Silence.
Utter and awkward silence.
After telling me that I was late, we stood there for a few seconds in silence as I looked at him, at a loss for what to say.
The first thing that I did was turn to the wall nearest to me and find a switchboard there.
I turned off the eerie red light bulb and switched on normal ceiling lights. As the room brightened up, I nodded my head in satisfaction.
"Much better," I remarked before turning to face Kai. "Did you do all that before calling me over?"
Kai averted his gaze and let out a dry cough. "All what? I don't understand what you're talking about."
I pointed at the red bulb on top of us, the antique furniture, and his tailored suit.
"The lighting, the furniture, and even your attire! Did you set up all this to make an entrance?!" I questioned. "Just for the dramatics?!"
In response, Kai let out another dry cough before speaking up.
"I still don't know what you're talking about," he said. "Anyway, if you're done with your useless questions, shall we move on to more pressing matters?"
I narrowed my eyes at him but finally let him off the hook.
"Fine," I replied. "Let's just do that, but I'll say this – you have a very serious fetish for dramatics."
"It's called making an effort to look awesome!" Kai snapped, but he quickly coughed once again and calmed himself.
Finally, turning serious, he shot me a cold glare and said, "You do know why I called you here, right?"
"You are finally going to explain things?" I answered with a question.
"Yes," Kai nodded. "But before I do that, I need you to do two things."
A confused frown creased my forehead as I questioned, "What?"
"I know you don't want to tell me how you got to know about the future of this world, but I need you to at least tell me what are your goals," Kai replied, his eyes intensely staring into mine.
Without a speck of hesitation, I instantly answered him, "I know the world will be destroyed. I want to survive past the final war which means I would have to stop the destruction of the world. My goal is to save the world."
Kai stood frozen in his place after listening to my answer. He then took a deep breath and went back to sit on his couch before crossing his legs.
"I see," he heaved a sigh and rubbed his face.
"What is your motive?" I asked, unable to wait any longer.
"Can't you tell?" Kai gave me an 'Isn't it obvious' look and answered, "I have the same end goal as you."
"So why were you trying to stop me from changing the events of the future?" I asked, my voice laced with confusion.
Instead of giving me an immediate answer, Kai furrowed his brow, as though debating over whether or not to tell me something he shouldn't.
"Just do it!" I urged. "You've said it yourself that we share the same end goal, right? So tell me what you're hiding!"
Letting out a sigh, Kai gazed back at me. "Fine. But before I reveal it, you'll need to offer me a token of trust."
"And what does that mean now?" I inquired, my frown getting deeper.
"As I mentioned before, it's alright if you don't disclose the source of your future knowledge right now," Kai reiterated. "However, if I'm going to disclose my secret, I need you to reveal something that holds equal significance to you."
…I see.
I understood his request. He wanted me to share something that he could use against me if I ever crossed him.
It was understandable, I guess.
If he really has the same goal as me, then it is better to maintain a level of caution and never place complete trust in anyone.
After all, you don't know who will turn on you in this world.
With a nod, I began speaking.
"I have a Phoenix," I disclosed.
".....?!" Kai's eyes widened in astonishment upon hearing my words.
"What?" he stammered, clearly taken aback.
"During our trip to Silveserine City, I found a Mythical Beast Egg. I brought it back with me, and it eventually hatched into a Phoenix," I revealed.
"Wait, that means you killed that former Abyssal Vampire King, Reina!" Kai raised an eyebrow, genuinely shocked. "You must have taken the egg that was in her possession!"
Ah, so he even knew about that.
"So that's how you were so easily able to ascend to the Silver tier! You must have used William's Soul Sync with the Beast Egg!" Kai deduced.
"You're not angry that I altered the future once again?" I questioned, my brow furrowing in a frown.
"By killing Reina? No," Kai waved his hand dismissively. "I don't think she helped the heroes in any meaningful manner, so her death doesn't matter."
Before I could fully understand what he meant by that, Kai spoke up again and interjected my thoughts.
"But do you understand the consequences of sheltering a Phoenix? If the Central Government were to discover your secret, they would directly punish you!" Kai hissed.
"That's precisely why I'm telling this to you," I promptly replied. "This is my token of trust."
After a brief pause, Kai couldn't help but rub his forehead once more.
"Arghh!" He groaned in frustration before reluctantly nodding. "Fine, there's nothing I can do now that your soul has already synchronized. Your potential must have already reached the Mythical rank. Though there will be several variables and butterfly effects, it cannot be helped."
Muttering to himself, Kai rose from the couch once again.
"I appreciate you telling me this," Kai said, taking a few steps toward me. "Follow me. I'll show you something."
Without awaiting my response, Kai walked past me, leaving me to trail behind him.
†
"Uh, Kai," I called out to the young man standing beside me. "Why are we standing in front of a Teleportation Gate?"
Yeah, we were in front of the Academy's Teleportation Gate, with a guard standing on duty, dressed in a complete blue and white uniform.
Instead of answering my question directly, Kai retrieved his ID card from his pocket and showed it to the guard, whispering to him the destination he wanted to go to.
Ah, I remember now.
In the novel, Kai had some connections with the Cadet Council.
Currently, he was the only first-year cadet permitted to use the Teleportation Gate.
But where were we going now?
After checking Kai's ID, the guard nodded in acknowledgment and handed Kai two circular metal tokens. The Wiseman then passed one of the tokens to me.
The guard put in the coordinates on the computer in front of him and after a brief pause, a portal materialized within the Gate frame, seamlessly tearing through the fabric of space.
Without uttering a single word, Kai stepped through the portal.
Letting out a slight sigh, I followed suit, entering the Teleportation Gate behind him with a hint of hesitation.
Kwash—
In an instant, the scenery underwent a complete transformation as I traversed the portal.
Towering skyscrapers, crafted from a silver-like metal adorned with green vines, high-rise structures, well-paved roads filled with fallen leaves, and tall trees lining the sidewalks.
The entire landscape looked like a fusion of modern infrastructure and nature. Right now, we were on top of a skyscraper ourselves.
"Welcome," a voice greeted us upon our arrival.
I noticed an elven girl standing in front of us, donned in the female blue and white guard uniform.
Wait… I know this place!
"Silveserine?" I muttered under my breath before turning to Kai who was standing on my right. "Why are we in Silveserine?"
"Didn't I tell you?" Kai said to me before heading for the exit of the terrace. "Come, I have something to show you."
