Come with me inside."
Instantly, he was transported into a mysterious room, glowing white like an interrogation chamber.
---
At its center was a single chair and table.
Emmett walked over, sat down, and, without any visible expression, spoke...
"Do you need a grand welcome before you come out?"
The air in the room shifted.
A moment later, two figures appeared out of nowhere, a man and a woman.
The young man immediately dropped to one knee.
"I failed."
Emmett raised an eyebrow.
"I've told you before, there's no need to kneel while giving me a report. Missions either succeed or fail. Now, get up and tell me why you failed."
Though he could be ruthless, that didn't apply to his most trusted subordinates.
The two before him weren't just informants.
They were his spies, one embedded within the Voidspace Family, the other stationed at the academy.
And now, they had returned with critical information.
The young man stood up and said, "Our information about that mysterious girl was completely wrong. I heard that she is not a direct descendant of the Voidspace Family. At first, when she in emerged from the Constitutive Divine Awakened Pool this morning, she was indeed evaluated as SS rank talent, which is why I sent you that letter. But now, she has suddenly gone missing, enraging their family head. Soon, rumors spread that the young girl was never truly part of their family, that they only claimed her as one of their own to protect her and eventually have her marry into the family. By doing so, they would secure an SS rank talent expert in the future.
But then, another shocking piece of news emerged. The girl actually possesses an SS+ rank talent, yet her whereabouts remain unknown."
As the man reached the last part of his report, he couldn't help but feel nervous. The weight of the revelation was overwhelming, an SS+ rank talent was practically unheard of.
Even Emmett was no better off. He, too, was shaken by the news. Since when did S-rank talents become common in Eden, let alone an SS+ rank? Is this a good omen or a bad one? Is Eden on the brink of a major change? These questions raced through Emmett Lee's mind.
He turned to his female subordinate.
As if anticipating his thoughts, she promptly reported her findings. "Five hundred newly awakened individuals have unlocked their talents, and every ancient family had at least one person who awakened with an S rank talent. The Voidspace Family had three among their younger generation, while the others had one or two, our family included. More might be hidden for now, but everything will be revealed on Monday during the academy test."
She provided a full summary of what she had learned.
Emmett Lee remained silent, lost in deep thought. Things are moving too fast… What's happening? What am I missing?
But he shook off his doubts. Anyway, I need to proceed with my plan. But first, I still need to take him for training tomorrow morning.
---
Meanwhile, Morca sat on his bed, his eyes locked on the transparent panel hovering before him.
When he saw the notification, he was shocked, not because of his status changes, but because he hadn't expected the system to count his sneak attack against the clone as a victory. Not only that, but he hadn't even managed to land a direct hit before he was expelled from the mysterious hall.
-----
System Notification
Congratulations on defeating your clone in the Oblivion Realm!
Awakened: Defeat your clone in the Oblivion Realm(Completed)
Reward 1: Breakthrough (Claimed)
Reward 2: 20 EXP (Claimed)
Reward 3: New Skill (Claimed)
-----
'Status'
-----
Name: Morca Sherman Nihility
Age: 16 years
Rank: Awakened
Level: 3
EXP: 30/50
-----
Attributes:
Strength: 10.5
Agility: 11
Endurance: 8.9
Intelligence: 6.4
-----
Affinity/Class: Darkness, Shadow
Bloodline: Infinity Nihility
Talent: Unique SSS+
Unique Skills: Blank, Oblivion Blade
Mission: None
Curse: Eternal Doom
-----
Morca examined the changes in his system, feeling the newfound power surging within him. If he were to fight his former self now, he was confident he would utterly crush him.
After reviewing his status, his attention shifted to the newly acquired skill.
-----
[Unique Skill: Oblivion Blade]
Description: Sever anything that possesses life with a single precise slash, bringing an absolute end.
-----
The skill sounded terrifyingly powerful. Life is nothing but a fragile thread, one cut, and it ends.
However, Morca knew there was a catch. If he missed his opponent's weak point and merely struck a limb, it wouldn't be fatal. He had to land a precise, lethal strike.
As for his brother, Emmett Lee, still believing he only had an SS rank aptitude? That had been Morca's test. If I were to materialize my sword Avoc, how would people react?
The answer was clear from Emmett's reaction, his sword alone was enough to be mistaken for an SS rank aptitude. His test had been a success. He would use his sword as his supposed awakened talent while secretly honing it through the system.
After reviewing the system one last time, Morca took out the metallic card Emmett Lee had given him. He contemplated it for a while before deciding to put it away.
I don't need new techniques right now. What I need is to train and sharpen my battle sense. Tomorrow morning, my brother and I will focus on that.
Setting those thoughts aside, he muttered to himself, "I need a mobile device. The previous Morca didn't have one. I'll head to the tech shop and buy one with the compensation money I received from the First Elder.
Since my brother can't provide me with the information I need, (whether due to ignorance or his poor teaching skills), I'll have to gather it myself. After returning, I'll visit the Oblivion Realm again and ask my clone about the things that have been bothering me."
With his plans set, Morca stepped out of his room and made his way toward the tech company...
---
A/N
The following chapter will contain a little information about the world of Eden.