A few minutes later, Cipher sat in the conference room with the five guild leaders sitting opposite him. Selene, who stood behind him, extended a file toward him while also using voice transmission.
"~The woman who spoke earlier is Mira, leader of the Silver Fangs Guild, based here domestically. Next to her is Darius from the Black Talons, also domestic. The man on the far left is Volkov, leader of the Iron Bear Guild operating out of Russia. The woman beside him is Camila from the Crimson Sun Guild in Brazil. And finally, the quiet one at the end is Rashid, leader of the Desert Storm Guild in the UAE."
Cipher nodded at the information. "~Thanks," he said through voice transmission before turning his attention to those seated before him.
Seeing him look at them, they began to shift uncomfortably in their seats. They had decided to visit him first after the incident earlier so they could repair the relationship, but now that they were actually here, they were regretting it.
"What brings you five here?" he asked.
They glanced at each other nervously, waiting for someone to speak first.
Cipher smiled. It seemed his plan had worked a little too well. He let out a softer, more approachable smile.
"I understand we didn’t meet under the best of conditions," he said. "I feel like you might have quite a bad impression of me."
They immediately shook their heads. "Not at all!"
"I appreciate that," Cipher continued. "Although I might seem serious, I’m actually quite an agreeable person. I wouldn’t mind if you spoke your minds freely." He paused, his tone measured. "I just hope there aren’t any misunderstandings between us."
He emphasized the word deliberately.
They instantly understood what he was trying to say. He didn’t wish to antagonize them - he was giving them a way out.
"That’s right. Misunderstanding," Mira spoke up quickly. "We came here to clarify to the Chairman that we were not in cahoots with Mr. Stone. We hope the Chairman doesn’t misunderstand us."
"Is that so?" he asked.
They all nodded violently.
"Hmm. Then it’s okay," he said. "If you weren’t here to cause trouble, is there something else you came for?"
"Uh, yes," Mira said in a hurry. "We also came to see the new Chairman in person and deliver some gifts."
"Yeah, yeah," the others quickly agreed.
"Since you’ve seen me and also cleared up the misunderstanding, then the issue is resolved," Cipher said, standing. "As for the gifts, you can deliver all the gifts as donations to the association."
"Yeah, we’ll do that," they said, rising quickly from their seats.
They understood what he was saying - he didn’t want any personal gifts, which could be seen as buying favors.
"We won’t disturb the Chairman any longer," they said as they hurried out of the room.
Once the door closed, Selene spoke. "You’re really good at this."
"At what?" he asked.
"This whole chairman thing. You’ll probably be considered for the permanent position after this whole thing is over."
Cipher glanced to the side. He wasn’t so sure about that. He was already getting tired of all the politics. Besides, the Chairman was still...
"You were also quite good out there," he said, changing the subject. "How come you’re so... knowledgeable about this kind of thing?"
"Well, I used to be the CEO of a streaming company before I awakened," she said.
"Ah. That makes sense."
...
Seoul, South Korea
Jin-Woo Park, leader of the Celestial Dragon Guild, sat in a sleek office, watching the scene unfold on his tablet - Cipher’s dagger piercing through Garrick Stone’s skull, the headless body collapsing, blood pooling on the ground.
"What do you think?" Han-Seok, his second-in-command standing beside him, asked. "Do you think the world has a new strongest human?"
"Strongest?" Jin-Woo murmured, replaying the video. He watched as Cipher casually spun a dagger on his finger, completely unbothered. "Maybe. I wonder where Marcus got this kid. I should ask him the next time we meet."
"Marcus? You don’t really believe the lie that he’s alive, do you?" Han-Seok asked.
"I don’t know. Well, we’ll see," Jin-Woo responded. His eyes stayed fixed on the screen as the video looped again. "Cipher, huh..."
...
Kyoto, Japan
Yuki Himura, leader of the Moonlit Shrine Guild, observed the recording on a massive screen mounted on the wall of her study. Her expression was calm.
"A new strongest, huh?" she mused.
Fox ears suddenly popped up from her head, followed by a fluffy tail swaying behind her.
"How interesting," she said with a sly smile. "Maybe I should pay him a visit."
...
Cairo, Egypt
Khaled, leader of the Golden Hand Guild, sat at the head of a large conference table, surrounded by his subordinates. Maps and documents were spread out before them.
"Did you manage to find the fragment of Anubis?" he asked, his tone sharp.
"We’re still tracking leads, sir. Nothing concrete yet..."
Suddenly, the door burst open.
Khaled’s face twisted in frustration. "What is it now ?"
The man who’d barged in was breathing hard, holding a tablet. "You have to see this," he said urgently, rushing to the projector and connecting his device.
The screen lit up with the footage from the press conference playing.
Shocked expressions rippled through the room as they witnessed the display of power.
But suddenly, an old woman sitting among the council members shot to her feet. Her finger pointed directly at Cipher on the screen, and she began making unintelligible noises.
"Seer?" Rashid turned to her immediately, his frustration replaced with urgency. "Did you see something? Is it related to the Anubis fragment?"
The old woman continued pointing, her voice rising in pitch, eyes wide and unblinking.
He snapped his head toward the man who’d brought the footage. "Quick! Go get the translator. The Seer received another revelation."
...
Beijing, China
Li Chen, leader of the Eternal Jade Sect, sat cross-legged in a meditative posture, eyes closed, breathing slow and controlled.
The door slid open, and a young woman walked in casually.
His eyes snapped open. "What is it now, Mei? I told you not to disturb me when I’m practicing."
"Do you really believe that cultivation bullshit?" Mei asked, leaning against the doorframe. "It’s already been established that you can’t increase your stats any other way than through the system. If working out all day doesn’t work, what makes you think sitting all day will?"
"Hmph. What do you know?" Li Chen said dismissively, closing his eyes again.
"Anyway, come see this," she said, holding up her phone.
"I’m not interested," he responded flatly.
"I think it will interest you quite a bit," she said with a smirk.
...
Paris, France
Amélie, leader of the Azure Rose Guild, sat at her desk, staring at the clip playing on her phone. The headline above it read:
"Association’s New ’Heir’ Revealed - Is Cipher Actually Marcus’s Secret Son?!"
Her hand trembled as she watched Cipher smile at the camera.
The trembling intensified until...
The phone shattered in her grip.
"Damn you, Marcus!" she shouted, hurling the broken device across the room.
A woman quickly entered through the door. "Is something wrong, ma’am?"
"Yeah," Amélie said, standing abruptly and brushing shards of glass off her hand. "Get me a flight to LA. Right now."