Thanks to Mobius disruption, Kalpas attention shifted from the small cake in front of him to this side. Immer seemed to feel this was a rare opportunity. Without a hint of hesitation, he hid a dinner knife in his sleeve and crept toward Kalpas from behind the crowd.
One step... two steps...
Everyone else was focused on the shouting Mobius, including Kalpas. This made it easy for Immer to reach a position behind Kalpas. Ferocity flashed in his eyes as he gripped the dinner knife and stabbed toward the unsuspecting Kalpas heart.
The moment the tip of the knife tore through the fabric and pierced the skin, the smile at the corner of Immer's mouth could no longer be hidden.
Clack.
"..."
"..."
Lin and Kalpas locked eyes coldly. Even through the mask, one could feel the mockery in Kalpas gaze. Immer's heart raced. At some point, the surroundings had fallen silent. Countless confused, shocked, and wary gazes fell upon him. The arm that should have been driving the knife into Kalpas heart was now gripped by another hand—a hand that made resistance feel impossible.
The smile had stiffened, and cold sweat poured down. He wasn't afraid of being discovered, but when Lin stood before him, he felt a certain fear... A fear that if he looked up, he would see Lin looking at him with disappointment.
"...That's enough, isn't it?" Lin seemed to be asking Immer, but he was staring at Kalpas when he said it.
"Hmph..." Kalpas gave a contemptuous sneer. He turned his head to say to Immer, "Kid, you're quite interesting. I welcome you to come back anytime."
Clang.
Lin released his grip. Immer hadn't been using any force, so the knife fell to the ground. Lin scanned the room. This time, his gaze wasn't as gentle as before; it was filled with his usual sharpness. Thus, the others shifted their gazes away, leaving the matter to Lin to handle.
Lin way of handling it was also simple. He said to the bowed Immer, "Follow me."
...
The Second Gym, a "secret base" belonging to Lin, Kevin, and Pardo. Lin brought Immer here. They hadn't spoken the whole way, like complete strangers. Once they arrived, Lin didn't say much either, merely tossing a wooden sword—the kind he usually used for sparring with Kevin—to Immer.
Immer caught it blankly, then saw Lin watching him with the tip of his sword pointing at the ground. The stance was clear: he was to attack.
What... is this for?
Seeing that Immer wasn't moving, Lin did something unexpected in the next second.
Swish!
Immer's pupils shrank as he took half a step back. A burning ache flared on his left cheek as a bloody gash was clearly left there. Lin performed a casual blood-shaking flick, the blood on the tip of the wooden sword leaving a thin arc on the ground.
Even though it was a wooden sword, given their physical capabilities, it was no different from a real blade. Immer hadn't seen how Lin made the strike. He had been daydreaming, but Lin had decisively used this strike to remind him: next, he wouldn't be holding back.
Clack!
The two wooden swords clashed in the air. Lin strength was incredibly great. Immer's grip was almost jarred loose even though he was holding the sword with both hands. Even if his physical capabilities didn't match those of MANTIS like Kevin, he was already at the peak of normal human performance.
Swish! A sharp edge brushed past his face, leaving another bloody gash. Immer gritted his teeth and countered with all his might, but Lin parried him easily. His attacks gradually became broad and sweeping. To land a hit on Lin, he didn't care if he took a hit himself, so his movements became increasingly brutal.
The anger in his heart was etched into every strike. The person before him was no longer Lin, but that man of calamity.
"AAAAAAAA!"
Thump!
Just as the anger in his heart reached its peak and he let out a roar while swinging a strike at Lin, Lin shifted like a ghost, stepping aside. His knee slammed into Immer's hands as they held the sword, causing the weapon to fly from his grip. Then, he pushed Immer's chest, sending him flying back to crash onto the ground.
The moment Immer landed, he finally regained his clarity. He lay on the ground, looking up at Lin as he walked to his side and looked down at him. All the fury had been vented in that last strike.
"...I'm sorry, Captain." He apologized dejectedly, like a child who had done something wrong.
"I am not your captain," Lin said calmly. "And you haven't done anything wrong."
Earlier, it seemed as if Immer was about to kill Kalpas, but Lin knew Kalpas had noticed Immer long ago. The two seemed to know each other; every move Immer made was within Kalpas perception. He didn't know why Kalpas didn't stop Immer, but Lin knew this was of no benefit to either of them.
"Captain, aren't you going to ask me... why?"
"...No need." Lin paused for a few seconds before continuing, "You only need to know two things: One, you must understand what you want to do. Two, the consequences of doing that. I haven't experienced what you've been through. It's inappropriate to force my methods onto you."
Immer was stunned, watching the silhouette of Lin as he set the wooden sword aside and walked toward the door. Was it his imagination? Lin way of handling things seemed to have changed—had he become more humane? But even though Lin said this, the haze deep in Immer's eyes remained.
...
"It's getting weirder and weirder..."
Mei truly hadn't expected the secrets in the Elysian Realm to come one after another. Unknown people were also coming out one by one. She felt like she had been placed in a stage play, watching characters appear in full costume.
That man just now seemed to have a deep understanding of Lin and the Elysian Realm. judging from his tone, he wasn't an inhabitant of the Realm. But outside the Elysian Realm device was World Serpent, guarded by the real-world Kevin. How could anyone else infiltrate the Realm? And move around so freely?
In Mei's memory, no man she knew was as foul-mouthed as this person. However, based on the information provided, Mei realized a very serious problem. If what he said was true, the nature of the Elysian Realm might be deeper than she imagined. Because the person spoke of the three as "the real Lin, Mobius, and Mei." This meant it was a secret that even the memory crystals of Lin and Elysia didn't know... No, it was a secret even the real Elysia and Kevin didn't know.
Impossible... how could the real Kevin not know what the Elysian Realm actually was? He was the one who had guarded it for fifty thousand years. Just as Mei was completely lost in thought, a person was running toward her with a lively stride...