Nick listened to the Adversary talking about creating Pure Energy for nine more years.
During that time, he also focused on his Zephyx Manipulation.
Sadly, despite the long time, Nick was still nowhere near done with his new ability.
It would still take a long time to complete since this one was far more complex than his mind-reading ability.
Nick delivered a bunch of new books to the researchers, who had managed to create a transportable version of the Star Energy generator by now.
Step one had officially been accomplished.
Now, they just needed to make a bit of Pure Energy, but that would take a long time.
The first prototype of the new medication was also already finished, and some of the researchers were taking it in secret.
On the surface, nothing seemed different, but Nick could see that there was less fear and anxiety in many of the researchers.
After delivering his books, Nick left.
His break was over.
By now, Nick was 158 years old, and he had seen a lot of the world.
He had also witnessed several significant changes, most of them caused by him.
When he left the research base, Nick looked at his new beams for a bit.
Since he was officially returning to the world, he wanted to make sure that no surprises waited for him.
The thing he was most worried about was Death.
Death always looked at Aegis' headquarters, and it was the biggest threat.
Since Death and Aegis' headquarters were very close to each other, it was difficult to discern Death's beam.
Just to make sure, Nick went further up north so that the beams split since Death was east of Aegis' headquarters.
Many things could have changed within the last 30 years, and Nick wanted to make sure that no surprises waited for him.
And when Nick checked the beams again, he was glad that he did.
There was only one beam that could belong to Death.
After all,not many things were in the middle of the ocean.
'What happened?' Nick thought as he looked at the beam pointing to Death.
It was red.
When he had gained his upgraded ability, he was sure that it had been blue.
Blue meant the person thought Nick was a human.
Red meant the person thought Nick was a Specter.
The beam pointing to Death was red.
Death knew that he was a Specter.
Even more, the beam was not just light red but full-on red.
This meant that Death knew a couple of his abilities.
'Can't be Gluttony or that meat cube. Both of them died very quickly. Additionally, it took me a couple of years to advance. Death would have already known about me by then.' ℞åΝọΒĘs̈
'Within the last 20 years or so, Death learned that I am a Specter, and it also partially learned about my ability.'
'The ten Protectors knew that I am a Specter. Is one of them a traitor?'
'Did one of them tell Death about me?'
Nick was reminded of one particular Specter.
'Greed.'
'Greed is somewhere in Aegis, and Greed must know that I am a Specter.'
Nick analyzed the beams.
There were several light-red beams pointing to all kinds of places in the world.
Nick decided to go to a couple of the red beams.
His first stop was a stronghold, and he snuck inside to find the person who knew he was a Specter.
It was one of the ten Protectors who had fought Gluttony.
'I should look at everyone who knows this much about me.'
Nick flew all over the world, making sure to avoid Death's area of influence.
Naturally, he also disguised himself as somebody else.
He found several Peak Protectors, but he also found the Wall, the Juggernaut, and one new Shield he had never met before.
Luckily, Nick managed to hide from their perception.
While they could technically perceive him, they didn't really pay attention to the Hatchling that slowly traveled through the ground.
They saw thousands of them at any given moment.
Eventually, Nick saw someone.
It was a female Mid Hero who acted as the Governor of one of the cities.
Nick remembered her.
'I was with her inside the Maw.'
'She's still alive.'
Nick was put in front of a difficult choice.
She was innocent and worked for Aegis.
But she knew he was a Specter.
'I don't want to kill her, but I am not living for myself. My feelings are irrelevant.'
'I have to survive for humanity.'
In the end, Nick silently assassinated her.
The city would undergo an upheaval, but this was a necessary sacrifice.
Eventually, Nick traveled all around the world.
'The only people who know this much about me who are not part of the secret research base are the Peak Protectors and the Shields.'
'One of them has to be Greed.'
Nick looked at the black beam pointing to the Technician.
'Impossible. If it were the Technician, Death's beam would also be black, or at least a much darker red.'
Nick looked at the beam pointing to the Sun.
It was just slightly red, much lighter than the beam pointing at Death.
'Also impossible.'
'Is it the Champion?'
The beam had the same color.
However, many beams had the same color as Death's beam.
'Possible, but unlikely. We are working together under the Sun, and Death is his rival. It's his job to help humanity overcome the Specters. I don't think he wants to help Death.'
'So, it must be one of the Peak Protectors or Shields.'
'The Wall and the Politician are safe since they have known about me for many decades now. If they were Greed, Death would have known about me much earlier.'
'The Left Arm and the Knife are dead. The Champion and the Technician are safe.'
'That leaves the Juggernaut, the two new Shields, and the few Peak Protectors. Two of them most likely became the two Shields.'
'So, I am left with between a minimum of ten to a maximum of thirteen people who could be Greed.'
'I'll have to unmask Greed without getting found by it or Death.'
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