[The Guest Wing – Yoru's Castle]
Techyon leaned so close to the holographic display that his breath fogged the light. The golden eyes of the man in the white cloak seemed to pierce through the screen, staring directly into Techyon's soul.
"Tell me," Techyon whispered, his voice trembling. "Who is he? Who is this man?"
Neweland's face was etched with a profound, heavy respect. "That is the man who broke the cycle of destiny, Techyon. That is your father... the strongest Arcon in the history of existence. The Arcon of Hope. The man who single-handedly slaughtered sixty million monarchs in a day of divine wrath. He is Arax—the only being in the universe who made the Singularity of Destruction feel the cold sting of fear."
Techyon slumped back into the velvet cushions, his head spinning. The silence of the room felt deafening. "The Arcon of Hope..." he repeated softly. He looked at his own hands, realizing the weight of the bloodline he carried. "This is the third time I've heard someone say my father is the strongest in history. First Cinder, then the Arcon of Life, and now you."
He looked back at the screen, his eyes sharp. "If he was that powerful—if he was the 'Hope' of the universe—then why did he leave us? Why did he—"
Techyon was about to ask the question that had burned in his heart for years, but a sharp knock at the heavy oak doors cut him off.
The maid from before stepped into the room, her expression urgent. She bowed quickly, her voice slightly breathless. "I apologize for the interruption, Master Techyon, but Lady Yoru has requested your presence immediately in the High Command Chamber. She said... it cannot wait."
Techyon glanced at the status window where Neweland's image still lingered, then back at the door. The mystery of Arax would have to wait. If Yoru was calling for him during a crisis involving S-Rank dungeons, something was about to go very wrong in Netland.
[The High Command Chamber – Yoru's Castle]
"Neweland, I have to go," Techyon said, his eyes fixed on the door. "This is an emergency. We'll talk later."
"Understood, Techyon. Be careful," Neweland replied.
With a quick swipe, Techyon cut the mana-link. His status window dissolved into glowing particles. He turned to the maid, his expression sharp. "Okay. Take me there now."
As Techyon stepped into the grand hallway leading to the Command Chamber, he saw Yoru and Captain Carod standing near a massive holographic map of the northern hemisphere. The air was thick with tension, but before he could say a word, his Master Auto-Counter screamed a warning in the back of his mind.
A blur of emerald green lunged at him from the shadows of a marble pillar. Techyon's instincts took over—he tilted his head by a fraction of an inch as a palm strike whistled past his ear, cutting the air with enough force to crack the stone wall behind him. He spun away, putting distance between himself and the attacker.
"Who are you?!" Techyon demanded, his hand crackling with energy. "Attacking from behind is a coward's move!"
The figure stepped into the light, smoothing out her black and gold tunic. It was the girl with the emerald eyes. She held a stack of reports in one hand, looking completely unfazed.
"Yoru... so this is the boy you were talking about?" Nefa said, a sharp, impressed smirk crossing her lips. "He actually dodged my strike. Boy, you are fast. Most Z -Rankers would be a stain on the wall right now."
Techyon's eyes widened. He remembered her. He recalled the window during the battle with Gudmaro—Yoru had begged for her help, and Nefa had been casually doing yoga while a galaxy was at stake!
"You are Ne—" Techyon started, but she moved so fast she seemed to teleport directly in front of him.
"I am Nefa Igar," she interrupted, her emerald hair shimmering. "The 'Stormfast' of the Z-Elite 4. I am a Speedster. Nice to meet you, kid."
Techyon stood his ground, focusing his senses. Thanks to Yoru's training, I can finally sense her mana level properly, he thought. She isn't just fast... she's a hurricane. Her energy is terrifying.
"I am Techyon Light," he replied, matching her intense gaze. "I am also a speedster."
Nefa's serious expression suddenly vanished. She let out a squeal of delight and lunged forward—not to attack, but to pull Techyon into a suffocating hug. "Oh! Young boy, you are so strong! And so cute! Honestly, if you were just a little bit older, I would definitely consider you my crush!"
"What?!" Techyon stammered, his face turning a shade of crimson that matched his outfit's highlights.
Yoru moved like a flash, grabbing Nefa by the collar of her tunic and hauling her away from Techyon. "Stop it, Nefa! He is a kid! Stop doing those pervert things with him!"
Nefa pouted, crossing her arms over her chest while still holding her documents . "What? Where's the harm in trying? A little motivation never hurt anyone!"
Yoru sighed, rubbing her temples and looking at Techyon with an apologetic expression. "I am sorry for her, Techyon. She is... a little bit crazy."
"What do you mean by crazy?!" Nefa barked, offended.
"Oh, sorry," Yoru corrected herself, her green eyes deadpan. "Not little bit. You are fully crazy."
"Can everyone be serious for one second?!" Captain Carod slammed his gauntlet onto the holographic table, the metal-on-metal clang echoing through the chamber. "This is a catastrophic problem! And where the hell is Fraxy?! What is she doing right now? Why isn't she at her post?!"
Nefa shrugged casually, still leaning against a pillar. "I don't know. Last time I saw her, she was off clearing some low-level dungeon for 'stress relief.' You know how she is."
Yoru ignored the bickering and turned to Techyon, her expression more somber than he had ever seen it. "Leave them be. Techyon, you know the ranking system, right? You understand the weight of these letters?"
Techyon nodded slowly. "Yes. Everyone is ranked between F and Godly. I know the basics."
"Then listen carefully," Yoru said, her voice dropping to a low, steady tone. "Because the gap between these ranks is not a step—it's an ocean.
F-Rank: A Building level threat.
E-Rank: A Multi-Town level threat.
D-Rank: A Large Island level threat.
C-Rank: Moon level at its peak.
B-Rank: A Star level threat.
A-Rank: A Galaxy level threat.
S-Rank: A Universal level threat.
S+ Rank: A Multiversal level threat.
Z-Rank: A Complex Multiversal level threat."
Techyon felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. The power levels were already unimaginable. But Yoru wasn't finished.
"The dungeon that is opening right now... the one causing the S-Ranks to overflow... it is a Z+ Rank," she revealed. "A Hyperversal level threat."
The room went deathly silent. Even Nefa stopped playing with her emerald hair.
"This is a massive problem," Yoru continued. "Currently, we only have one Z+ Rank adventurer in our entire roster: The Goddess of Flame, Cynthia. To survive this, we will need the help of the Arcons and every Z-Rank warrior alive. Anyone below Z-Rank... even an S+ Rank... will be turned to dust the moment they step through the gate. Their physical form simply won't be able to handle the pressure of that reality."
Nefa's eyes sharpened. "If this is a Z+ Rank dungeon, we need our healer. We can't step into a hyperversal rift without her. Where is she?"
Carod's visor flared a frustrated purple. "That is exactly what I've been asking for the last ten minutes! WHERE IS SHE?!"