Chapter 96: The syndicate

"NOW!"

Elias stopped before him, hands tucked into his pockets, looking straight at Joran.

Joran’s throat worked. The two A-rank raiders behind him were confused. They didn’t see a C-rank student. They saw their boss staring at a child, like a ghost.

"...You’re loud," Elias said flatly.

Joran flinched. "Well...I..."

Ume took a step back and hit her father’s chest. "Dad, what’s wrong with you?! Yell at him!"

Joran couldn’t. His mouth was dry. Because if Elias spoke about his acts, his career, his name, his daughter’s life, all of it ended here. In front of students. In front of Ringoff Academy.

But Elias didn’t.

"Mr. Rowen signed me in," Elias said instead. "Principal Owen said it. You heard it."

Joran subconsciously nodded.

Elias tilted his head.

"Are we even? Master?"

Joran flinched again. This was just a quick reality check, that Elias recognised him well. Yet, he couldn’t admit to it.

"Y-yes... we’re even," Joran giggled nervously. "We can forget that all this ever happened..."

Elias’s gaze bore into him, making the man flinch.

"No, we’re not even. Not yet."

He took a step closer and stopped. His right hand came out of his pocket and rested on Joran’s shoulder. He squeezed slightly and leaned down to the man’s height.

This act shocked everyone. The leading families were barely seen, yet Elias was mistreating one.

"Was your surname Zaela?" Elias muttered.

"No!" Joran jumped back, hand raised for combat.

The whole school flinched at the man’s outburst.

Elias smirked and turned away.

"I’ll remember that, master."

Joran stood there, hand still over his face, heart hammering. Elias left them all in shock as he walked away. Ume was crying into her handkerchief, too furious to notice her father was shaking.

"Dad?" she sniffled. "Why didn’t you—"

"Get in the car," Joran cut her off, voice hoarse. "Now."

"But he..."

"Now!"

Ume hurried after the A rankers that had come with them. They tucked her into the car, and it moved.

"What the hell ...what the hell...What the hell!" She slammed the chair. "What just happened?!"

The A rankers just sat silently beside her.

"Why did father do that?! Why?! Everything should have worked out in my favour!"

She recalled the looks the students had given her.

"Damnit! Damnit all!"

"Young lady," one of the rankers suddenly spoke. "I think I had seen that boy before."

Her eyes moved to him. "What? Where?"

"I saw the sealing stone around his neck. It had a little crack. If I remember clearly, he was one of the destructive level experimental subjects from the destroyed lab."

"What?! Destructive level? Don’t joke around, he’s just a C rank..."

"He’s an S ranker my lady. Someone your father thinks twice before messing with."

"S...S. he’s an Age. I messed with an Age."

She bit her lip and tapped her feet.

"If I had known..."

"He would still come after you." The second A ranker spoke.

"What?"

"I remember that you used to desire the sealing stone around his neck, but it would always return back to him," the man cast her an irritated glance. "So you order parts of him to be cut out."

"...what..."

"From the start, you were already his target."

***

Joran got into the second car.

His hand still shook as the driver drove off. He had to keep an eye out, in case Elias decided to follow, but he didn’t see the young man anywhere.

His actions began crashing back.

He had frozen in the presence of a child, right before everyone’s eye.

The same child he had tested and tortured. He is the same child who had obeyed him with lifeless eyes in the past.

"Trauma is a bitch!" He slammed his hand on the glass. ’I froze before an S rank. Am I not ready?’

"Damnit!" He slammed the indestructible glass again, and again, and again, till his skin split. He finally stopped, panting heavily.

’I can take him. I can definitely take him. Afterall...’

He raised his hand and the cut on it was closing up.

Laughter bubbled from his throat. "Yes! This feels amazing no matter how I look at it! The ability to regenerate. Even S rank won’t be a problem."

He clenched his fist.

’I’ll pay you back for this humiliation.’

___

"...And that’s what happened." Owen concluded his report to Rowen via a communication orb sitting on the table.

"Hm," Rowen voice sounded as he scuffle with his clothes on the other end. "that’s a plus. We just have to watch Joran to find out who he’ll contact after this."

"Yes sir."

"Also, ask Elias if he remembers anyone else. Based on what he told me in the past, he shouldn’t have recognised Joran, but your report said he walked up to Joran. He might have remembered something."

"I actually remember everything."

Elias’ voice startled the old man. He flinched so hard he jumped.

"Don’t sneak up on me!"

Elias, who was sitting down, turned to the orb, where he could see Rowen’s silhouette.

"My memories were tweaked a bit a while back. I remember every single fac—"

He paused, eyes narrowing a little bit. He could tell that Rowen was laying down among a pile of bodies, and putting his hand in some peculiar places.

"Rowen."

"Yes?"

"Are you married?"

"Yes."

"..."

Elias turned away from the orb and rubbed his nose bridge. "I remember every single face from the lab that day. That includes some of their top tier missions."

"Which is?"

"The syndicate."

The tension around the room thickened. Owen’s eyes widened so much they almost popped out.

"The... syndicate?"

"They plan to take out the syndicate."

Owen slowly took a seat. As the information sank into his mind, he realised that they had never told Elias about the syndicate.

"Elias, the syndicate are—"

"I’m not stupid enough to believe that the formal league master beat up all the numbered and you called them the rulers of sound league. The syndicate was expected." He cut the old man off.

Rowen chuckled. "It’s pretty laughable that the leading families think they are holding Salvador. Anyways, this is crucial information. I’ll be sure to pass it."

"Send me Mona."

Rowen raised a brow.

"You forgot to carry him?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I’ll send him over."

Rowen disconnected the device and soon it was only Elias and Owen.

"Did you get any detailed plan on how they plan to take out the syndicate?"

"Inside job. Family conflicts. They must have sent spies."

"I see."

Elias stood up, and began leaving.

"What are you planning to do now?"

He paused. His hand came out of his pocket and clenched his fist.

"Joran. I’ll feast on him." He glanced back at Elias. "If anything, he shouldn’t have stolen that ability. It pisses me off."