Chapter 28: infiltrating The Union {1}

Chapter 28: infiltrating The Union {1} Elisa sat cross-legged in the backseat of a sleek black car, her crimson hair falling over one shoulder as she gazed out the window. The towering skyline of Aspiring City shimmered with neon brilliance, the modern metropolis constantly pulsing with life. Skyscrapers blinked with holographic ads, drones zipped between buildings, trains whirred in the distance. "This city’s changed," she muttered, her amber eyes reflecting the glowing lights. "But that kid... he’s special, isn’t he?" Sarah, who was calmly driving the vehicle, nodded without looking back. Her voice remained composed, yet carried a tinge of regret. "Yes. He is... peculiar. Unpredictable. And dangerous if left alone." She glanced at the rearview mirror. "It’s a pity. Had he joined NightGazer, we could’ve accelerated his growth tenfold. With our resources and access to Blessing Stones, he’d be E-Rank by now." Elisa let out a short chuckle, amused. "But he said no. The little bastard actually rejected us." "He’s not wrong, though," Sarah added. "He has ambition. Wants to build his own faction... even dared threaten us." Elisa raised a brow. "I like that fire. But still, we can’t just let him vanish." She tapped on her smartwatch and pulled up a file. A photo of Reo appeared—a lean boy with raven-black hair and glowing green eyes, caught mid-motion in a blurry frame. "He won’t stay hidden for long," she added with a smirk. "Time to contact Yu." — Meanwhile, far away in a dimly lit room lined with a wall of monitors, a boy no older than eleven sat in front of an overwhelming array of computer systems. His yellow eyes scanned through code as he lazily sucked on a cherry lollipop. He wore oversized glasses and a hoodie two sizes too big for him. "Seriously? I just finished hacking into an Aether Core facility last night," he complained, spinning in his chair. "Now you want me to track some random green-eyed dude?" Sarah’s voice crackled from a speaker. "I’ll give you a bonus." The boy perked up instantly. "Now that’s more like it." — Back at the mansion, Reo collapsed onto the floor, panting. His shirt clung to his body with sweat, and his fingers ached from continuous crafting. All day, he had trained without pause—refining his blade techniques and pushing his crafting skill to the brink. Althea, leaning against the doorway with crossed arms, yawned behind her icy-blue bangs. "Sloppy," she commented, watching him struggle to control his breathing. "If you keep moving like that, even a D- Rank mob could gut you." Reo groaned. "Thanks for the motivation..." Still, despite the exhaustion, he smiled. Progress was slow, but it was progress. His crafting skill was nearly at Intermediate, and Moonlight Seven Techniques was on the verge of reaching beginner-level mastery. That alone was worth the pain. But it wasn’t enough. "I need more points. More Blessing Stones," he muttered. "In my past life, I was only able to use twenty... and even that took me to new heights." Back then, his clones could assist in nearly everything—mastering skills, training non-stop, and even absorbing Blessing Stones far more efficiently. The limit in his Past Life was four clones, and each one saved him months of effort. But now, he had to start from scratch. He stared at the ceiling, catching his breath. "I need to make a plan." First create a secret organization. Something hidden in the shadows that could move freely and benefit from the chaos of the world. Second: establish a base of operations, somewhere secure but mobile. Third: get his hands on Blessing Stones—without buying them. That’s when it hit him. A spark of realization lit up in his eyes. "Marquel," he whispered. That bastard’s corpse was still out back, and no one had claimed it. In life, Marquel was a high-ranking researcher of the Union—a perfect identity to exploit. A slow, devilish grin crept across Reo’s face. "If I play my cards right... I won’t just steal from them—I’ll ruin their name in the process." He stood and summoned one of his clones. The air shimmered as the copy took shape. With a flick of his wrist, Reo pulled out the shapeshifting mask Clara had given him—still intact, thanks to his clone-storage compatibility. The mask latched onto the clone’s face, shifting and warping until Marquel’s greasy visage appeared. Reo studied it for a moment, nodding in satisfaction. "Let’s begin." With careful precision, he reached into his storage and began crafting again. This time, a mask—not for disguise, but for declaration. A sleek, obsidian mask with glowing green accents and two upward-curving black horns. It looked like something pulled from a nightmare. He held it up, admiring his work. "This... this is the beginning of Requiem Star." A new organization. One that would eclipse Union, NightGazer, and even Dark Aether. tempered in secrecy, and fated to shake the very foundations of the world. Thinking about made Reo Eyes Light up with Determination But Right now his Dreaming it was No use if he just keep thinking about the Plan but don’t have a Action. Even though Reo wanted Comfort and Luxurious Life he Also Wanted To Achieve Greatness and Revenge. His determination only Grew Looking at The Past Taking a Deep Breath The Plan Will Happen tommorow. He will announce The New Born Organization and will Damage The Union.