"This was made by Level 7 space awakener," Victor explained. "Takes a ridiculous amount of time and energy to craft one. It's not much use to me anymore… but in your hands, it could be invaluable."

Axel met Victor's serious eyes. Without a word, he reached into his coat and pulled out a small pouch containing the remaining Heavenly Spirit Fruits.

Victor smiled. "Smart," he said approvingly. "You're sharper than your old man already."

"Thank you, sir." Axel bowed his head slightly. He'd already thought of hiding the remaining fruit somewhere near the Abyss's edge before leaving, where it could be safely retrieved later by Level 1 or 2 awakened agents. Low enough threat, easy enough access.

But now, with this capsule? It made everything easier—and safer.

"Will this capsule be discovered if someone stronger checks me?" Axel asked.

He had two C-rank Original Instruments on him already. Sure, some people might get jealous, but they were explainable. This? A space artifact usually reserved for people who could reshape battlefields?

That was much harder to excuse.

Victor shrugged. "A stronger awakener than me could spot it… but they won't waste their time scanning someone like you.."

Axel nodded slowly. He'd already told Victor about Sethan being the one who ordered the destruction of the Heavenly Spirit Fruit tree. But Victor was not worried about being discovered by Sethan.

One thought lingered in his mind. Just how powerful was Victor?

"By the way, Mr. Victor…" Axel asked, "who exactly is Clarissa?"

Victor sat back on a weathered bench. "Honestly? I don't know her real identity."

He paused. "But your father mentioned her more than once. They worked together often—especially when developing pills, before your father entered the Abyss."

Victor's eyes narrowed, his tone turning serious. "If you want the truth about what happened to him, she's the one to find. I suspect she was closely involved."

Clarissa. That name had never come up between Axel and his father. Not even once.

"She's a Level 6 awakener, that much I know."

Victor leaned forward slightly. "Axel, what you're about to do… is like walking a tightrope over a bottomless ravine. One wrong move, and it's over."

He looked away for a moment, then added softly, "I don't know how long I'll be stuck here. My work isn't done yet. Whatever happens next… you'll have to face it alone."

Axel stood there in silence. But the weight in Victor's voice said everything.

Victor looked back at the misty canyon, his expression unreadable. What he had to do was something very important to Krythos and to mankind. In his heart, this matter was even higher than ending the infection.

If this boy really could expose the truth, if he could return the cure to the world and clear Ronan's name… That would also be a legacy no one could ignore.

"Sir, I'll be careful." Axel nodded, then suddenly remembered something. Wait... Millers saw the Heavenly Spirit Fruit before he passed out.

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"My friend..."

"You mean that guy from the Whisper Syndicate?" Victor interrupted casually. "Don't worry—he's been awake for a while now. He's eavesdropping."

What?!

Axel's head snapped toward the wooden bed—sure enough, Millers was twitching, eyes wide open, staring in their direction like a deer caught in headlights.

"Seriously? That obvious?" Millers sighed, looking defeated.

Truth was, he'd woken up quite a while ago. His first instinct had been to check if he'd turned into an infected creature—and most importantly, whether his handsome face was still intact.

But the moment he overheard Axel and Victor's conversation… he froze. This... is above my clearance level.

Even though he and Axel were like brothers, Millers still feared that some old sage-level figure might kill him. So, he did what any rational man would do: pretend to be asleep and hope for the best.

"Millers..."

Millers saw the look in Axel's eyes and instinctively shrank back. "I didn't hear anything. Nothing! I swear."

Axel didn't know whether to laugh or be annoyed. We've been friends for years, and how could you still be so scared??

But to be fair, this situation was complicated.

"It's alright," Victor said casually. "I'll erase part of his memory—the part where you gave him the Heavenly Spirit Fruit."

Victor turned and looked at Millers with a "kind" smile that made the hair on Millers' arms stand up.

"No, don't come near me, you creepy old man!" Millers yelped, scooting back on the bed, shirtless and exposed, armor completely gone.

"You ungrateful brat! Is that how you talk to your savior? Get over here!" Victor snapped.

Then—click. Millers' eyes glazed over.

He went quiet. Limp.

But somewhere in that fog, he felt a strange sense of relief. Sometimes… not knowing is better.

Some time passed. Victor finally stepped away from the bed, dusted off his hands, and wandered back to Axel.

He looked oddly... pleased.

"Took a while, huh?" Axel asked, raising a brow.

Victor coughed, cheeks slightly flushed. "Ah—well... his memories were kind of interesting. I may have… browsed a little." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, he won't remember what we talked about."

Then Victor's tone changed, more focused. "But I found something else that's worth mentioning."

He turned to Axel, eyes sharp. "Before you fed him the Heavenly Spirit Fruit, he'd already guessed you had ties to the Holy Light Organization."

Axel's pupils shrank. "When? How? What about my team—did he know about them too?"

Victor raised a hand calmly.

"Relax. He only figured it out recently." He gave Millers a sidelong glance. "A real combat prodigy."

Victor had seen it—through Millers' memories. The battle between Axel, Zoey, Camden, and Varek played out in his mind like a movie.

"He spotted you collecting the bodies of the Holy Light Organization operatives. You forgot one important detail—he's got a mechanical scanning device."

Axel stared at Millers, mixed emotions flashing in his eyes—shock, admiration, maybe even guilt.

Despite suspecting Axel's true identity, Millers had still stood by his side. He'd risked everything, even infection, to protect him.

Victor continued, voice lower. "I've suppressed his recent memory of the conversation… but the suspicion? That's been there a while. Erasing it completely would damage his brain. So I just… dulled it. He'll feel like he forgot something, but won't know what."

He turned to Axel with a final nod. "Let him rest here. When the Opportunity Plate activates, it'll send him out of the Abyss safely."

Axel looked at Millers again. He didn't want to become enemies with the Obsidian team. Not unless he had absolutely no choice.

"Alright, I've cleared my imprint. Now just channel your mental power into the core, leave your mark, and then use Force to open the Space Capsule," Victor instructed.

Axel did as told, infusing the capsule with his mental power. A moment later, he sensed it—an isolated space, like a tiny pocket dimension. Around five cubic meters inside..

Victor nodded approvingly. "Come on. Follow me—we're going to pay our respects to General Micah. After that, I'll take you somewhere."

"Where to?" Axel asked as he followed.

"The Cloud Vine Forest. Most of the spiritual plants around here are either not ripe or not worth your time. There's only one that might really help you: the Saint Sea Twig. It'll be useful for advancing your second awakening ability."

Axel said no more. The thick fog ahead was drawing close, its crimson hue painting the path in a chilling light.

They passed several kilometers' worth of terrain, dotted with mutant beasts along the way. But these creatures weren't hostile. In fact, they were… playful?

"Squeak!"

Several cat-like mutant beasts came bounding up to Victor. One even rolled over expectantly, as if asking to be scratched.

"Go on, get outta here," Victor chuckled, waving them off.

Axel couldn't help but stare. These beasts acted more like pets than monsters.

"Gets boring down here alone," Victor said. "I've tamed a few to keep me company."

Soon, they reached the outer edge of the blood-red mist.

Axel flinched. That murderous pressure… it was intense.

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