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Two days had passed. The immediate turmoil caused by the Spirit Begging Society's city-wide attack had gradually subsided, but the scarred landscape remained. The skeletal ruins of the Golden Talent Credit headquarters stood as a grim monument, a constant reminder to the people of New Metro that the horror they had witnessed was no illusion.
Inside the headquarters of the New Metro Cardmakers Association, the atmosphere was heavy.
"So, Director Blake," President Lance Jennings said, pinching the bridge of his nose in pain, "you believe Jonathan Whitemore is the traitor?" The information was a bitter pill, difficult for him to swallow. Jonathan was a veteran cadre of the Association. Logically, he had no reason to join the Spirit Begging Society.
And yet, the doubts Blake had laid out were cold and logical. Regent Jin had known about Russell. That meant the traitor had to be someone who knew Russell before he became famous. And Jonathan Whitemore's presence could be seen at every stage of Russell's recent growth.
Sighing, a deep weariness settling on his features, Jennings said, "I will arrange for him to be assigned to some... leisurely work. Give him some time to rest."
It was a euphemism, and they both knew it. It meant placing him under observation.
Putting the painful matter of Jonathan aside, Jennings looked at Blake, his expression serious. "Director Blake, the Society caused a catastrophe this time. Why haven't the other two Masters come to assist?"
A bitter smile touched Blake's lips. "You know of the situation in the north. The demons there have backed a new faction, the Sect of Unification." "The Sect claims they are merely cooperating with the demons, but anyone with a discerning eye can see they are nothing but puppets."
Jennings fell silent for a moment. "Still," he pressed, "that doesn't require both of them to remain there."
He was right. The War Sage, Frank Dragomir, was powerful enough to handle the northern border on his own, especially with the large number of cardmakers the Federation had garrisoned there.
Blake hesitated, then decided to tell him the full truth. A man of Jennings's rank would find out soon enough anyway. "There is turmoil in the Highlands."
"What!?" Jennings was shocked. "Hasn't Yves St. Clair been suppressing the threats there all this time?"
Thinking of Yves's physical condition, a trace of worry crossed Blake's brow. "A new Master-level secret realm has appeared adjacent to the old one. The Mountain Master has gone to assist him."
Jennings was stunned, muttering to himself, "How is this possible?" In recent years, secret realms had been appearing with increasing frequency, the monsters within them growing ever more powerful. The Federation, once comfortably dominant, now felt as if it were being slowly besieged from all sides. To be honest, neither of them cared much for the politics of the Federation's court. Their concern was for the common people of the continent. If they didn't, a man like Blake could be living a far more comfortable life.
A helpless smile touched Blake's lips. "This time, we owe everything to young Russell for discovering the Society's plan. If they had succeeded and gone back into hiding, the consequences would have been disastrous." "But for now," he added, "I think they will lay low for a while." Still, the fact remained that the Society's true lair had yet to be found.
Speaking of Russell, Jennings recovered from the grim news. "Russell's talent and character are indeed top-notch. It seems the rewards we promised him before are not enough." Previously, he had only offered a guaranteed spot at New Metro University, fearing the boy's talent might not fully blossom. Now, that seemed like a laughable concern.
Blake, knowing what Russell had done in the collapsing building, nodded slightly. "Do as you see fit."
Just then, Jennings looked at his watch and frowned. "Speaking of which, Russell said he would be coming today. Why hasn't he..."
As if on cue, the elevator dinged, and Russell appeared before them. His ID card had been given new permissions by Jennings himself, allowing him access to all but the most confidential areas of the headquarters. The president's office, it seemed, was not one of them.
"Director Blake, President Jennings," Russell greeted them respectfully.
Jennings nodded in response and got straight to the point. "Russell, you said you had something important to report. What is it?"
Russell relayed the final words of the dying Mr. Sterling—that the Society's goal was simply to create more chaos in New Metro—and then waited for their judgment.
Blake and Jennings exchanged a look, the same thought in both their minds. Make New Metro more chaotic? What could they possibly gain from that? It seemed far less valuable than the massive financial front they had just lost. The Society's actions made no sense. It felt as if one wave of trouble had just receded, only for a darker cloud to begin looming over the city.
Setting the puzzle aside for now, Jennings continued, "I assume you have another reason for coming today, Russell?"
Russell nodded. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "President Jennings, I was wondering when I might be able to enter the [Black Flag] secret realm again?" He had never forgotten his promise to avenge Zane.
Jennings remembered the boy's previous condition. He hadn't expected him to be so fixated on revenge. He thought for a moment, then said, "How does tomorrow sound?"
A flicker of excitement lit up Russell's eyes. "Thank you, President Jennings!"
"As for your reward for winning the Prodigy Cup," Jennings continued, his face growing serious, "in addition to the spot at New Metro University I promised, I will now give you another choice. You may select any bronze-level material from the Association's entire vault. Or, you may choose free entry into any bronze-level secret realm you desire."
Russell fell into deep thought. The offer was incredibly tempting. But he took stock of his current resources: 2.72 million in cash, one gold-quality bronze [Bloody Devourer] material, and seven blue-quality iron [Inferior Flesh and Blood Demon] materials. He already had enough to make another bronze card. If he had two powerful bronze cards, the rewards he could reap from exploring another secret realm would surely be greater than a single piece of material.
Still, he didn't make his choice immediately. "President Jennings, may I see the materials in the vault first?"
"Of course." Jennings handed him a tablet.
Russell silently flipped through the digital catalog, his eyes slightly dazzled. He had never seen so many red-quality bronze materials in one place. But after looking through all of them, he found that none of them truly sparked his interest.
He placed the tablet back on the table and made his decision. "President Jennings, I choose to enter a secret realm."
(End of this chapter)
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