Chapter 367: Getting to know each other

Kyle had a plan in mind. That was the reason he had come here in the first place, willingly putting himself through all of this.

He knew the extent of Arthur’s influence and just how deeply his control ran through the system. If Kyle wanted to corner him, there was only one reliable way to do it: reach Arthur himself.

But Arthur spent most of his time here. That left Kyle with two choices. He could wait for Arthur to eventually leave the island, though there was no telling how long that might take, or he could come here himself and force the matter.

He chose the latter.

Every moment he wasted trying to reach Arthur and dismantle this entire operation was another moment Blake’s life remained at risk. These people were dangerously close to achieving what they believed would be the perfect method of saving humanity.

And Blake was the final thread standing between them and that dream.

They would stop at nothing to obtain his eyes.

"You don’t talk much. Quite boring."

Kyle’s train of thought was interrupted by the voice of the sole heiress of the Klaus family, Layena’s older sister.

He knew little about the family itself, a lineage that had apparently been built almost entirely upon the deeds and accomplishments of a single man. Still, from what he had heard, the Klaus family possessed considerable influence.

It seemed that the second legitimate daughter of the family was an unawakened individual who had only recently unlocked her potential, manifesting it in the form of those two angelic wings.

"I lack interesting topics," he replied with a small nod before turning his attention back to his bag.

He had not brought much with him. There was an image of the orphanage he was supposedly once a part of, along with a change of clothes and a few other essentials he might need.

Naturally, he had not brought any weapons.

The first reason was simple enough. Weapons were prohibited here.

The second was that he had no need for one when Aquilla was always with him.

"Hmm? So you really are a country bumpkin." She leaned against the wall, curling her left leg slightly as she regarded him. "Tell me, what is your skill?"

Her eyes narrowed expectantly, clearly anticipating that he would notice her leg and perhaps react to the deliberate pose.

Kyle, however, was already occupied with sorting through his belongings.

She hummed in mild surprise at his indifference before speaking again.

"What? Not interested in revealing your cards?" Her lips curled into a faint smile. "Well, I can’t blame you."

Her eyes turned dangerous as she added, "I might be your next opponent, or maybe we could be fihjting together at some point. Believe me, this place is madness."

Kyle nodded before turning toward her. "Go easy on me, then, if we ever came across in the arena. I’m not entirely sure what I can do yet."

Kyle was playing it safe for now, but he knew it would not be long before it became apparent that he was far from clueless about these matters. More importantly, he had no intention of concealing his abilities once revealing them became necessary for his purpose.

Elena continued with another question. "Have you been asked to attend the briefing too?"

Kyle was caught off guard. "Why are you getting briefed?"

He had assumed she must have spent several days here already, long enough to complete the initial procedures and settle into the place.

Elena looked somewhat embarrassed as she admitted, "Well, I’ve broken a few rules recently, so I’ve been told to attend this lecture as well. For fuck’s sake."

She clearly wasn’t happy about it.

’She’s a little like her sister.’

Ava had been quite vicious and sadistic, at least from what he could remember. She could smile from ear to ear while casually delivering death threats, as though she were discussing something completely mundane.

This woman did not seem nearly as lethal as her late sister, but she certainly possessed the same short fuse.

’I really wonder who Layena’s mother was.’

If their father’s genes were responsible for this temperament, then Layena’s mother must have been extraordinarily calm for Layena to develop such a soft and nonchalant disposition.

...

Soon, Kyle stood up with his clothes in hand and headed toward the bathroom.

Grinning, Elena asked, "Won’t you want me to go first?"

Kyle tilted his head in confusion. "No, I’m fine."

He really couldn’t figure out what she meant half the time.

SLIDE

He opened the door and stepped inside, only to find a pool of water waiting for him.

It looked cold.

He locked the door behind him, slipped off his clothes, and carefully stepped into the water.

’Haah... I’ve been taking it easy recently.’

The cold water immediately reminded him of something he had been gradually overlooking. His body was beginning to grow accustomed to the comfort of warm water and scented body wash.

That was precisely what he did not want.

He would rather keep himself accustomed to nothing, neither comfort nor hardship. The moment the body grew attached to one, it would inevitably begin to resist the other.

As he bathed, Kyle mentally addressed the system.

’Can you start the live stream?’

[Now, host?]

Kyle gave a wry smile.

’Is there really anything I could hide from them even if I didn’t use it?’

They were the protectors and administrators of the world. Not anyone but at least Odin possessed the authority to keep watch over everything taking place across all the realms.

[Starting the stream in 3... 2... 1...]

Tear: [Father]

Freya: [Kyle...I missed yo- I mean, good evening, my lord. And...I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!]

Kyle couldn’t help but chuckle faintly when he saw the message. Freya could never maintain that formal tone for long.

Odin: [Greetings, my lord. I hope you are in good health. Congratulations on enrolling in this institution.]

Tyr: [A place for warriors. I envy those who have the opportunity to witness you battle and learn from you.]

Kyle shook his head before responding.

’I’m not here to teach them anything. And...where is Artemis?’

He couldn’t force his eyes to gaze upon the higher realms yet. Doing so would place too much strain on his mortal self. For now, all he could do was rely on them to keep him informed.

Freya: [Finding a way to reach you without being caught.]

Kyle’s eyes sharpened.

’Why would she do something like that when she knows the consequences?’

Everything that had happened recently was the result of the regular exchanges between him and the immortals.

If Artemis came to visit him personally, she would give the others even more opportunities to target him. And this time, Earth would not survive another reset.

Odin: [She wishes...to remove the bond she shares with you...she feels it is a burden to you.]

Kyle fell silent upon reading those words.

What was he supposed to do about this goddess?

°°°

A/n:- Thanks for reading. If you have been enjoying the story so far..um, maybe give some power stone or golden tickets if you can. Because the story is going downhill for some time.