"So, what happens now?" Kyle asked.
The man looked at Warp Space.
"When teams manage to become Unique Transcendents together, we generally let them stay in a team after they have joined us. In general, the Array of Stars prefers teams over individuals. A team of three Unique Transcendents can win a fight against up to six Unique Transcendents that attack separately."
Swamp Dragon narrowed his eyes, while Warp Space gritted her teeth.
Working with this traitor?!
"But due to your past affiliation, this might not be feasible," the man said. "However, I'm still going to give you the opportunity to try to mend the rift. If your team accepts, you may stay with them."
The next moment, the young man summoned new emblems for Swamp Dragon and Kyle.
"You may remain in the territory of the Star Seeking, but you may not fight any other teams. Swamp Dragon, if you wish to leave the Star Seeking to officially join us, you may activate this emblem, but only in a week. I want you to try to talk to Meteor Hammer. At least, listen to what he has to say."
Swamp Dragon looked at his new emblem before glancing at Kyle with a cold expression.
Then, he wordlessly put the emblem away.
"Meteor Hammer, your emblem will activate after you've become a Unique Transcendent."
Kyle just nodded.
Then, the man looked at Warp Space. "You may join another team or try to finish your Complex Law on your own. You are free to choose."
Warp Space snorted, but the snort wasn't directed at the man.
Then, the man looked at Warp Space and Swamp Dragon.
"Remember, when people are faced with desperate situations, they will resort to drastic measures."
"I wish you luck."
Then, the man vanished, leaving the three of them alone.
"You!" Warp Space shouted as soon as the man left, pointing aggressively at Kyle. "You're insane! You're a monster!"
Swamp Dragon closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Kyle sighed before smiling sheepishly. "Can I explain-"
"No, you can't explain!" Warp Space shouted, flooded with rage and betrayal. "You are working for the Cult of Final Fate! You're trying to kill everything! You're trying to destroy everything that all of us hold dear! You are literally trying to eliminate the possibility of existence!"
"I trusted you!" Warp Space shouted, tears of rage and betrayal coming out of her eyes. "I trusted you with my life!"
"If I had the power to kill you, I would do so right now! I wouldn't even care if I broke any rules!"
"I'm done with you!"
Then, Warp Space flew into the distance.
Kyle took a deep breath.
'Ouch,' he thought. 'But I get it. I mean, I did literally betray them. While it's not like I suddenly tried to kill them, what I did is not that far off.'
'But what am I supposed to do? Just say no, I'm not going to infiltrate the Array of Stars and let myself get killed?'
'Sure, would probably be the morally right thing to do, but…'
'I don't want to die.'
'I'm not a hero.'
'I'm just a rat.'
'I'm just trying to survive.'
Kyle sighed again before looking at Swamp Dragon. "What about you?"
Swamp Dragon closed his eyes, keeping his emotions under control.
Compared to Warp Space, Swamp Dragon had felt the sting of betrayal before.
It was not a foreign pain to him.
"I can't see a way for you to justify yourself," Swamp Dragon said.
Then, he sat down.
"But I'm willing to let you try."
Kyle sighed. "Thanks."
Then, he also sat down.
Swamp Dragon gestured for Kyle to speak.
"I think it would be best if I simply told you what happened," Kyle said.
Swamp Dragon nodded.
Afterward, Kyle started to narrate his story.
He started with his life on Earth and quickly came to the part about the contract with the Array of Stars.
When Swamp Dragon heard about the clause related to Karmic Luck, his brows furrowed.
This was a horrendous contract.
The Array of Stars could essentially force Kyle to do all kinds of atrocities.
No sane person would sign that contract.
However, Swamp Dragon also realized that he was viewing things from a Seeker's perspective.
A regular mortal living in a world without Energy…
Someone who couldn't even advance a Realm…
He could imagine that there would be people who would accept the contract. Even if they knew what it entailed.
Kyle quickly went over his life in the Tertiary World since none of it was really relevant to the issue.
He quickly got to the point where he met Magic Lady again.
As Kyle talked about the atrocities he had committed, Swamp Dragon furrowed his brows.
This was more extreme than he had thought.
When Swamp Dragon heard that Kyle had condensed Sin Flames and even a True Sin Aura, he took a deep breath through his nose.
Forcing someone to decide between their life and condensing Sin Flames.
This was like asking someone to decide between death and living a life worse than death.
It was fucked.
Sure, eventually, Kyle would be able to get rid of his Sin Flames, but that would take thousands of years, and then, he would be stuck in the Tertiary World anyway.
"What would you have done?" Kyle asked.
"I would have refused," Swamp Dragon said. "Either the Array of Stars needs to kill me, send me back to my home, or adapt to keep me as their Overseer."
"What about Sebastian?" Kyle asked. "There's a possibility that they would have done something to him or, even worse, sent him back to the Tertiary World to become the Overseer."
"Personal relationships do not outweigh moral decisions," Swamp Dragon said. "Sebastian has also signed the contract. I was put in front of a decision, and I made the choice that I believe is correct. I will not cause atrocities just to save one person."
"Whatever he decides will be up to him and is not related to my choice."
Kyle sighed.
He believed Swamp Dragon.
When there was a mass shooting on Earth, many people said that they would heroically try to take the shooter down.
Yet, most people would just sneer at these people.
If they truly were in this situation, they would just piss themselves in fear and run away like everyone else.
When put in front of a choice of life and death, like Kyle, many people would say that they would do the right thing and just sacrifice themselves.
In the same way, most people also wouldn't believe them.
However, as Kyle looked at Swamp Dragon...
He believed him.
Swamp Dragon would have probably actually sacrificed his life.
Kyle sighed again.
Something like that needed courage.
'And I don't have this kind of courage.'
'I'm just a rat.'
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