, meeting their eyes. "Let me ask you all a simple question: what would drive terrorists to attack a city?"
Shun raised an eyebrow. From what Alexander had previously shared, The Unfinished had disguised themselves as ordinary citizens, making them almost impossible to track. It seemed strange that such a group would suddenly make a spectacle of themselves only to hide again. If they weren't after money or simply out for blood, what was their goal?
Silver, anticipating the question, spoke first. "To distract the kingdom from something far greater."
Alexander's sharp gaze turned to her, suspicion flickering briefly across his features. After a long, charged silence, he nodded in agreement. "I think you're right."
"Truth be told," he continued with a faint, enigmatic smile, "I'd say you are their true target. After all, my letter wouldn't have left this city if you weren't."
Olivia, her brow furrowed, countered. "But what's the point? There are far more powerful ethereal warriors in the kingdom. What difference would three complete ethereal warriors and a few ascended ones make?"
Alexander's expression remained unchanged. "A valid point. In fact, the absence of three complete ethereal warriors likely wouldn't shift the balance much. However, their deaths would create a significant impact."
Shun frowned, perplexed. "Then why would you bait us into this? Why invite us all here just to have us die?"
The Orb of Clarity shone with an ethereal blue glow, casting a dim light over the room. Alexander leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a moment before speaking again.
"Evading one trap simply leads to another. But this time, I believe I understand what they're after. Next time, I may not be so sure. So, I will place my bet on the fact that their plan will backfire. By making the king suspicious of me, they not only sent warriors with considerable power but also those with intellect. I need you all to play along, pretend to be predators acting as harmless prey. If you don't do anything stupid, then you won't die"
Kris hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "So… what's our next move?"
Before anyone could voice more concerns, Shun raised his hand, cutting through the tension. "What if you're wrong? What if your calculations are mistaken?"
Alexander opened his eyes slowly, amusement flickering across his face. "It's the only logical explanation. But if you have a more logical theory, I'm eager to hear it."
Shun thought for a moment before nodding slightly, indicating that he understood. The logic behind Alexander's deductions wasn't hard to grasp. Still, there was something unsettling about the plan. Despite the uncertainty, Shun realized there was no point in continuing the argument. It would only drag on further.
Alexander shrugged lightly. "There was no real need to share this with you all. I'm starting to think I should've kept it to myself. But no matter. Pretend you never heard any of this and proceed with the plan. Don't overthink it."
"But how can they be sure they can defeat us?" Shun asked, concern lacing his voice. With the ninth complete ethereal warrior on their side, victory should have been assured. Not to mention the potential power of Harvester.
Alexander waved his hand dismissively, his expression growing cold. "I told you not to overthink it. Rest easy tonight, and trust me. Everything is under control. Just focus on killing some enemies tomorrow. Leave the rest to me."
The group exchanged wary glances, still unsure of what to make of the Prime Advisor's confidence. As they filed out of the room, an old servant, assigned by Eden Pyram, awaited them by the door to escort them to their quarters.
On the way, Shun's attention was caught by a man with strange symbols etched into both his pupils. There was a strange, magnetic connection between them—a feeling similar to what Shun experienced with the ethereal arms of complete warriors. Yet something felt subtly different about it.
When he turned to look again, the man had vanished into the depths of the corridor, nowhere in sight.
…
Back in Alexander's room, a delicate white pigeon flew through the window and landed gracefully on the Prime Advisor's desk. Alexander, momentarily distracted from his thoughts, dematerialized the Orb of Clarity and gave the pigeon a gentle pat. Emotions had reappeared on his face.
"I'm glad you made it back safely," he murmured quietly, affectionately ruffling the bird's feathers. Then, noticing something, his tone shifted, "You really shouldn't teleport into my room like that. You've scared the life out of me."
Alexander turned to face the Watcher, who wore a grin that seemed more artificial than usual. Something about the Watcher's presence felt different now, as though an underlying tension lurked beneath his otherwise calm demeanour.
"Teleport?" The Watcher chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "You underestimate my abilities far too much. I've simply come to warn you. If you heed my advice, I might even lend you my assistance."
The smile slipped from his face, replaced by a cold, emotionless stare. His eyes, now tinged with a faint glow, filled the room with an overwhelming sense of menace.
"I don't know what your plan is, but if you dare risk the lives of those people, you will face a torture beyond imagining."
Alexander laughed, his voice laced with confidence. "If you're talking about Heartflame, I wouldn't be too worried. Your boss has been suffering under it for over a century now. I'm sure it's not so bad."
He paused, his gaze sharpening. "But don't worry. If nothing interferes with my plan, everyone will be safe. And if something does go wrong, I doubt you'll simply stand by and watch, will you?"