The name "Astralis Requiem" echoed through the rusted metal beams of the hangar like a clap of thunder in a cloudless sky, causing even the constant noise of the Lower Zone to cease for an instant in everyone’s minds, leaving only the silence of shock at that revelation.
The silence that followed was not merely the absence of sound; it felt as though the air had been sucked from the lungs of every member of Silver Lotus.
Zach, who until then had been wiping his grease-stained hands on an old rag, a constant tic he’d developed over the years, froze in his tracks for the first time in months, letting the wheel wrench he was holding fall onto the concrete floor with a shrill metallic clang.
The sound reverberated, but no one moved to pick it up.
Devon Baker, the boy who had always been the friendliest toward Lohan, the only one who had truly believed in Lohan up until then, stood with his mouth half-open, his eyes darting frantically between Lohan’s serious face and the silent figure of Isabella standing beside him.
For Devon, who had followed every global announcement from Elysium with a mix of admiration and envy, learning that his classmate was the legendary "Halon", one of the leaders of Elysium’s most popular guild to date, was like discovering that an ordinary neighbor was, in fact, an emperor in disguise.
And with this new discovery about the guild’s identity, his gaze toward the redheaded girl standing next to Lohan slowly shifted into a state of shock that grew more and more intense, as his mind rapidly connected the various coincidences he had witnessed at college so far.
Jenny and Kai, who were still feeling the lingering pain of the defeat they’d suffered at Lohan’s hands in the alley, exchanged glances filled with shock that bordered on religious terror.
If Lohan really was Halon, that meant they had tried to fight the most powerful Player on the planet, the one who, while they were still at Level 3 or 4 in the newbie village, had already ventured out into Elysium’s Open World and was killing other top-tier Players!!
The hostility Jenny had exuded moments earlier evaporated, leaving only profound shock.
In the corner of the room, Sara, the girl in the wheelchair who had kept her distance during the conversation but had been watching the pair warily the whole time, ready for a fight, gripped the armrests of her chair so tightly that the knuckles on her fingers turned white.
She could feel the intense pulse of Mana coming from Lohan, trying to understand how a Lower Zone Player like them could radiate so much magic in the real world, a level far greater than that of her sister, Skye, an energy that now made perfect sense!
Skye was the only one who managed to find her voice, though her tone was visibly shaken.
She took a step forward, crossing her arms over her silver jacket, desperately trying to maintain her authority in front of a group that was already beginning to look at Lohan with hope shining in their eyes.
"Astralis... Requiem?" Skye murmured, the word coming out as if it were made of brittle glass. "Hayes, do you realize what you’re saying? The whole world is hunting for Halon. The Hogue Group has put a bounty of millions just for confirmed information on the location of that guild’s headquarters. Why on earth would the leader of Elysium’s most advanced organization, excuse my frankness, but he’d be just a poor kid from the Lower Zone, come all the way to a dilapidated hangar in Sector 4 to talk to a gang of Players who’d just left the village?"
Lohan held her gaze with calm composure, allowing his aura to settle. "To be perfectly honest, Skye, it was a series of factors that brought me here to meet with you all. Not only was our first encounter quite... memorable, but despite our disagreements back then, you showed me that you at least did what you believed was right, which already earned you some respect from me."
Hearing this, the group felt a little embarrassed but continued to listen.
"As you yourself said, even though I’m no longer just a poor kid from the Lower Zone, I’m not a product of the Upper Zone; I’m one of you, and I know that among the vast population of the Lower Zone, there are many people with potential, just as I once had, and just as you’ve shown me you have, who can join us in our quest for Elysium." Lohan spoke calmly, his gaze slowly focusing on each person there in turn.
These words served perfectly to strengthen their bond, as they reminded the group that Lohan, or rather, the player Halon, who was so talked about in Elysium and on Syn, was, in fact, also someone from the Lower Zone just like them, and that, coming from the same place as they did, they could see even more sincerity in what he said.
Skye nodded at him, also feeling that his words resonated with her own thoughts, especially as she sensed from his words that he was someone from the Lower Zone amidst so many people from the Upper Zone.
As a group leader herself, and someone who constantly dealt with people from the Upper Zone who came to the Lower Zone to cause trouble, she imagined that dealing with people like that was exhausting and that Halon probably wanted to bring in some of "his own" people into the guild.
But she still had some doubts; she had to ask the most important question first. "But... considering that Astralis is mostly controlled by players from the Upper Zone, how would we, from the Lower Zone, be treated there?"
Lohan noticed the slight hint of insecurity in her voice, and keeping his voice calm, he explained... "Astralis Requiem doesn’t need players who just kneel and obey even orders that go against their principles. Our path from the very beginning, when we formed our guild, was, as the name suggests, a place of refuge where the Elites can feel safe and be ready to fight for a home that truly belongs to them."
Skye narrowed her blue eyes, her cynicism once again battling the hope that was trying to blossom in her chest. "It’s a beautiful story, Hayes. But how do I know you’re not just a highly trained Elite tester, sent by the Vances or some marketing agency to lure us into a corporate trap? How do I know you’re really Halon and that this redheaded girl is the President of Astralis?"
Lohan let out a short, confident laugh, unconcerned by her doubt. "That’s easily resolved in Elysium, Skye. It’s not like I can do anything against you or against your will before you officially join the guild. When the guild invitation reaches you, the name written there will be Astralis Requiem, with none of the 15 letters missing or extra. If I’m lying, you’ll see the guild name and my name, Halon, on your friends list, and at most you’ll waste a few seconds of your time rejecting me in-game."
He took another step forward, his presence filling the hangar. "Trust isn’t something I’m asking you to give me right now just because of a name. I’m offering you the opportunity to see with your own eyes what we’ve built. If you follow me to Elysium tonight, I’ll take you to our base. If, after seeing our home, you still think I’m a fraud, the doors will be open for you to return to Aethelgard and continue paying taxes to another corporation."
Lohan’s words made immediate sense to Skye and the others.
The risk of simply "going to check it out" was negligible compared to the potential gain of belonging to Astralis.
Skye looked at Devon, who nodded frantically, silently begging her to accept. The Silver Lotus leader sighed, uncrossing her arms in a gesture of partial surrender.
"Alright, Hayes... or Halon, or whoever you are," Skye said, her voice now softer. "Let’s assume you’re telling the truth. Let’s say we cross the map and join Astralis Requiem. What’s the catch? The other corporations turn us into grind slaves for them. They demand 16 hours of daily playtime, confiscate 80% of the loot, and treat us like disposable cogs in a profit spreadsheet. Is Astralis going to turn us into farming machines to sustain the luxury of this ’President’ of yours?"
Isabella, who until then had stood like a statue of ice beside Lohan, nodded slightly, her golden eyes sparkling behind her dark glasses. Skye’s comment about "sustaining her luxury" made her want to laugh, but she remained silent, simply watching the show and waiting to see where it would lead.
And Lohan, standing next to her, also had to hold back a laugh.
Little did Skye know that instead of the leader being supported by the members’ hard work, the truth was that the members were practically supported by the high monetary conversion rate provided by the leader.
When Silver Lotus found out, Lohan would be dying to see the look on their faces when they discovered how it really worked.
And judging by the subtle cues he picked up from Isabella, this far-from-modest girl clearly wasn’t enjoying all the suspicion and unwarranted attacks coming from Skye; Lohan could only hope that Isabella wouldn’t be too petty when it came time to reveal the truth to the group.
But judging by Devon’s reaction when he heard Skye saying those things about Isabella, how pale his skin had become and his not-so-subtle signals for Skye to stop her verbal attacks, Lohan realized that, besides the two of them, there was already someone else who had discovered Isabella’s identity.