SYSTEM ASCENSION

Rowen continued kneeing for a long time. The place had gone incredibly silent. At some point, the leading families had wandered off to oversee the chaos.

One thought ran through Rowen’s mind.

Was it too late already?

He had yet to ask. He had always propounded a conversation with Zeal, thinking he had all the time in the world.

What happened after the accident?

Where did he live?

Why did he face the disposal hideout alone?

Why did he know Elias’s father?

He had never asked a single question. Zeal wasn’t the type to talk about depressing things either.

”Did I fail?”

Wind carried his voice. No one was left to answer.

An hour later, he composed himself enough to carry his brother’s corpse and exit the vicinity. Thanks to Elias, destruction was cut down by eighty percent, but still, they took a massive hit.

Houses have been destroyed and people are still trapped underneath. He wasn’t driven to help, so he just held his brother and watched the scene.

A few minutes later, a figure walked up to him.

”Father.”

He glanced at Tiana.

She was one of the numbered stationed in Salvador empire. Apart from her, was Sai, number ten, and Rowen, number one. Sai had arrived in sound city hours ago and was already helping with the evacuation. The rest of the numbers were stationed in branches outside Salvador, so arriving early was a problem.

Tiana’s eyes settled on the face of the person Rowen held, and shock crossed her eyes.

”Uncle...”

She dashed to them.

”What happened?! He can regenerate right? It shouldn’t be a problem—”

”They stole his vital core.” Rowen cut her off.

”...no way...”

”He’s dead.”

Her eyes shook. She glanced around again.

”Where is number six?”

Rowen narrowed his eyes.

’Was that someone’s ability? Forget that part, we’re already walking a tiny line with black empire and now this. If the Morail family finds out what happened here, things will get messy.’

”Tiana,”

”Yes father?”

”The information about what happened. Control them. The longer, the better.”

She nodded and ran off.

Hours later, all the numbered managed to arrive. By now, the sun was down.

They realised two things:

First, the attack wasn’t done in just Salvador. Many other empires were attacked as well, and Salvador took the least damage according to their findings.

Second was that their number had reduced.

Zeal, league master. Confirmed dead. Killed in action. Sound city, Salvador empire.

Elias, numbered six. Confirmed dead. Killed in action. Sound city, Salvador empire.

Casy, numbered four. Confirmed dead. Killed in action. Rose city, Uidan empire.

Tale, numbered seven. Missing.

Claude, numbered eight. Missing.

Sai, numbered Ten, in coma.

The situation was really disastrous.

The sound league had been shaken slightly.

”Fine,” Rowen concluded. ”They are pushing us. Time to involve the syndicate.”

The rest flinched.

The syndicate is the secret organisation within sound city that even the royal family has minimal information about. Afterall, no organisation can sit in power for over five centuries with just ten people that the league master alone can send them to the hospital.

They understood that instinctively.

While the numbers sit in the light, the syndicate sat in the shadows.

There are ten of them, and only the league master had ever had information about them or whereabouts. Since Rowen was the ex league master, he had similar information.

”Yes sir!” They chorused.

There wasn’t a method to contact the syndicate. Non, that the numbered knew of. Only the league master can, and it looked like Rowen was resuming that position.

A day went by, and the loudness had finally shimmered into quiet acceptance. People who had lost their homes were given places to stay and people began to repair to lay their dead to rest.

Rowen had the numbered bodies retrieved and repaired for burial, alongside the league master, while assigning a temporary league master, Owen, to handle all the paperwork.

He finally left the league when the sun was down, only to meet a persistent visitor at the gate. The raiders were forcing people back, but she was adamant on talking to Zeal and Elias.

After staring at her for a while, he told them to let her in. As soon as she approached, he knew who she was.

The recommendation Zeal had written several months ago.

”Rolarza.”

She flinched and stopped.

She knew that this wasn’t Zeal. He looked too cold to be Zeal.

”Um, Mr Rowen....I um...”

”Skip to your point.”

”I had... created a tag on Elias when they visited Quora empire, and how it’s gone. I wanted to ask... about Elias and Zeal. I heard—”

”They are both dead,” Rowen cut in. ”You heard right.”

Her knees buckled.

”No...”

He walked past her and got into his car, driving off.

Rolarza squatted down for quite a while as her biggest fear was confirmed. She had lost connection with Elias yesterday and had used her savings to buy a one time teleportation stone to get here.

”No...”

Her eyes watered. The two people who had ventured into Quora empire like it was a field trip, and had saved them. She wanted to talk to them.

”This wasn’t supposed to—”

”Hi,” a voice cut through her mind.

She raised her head, only to see Tiana standing right where Rowen was standing a while ago.

Tiana walked to her side and bent down.

”I wanted to tell him that my parents came back alive.” She muttered. ”I wanted to tell Elias.”

”...”

”I wanted to see him in Ringoff.”

”...”

”I guess that’s impossible now right?”

Tears trailed down her eyes.

”And Zeal. I never got to thank him properly.”

”It hurts me too. Although I am not familiar with Elias. Zeal was my uncle.” Tiana muttered.

Rolarza folded her lips.

”I’m sorry.”

Tiana smiled weakly. ”It’s fine. Actually I...have known it for a while...that Zeal was sick,”

”Sick?” Rolarza gasped.

”There are certain types of people that can perceive energy clearly. He had a crack. That must have weakened him greatly.”

”He didn’t look weak when I saw him.”

”Zeal had never looked weak.” Tiana muttered. ”But he had always been weak. I’m sure Elias also knew that.”

She began to draw on the ground, doing anything to keep herself busy.

”This world wasn’t for him. He was carefree, kind, but rewarded with cruelty,” she smiled. ”He was the one who found me too, and handed me to Rowen.”

”...”

Tiana glanced at her.

”I didn’t want him dead, but I didn’t want him alive either. This world. This timeline doesn’t deserve him. I hope he can finally rest.”