Ajax silently watched in the shadows as the nobles discussed leisurely, completely unaware of his presence.

The more time Ajax spent watching these men, the more he thought it was unlikely they were the culprits.

All the nobles did was gossip, eat their fancy cakes, drink wine, and bask in their riches. The typical actions of aristocrats.

With a soft sigh, Ajax slid out of the tent, stealthily avoiding the guards on standby.

Having enough of the nobles, Ajax speared a glance at the large tent in the distance. Perhaps it was time to investigate Lucas.

Ajax has not remained idle. He has secretly observed Lucas's schedule and habits.

Based on what he gathered, Lucas was a clean and cautious man. Half the time, he was with Timeus, managing paper work.

Once his shift was done, Lucas would often go back to his office at his own tent. Upon asking around, Ajax knew that Lucas strictly forbade anyone from entering, even the general himself.

Apparently, he enjoys his "personal space." Timeus, the gentleman he is, respects this. With his approval, everyone has decided to leave the place alone.

Ajax could not help but feel suspicious about it. Even if it sounds like a rational and normal reason, he still doubts.

Thus, he plans to invade the place.

Ajax hastily made his way towards Lucas's tent, taking great care to avoid anyone who might recognize his face. Due to this, he was forced to take a few detours.

As for why he decided now would be the best time, Lucas often leaves for work around this time of the day.

Arriving at the assistant's place, Ajax's deductions were proven correct as he spotted Lucas exiting the tent.

Lucas spared a few glances at his surroundings before walking away.

Ajax sat still for a minute or two before swiftly making his way towards the entrance of the tent.

For an extra measure, Ajax chanted.

"Shadow trail."

A single strand of shadow departed from Ajax's sole, planting itself before the rest and blending with its surroundings.

Shadow Trail will alert Ajax if anyone is approaching his location. He can also shift his consciousness to it and see what it is seeing.

As the shadow settled, Ajax went on and slipped right inside, making sure to close the tent like Lucas left it.

The interior of the tent was rather extravagant. Unlike Timeus, who was a fan of simple and neat designs, Lucas had greatly decorated his place.

Paintings and other trinkets can be seen on his tables and walls. Lucas also had a real bed—not just some bunker, but one with a frame.

Wasting no time, Ajax went straight for the wooden desk nestled in the corner of the tent.

The desk was slightly inclined—one made for writing. Under it were two cabinets locked tight, and in the far middle corner were a stack of documents.

Carefully, Ajax took the stacks of paper and read them with sharp focus, taking great care to read between the lines for any hidden messages.

However, much to his disappointment, everything was clear and normal. These were merely pieces of information about the recent arrival of machines and other miscellaneous nonsense.

Setting down the stacks of paper, Ajax shifted his attention to the two locked cabinet drawers beneath.

Casting a brief glance at the entrance of the tent, Ajax extended his astral compass forward, seeping through the gaps and examining the contents within.

This... Ajax's brows rose, revealing his aqua blue pupils for a brief moment.

Inside the locked cabinet was another bundle of documents. Although he did not know their contents, it was already suspicious why they were locked away.

Last he remembered, Lucas only managed the documents, not kept them.

However, in the other cabinet, Ajax was unsure. Something within it was interfering with his astral compass. A feat not many can accomplish, further arousing his suspicions.

Crouching down, Ajax took out an elongated piece of thin metal, carefully bending it to form a picklock.

Slowly, he inserted it into the keyhole as he kept his hearing sharp for any clicks.

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Ajax took a couple of minutes of twisting and turning, but eventually he heard a series of metal clickings before a loud tap reached his ears.

The first drawer was opened.

Being ever careful, Ajax refrained from diving in and instead inspected the surrounding compartment, making sure there were no traps or alarms he could possibly set off.

Confirming it was clear, Ajax went ahead and took the stacks of letters and documents tied together.

Taking a peek at their labels, Ajax found himself even more confused.

Why does Lucas keep records of the siege formations and plans? I thought he gave away everything to the nobles. Ajax could not help but ask.

Checking the rest of the documents, Ajax's suspicions went to an all-time high.

Among the papers he held were information such as the battle plans, the people involved in said formations, their elements, and even their ranks.

Why would a mere assistant need such information if he was not a mole?

However, Ajax also knew this wasn't enough. Lucas could merely brush it off as part of his work.

Then again, there was still one more drawer to check.

Casting aside the stacks of paper, Ajax went ahead and picked up the cabinet, which took him another five minutes to open.

He sure spent a lot on his security.

Upon hearing a click, Ajax slowly opened the drawer, where he saw a peculiar object.

It was a greenish glass sphere resting on a red cushion. Aside from that, there was nothing else of importance.

Examining the orb deeper, Ajax took it to his hands, raising it before his face. Yet, he found nothing of significance.

Tip Tap Tip Tap

Ajax shifted his gaze to the entrance of the tent as he transferred his consciousness to his shadow. There, he saw Lucas approach the entrance of the tent.

Ajax swiftly went into action as he put the contents of the cabinets back in their rightful place before locking them.

He also made sure to put the stacks of paper back on their shelves before he dove into the shadows in the corner of the room.

As Lucas entered, Ajax took the opportunity to slip out undetected.

Lucas went straight for his table before he halted his movements, his eyes staring at the stacks of documents Ajax fixed.

Without uttering a word, Lucas snatched the papers, hastily checking them one by one.

"Fuck!" He spat in rage.

Throwing the papers away, Lucas sprinted out of his place as he swept his gaze around. However, his efforts bore no fruit, as Ajax had already left.

Observing from a distance, Ajax saw the spectacle.

He is sharp, he thought.

Ajax was fairly sure he did everything just the right way as Lucas left them, but even such slight imperfections were enough to reveal his presence.

But now, Ajax was fairly sure Lucas was up to something.

And he will find out.

***

As the scorching heat of the sun continued to burn away at the desolate earth, a figure in the distance started to form, revealing Samael.

Much like he decided, Samael stayed for a few days in the forest of Liliac and has now proceeded to make his way towards the Great Canyon of Eve.

Unfortunately, Samael does not possess any form of information regarding that place. All he knows is that it's a canyon.

That being said, Samael was slightly hesitant, as the monsters there would surely have a mix of some a few ranks higher than him.

When he left the Forest of Liliac, Samael was around 70% healed. How did he do so in such a short time?

Aside from the fact that most of his injuries then were just lacerations and muscle damage, which could heal fairly fast with regeneration alone, Samael was able to do so with the help of meditation.

Samael has been constantly training and inching towards his goal of mastering the power within him.

In a way, Samael's attempts to move the giant pond of essence inside him are another way to train his control, understanding, and overall affinity with his element.

So far, Samael's progress has been minimal. He was barely able to influence the currents themselves, much less the pond. But the effects were already showing.

Samael felt as though his element had grown stronger the more he dabbled with his inner world.

But as much as he wanted to stay, Samael had to keep moving as he also had other problems at hand.

By now, roughly five days have passed since he departed from the forest. He has significantly crossed the distance and gained a lot of miles.

Samael was constantly traveling; he was barely taking breaks, and by now, the heat was nothing to worry about.

Samael had gained enough resistance to even fight under its influence. The same can be said for the freezing night.

Using the map he procured, Samael was able to pinpoint the fastest route towards his objectives.

Unfortunately, not everything was smooth sailing.

The destruction around him has increased the further he has traveled. The amount of ruins was obvious, as was the scent of iron in the air. This slowed him down as the very earth he travelled on was ravaged to the ground.

Not only that, but Samael has already encountered at least a couple dozen abominations on his way here.

Some of them were nearly reaching the rank of ascended, which makes it all the more of a hard task to accomplish.

But Samael was not complaining. All the constant attacks, battles, and ambushes he was experiencing were molding him to be stronger.

He was gaining valuable experience and was learning more about himself and the ways he could use his body to fight.

Samale has grasped how important using everything at your disposal is. Your surroundings, every inch of your body, and your weapon were all key factors that could change the tide of a battle.

After spending weeks, if not months, here, Samael's adaptation was progressing even further.

His heart has settled and he has learned to react appropriately to the dangers threatening his life.

Now, Samael does not feel the same gut-piercing anxiety when faced with an adversary far stronger than him. In fact, his body automatically focuses and sharpens whenever he is fighting.

Perhaps he has now grown somewhat confident.

Handling multiple opponents has become the norm for him. In fact, it allowed Samael to learn more techniques to handle them.

Back to the talk of power: Samael's essence was nearly full. Once he is done with it, he will start stocking up on his secondary tank.

Crimson Raven has also finished healing and, in fact, has grown better these days.

Regarding his physical capabilities, Samael was now far more resilient. His stamina has taken a huge leap.

He only wishes it was enough to handle the threats he will face in the future.

He also wishes whatever lay at the end of all this was worth the trouble he went through.

Sometimes, he wonders what the war out there has become. Will he be too late? Will everything be gone once he arrives there?

Samael did not know.

And that is what motivated him even more.

He was going to escape this place and finish this trial. He will lay waste to anything that hinders his path.

He felt he was weak. Now, he's given a chance to be better. To be stronger.

He was a fool if he let such opportunities pass.

No more shall he be a fool.