Truth was a poison. It lured you to forgo the existing comfort and even make great sacrifices.
Bali clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh and blood dripped from his palms and splashed on the ground.
He agreed with the federation's decision to hunt down Enigma because she was a threat.
But if she wasn't, then…
"You must know that Shadow Guardians are innocent, right? Enigma was their leader." Varian said and raised a brow. "Think about it, if Enigma was guilty, then you can convince yourself that killing them was necessary."
Bali frowned as he felt a weight on his chest. His conscience…it seemed was being twisted as he faced the possibility of an ugly sin.
Varian raised his voice and looked into Bali's eyes. "What if she is actually innocent? Then all their deaths would be cold-blooded murders done for selfish reasons."
There was a certainty with which Dreamer spoke and it unnerved Bali greatly.
Add with that the fact that when he was on planetoids, he personally saw many Shadow Guardians helping the army and sometimes, even sacrificing themselves.
Finally, Bali's conviction in Enigma's hunt had begun to shake.
"What about her space shuttle? And what is she doing since 500 years?" Bali asked in a defensive tone.
He desperately wished what he believed so far was the truth. Because if it wasn't, then he and everyone he knew had committed a grave sin they could never atone for.
"The space shuttle you saw…it's real. But Enigma just wants to go back to her home. More importantly, the space shuttle is far from completion. Coming to her age…" Varian paused and looked at Enigma with a strange expression.
"She was sleeping most of the time and woke up recently. Think about it, if she was really awake, then with her powers, she could've ruled the world. But she didn't. And there are no traces of her appearing so far. You can check the archives." Varian stated.
Bali shook his head. "Even if it's you telling that, I can't believe it."
While he felt that those possibilities weren't baseless, he had no way of confirming if they were true.
Varian laughed. "I don't have any way to prove about her spaceship and her age, but they're both secondary.
I just want to prove to you that Enigma doesn't pose any threat to the human federation. Then, her spaceship and her age wouldn't matter much, would they?
If it turns out to be false…you can kill her."
Blue Flash raised her aura and was about to lock onto Varian, but Enigma shook her head.
"Hmph!" With a snort, Blue Flash crossed her arms and turned her head.
'Too loyal.'
Varian snickered inside as he watched Blue Flash's reaction.
Of course, he wouldn't let Enigma die. His words were intended for Bali and as expected, they pushed him to an agreement.
"Fine." Bali nodded reluctantly but added. "But after 2 months, I'm in the middle of a step and I am about to progress."
"…" Veins popped up in Varian's forehead and he wanted to slap Bali.
2 months?
Should they keep escaping for 2 months? Are you for real?
Of course, for other awakeners, this was a normal time. Some even went in seclusion for years.
But to Varian, 2 months was enough time to go from level 0 to level 6. Two months later, who knows how strong he would be?
'I need him to get him to agree to join us now.'
Varian couldn't find any way. Bali prioritized his progress to the Sovereign state above all else.
There's just no way he'd sacrifice his progress for this mission he didn't completely believe in.
As Varian rubbed his brows, Enigma suddenly said.
"I will give you a miracle potion. Your progress not only won't stall but will accelerate instead."
"What?" Bali raised a brow and then burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! I remember Shadow Guardians did have one such thing. But don't treat me as a fool, will ya? Even Xanders' omega potion can't help me, what can your potion do?"
"Omega potion?" Enigma sneered. "Didn't they run out of it yet?"
"Huh?" Bali raised a brow. How did Enigma know?
"Roxanna died and they lost the source of Omega potions," Enigma stated.
Bali was bewildered. Source of Omega potions? Did she mean the special ingredients Xanders got in ruins? At least, that's what they said to the world.
Varian, on the other hand, was furious. Omega potions…were made from Sia.
"If you take it, your time to Sovereign state will be reduced exponentially. You'll take only a month or so to reach Sovereign state." Enigma said in a serious voice.
Bali's expression froze and he shook his head bitterly. "That's too good to be true."
"How about you drink first and decide later? If miracle potion is as promised, join us to Pluto, deal?" Varian proposed.
"Aren't you afraid of me reneging after I take the potion?" Bali raised a brow.
Previously, he thought Dreamer was a Sovereign or at least a peak level 9, but after ghost ship's capabilities were leaked, he knew that Dreamer was probably neither.
Not just him, every powerhouse in the solar system also understood that Dreamer wasn't a powerhouse they thought he was. Of course, they couldn't say for certain that he was weak. No one actually knew about his powers.
But Bali was certain of one thing. If Dreamer wasn't a Sovereign, then he could defeat Dreamer. No doubt about it.
That's why he was curious if Dreamer wasn't afraid he'd just take the potion and not do the job.
"Hahaha!" Varian clutched his stomach and laughed. Then all of a sudden, his laughter ceased and he looked into Bali's eyes.
"You can renege on the deal. You surely can. But will you do it? The better question is, do you dare to do it?
What Dreamer had done so far is mainly with the ghost ship, indeed. But do you really want to bet that the person who told you the secrets of reaching Sovereign state is so harmless?" Varian titled his head and said in a chilly tone.
Without knowing, Bali's palms started sweating. But he hid it perfectly and said with eyes. "While I'm grateful to you, are you threatening me?"
Dreamer waved his hand and said in a tone so casual that it looked like a chat between friends. "I'm just stating the obvious.
For your information, once I reach the Sovereign state, I can solo all Sovereigns. You can also include, the abyss kings and queens with them. The result would be the same.
So, nope. I'm not threatening you, I'm just advising you to choose wisely. After all, we're both working towards the peace of humanity and I hate unnecessary infighting."
Bali stared into Dreamer's eyes as if he wanted to see through his soul.
When this man said he'd be not only a Sovereign but also a Sovereign strong enough to take down everyone alone, there wasn't a shred of self-doubt in his eyes.
Bali wanted to scoff at his words and treat them as bragging. But in the end, he didn't. It was a feeling in the back of his mind—the experience honed from countless interactions in his long life—it told him that Dreamer wasn't lying.
"…If the potion is half as good as you claimed, it's a deal," Bali said after a while.
"Report your address." Dreamer smiled.
Two hours later, Bali exited from the boundary to outer space. A drone delivered him an exquisite vial containing a blue liquid.
Bali put it through a few safety tests and then downed the potion.