Gyoro Gyoro's massive eyeball spun wildly behind the control panel while its limbs twitched uncontrollably.
Sol's questions had struck the exact point it least wanted to confront.
The operation had failed too perfectly, too unnaturally.
Its mind raced as it reviewed every detail.
The attack routes were personally designed by Gyoro Gyoro and distributed only to each squad leader through encrypted channels. Very few people had access to the full plan.
Yet the Hero Association's ambush had been frighteningly precise, almost as if they had rehearsed the entire operation beforehand.
That was no coincidence.
There had to be a traitor.
But who?
Was it really Sol?
Gyoro Gyoro's thoughts spiraled rapidly.
Sol's performance during the battle had been flawless. He faced the encirclement of ten high ranking Heroes alone, endured the greatest pressure, and even forced them back.
If he were truly the mole, then why fight so fiercely?
He could have easily held back and allowed the Heroes to assist the other battlefields sooner, minimizing the Monster Association's losses.
But he hadn't done that.
Instead, he had practically stalled the Hero Association's strongest forces by himself.
It didn't add up.
Unless...
Gyoro Gyoro's spinning eyeball suddenly stopped.
A darker possibility surfaced in its mind.
Unless there was another traitor.
Someone more deeply hidden.
Someone smarter.
Someone who wanted to eliminate Sol while exposing the Monster Association at the same time.
That person leaked the operation beforehand, causing the squads to fall into an ambush while also using the Hero Association to weaken or kill Sol, whose growing influence had begun threatening others inside the Association.
Sol's aggressive questioning earlier suddenly took on a different meaning.
He wasn't just accusing others.
He was protecting himself.
He was forcing the Association to uncover the real traitor.
Gyoro Gyoro's gaze slowly swept across every cadre in the room.
Ugly President?
That idiot was greedy and shortsighted, but did he really have the courage for something like this?
Gums?
Just a monster driven by appetite, barely intelligent enough.
Black Sperm?
Cunning and unpredictable. Definitely suspicious.
Gouketsu?
He had fought beside Sol during the operation, and after returning, his attitude toward Sol felt unusually supportive.
Even Psykos herself, hidden behind Gyoro Gyoro, felt a chill run down her spine.
No...
It couldn't be her.
But she had personally overseen the planning and transmission of the operation details.
The moment suspicion took root, it spread uncontrollably through her mind.
It felt like she had stepped into a massive conspiracy.
And Sol, the powerful variable she once believed she could manipulate, now looked more like either a weapon being used by someone else or a target deliberately set up to fall.
She needed to stay composed.
Panic would only make things worse.
Gyoro Gyoro's massive eyeball slowly scanned the room again while its voice remained as steady as possible, though a faint tremor still lingered beneath it.
"Sol's concerns are reasonable."
The cadres immediately fell silent.
"This operation suffered heavy losses. There is clearly an internal problem," Gyoro Gyoro continued. "I will personally investigate the matter. Until the truth is uncovered..."
Its gaze passed over everyone before finally landing on Sol.
"Remain alert. No one is allowed to act independently without further orders. Especially you, Sol. You've exhausted a significant amount of energy today, so rest for now. Once the investigation is complete, I will give you a proper explanation."
It was obviously a stalling tactic.
Psykos needed time.
Time to reorganize the intelligence.
Time to quietly investigate.
Time to identify the hidden traitor before everything spiraled completely out of control.
Sol stared at Gyoro Gyoro with cold crimson eyes.
The suffocating pressure around him slowly faded while the blue and red markings beneath his skin gradually disappeared.
"It better be worth it," he replied indifferently.
Then he turned and walked away from the control room without another glance.
His footsteps echoed sharply throughout the silent cavern.
Only after Sol's presence fully disappeared did the atmosphere finally loosen.
Ugly President gasped for air while nervously staring toward the exit.
Gums let out a confused growl, still struggling to understand what had just happened.
Black Sperm's many small bodies immediately began whispering among themselves again, exchanging amused yet cautious glances.
Overgrown Rover carefully lifted its head.
Gouketsu stood silently in place, his single eye flickering with complicated emotions.
Gyoro Gyoro ignored all of them.
Its massive eyeball remained fixed on the data screens as it rapidly processed information.
It needed to act quickly.
Before the real traitor noticed anything.
Before the situation became irreversible.
Deep underground, Psykos sat alone inside a freezing laboratory.
Countless screens surrounded her, displaying encrypted communications, operation routes, and energy fluctuation records from every cadre.
Her fingers moved rapidly across the controls as she searched for traces of the hidden mole within the endless stream of information.
But the deeper she investigated, the more unsettled she became.
Every clue pointed in a different direction.
And the entire theory itself felt strangely unnatural.
"No... this is too clean," she muttered softly while cold sweat formed on her forehead.
As someone skilled in manipulation and calculation, she understood one thing better than anyone else.
Perfect evidence was often the clearest sign of deception.
Frustrated, she pushed the keyboard aside and looked toward the refrigerated storage unit nearby.
Inside it was Sol's blood.
The sample had already been secretly transferred from the Monster Association headquarters to this underground laboratory.
Under the dim yellow lighting, the dark red blood emitted a faint glow.
At that moment, it was the only thing capable of exciting her.
"As long as this succeeds..." she whispered.
She carefully removed the sealed petri dish, obsession flashing through her eyes.
Activating the precision instrument, she lowered a microscopic needle toward the blood sample, preparing to begin a deeper analysis.
But the instant the needle approached the floating drop of blood, the laboratory lights suddenly shut off.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Everything fell silent.
Only the faint crimson glow from the blood remained visible.
Psykos froze.
Her heartbeat thundered violently in her chest as she hurriedly tried activating the backup power system.
Nothing responded.
Every machine had completely died.
Even the emergency lighting failed.
"What the hell is going on?" she muttered through clenched teeth while desperately attempting to restart the controls.
Then a calm voice suddenly echoed behind her.
"It seems your secret lab isn't as hidden as you thought."
Psykos's blood instantly turned cold.
She spun around sharply.
Within the darkness, a pair of crimson eyes stared at her quietly like a predator watching its prey.
Sol slowly stepped out from the shadows.
The blue and red markings beneath his skin emitted a faint glow, illuminating his sharp features inside the dark laboratory.
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