"Who exactly are you?"
Inside the dim villa, Scorpio and Hydra knelt on one knee, cold sweat trickling down their cheeks. They stared intently at the silver-haired young man lounging lazily on the sofa, their pupils constricted with fear.
Just minutes ago, they had been supremely confident, ready to teach this arrogant 'idiot' a lesson, simultaneously unleashing their proud 'Star Remains' ability. Yet, all their attacks seemed to strike phantoms, ultimately leaving only 'friendly fire' on each other. As for Tendo, the target, not even a corner of his clothes was harmed.
They weren't highly ranked among the Hidden Star Society's cadres, but they had successfully been enlightened and become intelligent beings. Their strength already surpassed ninety percent of star beasts at the same level. Compared to star envoys of the same rank, they were roughly equivalent to high-tier Third-Grade star envoys. But even they were utterly defenseless against Tendo. How could they remain calm? Their lives now hung by a thread, entirely at Tendo's whim.
Watching Scorpio and Hydra, who had been thoroughly terrified by his 'Myriad Illusions,' Tendo's lips curved into a playful smile. His long fingers gently tapped the armrest of the sofa, continuing to exert psychological pressure on them. At the same time, it allowed him to better contemplate the practical effects of 'Myriad Illusions.' After all, even Tendo hadn't expected 'Myriad Illusions' to be so effective.
[Vector Control · Myriad Illusions]
[Effect: By distorting 'information' within a certain range, it creates perfect illusions capable of deceiving all five senses.]
[Evaluation: 'The reality you see is merely the illusion I wish you to see.' — Tendo Simei]
In six years, Tendo had already developed his 'Vector Control' to its current peak. 'Myriad Forms Obscured' and 'Myriad Illusions' were merely the tip of the iceberg among the many techniques he now commanded.
Seeing that Scorpio and Hydra were still not taking action, Tendo grew a little impatient.
Dong!
With a snap of Tendo's fingers, Scorpio and Hydra suddenly felt a crushing force on their shoulders. This oppressive power was a dual psychological and physical pressure. They felt as if the weight of the entire world had fallen upon them. Under the immense pressure, they uncontrollably dropped to their knees, hands braced on the ground, as if prostrating themselves before Tendo.
"W-what the hell..."
The arrogant Scorpio gritted his teeth, attempting several times to stand up and preserve his pride as a Hidden Star Society cadre and an intelligent star beast. But no matter what he did, he remained unable to rise. He could only humble himself like a wild dog, prostrating before Tendo, his peripheral vision catching the silver-haired figure on the sofa, smiling faintly.
Seeing that he had disciplined them enough, Tendo suddenly turned his head to look behind his sofa.
"Hey, Danica, it's been ten minutes. You still haven't found it?"
In the direction Tendo was looking, a small green-haired loli was sticking her butt out, most of her body buried in a file box, with only her two short legs constantly wiggling outside, clearly trying hard to find something. But ten whole minutes had passed, and the little girl still hadn't found what Tendo wanted.
This made him unable to resist saying, "Little Danica, you didn't deliberately exaggerate your literacy to me, only to find out you can't read at all, did you?"
"N-no way!"
Little Danica scrambled out of the pile of files, her chubby little face flushed red. "Mr. Tendo, don't talk nonsense! Danica really knows so, so, so many words!" Little Danica was so afraid Tendo wouldn't believe her that she even deliberately spread her arms wide, indicating that she was actually very capable and intelligent.
But at her not-so-clever display, Tendo raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced.
Seeing that little Danica couldn't find the file, Tendo decided to stop slacking off. He got up from the sofa and walked to the file box next to little Danica. He casually pulled out a file, pointed at the technical terms on it, and asked little Danica, "Come on, little genius, tell me how to read these words?"
Staring at the seemingly indecipherable text Tendo was pointing at, little Danica completely panicked. She poked her index fingers together, her gaze flickering, and whispered, "Um... that, Mr. Tendo, actually, those words used to tell Danica what they meant themselves..."
"Huh?"
Tendo's sunglasses slipped to the tip of his nose, and he said in extreme shock, "So, the words recognize you, but you don't recognize the words, is that it?"
"Eheheh..."
Little Danica scratched her head cutely, indicating that that was indeed how it used to be. After all, the wordless Mechanical Bible truly did directly tell her things. Then she would repeat them to other church clergy. That's why little Danica thought she knew a lot of words.
Ignoring little Danica's 'silly' cuteness, Tendo directly grabbed her by the collar, moved the green-headed little dumpling aside, and personally began searching through the file box. Not long after, he pulled out a file labeled, "Hidden Star Society · Steam Branch Undercover Personnel List."
"Okay, found it."
Tendo walked up to the two Hidden Star Society cadres with the file in hand. He pointed at a name on it and said, "You two go replace this person. I'll take his place."
Upon hearing this, Scorpio and Hydra exchanged a difficult glance. The identity Tendo had chosen was simply too crucial. So crucial that they had no authority to decide.
Seeing that the two weren't responding, Tendo immediately spoke, "What, unwilling?" Although Tendo's tone was very relaxed, Scorpio and Hydra could feel the temperature in the room seemingly dropping several degrees. At the same time, Andromeda, still lying in a pool of blood not far away, silently conveyed the consequences of refusing Tendo.
And seeing that these two still hadn't responded to Mr. Tendo, Danica, who already considered herself Tendo's number one little minion, immediately jumped out. She pointed at the two with an arrogant air and said, "You two better agree to Mr. Tendo's request quickly, otherwise... Mr. Tendo will get angry!"
"And the consequences of Tendo getting angry are super—scary!"
As she spoke, Danica made a gesture she thought was very terrifying, like a little monster eating people.
Tendo: "..."
Seriously, Danica, I didn't tell you to add to the scene. Why are you acting it out on your own?
Tendo silently averted his gaze and said calmly, "You have three minutes to consider what I've said. I hope you don't disappoint me."
After speaking, Tendo returned to the sofa and waited patiently.
Scorpio remained silent, stubbornly refusing. The relatively smoother Hydra wiped cold sweat from his brow and asked, "C-can we consult with our superiors?"
Tendo waved his hand nonchalantly: "Suit yourselves. Oh, and you can tell them I'm Tendo Simei. I think they'll agree." His confident tone made it seem as if Tendo was the true master here, and the two of them were the outsiders.
When Hydra received the message from above, his narrow eyes instantly widened. On the data terminal, not only did they readily agree to Tendo's request, but they also specifically emphasized that 'any of Mr. Tendo's requests must be prioritized,' as long as he didn't intend to destroy the Hidden Star Society.
At this point, even the arrogant and stubborn Scorpio had no choice but to put aside his reservations and completely bow to Tendo.
And seeing the two's reactions, Tendo smiled. He understood that the Doctor had apparently returned to the Hidden Star Society he had once abandoned. Otherwise, the Hidden Star Society would not have agreed to his request so quickly.
As for why the Doctor and Tendo wanted to join the Hidden Star Society, the reason was simple. The 'Glimmer' of the rekindled embers needed a protective umbrella in its early stages to pass through that perilous period. And the Hidden Star Society, also hidden in the shadows, undoubtedly perfectly met their requirements. After all, if anything went wrong, they could simply say it was all the Hidden Star Society's doing. But if there were any benefits, they would belong to their 'Glimmer.'
As for whether Tendo would feel any moral pressure doing this, truthfully, he felt absolutely none. Although there were some good people in the Hidden Star Society, the vast majority of its members were ruthless individuals who devoured others without spitting out bones. Therefore, Tendo felt at ease using the Hidden Star Society.
However, to make 'Glimmer' completely replace the Hidden Star Society, Tendo still had much to do. For instance, bringing in some trustworthy Children of the Stars first. As for the identity Tendo was to take over, it was naturally the captain position of the Fifth Squad in the Steam City Star Envoy Association Branch!