[Systematic Concepts (S)]
It was the name of the blessing Zhuge Haiyan had awakened to.
This was like a small computer appearing in her mind. Thanks to this, she was able to become the head chief of the strategy council and naturally, her reaction speed and her ability to cope with sudden situations were a lot faster than other superhumans.
An unexpected word came out of Season’s mouth but after deeply considering it for 0.08 seconds, she realised what he was trying to say.
‘The entire world’… it was a crude expression but it was accurate.
Suddenly, she thought of something else and immediately checked the time of the computer inside her brain. It was a rare chance to check the reaction speed of everyone in the Association.
1 second.
Chaliovan’s eyes that had formed a frown straight after those words eased up.
2 seconds.
Myung Yongha’s eyes were the first to hold a different light. Before long, several advisors and other transcendents including BM and Christoph also had a shift in their expression. It was against Zhuge Haiyan’s expectations that even Jefferson behind them clenched his jaws.
3 seconds.
At this point, almost everyone seemingly understood Yu Jitae’s words. People who still had no idea required even more time not because they were stupid but because their perception of the world was different.
4 seconds.
Suddenly Chaliovan’s lips twisted and formed a smile. Why was he like that?
That was when someone opened their mouth.
“Sorry…?”
“The entire world?”
Those were the ones whose perception of the world was different.
Zhuge Haiyan opened her mouth.
“By saying the entire world, you actually mean the flow of the world right? Prophet Season?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you believe there’s not even a 1% exception?”
“There isn’t.”
“What makes you believe as such?”
Yu Jitae pondered for the right words to return. That was mostly the case in previous iterations, and this time there is even a guy that is trying to accelerate that flow.
…That wasn’t suitable for the evidence.
Constantly referring to himself as the prophet whenever things like this occurred didn’t suit him and that was probably not the answer they were asking for either.
He had volunteered for the role of the prophet and at least inside the Association, it was a must for him to keep that abstract image. In other words, he had to constantly appear like the ‘guy who knows it all’.
After some contemplation, he opened his mouth.
“The demons… the Undetectables aren’t moving hand-in-hand with Quasar.”
“Why is that the case?”
Despite also knowing that very well, Zhuge Haiyan asked back, curious about the rationale and logic behind his claim.
For now, he had to play along with her.
“Like what was mentioned prior, the Undetectables cannot challenge the Association head-on. The demon group hides their strength and does not contend for victory until their time fully arrives. They failed at Melissia Masquerade and one of the top three catastrophe demons, Noah, was killed. Right now, they will never openly antagonise the Association.”
“Then?”
“Think about the characteristics of demons. Demons live for a long time. They know how to use their lifespan as a weapon. Delving deep into each government, they induce corruption and squeeze in through the gap. It is difficult for them to do so for military which is constantly under the careful maintenance of governments and the Association but on the other hand, they are quite powerful in funding, media and politics.”
An example would be the catastrophe-ranked demon holding his seat in Lair, the Seat of Covenant Ma Namjoon.
“But then it doesn’t make sense that the Undetectables are sponsoring Quasar, right?”
“Enough of acting foolish, Zhuge Haiyan.”
Zhuge Haiyan poked her tongue out and gave an apologetic smile. Since Yu Jitae knew that she was in fact trying to make his point clearer, he decided to play along for a bit more despite it being tedious.
“At this point, Quasar is but a claw sticking out. It is evident from the communication centre and the underground fortress that there is a foot moving behind it.”
“What is the foot?”
“The foot may be an organisation, or an individual that sponsors Quasar. An existence that can rival the King of Mercenaries. You can say the Undetectables are cooperating with them, which would explain why military supplies gathered from the black markets of various nations are being discovered there.”
“If there is a foot, you mean there is also a body.”
“Do you think governments wouldn’t know that the Undetectables are in motion?”
“They probably would.”
“Right. And what is their response?”
“Nothing from what we know.”
“No. It’s not that they’re not reacting. They are intentionally overlooking it.”
The Undetectables and the existence of demons were headaches for every government. They had roots so deep that they were hard to get rid of. Therefore, the demons had to carefully tread between the lines making sure they didn’t overdo anything.
But this time it was different – the Undetectables clearly crossed the line. While confronting Quasar, the Association would see more military supplies connected to other nations and they could use that to pressure each government.
It would put the governments at the weaker side of the table.
“Even then, the governments will not move.”
Why?
“Because they do not like what the Association is doing.”
The increase of military power advised by Yu Jitae was bringing about their opposition.
Listening to him, the advisors lamented. They all knew this. Although they knew it, the scattered pieces of the puzzle weren’t being put back together neatly but they were finally slowly coming together.
As such, the entire world was starting to antagonise the Association.
From a distance, they would watch the claw called Quasar.
Without involving themselves in the sponsoring of the Undetectables.
However, their indifferent attitude would only be the starting point.
That was when Chaliovan gave a smile. He was sitting at the chairman’s seat and the change in his expression was spotted by everyone. Their doubtful gazes landed on the spreading smile on his wrinkled lips.
“Who is one that caused all this? Prophet.”
It was just one sentence.
That sentence was poking at the essence of the situation.
Quasar carrying out terrorism, a mysterious existence sponsoring Quasar, the Undetectables chiming in in this chaotic situation, the world antagonising the Association – all this, added to the unsolveable fundamental problem mentioned in this conference was all because of Yu Jitae.
…That was what Chaliovan was saying to pressure him.
“Chaliovan. Who do you think is the one that caused this.”
Meanwhile, Yu Jitae claimed that he was the one responsible.
It was simple. If Chaliovan had the strength and experience matching that of Yu Jitae’s, a situation like this would have been solved very easily.
“…”
Knowing that, Chaliovan meekly nodded his head.
“We will try every possible means. It is indeed up to the Association for these tasks.”
However, there was a reason why he pressured Yu Jitae.
“But Prophet, I am nothing but a mortal that can’t do anything above my abilities.”
“How modest for the man who pacified the New Era.”
“That is the reality of it. The witch is no longer in my hands, and the sovereign is beyond my reach. There is a limit to the abilities of a mortal and I am well and truly at the limits.”
Chaliovan said while twitching his fingers. He didn’t look like a 150-year-old old man, and it was a refined gesture suiting his 40-year-old-looking appearance.
“If you wish to complete your great plan, you must reveal your strength,” said Chaliovan with a low voice filled with certainty but Zhuge Haiyan refuted from the side.
“That will be troubling, Chairman.”
“Right. A seemingly omniscient prophet with omnipotent power. If people discover that such a being truly exists, their resistance will become even worse.”
“Indeed sir. If you know that already, then why…?”
Chaliovan’s following words made Zhuge Haiyan wear a big frown.
“…If we continue playing the armband game that is.”
Kwang!
Zhuge Haiyan stood up, striking the table.
“Chairman!”
“Why.”
“What kind of careless statement is that!”
The advisors, 5 transcendents and the Grand Natural Society. All their expressions were the same as Zhuge Haiyan’s.
Then what? Put the armband down and pick up a gun? Is he trying to say that he will oppress other nations with military power?
The thought alone gave them goosebumps. Chaliovan was spouting some crazy nonsense – at least that was what Zhuge Haiyan thought.
“Chairman…!”
“Do you seriously mean it sir?”
“What is wrong with you folks,” replied Chaliovan with a stern voice.
“…”
“Do you think this is a joke?”
Suddenly they remembered a fact they had forgotten.
Chaliovan was a cruel person.
In order to create a working society of people with differing capabilities and in order to found the current Association, he waged wars and killed hundreds of millions of humans and superhumans that disagreed with his cause.
His seat was a throne drenched with blood, and what sustained the current balance of the modern world was due to corpses piling up on one side of the spectrum.
But waging a war against the entire world?
‘That’s nonsense…’
Suddenly, Zhuge Haiyan turned around with a vacant gaze. She looked at Season and One.
Unprecedented powers. Existences with unprecedented might that never existed within the annals of history – such existences were currently in the Association.
Chaliovan’s idea was nonsense. However, when a nonsensical idea was added with nonsensical might, strangely enough everything started making sense.
Zhuge Haiyan again felt goosebumps crawling up her skin. What a ridiculous sword was it that was in the hands of the Association?
But when Season opened his mouth with a straight look on his face, her thoughts were once again shaken.
The sword wasn’t in the hands of the Association.
“Nonsense.”
The sword was shaking the Association.
“Of course it’s a joke,” said Chaliovan. His words had a strange charm to it. When he innocently shook his hands with a hearty smile, it added credibility to his words.
Oh, it’s a joke huh.
Of course. No way he was saying that for real.
Everyone had the same thought in mind. As the chilly mood dissipated and the nonsensical idea discarded, the advisors regained their composure and started giving out empty laughs. As if it was funny, Chaliovan also laughed with them.
However, Yu Jitae did not laugh as it wasn’t funny.
“Anyways, Prophet. If you do not wish to reveal your power, then we need evidence. Evidence that can prove that there is a reason behind what we are doing.”
Yu Jitae gave a nod.
That much was true.
“If not, then we need a symbol. As you probably know yourself, we need something that we can reveal to the whole world.”
That was also true. Sometimes, a symbolic existence slightly shrouded in mystery could be used as the evidence for everything.
If, in the case of a what-if.
If there was a foretelling ‘soothsayer’ that the Association could announce to the public. If that soothsayer was an actual person that had the actual ability of foretelling the future; and if that actual person could stand before others, then it would naturally provide the Association with a moral cause.
“Association continue doing Association-tasks.”
“And what about you?”
Funnily enough, there was one actual prophet on Earth – the one and only soothsayer. She also happened to have a miserable power level so she was the perfect fit for the position. Thinking about her, Yu Jitae drove in the wedge.
“It is already all prepared.”
No-one talked back to him.
“You focus and consolidate your own roles.”
That was the end of the conference.
*
He had killed Chaliovan twice.
Once in the 5th iteration, and the other in the 6th iteration. It was because his thoughts that were revealed in the conference just then were not a joke.
Chaliovan was a revolutionist. A smart revolutionist that knew how to swing the right tools at the right time.
On Earth, there were a few individuals that could completely flip the flow of the world and its era on its head and for the Regressor, it was more effective to kill them than to regulate them. The revolutionist sitting at the highest seat of the conference room was one of them.
The 100 years of peace with him at the chairman’s seat of the Association was because there was nothing that warranted a revolution. The old wolf simply sat back and watched over the stabilised household.
But sitting down did not render a wolf a dog.
Lying down did not wear out its claws.
When he became the owner of the witch, he was able to remove all the side effects of the New Era by waging wars. That must have been a good experience.
And because of that, he was now trying to grab him and move him as he wished.
How insolent.
After the conference as everyone started heading off to their personal space, the darkness suddenly cracked open and swallowed the chairman. By the time Chaliovan reopened his eyes, there was a jet-black dimension in front of him – it was a world without any distinguishable standards where he couldn’t tell apart the ground beneath his feet from the sky.
In a place like that, Yu Jitae was looking into his eyes.
“Chaliovan.”
The voice of the prophet made his eyes twitch ever so faintly.