by L. M. Kerr
"My apologies, Head, for not informing you of my presence. My worry for my friends overwhelmed my common sense." Micheal started off by apologizing. As it stood, he had penetrated deep into the territory of the Godfather Organization without permission, a crime in its own right.
"Oh, that's no problem, lad." Cameron waved off Micheal's worries casually,
"Shin has informed me that you and Sophia have formed a team with him. I do not begrudge my Executives the right to form their own private forces. It's dangerous to fight alone in the 7 Layers."
'Nice job, Shin!' Micheal smiled internally. He hadn't thought about the fact that the Executives, and Sub-Executives like Shin, were given quite a bit of leeway for their own teams.
"Still, going forward in the future, you'll need to receive your official Emblem credentials. You'll need to talk to Shin about that before you leave. He'll be able to direct you." Cameron nodded his head.
"Of course!" Micheal replied quickly. He had no intentions of wasting Shin's efforts here. If it was like this, they would have practically free reign in the territory of the Godfather Organization.
The Godfather studied Micheal for a moment in silence after Micheal replied, his eyes taking on a bit of a brooding look. Just as he opened his mouth to continue his questions…
"Um… excuse me?" A quiet, feminine voice sounded off from down the hallway, behind Head Cameron's chair.
Both Micheal and Cameron froze for a split second before they simultaneously leaned or peered over.
Standing in the middle of the hallway was a 15 or 16 year old girl dressed in a patient's gown. She had pallid skin and listless brown hair, a girl that was clearly recovering from some type of illness, someone that was being treated here.
"Yes, child?" Cameron's heavy aura seemed to dissipate as he faced the young girl, adopting a friendly smile.
"Um… can you let me walk by? My friend's room is just a few doors past that corner, Head Cameron." The girl ducked her head apologetically.
"Ah."
"Ah."
Both Micheal and Cameron let out simultaneous 'Ah's as they realized something. Head Cameron's luxurious armchair was completely blocking off the hallway. They were situated right at the corner, meaning if they sent the clearly sick girl away, she would have to walk all the way around the entire floor to get to her friend's room.
"O-o-of course! Cough!" Head Cameron coughed and cleared his throat, his eyes flicking to the right and left guiltily like a child that had been caught stealing a cookie from the cookie jar.
Micheal watched on in mild amusement. The Head was infamous for being a softie when it came to the weak, sickly, or young. He was truly a good person. It would break Micheal's heart if he had to kill him.
"Displace." Cameron muttered a single word, causing his eyes to glow with green light.
The world around Micheal abruptly flipped upside down.
"Woah!" Micheal yelped, unable to help himself as his chair fell upward. Without any action on his part, the chair flipped around and righted itself, as if guided by currents of gravity.
An instant later, Micheal found himself seated quite comfortably on the ceiling of the hallway, looking down at a world that felt jarringly out of place.
"You can walk by now, child. I've returned the ground to normal." Cameron's voice caught Micheal's attention as Micheal looked over towards him.
Cameron's large armchair had, somehow, flipped around as well and was seated on the ceiling. The man rested upside down like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Thank you, Godfather!!" The girl didn't hesitate as she quickly rushed past, moving almost as if she were used to situations like this and this was a semi-normal occurrence. Micheal watched her run by, musing silently in his head.
'Wow. What a versatile power.' Head Cameron's control of his Ability was extremely fine-tuned for someone with such a relatively low Soul stat.
"Ahem…" Head Cameron coughed a second time as he focused back on Micheal.
"As I was about to say… I'm glad we finally got to meet, Micheal. I've seen the report on your actions when operating under your Emissary Heron identity." The Godfather's voice suddenly became serious.
Micheal tensed up slightly as he heard this, preparing for any response at all.
However, as if to belay his worries, Cameron simply shrugged,
"While I don't approve of killing others so quickly, from what we can tell, all the times you acted seemed to be in self-defense."
Micheal blinked.
'Huh? Were they all really?' He thought back to his actions in the Main Cluster or in the Stardust Cluster.
The only really notable thing he'd done was kill the Black Flag Pirates, who were known villains in the first place, wipe out a ton of Morenkai, and kill or try to kill some of the members of the Nightrunner Numbers as well as Emissary Leila. the Black Witch.
In all of those situations, Micheal had acted in seeming self-defense. His actions of killing Emissary Leila could even be construed as killing someone that had attacked him.
He, technically, wasn't in the wrong for any of these actions.
'Well isn't that convenient.' He smiled slightly as he realized this. If his targets kept willingly attacking him, he could keep on murdering them without even looking evil. He hadn't considered that line of thought.
"And after reading all of that information, and learning that you are one of Sub-Executive Shin's teammates, I wanted to meet you personally for a reason." Head Cameron finished speaking for a moment, giving Micheal a slow nod.
"A reason?" When Micheal heard that, he couldn't help but frown. He had literally no idea what Cameron could be thinking of.
"It has to do with our Hidden Truths Department." As Cameron replied, the man threw out a small, silver Silence Disk. It was an Artifact that cost 48,000 Points in the Shop. It could block off all sound from leaving an area, keeping his and Micheal's conversation perfectly private.
"Your Hidden Truths Department?" When Micheal heard the name of the 'Department,' his frown deepened,
"I don't think I'm aware of any such Department. Is it a private organization?" He had never heard of the group.
"No, it's a secret team organized by yours truly, here in the Godfather Organization." Cameron smiled gently,
"I wouldn't expect you to have heard of it. It has 'Hidden' in the name, after all. Bahaha." The Godfather laughed at his own joke.
"Huh." Micheal blinked slowly,
He had never heard of, read about, or seen any information at all that related to this specific group. Not in any of his reading, any of his research, or just in general conversation ever.
Not even once.
He found that incredibly unusual.
"Yes, just myself, Admiral Cardell, and the members of the Department are aware of it. It's a bit of a secret project of mine, you could say." Head Cameron continued.
When Micheal heard this, all he did was inhale slightly, showing little to no reaction. Internally, however, warning signals had gone flying.
'A secret group hidden within the Godfather Organization that only Admiral Cardell, and its members, knew about in the original timeline?' If Cardell had indeed been and remained infected by the Vile King in the first timeline, then it was entirely possible this Department forever remained a secret, known only to the Vile King.
'The Vile King wouldn't have bothered hiding this Department for no reason.' Micheal's interest flared up at an all-time high as he spoke aloud,
"This Hidden Truths Department… if you're fine with telling me about it, would you mind telling me what it's about?" He shrugged as he spoke, showing only a suitable amount of interest.
"In due time, lad. First, however, I have a question for you, Micheal." Cameron held a hand up. Micheal tensed as he wracked his brain, readying himself to answer a multitude of questions.
"Have you heard of the Monster Class Morenkai Nest?"
Micheal blinked.
That was not the qu
estion he had expected to be asked.
"Yes. It's located in the depths of The Towers that lead to the Second Layer, right?" He had never been to the Monster Class Nest in person. When it had been his time to take the Subway to the next Layer, he had rushed through as quickly as possible, trying only to survive.
"Yes, that is accurate. The reason I bring this up is because that Nest is why I'm here with you today." Cameron paused for a moment before he continued,
"I am organizing a small expedition to the Monster Class Morenkai Nest to test the findings of the Department and I want you to join it. Your Life Orb Mastery Ability is uniquely suited to help. I've already checked with your leader, Shin, and he's agreed to do me a favor and let you accompany me on this mission."
Micheal blinked again. His face remained neutral as he dissected exactly what Cameron said. He was tempted to wrinkle his nose when he heard Shin being described as 'his leader.'
"I see." He didn't, at all, actually, but there would be time for questions later.
"And what findings would that be?" Visiting the Monster Class Morenkai Nest by himself would be suicide, but if Head Cameron was truly accompanying him, it would be another story. Dangerous, yes, but completely doable.
Before he made any decisions, however, it was best to find out all the information he could.
"First, let me explain what the Hidden Truths Department is." Cameron quickly launched into a brief explanation.
The Hidden Truths Department wasn't a large Department. According to the Head, it only had 5 permanent members, with only 3 of them being full members of the Godfather Organization. There was also a large cast, in the thousands, of other researchers that researched certain things without knowing the overall direction.
When combined together, the group was a specialized research team that was, of all things, focused on discovering the secrets of the First Layer. On understanding why Morenkai did what they did, on why the Clusters existed as they did, on every little facet of reality.
And as Cameron finished his explanation, he unveiled a startling revelation.
"The Morenkai, the Great Bridges, the endless skyscrapers and grassy plains, the various scattered Nests, the Golden Morenkai, and even the Monster Class Morenkai…
"Everything in the First Layer is connected.
"And I believe my Hidden Truths Department has found out something incredible." Cameron smiled, his pure, white teeth gleaming as his voice dropped to a whisper,
"I believe we have found a way to make the First Layer safe."
.
Chapter 54
"A way to make the First Layer safe?" Micheal's heart fluttered as he heard this. He forgot about almost everything as his mind raced ahead, even the fact that he was still sitting upside down on the ceiling.
'Could it really be possible?!' For his entire existence, he had never heard of anything similar.
If it was possible to make the First Layer safe, but leave people still able to farm Points, the human race's entire future would change. Not only would all of the changes Micheal had made become even more effective, the number of lives lost to things Micheal couldn't control would also drop drastically.
As he realized this, he also realized why he had never heard of it.
'Focus. Calm down. Control yourself.' He reigned himself in forcefully, not allowing his emotions to rule him as he analyzed things logically.
'The Vile King would never approve of anything like this.' His blinked slowly at the thought, his mind racing ahead of him.
The Vile King's powers were not almighty. He could influence the mind of the person he infected, alongside boosting their potential a great deal. However, he couldn't instantly wipe their mind. At least, Micheal didn’t think so. Big manipulations took time, especially for those with a strong force of will.
And Head Cameron probably had one of the strongest wills in the entire First Layer.
'Did the Vile King orchestrate his death in the original timeline, as a result of this? Or was it really a natural death..?' Powerful people dying, on the First Layer this early on, wasn't exactly unheard of, but it was possible there were things Micheal didn't know. As Micheal pondered all of this in frustration, Head Cameron replied to his original question.
"Yes. Currently, it's just a preliminary possibility that needs further research. But if it truly is possible…" Head Cameron's eyes gleamed,
"It would change the future of humanity as we know it."
A tense moment passed as Micheal looked at Cameron and Cameron stared back. Micheal's breath had grown ragged as a well of emotion swept through him that even he couldn't hold back. The news he had been told was simply too important to him, on several levels.
"Why do you need my help?" Micheal asked as he studied the Godfather's reactions.
Head Cameron nodded, as if he had been expecting that question.
"I can't explain things as clearly as our head researcher will, but I can answer that. Your Life Orb powers allow you to die and come back to life, correct? You are none the less for that experience too, right?" Cameron replied.
Micheal nodded. It would be easy to confirm the truth of that claim given how much the Godfather Organization knew about him, there was little point denying it.
"My unexpected revival has given us the opportunity to complete a plan we were working on for a while, but unable to truly implement until we met someone like you." The Godfather gave Micheal a warm smile.
"Oh? And what plan is that?" Micheal's eyes narrowed.
"It's simple." The Godfather replied,
"We are going to conduct a raid on the Monster Class Morenkai Nest." He motioned at Micheal as he said this and continued,
"And for our plan to work… we need someone to act as live bait. Someone that can, at least briefly, survive an encounter with a Monster Class Morenkai and draw several of the creatures out." Head Cameron went on,
"And most importantly… someone that is not afraid of dying."
.. .. .. .. .. ..
Some amount of time later…
.. .. .. .. .. ..
Micheal sat in meditation in a plain bedroom, resting comfortably on the couch. Light green energy flowed in the air around him, just barely visible as he focused on his Ki Cultivation Ability.
"Ahh…" He exhaled deeply as he opened his eyes, exiting his meditation peacefully. Immediately, after, however, he frowned and rubbed his forehead.
"What have I got myself into now." He complained to himself.
After Head Cameron ambushed him in the hallway and attempted to recruit him, their conversation had ended soon after. The Godfather had other matters to attend to and essentially ditched Micheal with a promise to explain more once he met up with the Head Researcher, a mysterious man named 'Isaiah.'
He hadn't even gotten a chance to question the man about the Dragon Building Liquid or the Golden Morenkai Hunting methods. He also had yet to be sure if Cameron was infected by the Vile King.
Still, it wasn't a total loss. In the end, he'd agreed to meet up with the 'Hidden Truths Department' and find out as much information as possible. He would have another shot at questioning Head Cameron again soon.
When the Godfather himself came to ask something of him, especially for something that appeared to be a huge secret, Micheal absolutely could not decline.
'Hmm…' Micheal's frown deepened.
This had come out of nowhere for him, something he, a man from the future, had completely missed. He wondered what else he'd managed to skip over due to a lack of knowledge, a vaguely uncomfortable feeling welling up inside him.
After a few moments, though, he shook the feelings off.
He would handle things one step at a time. Right now, he needed to plan and adapt.
And most importantly… he needed to prepare.
He pulled his smartphone out from his Spatial Ring and opened it up.
The first thing he needed to do was inform Sophia and Shin. Not only about his mission here, though Shi
n was likely already aware, but also about his plans for the future.
Right now, the duo were injured and in recovery. They would be out of commission for at least a couple of days and that left him with some free time.
He didn't have any super important First Layer missions that he could remember, apart from the elephant in the room. The Nightrunners.
'Head Cameron won't let it go now that they attacked and injured one of his Sub-Executives.' Micheal nodded as he considered that.
The man was fiercely protective of his own. With him alive and already angry with the Nightrunners, the future war might even start sooner than before. As long as Micheal could get solid evidence of their immoral, Nest feeding activities, everything should kick off speedily.
'There's no way Number 1 will have given up.' If there was anything he could be certain of, it was that the infamous 'Hero' of the Nightrunners was just as determined to complete his plans as Cameron was to make the First Layer safe. Garen was obsessed with growing stronger and trusted no one but his own subordinates.
'As for Director Prime…' Micheal sighed. They had Head Cameron in this timeline, so maybe he could change things up. His best option, Brigadier General Pedro, was still potentially exposed.
Micheal sat in meditation for a few more minutes.
Dim light drifted through the window from the sky outside, the night unfolding in glimmering gleams. It was around 1 or 2 am, well past the time he normally slept. He had spent quite a long time cultivating and thinking.
"I can no longer depend on my current power to tide me over." He finally stated his biggest worry.
No matter how much he forcefully powered himself up, time was against him. All of his foes had had years of time to grow, time he couldn't afford to wait and catch up to.
The Second Layer was a ticking time bomb that he needed to handle as soon as possible. The faster he finished up here in the First, the better things would be. If he had his way, he would be done here within 30 days or less.
"What's the best way I can increase my personal power?" He questioned himself aloud, talking to himself.
