"...."

Seth remained silent.

He didn't show much of a reaction to the Conductor.

Instead, he scanned the surroundings before finally opening his mouth.

"Where is your boss?"

His voice was cold, the darkness in his eyes turning deeper than before.

He looked incredibly intimidating.

But—

"Wow."

This only seemed to amuse the Conductor.

"You do act like the boss, but you act nothing like him. I'm curious... What is your relationship with the boss? He also doesn't seem to want to kill you."

"...He wouldn't dare."

"Oh?"

*Pop*

Mirelle's gum popped as she looked at the Conductor.

"Is this guy on his period?"

"...Maybe."

The Conductor shrugged, entertaining Mirelle's words.

"....."

Seth remained quiet, unbothered by the words said by the two of them.

"Where is he?"

His lips parted once more, his eyes darkening once more.

"Do you understand what he's done?"

Seth's voice lowered, his eyes flickering further into the darkness as a strange pressure appeared to come out of his body. It was a pressure that even the Conductor couldn't ignore.

But despite it, the Conductor maintained its smile.

"I understand. I understand it fully."

With a sickening smile, the stitches sealing the Conductor's eyes ripped as it let out a soft cackle, "It's because that I understand it that I love it!"

Its cackle echoed across the surroundings, the amusement and excitement it felt becoming clearer than ever as it spoke faster.

"To hold... that much power. How can it not be exciting? Not only that, but it's still growing!"

Looking at Seth, the Conductor's eyes squinted.

"I know that you are aware of what can happen. I know... that you're aware of the potential that the power holds."

The Conductor paused, its smile fading slightly as the surroundings turned silent.

It was within that heavy silence that the Conductor drew in a long breath. When it finally spoke, its voice trembled, not with fear, but with barely contained excitement.

"I know that you're aware he holds the potential to rule every existing anomaly once his potential is awakened."

Taking another breath, the smile returned on the Conductor's face.

"And as his vassal, I wish nothing more than to realize that potential."

"....."

For a moment, the doppelgänger remained silent.

He didn't say anything while staring at the Conductor and Mirelle.

But soon, it shook its head.

"It's not possible the way that he is right now."

"I know."

"But I'll help him reach that point."

"You can't do it."

"And you can?"

"....."

The doppelgänger remained silent once more.

This silence made the Conductor's smile widen.

"See...?"

Eventually, the Conductor turned away from the doppelgänger. As it did, it started to fix its suit whilst also adjusting the metal plate on its chest.

Turning its watch to check the time, the Conductor's voice turned a little bit more stern.

"If you'll excuse me, I have work to tend to. I can't entertain you any further. If you wish to find the boss, I'm sure you won't need either one of us to tell you where he is."

With that, the Conductor proceeded to leave alongside Mirelle.

*Pop*

The doppelgänger stared at their retreating backs without saying a word.

Eventually, he lowered his head to stare at the numerous bodies around him and swatted down.

Slap—

He slapped the girl he had choked out a moment prior.

***

BUA Malovia Branch.

—Haaaaak!

A scream echoed from the speakers.

Images flashed across the large screen.

—Haaaik!

—Heeeeeek!

They depicted a certain group fighting just one person.

He stood alone, fighting everyone at once with his dark eyes.

Even Geneva...

Click!

The video ended there.

"....."

For a moment, the area remained silent.

All Guild Masters and agents from the BUA didn't make a sound.

But soon, all eyes turned towards a certain individual.

He sat with a smile, staring at the screen with little expression. But soon, as if noticing their stares, he looked back.

"What a shock."

He said, his voice lacking any indication of shock.

"This person is from my Guild, but who would've thought he'd be this stro—"

BANG!

A thunderous slap suddenly echoed across the auditorium.

"Cut the bullshit!"

A voice boomed a moment later.

When all heads turned, they saw a man with a thick, heavy beard rising to his feet. His sheer stature was imposing, with broad shoulders that made him look even bigger.

Muscles tightened beneath his uniform as he locked a fierce glare onto the Guild Master of the Severed Stars Guild, his presence alone enough to make the air feel heavier.

"Do you think we're stupid?! Do you really think we wouldn't know if your Guild had someone like that?!"

He was the Guild Master of the Royal Chamber, one of the most prestigious Guilds on the Central Island. It was also the very same Guild that Geneva belonged to.

His reaction only made sense.

Pointing at the screen, he shouted, "You've seen the video! Not just me. Everyone has seen the video! There's no denying that he's working for them! He took out not only the elites from my Guild, but the elites from the other Guild!"

The Branch Manager at BUA commanded, "Replay the video again."

The Manager didn't say anything and just replayed the video.

It was there that a certain pair of dark eyes appeared on the screen. They stared straight at the drone while a soft smile spread across his lips.

The next scene was enough to send a cold chill across the room as he singlehandedly killed every single person present.

Geneva included.

The evidence was overwhelming, and as the video replayed once more, the breathing of several of the Guild Masters turned heavier. This wasn't just a small loss, but a great loss! Especially when taking into account the fact that one of the people who had been killed was a paragon.

But the creepiest part of it all was the fact that he appeared to be enjoying the entire thing.

Everyone could clearly see from the video that the group had been trying to approach him calmly and talk things out, but he didn't even give them a chance before attacking them.

By the time the video had ended again, all eyes fell on the Guild Master of the Severed Stars Guild.

He could only smile innocently.

"As I said, I don't know anything about this. He isn't very reputable within the Guild, and as far as I'm aware, he's at most a Game Developer. I believe that he's been possessed by an anomaly. Otherwise, this is not possible. This could also be self-defense. Everyone knows how the Guilds are operating."

"Possessed, self-defense or not, I don't care! It's clear that he's not on our side!"

Slamming his hand against the table once more, the Royal Chamber Guild Master grabbed his blazer from the back of his chair and shrugged it on with sharp, impatient movements. Without waiting for a response, he strode toward the exit, his steps heavy with pent-up fury.

As he pushed the door open, he muttered under his breath, "Whatever the case is, the fact of the matter is that he's another variable that we will need to get rid of. I'll personally escort a team to handle him. See if I can't get rid of him then."

There was no arguing with him.

Nobody even tried arguing with him.

Everyone understood his frustration. Not only that, but everyone had seen the video. They had seen the figure effortlessly dispatch all the elite recruits.

He was someone that they needed to get rid of.

And not long after, an announcement was made.

Breaking — [Royal Chamber Guild Master steps in! What is the reason for his sudden involvement?]

Breaking — [Royal Chamber Guild Master vows to 'eliminate traitor at all costs!' Who is this traitor? What exactly happened at the gate?'

The title made waves around the world.

Traitor? There was a traitor?

But soon, a video appeared.

It depicted a young man with dark eyes and dark hair. Despite most of the video being blurred, everyone understood what had happened.

And soon, everyone thought back to the previous headlines.

Breaking — [Shocking! A traitor has emerged in the Malovia Gate! What is the identity of this traitor!?]

Breaking — [Seth Thorne! Humanity's traitor!]

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