Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Though the nobles made sure none could pose a danger to their positions, being just a shy away from achieving absolute control, the presence of the Mus-Draik family acted as a sword over their necks. But they had learned to exploit laws well enough to be protected unless they acted out too much. The consequence for which they had been bearing.

They acted as they wished, for the most part, something that had made many under their rule resentful. Though powerless as they were, the masses could not do much until Revensol and his group had many cycles ago sown the seeds, showing those who had the determination a ray of hope for revenge.

Just in this settlement, Revensol had eyes everywhere which allowed his group to be aware of everything that took place in this settlement. It was with this that he had been able to collect a massive amount of data about almost everything that occurred in the settlement but despite this, Inero-ie had escaped their surveillance.

"How did you do it?" Revensol asked, attention fully placed on Inero-ie who had entered his office. He wanted to know, to understand, to replicate, to improve. His curiosity was, after a long time, captured by something.

"Data Stone has been delivered," Inero-ie replied, standing in front of the desk, ignoring the question.

Hands on the desk, leaning forward, Revensol asked again, “But how were you able to evade the surveillance? I am sure you did not use lifts, but there is no other way to go up and down the Layers other than that. Tell me, I want to know.”

“Will it allow me to join your group for this operation?” Inero-ie questioned. He knew about various things that were especially appealing to Seekers, the knowledge that he had acquired after spending a large portion of his life outside the safety of the settlement. It was a knowledge created through his innate sensitivity to Qi that could be classified as abnormal and his experiences which were unique even among the harvesters. Thus, what he possessed could be said to be more precious than any jewels.

He did not care for these jewels, if he could exchange them for his desire, if he could use them to achieve his desire more quickly, he would be satisfied. After all, his goals were different from normal humans, he did not have any desire to live. Rather he had constructed around himself an environment that actively hindered such a desire from taking root in his heart.

He had sealed off his five senses, just like he had sealed his memories and emotions. Replaced his senses with Threads and though they provided him with a sense of awareness that was incomparably greater than his five senses, that awareness was transmitted to him after being stripped away of all beauty or anything else that could melt his cold heart.

He had spent most of his life outside the settlement, wandering through the dead, eternally frozen and pitch-black wastelands, surrounded only by things that thirsted to kill. It too was a reason he had become the way he was now. Many things, some little, some big like the unbearable noises, had snowballed to create the current him.

Thus, Inero-ie had no qualms about selling the precious knowledge.

In an instant, the playful aura that filled the room and the curiosity that filled the room was swept away, replaced by a serious man who had spent dozens upon dozens of cycles carefully preparing for his and his people’s revenge. A heavy aura filled the room and with sharp eyes, Revelsol spoke, “First we will verify whether the mission truly has been accomplished. Then we can talk about whether you can join or not.” Revensol did not say anything afterward.

The room was suddenly filled with silence, and added to that the heavy aura still lingering, it created a dreaded atmosphere inside but both of the occupants of the room seemed to be unaffected. One was used to silence, and even more used to oppressive environments, compared to them, this suppressive aura was nothing. Revensol, on the other hand, was similarly used to the silence and likewise had spent most of his life outside.

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One a warrior and harvester of precious items, the other a leader and pursuer of knowledge.

Along with a sound of notification, a small strip of hologram appeared in front of Revensol, who, upon reading it dispelled the heavy and oppressive aura he had created.

“You have completed the mission, it seems. There is quite a commotion up there,” as Revensol said that, a similar hologram appeared in front of Inero-ie who still did not open his eyes. Threads connected to the hologram, making him aware of everything it had, from the layers of illusions that made up its structure, to what data was being presented through it.

Despite having performed an impossible feat, Revensol found not a single change in expression in Inero-ie. It was as though what he had done was that mundane. ‘Truly strange,’ Revensol thought. But all those who could survive the wastelands outside the settlements were almost all strange, all having quirks, just as he and his group had them. After all, if not for this strangeness, who could anyone endure the depressing and eternally dark wastelands?

Revensol put himself through abuse every day, without exception, recalling the injustice that he had faced, his hard-earned work having been stolen without any ability to retaliate, his goal of becoming a Seeker, almost in his hand, suddenly becoming eternally distant. Without fail, each and every day he relived those memories to make sure he did not forget, to make sure the venom inside him did not decrease in potency, the hatred did not fade away.

He had even created a formation just for this, which he and his people used. A formation that dug out these memories no matter how many cycles passed, allowing them to keep hating.

“What did it contain?” Inero-ie asked about the contents of the Data Stone. What could have been so important that they made the nobles aware of their presence? This was just making things more difficult for themselves.

“Just something Vissble desperately desires. Something that will make him so excited he will be jumping,” Revensol replied not telling anything about the content. ‘But not for long though,’ As Revensol imagined what faces Vissble would be feeling a grin stretched across his face, one he could not suppress. Neither did he try to, after all, he had endured for such a long time to see these scenes, when the other party would feel as helpless, as powerless, as they had felt.

'Still, I didn't expect he would be able to do it,' thought Revensol, eyes narrowing as ideas emerged on how to use Inero-ie. This level of stealth ability combined with his weapons would produce a perfect combination. Despite not even having undergone a single Shedding, Inero-ie could become a very potent weapon. Being able to infiltrate the topmost Layer and then the castle of the Nyob family, would not have been a small accomplishment even with their help. But the young man in front of him had done so all alone.

Thus, Revensol chose another mission that had been only discussed, with them having no plan of putting it into action. Just like the mission Inero-ie had just completed. The Data Stone contained information about Vissble's son but with it being too risky, they had decided to put it aside and had created another plan. But the mission he had given as a joke had suddenly many many things very easy for them, after all, bringing the Vissble's son in and then using him to bait him would have major risk.

Revensol’s fingers blurred writing and sending the message quickly soon after which someone knocked on the door and said from outside, “Sir, you called.”

“Come in.”

A woman came in, standing to the side after Revensol singled her. A miniature hologram of a woman appeared, large enough for all three of them to see.

“She is from the Pobis family and is the supervisor who oversees all the movements across the different Layers, especially among the upper Layers where you cannot enter without her authorization. Your task is to capture her alive and then my subordinate will replace her,” after saying that to Inero-ie, Revensol shifted his focus towards the woman, “You are to accompany harvester Inero-ie is this mission.”

“As ordered.”

Inero-ie was about to stand up but was stopped by Revensol, “Read this before you leave. It contains all the data about the target, from her schedule to her habits. You can use whatever means you want as long as the swap is undetected.”

Once again Inero-ie nodded, Threads quickly processing all the information and sending it directly into his mind.

Revensol watched it all, and once again his curiosity aroused. Normally, it was only after performing the first that the sixth sense developed and even then it was not that expansive so he wondered how Inero-ie could read the data with his eyes still closed.