A few seconds passed before Soliver woke up. He looked at Yuta, a slight headache throbbing in his head, which surprised him somewhat.
"I've come, Mr. Yuta Cassiral," Soliver said, looking at him with a hint of embarrassment. He adjusted his posture, a hint of discomfort evident on his face.
Yuta, however, didn't seem bothered. He spoke calmly, looking at his tablet, "You look quite tired, old man. Anyway, I need you to pay the agreed-upon amount, Mr. Soliver: 725,000 Platinum coins and 77,455 Gold coins, as agreed."
Soliver looked at him, rubbing his forehead. He reached into a drawer, only to find it completely empty. This made him suspect that Yuta had stolen money, but then he remembered the Heavenly Oath.
This made him dismiss the theory and think that Yuta had simply forgotten to bring the money because he was tired from the weight of the The academy's master, Versleken, was on his back because his deputy, Carter Pligers, was in the 3525336 DF world, where the Heavenly Immortals Academy was located.
He secretly retrieved a ring from his dimensional space. It contained 20% less money than he had requested, as he was obligated to pay; otherwise, he would appear hypocritical and abusive, something he didn't want to be seen as in front of the person he hated most. Moreover, the reputation of the Versleken Academy, and his own, would be damaged as well.
Yuta took the ring and placed it in his dimensional space, speaking calmly with a slight smile, "Since Mr. Soliver gave me the money, there's no need to check. Although I don't respect you and consider you a scoundrel, you would never risk the reputation of the Versleken Academy after all."
Soliver remained silent, his feelings conflicted between relief that Yuta hadn't checked the ring and discovered it didn't contain the agreed-upon amount,
and annoyance at... His insults continued, and he was powerless to do anything against him because of the Heavenly Oath.
Yuta didn't care that he had already received the agreed-upon sum of money, which was close to the agreed-upon amount, and that Soliver had given him as punishment for trying to kill him earlier.
He spoke calmly as he returned his tablet to his own dimension. "Since you've paid the agreed-upon amount, we'll start work at 8:45 AM."
"The trucks loaded with goods are currently en route and will arrive at 7:00 AM. Preparations will be complete before the festival day, barring any setbacks, after inspecting the locations for the entertainment center."
"It's forbidden to overcrowd it. If it's a center that can accommodate 1000, let in 500. Otherwise, there will be an explosion due to the overheating equipment, which will cause the mana core to explode due to the heat of the world, obliterating the academy. We'll send you to the worst-case scenario." Things
Sulvir didn't comment on anything. After all, nothing in this world was perfect, so he felt relieved after hearing Yuta's bold statement that no one would say anything for personal gain. This made him admire Yuta's honesty, despite disliking his mentality.
Yuta then got up and left Sulvir's office after taking everything he needed: a ring filled with money, which was close to a previous amount. What satisfied him was that it was Sulvir's own money, not collected from the clans, tribes, and noble families of Central Africa.
Yuta didn't care about the legitimacy of his trade; what mattered was acquiring as much money as possible if it served his interests and future plans.
Meanwhile, Sulvir gazed calmly at the chair where Yuta had been sitting, relieved to have finished what he thought would be exhausting.
However, he found himself helpless because of a constraint he had placed on himself that day, a constraint that still haunted him. Even so, he was at his deepest point He knew that he was the one who kept that chain binding him, along with many others.
He then leaned back in his chair, gazing calmly at the door, trying to clear his mind and find a way to extricate himself from the predicament he had created.
The Heavenly Division Go was still in his heart, preventing him from acting against Yuta in any way, directly or indirectly. Moreover, he couldn't remove it from his heart or destroy it with his current power, which had once been that of a Master of Gods.
And the Heavenly Division Go was a Go of a higher order. Furthermore, Yuta would discover this, and he would likely suffer serious injuries if the removal or destruction failed, as it was bound to a mana core within his heart.
"One month left until the end of my six-month school year. All those months without seeing Yuta Kaseraal will be the best days of my life. Moreover, Yuta will be at the Heavenly Immortals Academy, and I won't be going with them. A year and four months without him will be paradise," Soliver's voice was filled with longing as he closed his eyes. His eyes...
He heard his phone ringing beside him. Phones were among the most widespread technological devices in a short time due to their diverse uses, along with other communication tools like tablets and computers, which were used while correcting students' written exams.
Soleifer's eyes narrowed as he looked at the caller ID. It was the name of someone whose voice he didn't want to hear again: "Black and White Scorpion," an old comrade from his time in the Scorpion Organization before he betrayed it and became the director of the Freslakin Academy centuries ago.
[Phone]
[Call from Black and White Scorpion]
[Answer Call] [End Call]
Soleifer stared calmly at his phone for several seconds, showing no intention of answering the call.
The call ended automatically, but Solifer didn't seem at all at ease. He knew that what was to come wouldn't be good for him.
"It's been 400 years since I left the organization..." "Those Scorpions, though, seem determined to bring me back. After all, a Scorpion needs every part to survive," Soliver's voice was calm as he took out a pack of cigars from nearby.
He slowly opened it, releasing the aroma of fine cigars that filled the air, bringing him a sense of comfort.
He took one out of the pack, lit it, and put it in his mouth while glancing at his switched-off phone, his expression a mixture of confusion, caution, and anxiety about what the Scorpion organization would do next.
His very survival was a miracle in itself.Many of his followers had died, given his past as one of the council leaders. Ultimately, his position as the director of the most famous, oldest, and most enigmatic academy spoke volumes: he was a force to be reckoned with.
Sulliver took a deep breath, exhaling a puff of cigar smoke as he recalled the events of his time as one of the organization's founding members.
His phone rang again, and he sighed in obvious annoyance, exhaling another puff of cigar smoke.
[Phone]
[Call from Black and White Scorpion]
[Answer Call] [End Call]
He couldn't understand why his own name was displayed and not another, which made him realize something was amiss. The Scorpion organization was highly secretive.
To such an extent that he didn't know the true identities of those who had worked with him throughout his tenure as Council Leader, and the same applied to the other Council Leaders; they didn't know each other's true identities, and any attempt to investigate was strictly forbidden.
Except for two individuals who knew the true identities of each member: the Venerable Founder, the Heaven-Breaker, and the Leader of the Scorpion Organization, and no one else.
But that was 400 years before his departure from the Scorpion Organization, making this rule strict and therefore not applicable to him. This made it possible to investigate secrets and information about him.
He picked up his phone, which was still ringing incessantly, and pressed the button to answer the call.
[Answer Call]
Sulliver remained silent for several seconds before speaking in a cold tone, a glare in his eyes. "How are you, Black and White Scorpion? We haven't seen each other in ages."
Black and White Scorpion responded with a hint of sarcasm, which annoyed Sulliver.
[With the right of former Scorpion No. 3, it's been a very long time, and you...] The director of the academy, Fersleken, said, "You couldn't abandon what you learned in the Scorpion Organization. 680 years won't be easily forgotten."
Soliver remained silent for several seconds, trying to discern the identity of the person from the voice. He eventually realized that the voice was fake.
However, he wasn't surprised, as it was common practice for Scorpion Organization followers to alter their voices when meeting people, a tactic that allowed them to uncover their identities.
"How long have you been working for the Scorpion Organization, Black and White Scorpion?" Soliver's tone was calm, concealing a mocking, insulting undertone.
This somewhat surprised Black and White Scorpion, who understood Soliver's intention behind the question. He realized that Soliver was mocking him, not trying to be sarcastic. [It's been nearly 600 years since I joined the Scorpion Organization and 500 years since I began my project to acquire the perfect body I desired, a body I would consume to become even stronger than I am.]
A faint smile appeared on Soliver's face as he listened to Black and White Scorpion's words, and he spoke with undisguised sarcasm. "It's been 500 years since I became the fifth Scorpion Council Leader and 630 years since I became a follower of the Scorpion Organization. So, Black and White Scorpion, stop deleting what you don't like!"
The Black and White Scorpion remained silent, stunned. He had intended to mock Soliver, but instead found himself the target of ridicule.
However, the first Scorpion, who witnessed the founding of the Scorpion Organization, was the third Scorpion, nicknamed "The Scorpion of Treacherous Luck." The titles of the founding leaders differed from the current three, who are new leaders out of an initial eleven council leaders.
He then chuckled softly, realizing why he was one of the founding leaders. He was clever, cunning, and always seized an opportunity to turn the tables on his side.
[Hahahaha, we seem to have strayed from our main topic... As I said, it's been 500 years since I started my project, and I've come to tell you some good news: you won't see Yuta's face again.] Cassiral, next year, will become the instrument that makes me the strongest... Yuta Cassiral is strong, but a seal on his heart will prevent him from doing anything except waiting for his death.
Shock registered on Soliver's face as he listened to the words of the Black and White Scorpion. Yuta was intelligent, and it was impossible that he wouldn't have been able to detect the seal of servitude placed on his heart.
This made him realize that he was extinguished, which is why he couldn't sense his presence even after examining his entire body. His other half remained undetected even after numerous examinations under the watchful eye of the Black and White Scorpion.
"You'd better not regret your actions. I doubt that the Venerable Heaven-Breaker allowed you to conduct experiments to become the strongest. Wasting money, vast resources, and billions on six-year-old children seems illogical."
"However, I don't have time to listen to your nonsense. I have work to occupy my mind." His tone was serious.
However The black and white scorpion's expression remained unchanged; he knew perfectly well that offering help without any hidden motives would be nothing more than a ridiculous joke.
In this world, nothing is free. Everything has hidden motives. Relationships like love, friendship, family, and partnerships are all built on mutual benefit to become strong and cohesive. Otherwise, they won't last long, no matter how strong they seem at the beginning.
[I know that, Mr. Soliver. You even use children as young as 15 to 18 to bolster the reputation of the Versleken Academy, and you exploit any disaster to expel students who fail to survive—students whose lives or deaths you don't benefit from in any way other than yourself.]
[What matters to you is raising your own status and that of the Versleken Academy, where you're merely an employee who can be dismissed at any time once you're no longer useful to them.] Scorpion's tone maintained a sarcastic edge, striking a particularly sensitive point in Soliver's mind.
He knew he could be expelled at any moment, as the Versleken Academy was, after all, still legally owned by the Human Empire. He was still just an employee whose achievements could be thrown against a wall or into a landfill.
Nevertheless, he was confident they wouldn't do anything to him. After all, he was privy to many of the secrets and scandals they had perpetrated over the centuries.
Therefore, the chances of them doing anything to him were extremely slim. That's why he didn't pay any attention to the words of the Black and White Scorpion. Nevertheless, he felt anxious about his granddaughter, the last remaining member of his family, who was studying at the Freslaken Academy and could be one of the...The professors of the Masters class were to be dismissed next year if circumstances allowed. He might be targeted by the Scorpion Organization. Something had angered him so much that several chains, translucent gray in color, appeared around his body, binding him.
He calmed himself down, and both his aura and the chains disappeared.
He then ended a phone call and entered his own dimension after switching it off.
Some time passed, around 7:00 AM. Several transport trucks were at the gate leading into the city of Giemsburg.
Soldiers were inspecting documents belonging to the trucks and the people inside, who were distributing and preparing entertainment centers.
Soliver watched them as they entered Giemsburg, relieved that he hadn't been deceived. Yuta was a despicable scoundrel capable of breaking a contract.
He had been observing him for months and knew his behavior: his ability to threaten and blackmail students and deceive professors from other classes to achieve his goals. Interests
He spoke with a relaxed tone as he watched the 45 transport trucks entering the city. "It will be an unforgettable festival, but only the ignorant and lonely will truly enjoy it, unaware of the hypocrisy."
He left, heading to his office, trying to forget what had happened with the Black and White Scorpion.
The Scorpion Organization decided to bring Marta back into his life after he had managed to forget his disgusting past. He had lost many precious things when he was part of it.
He had no intention of sacrificing what was dear to him after all these years. He had only one person in his life: his granddaughter, and he would do anything to protect her. At least he would do something good in a life filled with blood and death.
He let out a deep sigh as he headed towards the Versleckian Academy, hearing his granddaughter Catherine's voice as she approached him.
"It seems you're keeping an eye on the trucks transporting the games and equipment that the festival will use," Catherine's voice was filled with excitement as she looked at her grandfather, Soliver.
However, his gaze was filled with surprise. He was the only one who knew when the trucks would arrive, which made him realize that Yuta had a hand in it.
He had hinted to his granddaughter in a previous meeting about the Masters Class, which he had originally proposed.
But he decided to leave the matter for another time; enjoying time with his granddaughter Catherine was better than anything else. "You're right. You decided to supervise the trucks' arrival yourself to prevent anything unexpected from happening."
"You know that these things have only been around for a few months, and 90% of the world's population isn't accepting of technology because it will eliminate many jobs."
Catherine listened to her grandfather's words while looking at the trucks with admiring eyes. It was the first time she had seen anything like it.
She spoke in a calm tone while looking at Soliver, "Even so, you should take a break from the responsibilities of being the director." "The academy alone is difficult, so you don't have to check everything yourself."
Soliver laughed as he looked at his granddaughter, then continued on to his office with a warm smile that made him forget the past few hours.
Sometimes, talking to someone you love makes you forget all your worries.