New Game+

The Mediterranean seas were quiet. The slightest disturbance from boats or planes could create a commotion.

While Arthur used a certain tech to teleport the great distance from the isle of Malta towards the abandoned floating city, two figures were busy doing running on top of the waters.

"How much further?" One asked.

"Getting tired, Old man?"

"A little. Ack! Cramps!" The first one suddenly fell into the waters.

"What the fragment?! Hey! Old man!" The other suddenly dove to save the first one who fell into the deep waters.

Some 200 kilometers from the island of Malta, Arthur had appeared to Lowengren and Alean.

"Egypt? Huh... You made me run all the way here when I should have headed south." Lowengren shook his head.

"What is Seeker planning?" Alean asked.

"What am I planning." Arthur corrected.

"I've already given my recommendations to Seeker. He rejected the part of me burning Egypt, but with Eagle in the World Governing Trading Hub, things show flow according to my plan. Our preparations have always been leaning on attacking both the Worlds Helm and the Arctic nations. And that's what we are going to do. I've planned the best way that can help us all increase our Paths."

"You have a way to predict the best routes for all of us to increase our Paths?" Alean was amazed.

"Indeed. The moment people reach Inhuman, the only way to get stronger is to develop the Path. While we have a general idea of what a Ranked Hero's body is, the problem is the possibility of walking down the wrong path."

"Like Meryl's Path?" Alean asked.

"She had the Path of Brightness in that future, and now she has a Path similar to Pangean Solarium Tech." 

"That is correct. We each have to find our path to become a New Creation."

"So Alean will be forced to go with Seeker and settle in a place where there are several Presiders. Are you expecting these Presiders to have an ability like Zone?"

"Yes. The Top Tier Presiders may have abilities similar to that. Who knows? Maybe their techs have the power to play around with Fate and Destiny. And so, if Alean were to grow, she needs to be there."

"I get it. Too bad. This means our little fun with Magantae is over." Lowengren sighed.

"You said that an Emperor would save her? How?" Lowengren was intrigued. Of all the things that would save her, she never thought that an Emperor would.

"Yes. Eagle should have already converted the Emperors. I was already prepared to make a way that the Everhiss clan would be informed. So right, before she and her team get killed, an Emperor will capture her. He will take Magantae under the guise of torturing and killing her, but in reality, the Emperor will save her and bring her back to the Many Mansions."

"Wow. Magantae might go insane after all the trauma we left her." Lowengren was amazed.

"How did you pretended to die? She was very protective of you, according to my sources. And from the few short videos I got of her, she seemed rather regretful." Arthur couldn't help but ask.

"You still can't pierce through my lies, I see."

"Which is why I am here to see more of your lies. That's why we will be working together. How did you fake your death?"

"I used my Unlocking and with the help of Charles's skill and pretended to have a severe reaction and died of lactose intolerance."

"… That… I would never guess that…" Arthur frowned.

Alean was giggling to the side.

"Even the great man who can pierce through the future can't see through simple lies like that… You need to get stronger, Arthur! He who treads in the Lion's Den couldn't even figure out lactose intolerance." Alean laughed.

Arthur twitched at Alean's mocking tone.

"Anyway, what's next? I can't wait to be back with Lynd now. I heard he got very strong." Alean smiled.

"Is it really, Lynd you want to see? And not Seeker?" Arthur gave a dry answer.

Lowengren cringed and had to use his Unlocking to stop himself from saying, 'oh, snap!'

Although Lowengren had long noticed this, he never dared to mention or tease Alean of it.

Alean's laughing expression drastically changed as she glared at Arthur.

"My My My… Little Arthinar now has the guts to tease his big sister. Listen well, kid… You might see the future, but I'll soon have the power to change it in an instant."

"And this is precisely why the next mission requires you to separate from us. You will be sent to South America. With all the Presiders present, your Path is valuable to Seeker. Just keep it in your panties and limit your pedophilia to one Unlocked at a time."

"...I'm gonna go check on the… um… rain outside." Lowengren excused himself to get out of this crazy battle.

"Big words from a fake four-eyed nerd who has a strange obsession with his sister. I hope you don't corrupt Lowengren with your incestuous infliction."

"My heart…" Lowengren felt his heart got wrenched out.

"Please don't involve me…" Lowengren muttered weakly as his feet began to shiver. The deathly murderous intent of two was affecting Lowengren that sweat began to pour out of his shirt even before he got to the outside.

"Don't you wish that I didn't have this obsession? That way, Kristine would be mine and that there's no one there to take your precious Seeker from you? I'm not sure how you see things, but it's obvious that Kristine will still end up with Seeker. That is my prophecy!" Arthur declared.

Lowengren stopped and glanced in amazement at Arthur's declaration. He stared at Alean to see her reaction.

Alean continued to wear her smile.

"Then let's see which is stronger. Your prophecies or my Zone!" Alean laughed.

"Can we please get to the details of this mission?" Lowengren finally interrupted.

"Geez. For some of the most enigmatic beings in the universe, you two sure are rather childish." Lowengren complained.

"Says the man who died by milk." Arthur frowned.

"The details of Alean's mission are critical. It sets the stage planned to attack both of the strongest fortresses of the WGP. The Worlds Helm and the Arctic nations. The plan is simple. Create enough chaos and shock that many of those Emperors will come out of its shell."

"So Seeker and his team will force Underwater cities to rise and destroy several of them? I'm guessing he wants South America to rebel against the Americas."

"Correct. At the same time, the Tyrant Empress will move and attack the surface of Egypt. And we go underneath. Alean, Seeker needs you there. Your Zone is important. This is the hardest mission for them, and that's why Seeker is placing himself among the lions and will be entering the lion's den of Presiders. I, on the other hand, will be seeking my sister in Egypt. Yes. Pun intended."

"So Seeker is trying to learn how it is to thread in the lion's den... He is forcing himself to face the greatest uncertainties of this future. That's very risky. Any wrong move, and he could prematurely bring the war of the Presiders around us!"

"That's exactly why he has to do it. That's the only way that he can go. There is nothing here on Earth that can threaten Seeker and Lynd, save for the Overcomers. But we don't have the luxury of making Seeker fight the others. Each Overcomer has been granted their specific missions and has been positioned on specific places to create war and grow in their respective battle."

"I get that part—the assigned places where the Overcomers are set to hit several birds at the same time. The Overcomers are all granted an opportunity to grow and create a team. Amir will face the Dragons Fangs along with Meng and his warriors. Grant Hermes, Richie, the Vampire Akasha are set to fight the Tyrant Empress, the Zulus that the Tyrant Empress will search, and your father's Thought Transference Existential Intelligence." Lowengren listed the missions that he heard.

"Creating these scenarios which force Overcomers and Near Overcomers to fight with all their might takes them out of the scope of the Presiders. The best way to hide an alliance is to make them fight. These groups will do whatever is in their power to manipulate the government of wherever they are and fight each other."

"I see. The Aragarians will try to pick a side and help one group and will ultimately be betrayed by this group."

"If things go accordingly, we can kill Presiders without revealing the might of the Overcomers."

"So One China and India will have a war? I understand that part. But Africa...? Richie and his team will raid Africa?" Alean couldn't logically explain the plan.

"It has to do with me and my father's plan to save my sister. Egypt is currently locked uptight. The Caliphates are in chaos, and even Mesopotamia has broken off and retained its independence. Through Akasha, Richie and his team can enter the land. Their battle will be over Africa. This will make Africa a rather problematic place for the Presiders to create a future base."

"But why? Isn't it better to send our spies to Africa? Shouldn't we just follow Seeker's memory and aid Russia in this future war?"

"This would have been ideal. But I have to save my sister. If it isn't my father doing this mission or me, they may prioritize the world over my sister. So it has to be me." Arthur explained.

"You're not even hiding it, aren't you? You want to save your sister no matter the cost. Why are we bending the rules for you?"

"Because that's how powerful I am. When I first allied with Seeker, I already knew that there was something strange with his claims about being together with Kristine. I knew that his plan against Australia was out of his own selfishness and hatred developed because of what he knows Australia did to his country. He has made a thousand bad calls at the start. Do you know why I agreed?"

"Because he's stronger..." Alean answered with a sigh.

"That's correct. Regardless of how you see it and how conflicting his recklessness is, I wouldn't even bother morally assess him. He is the hope that we have. So if he wants to be a bit selfish, I'll let him. The same goes for you two. If your worth and power reach that level, the Overcomers and everyone else will allow your selfish desires. The Tyrant Empress is the greatest example of this. She possesses the greatest threat and still retains her own vanity. She wants to be the queen of this Earth. Yet did we kill her or chain her? No. Seeker unleashed her. That's how powerful she is."

Lowengren and Alean were silent at Arthur's claims.

"If you grow stronger, you could even claim Seeker for yourself, Alean. Right now, your Path is undoubtedly strong, but it hasn't created a sure road to victory. My Path has. Get stronger, and you can do whatever you want. Same with you, Lowengren. If you grow stronger, even that desire you've chained in your heart is possible. You could also have her." Arthur smiled.

Lowengren forced his body to stop trembling.

"You smart bastard. You even caught that..." Lowengren laughed.

"I am Daniel. There are no secrets hidden from me." Arthur laughed.

"But, Lowengren... The mission that I have planned for Egypt is much more reckless than Seeker's." Arthur revealed.

"What?" Even Lowengren was surprised at Arthur's statement.

"What do you think lies in Egypt?" Arthur asked.

"A Presider?"

"Correct. This Presider has secluded himself or herself in Egypt, probably even prior to the Continental Wars. I estimate that this Presider must be at least a mid-tiered Presider. Now, Lowengren, what do you think our plan is?"

"To rescue your sister?"

"And make known our existence to the Presider?"

"I doubt that our plan is to kill him! That will practically be the same thing!"

"That's why our mission is something that I couldn't even make sure plans. We need that Presider, to rebel against the Aragarians." Arthur smiled.

"What? How?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm here. This is the place which can perfectly help you craft your Path."

"Deception has its limits..."

"It won't be just the two of us. And the team I'm bringing with me are the only group of people who can help us achieve this."

The door suddenly swung open.

"You stupid old man!" Gardo cursed as he tossed the weary and drowned body of an older person.

"You're freaking in Proficient, and you still got cramps?!" Gardo cursed with an extremely angry tone.

Lowengren saw the other person and felt their strength drain from them. It was the one person that Lowengren had no desire to associate with, if possible.

"Gardo Dalisay and Vender Hirock..." Alean recognized the two.

"Not just them. You can come out now. Everyone's here. You're the only person who hasn't shown himself." Arthur called out.

Lowengren and Alean were confused and began to look around.

But no one appeared.

Suddenly, lightning and thunder rolled out and created a bright flash that quickly illuminated the exit of the door. As the light disappeared, he stood in the doorway.

His stance was majestic. His beard, glorious. His gaze, unparalleled. His power, undisputed. His eyes, illustrious. He is the eye-popping, eyebrow-raising, breath-taking, heart-stopping, spine-chilling, most amazing figure. Harker Cipril, the General of the Heroes Army.

"Dad?"

"The Light of Pangea!" Vender was amazed at his figure. He didn't even mind the cramping pain in his legs.

"Lowengren... Behold... The Council of the Wicked." Arthur motioned at everyone around them.

"I like that name... We should have done this from the start..." Harker smiled. He took out a certain object in his pocket. It was a lighter and a cigarette.

Harker slowly lit up a lighter and began to light his cigarette.

"Dad? You don't smoke." Alean frowned.

But disregarding her daughter's attempts to hinder his coolness, Harker continued to flick his lighter. The first two attempts failed to produce a spark as the lighter was wet. But yet, those mistakes only amplified his coolness.

"But I guess a team this formidable needs a climactic build-up. Arthur's Acts. Lowengren's Lies. Gardo's Guile. Vender's Vexation. And of course, Harker's Honor." Harker smiled as he looked around.

"Our combined Path's could easily create something glorious. But the world was forced to wait. Because a team this awesome is forced to wait!" Harker puffed up to several smoke rings and blew an arrow right in the middle of it.

Such cool swagger even impressed Alean, who would have otherwise been embarrassed.

"What can we say, now that we are all finally going to work together?" Harker then paused for dramatic effect.

Everyone suddenly felt drawn to him and found themselves waiting for an epic line to end his speech.

"Hell... It's about time!" Harker sneered.

The darkest, dankest, and most manipulative team among the Unlocked was formed that day.