Chapter 28: Does Everyone Deserve the Truth? Part 1
At headquarters…
"General, we have important information."
"Keep it brief," Krauss replied with a stern expression.
"Sir, although we failed to locate the prisoners, we reviewed the movements of everyone who entered the island and found this." The man handed over several documents and photographs.
Krauss skimmed through them. Most were irrelevant, adding little to the situation. However…
"You're telling me this boy possesses an Association Insignia, yet there's no record of him ever undergoing Awakening?" Krauss asked while staring at Rael's photo.
"Yes, sir. We checked the files multiple times, but there's no information regarding his Awakening in the Association's records. It could be an error on our end, but…"
"Assign men to monitor him," Krauss ordered coldly. "Do not let him leave the island. Reinforce security across the entire area as well. Today is too important for anything to go wrong."
Rael's photo remained on the table as silence filled the room.
---
Varhel Island was more crowded than ever. This time, the Awakened were all heading toward the massive arena at the center of the island.
The first event of the festival would be a grand exhibition match featuring the younger generation of Awakened prodigies. Though officially described as a "friendly competition," the prominent families mostly treated it as an opportunity to flaunt their power and prestige.
As Rael walked toward the arena, he noticed several eyes fixed on him.
And they didn't look away.
'I'm being followed… Damn. They caught on fast.' Rael kept his expression calm as he continued walking. 'Still, since they haven't acted yet, it's probably only suspicion.'
After entering the arena, he sat down and observed the enormous structure below.
Most of the island's Awakened had gathered there.
'Around fifteen hundred people…'
The number wasn't especially large, exactly as he expected. The global population of Awakened was still relatively small. Even so, this gathering represented only a fraction of the Association's members, alongside visitors from foreign families and rival organizations.
Rael searched the crowd for Reyna but couldn't find him anywhere.
'Where the hell did he go?'
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the host shouted enthusiastically. "Today, the brightest talents of the new generation will reveal themselves before your eyes! The youngest Awakened will demonstrate the future of humanity through a series of friendly battles!"
As the speech continued, Rael's mind wandered back to something else.
'If they can classify talent levels…'
"Their potential is measured during Awakening based on the Artifact's reaction," a familiar voice suddenly explained beside him.
Rael turned and saw Reyna standing there.
"The levels are Null, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond," Reyna continued calmly. "Most Awakened here are Silver-level. A few rare individuals reach Gold. As for Diamond…"
He paused briefly.
"They're practically nonexistent."
Rael nodded slightly while the participants began entering the arena below.
"So what are the major organizations in our country?" he asked quietly.
"The Awakened Association, the Black Dragon Sect, and the Delight Society," Reyna replied.
"I'll remember that."
Suddenly, Rael felt it again.
Several stares lingering on him for far too long.
His eyes discreetly scanned the stands and quickly found multiple men moving through the crowd while watching him closely.
'I've definitely been identified.'
Even if they lacked proof, they were already treating him as a suspect.
That alone was dangerous enough.
'Kirishima, we may need to leave earlier than planned. Do you have everything I asked for?'
> "Mission complete. Rael-san… be careful."
"All right—"
Rael abruptly stopped mid-sentence.
A strange sensation spread through his chest.
His pupils narrowed as he looked down toward the arena floor.
Cracks.
Tiny cracks were spreading beneath the stone surface.
And from within them…
Bluish energy began leaking into the air.
To other people, it was invisible. But the concentration had become so dense that Rael could sense it clearly.
"What the…"
"Boy, you need to come with us—"
BAM!
Rael instantly slapped away the hand reaching for his shoulder.
"You—!"
The man glared at him furiously, but before he could react further—
CRACK!
The entire arena floor split apart.
The cracks spread like spiderwebs across the structure and rapidly expanded throughout the island itself.
A violent surge of blue energy erupted from beneath the ground.
Then—
The energy condensed into razor-sharp blades that shot wildly in every direction.
SHHHK!
Bodies were sliced apart before many could even comprehend what was happening.
Blood sprayed across the arena.
"AHHHHH!"
"What is this?!"
"What's happening?!"
Panic exploded instantly.
The arena shook violently, on the verge of collapse.
Rael stabilized himself while forming a barrier of Eternium around his body. Several energy blades slammed into it, sending sparks flying.
'Edward said he would destroy the island's Energy Vein…'
His expression darkened.
'But this… this is far beyond anything I imagined.'
BOOOOM!
Another explosion shook the island.
Entire sections of the arena collapsed.
'That bastard… He knew this would happen.'
"What's going on?!" Reyna shouted, staring around in horror.
> "Rael-san, you need to get off the island immediately!" Kirishima's voice echoed urgently in his ear. "The drone is detecting catastrophic energy levels across the entire island! At this rate, everything is going to explode!"
All across Varhel Island, chaos erupted.
The Awakened fled in every direction.
"The island is collapsing!"
"What is the Association doing?!"
"Save us!"
---
"Krauss, what the hell is happening?!" one of the foreign leaders roared inside the VIP chamber. "Are you trying to kill us all?!"
The room had descended into chaos.
Several high-ranking figures from different organizations stood up in fury, including an elder from the Black Dragon Sect.
Krauss's eyes widened as he sensed the violent fluctuations beneath the island.
"The Energy Vein…" he muttered in disbelief. "It's been destabilized…"
Cold sweat trickled down his face.
"How?!" he snarled. "How did they find its location?! And more importantly… how did they breach the underground chamber?!"
The Energy Vein was the island's most protected secret.
Its security surpassed everything else.
Which left only one possibility.
Traitors.
The shouting around him grew louder.
"Gentlemen, calm yourselves!" Krauss barked. "This is merely a temporary setback. We will stabilize the vein and restore order immediately."
Then—
"Oh no," a calm voice echoed through the room. "You won't."
Everyone froze.
A hooded man stood near the entrance with a smile on his face.
"Truly," he said politely, "it's an honor to finally meet the great General Krauss in person."
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
"Unfortunately…" the man continued, his smile widening, "this will also be the last time."
Darkness slowly spread beneath his feet.
"Because everyone on this island is going to die."
The Awakened immediately prepared for combat.
"How rude of me," the man added casually. "I haven't even introduced myself yet."
He slowly removed his hood.
"My name is Edward."
His eyes gleamed coldly.
"Founder and leader of Eclipse."
---
Rael expanded his senses to their limit.
Soon, he detected Edward's presence inside the VIP chamber alongside Krauss and the others.
Seconds later—
BOOOOM!
An explosion tore through the structure.
Rael watched as Krauss launched a devastating punch straight into Edward's guard, sending him flying dozens of meters through the air.
"Kirishima, what about the prisoners?" Rael asked quickly.
> "They secured a boat during the chaos. Eclipse members appear to be helping them escape. However…" Kirishima hesitated briefly. "Any other Awakened attempting to flee the island are being killed."
Rael's expression darkened.
He turned toward Reyna.
"You need to leave now. There's a boat on the north side of the island. If anyone stops you, tell them you're with me."
"What about you?!" Reyna asked anxiously.
"I have something I need to do."
Without another word, Rael shot forward at a speed Reyna could barely follow.
---
"What's the purpose of this, Eclipse leader?" Krauss asked coldly while staring at Edward.
"Purpose?" Edward laughed.
"Since when does this world need purpose for violence? Isn't strength what governs your precious awakened society?"
Dark energy surged from his body.
Shadows spread across the floor before rising like living creatures.
Their arms sharpened into blades and lunged toward Krauss's vital points.
But before they could touch him—
CRACK!
Walls of ice instantly formed in front of every attack.
The freezing air spread throughout the room, causing even nearby Awakened to shiver.
Krauss slowly lowered his arm.
"Your tricks are meaningless against me."
An overwhelming pressure filled the chamber.
Then Krauss took a step forward.
"You're going to die here today."