After confirming Kaiser's addition to the Hero Faction, while they welcomed him, it was clear that they weren't fully accepting him from the bottom of their hearts.
Apart from the Church members who showed him kindness, most of the Hero Faction members maintained an attitude of cautious observation.
Cao Cao, however, seemed to have completely set aside his doubts once he acknowledged Kaiser's entry, nonchalantly introducing him to the others in the faction.
Some of these individuals were figures Kaiser recognized from the original story, while others were complete nobodies to him.
Yet, they all shared several common traits: they were all human, many had inherited the blood of historical legends, and nearly all of them were wielders of Sacred Gears.
"Humans are weak. No matter how much we train, we can never surpass those naturally superior supernatural beings in terms of raw power or physical prowess. That's why we must rely on Sacred Gears to fight."
That was how Cao Cao put it.
However, from Kaiser's observations, many in the Hero Faction had abilities beyond just Sacred Gears.
For instance, Georg was not only the wielder of the Longinus Dimension Lost but was also a skilled magician, proficient in various magical systems including Norse magic, devil magic, fallen angel magic, black magic, holy magic, and even spirit magic. Even without his Longinus, he was still a formidable combatant.
Siegfried, as one of the Church's top warriors, had unparalleled swordsmanship. Combined with his demonic swords, he could hold his own against high-class Devils even without a Sacred Gear.
Other members of the Hero Faction were similar—some excelled in magic, others mastered powerful combat techniques. Though their physical strength and innate abilities couldn't compare to Devils, Angels, or Fallen Angels, in battle, they were far from ordinary.
Cao Cao, in particular, stood out. Though he had not introduced himself in detail, Kaiser, being familiar with the original story, knew that this man was a master of technique. His spear skills and combat strategy were so refined that he could contend with Satan-class beings, capable of exploiting weaknesses and delivering decisive blows.
Even though his physical capabilities were weaker compared to other supernatural beings, Cao Cao more than made up for it with his exceptional skill, perception, and tactical acumen. He was the undisputed strongest within the Hero Faction.
In the original story, he was the wielder of True Longinus, the strongest Longinus, feared by all major factions.
Originally, Kaiser had assumed that, since he had obtained True Longinus himself, Cao Cao would be significantly weakened, perhaps even disappearing from relevance.
Yet to his surprise, not only had Cao Cao still joined the Khaos Brigade, but he had also successfully established the Hero Faction, becoming its strongest member and de facto leader.
And in his hands was another spear—without a doubt, another Sacred Gear of divine nature.
Moreover, it was an exceptionally powerful one.
But what exactly was it? Kaiser had no idea.
Longinus-class spears were rare. Among the thirteen Longinus, only one was a spear—the True Longinus.
Ordinary Sacred Gears included several spear-type weapons, but those imbued with holy properties were extremely rare.
That alone wouldn't have been so perplexing.
The problem was that, from Kaiser's perception, the holy energy radiating from the spear in Cao Cao's hand, while not quite on par with True Longinus, was certainly not far behind.
Which meant… this weapon was also possibly a Longinus.
But that was impossible.
As previously mentioned, there was only one spear among the thirteen Longinus—the True Longinus.
So how could there now be another holy spear-class Longinus?
Kaiser had many questions, but he kept them to himself.
Even if he asked, he doubted he would get any answers.
Though Cao Cao acted as if he fully accepted him, Kaiser didn't believe for a second that the man truly trusted him. He was likely still observing him, trying to determine whether Kaiser was genuinely joining the Khaos Brigade or if he had ulterior motives.
Under these circumstances, directly inquiring would be futile.
So, Kaiser simply pushed those thoughts aside and ignored them, instead asking Cao Cao about their next course of action.
Cao Cao answered straightforwardly.
"For now, the Khaos Brigade remains in a dormant state. The Hero Faction is similarly biding its time, quietly growing stronger, with no large-scale operations currently in motion."
"If there's one thing we should be focused on, it's getting stronger—strong enough that, when the Khaos Brigade finally emerges, the Hero Faction can stand toe-to-toe with the mythological factions."
The Hero Faction existed to prove the power of humanity.
This faction was destined to stand against the supernatural forces of the world—Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, and the myriad factions of mythology.
"Our ultimate goal is to slay the gods."
Cao Cao said this while looking directly at Kaiser, his eyes burning with ambition.
If mere humans could accomplish the feat of slaying gods, it would prove that the beings long seen as weak and insignificant—the humans—were actually the strongest entities in the world.
Cao Cao's obsession with this goal ran deep, to the point that many members of the Hero Faction had been influenced by him.
Some were even outright brainwashed, fanatically devoted to this purpose.
Kaiser, however, remained indifferent.
Could humans truly slay gods?
In this world, perhaps not. But in other worlds, such feats had been accomplished before.
So Kaiser wasn't particularly interested in this pursuit.
…No, to be precise, he was somewhat interested in fighting gods.
He simply didn't feel the need to blindly pursue that goal.
Perhaps noticing this, Cao Cao gave Kaiser a meaningful look.
"You possess the weapon theoretically most capable of slaying gods, yet you have no enthusiasm for it at all."
Cao Cao spoke in a tone laden with implications, but before Kaiser could respond, he changed the subject.
"As for the Hero Faction, we have several ongoing projects, but most of them are research-based."
"Researching more powerful combat weapons, studying whether the Balance Breaker phenomenon in Sacred Gears can be universally applied, developing techniques to enhance human strength…"
"But all of that is the work of researchers. For those of us on the front lines, our only concerns are training ourselves, recruiting more talent, and assisting these projects however we can."
Hearing this, Kaiser stopped walking.
"So, I'm free to act on my own now? To do as I please?"
Cao Cao also came to a halt.
"Oh? Do you have something important to take care of?" he asked, smiling.
"Not really." Kaiser maintained an indifferent expression. "I just don't see the need to follow you around like a lost puppy."
"You don't want to train with us?" Cao Cao hoisted his spear onto his shoulder, speaking boldly. "I was hoping to see what the strongest Longinus is truly capable of."
"We'll have our chances"
Kaiser locked eyes with Cao Cao, a smirk forming on his lips. "I'm just as curious about that spear of yours," he said, his gaze deep and probing.
Their stares clashed, silent sparks igniting between them.
At that moment—
"Cao Cao."
Georg approached, his palm hovering above a small magic circle, its intricate runes glowing faintly.
"What is it?"
Cao Cao instantly reined in his surging battle intent, showing not the slightest irritation at being interrupted. His expression was calm as he inquired.
"It's a communication from headquarters," Georg said in a low voice.
Cao Cao's brows lifted in mild surprise. "Headquarters? Don't tell me—"
Seeing Cao Cao's reaction, Georg nodded gravely.
"The arrival of the wielder of True Longinus has caused quite a stir over there," Georg stated, his voice steady. "Our leader… it seems that she has heard about this and has taken a bit of interest."
The moment those words left his mouth, the entire area fell into a hushed silence.
"The leader?"
Kaiser was momentarily stunned but quickly grasped what Georg meant.
"…Well, this is surprising." Cao Cao muttered to himself, seemingly caught off guard. "That person usually only has an interest in things beyond the dimensional gap. Why would she suddenly take notice of our Sacred Gear wielder?"
"Even if it's the strongest Longinus, to her, it's nothing more than a plaything—not even worthy of being called a toy."
"Is this just a whim? Or…"
Cao Cao's mind was visibly racing, his expression reflecting deep contemplation.
"You want to go?"
Georg interrupted Cao Cao's thoughts with a straightforward question.
Rather than answering immediately, Cao Cao turned to Kaiser.
"Our leader wishes to meet you," he said. "Are you interested?"
Kaiser's heartbeat quickened for a fraction of a second.
He knew exactly who Cao Cao was referring to.
He also knew that this so-called "leader" was no ordinary figure—no, this was a being far beyond comprehension.
In this world, in a sense, she was truly invincible.
Gods? Satans? To her, they were no more than insignificant ants—less than even children in her eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Kaiser exhaled slowly.
"Of course," he replied, his voice calm and unwavering. "An opportunity like this doesn't come often."
Cao Cao studied him for a moment before turning back to Georg.
"Prepare the teleportation," he instructed.
"We're sending our wielder of True Longinus to meet our leader."
Georg nodded without hesitation and immediately went to make the necessary preparations.
The others exchanged glances, each reading the unease or intrigue in the other's eyes.
Then, as if drawn by a magnetic force, they all turned to Kaiser.
Yet Kaiser paid them no mind.
He only stared at the True Longinus in his hands, his thoughts swirling in endless directions…
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