Victor blinked in mild surprise as the others suddenly appeared, his eyes scanning around as three additional holograms flickered on the chairs.
“Is this the one? The man capable of absorbing Arcane energy?” A mechanical voice asked, its tone curious.
“You just allowed him in here? Into our sacred domain? And you’re not even concerned he could be a spy?” another voice cut in, this one sharper, dripping with irritation and distrust.
Amidst the tension, a third voice chimed in, a seductive purr, “Mmm… he’s quite a sight. I wonder what kind of handsome face you’re hiding behind that mask, pretty boy~” The mechanical voice seemed to savour each word.
Victor merely smirked at their varied reactions, showing no signs of reaction.
But then, unexpectedly—
“E-Excuse me… could you… um, would you please move?”
Victor’s brows furrowed as he heard a soft, almost shy voice at his side. Glancing down, he noticed a small hologram flickering at his feet, seemingly projecting from within the chair.
Without letting out his surprise, he gave a curt nod and stood up and stepped aside.
His gaze swept back to everyone, noticing now that five holograms sat in the chairs, each distinct yet united in their presence, with Jack occupying one seat. They stared back at him with varying degrees of interest, doubt, and amusement.
One of the mechanical voices…. the same sultry one from before—chimed again with an almost teasing, “Oh? Why did you make the pretty boy stand up? He’ll be all lonely~” A pause, then with a sly edge, “If you’re feeling lonely, darling, I wouldn’t mind if you sat on me~”
Victor frowned, he turned and walked straight toward the chair.
Without a word, he sat down.
“Oh?”
“What? Did you really think I wouldn’t do it?” Victor asked, his lips curling into a small, mocking smirk as the hologram continued to flicker inside him.
“Not bad… not bad at all, pretty boy. You’re bold. Bolder than most~” The mechanical voice, dripping with intrigue, responded with growing interest.
“I’m not like the others,” Victor stated, his tone confident, bordering on arrogance.
“…Indeed,” the voice agreed after a brief but noticeable pause.
It was then that the first hologram, the one Jack had earlier referred to as “Master,” finally spoke, its voice measured, calm, and carrying an undeniable authority.
“Now that everyone is here, allow me to properly welcome Victor once again. And to answer the question posed earlier: yes, this time is special. Victor, you see, unlike previous times when chosen ones appeared, that was merely a method of trial and error.”
“Trial and Error?”
“Indeed,” the Master continued, “No game is perfect at its inception…. And the grand game played by the Arcane and Mother has been no exception. It took thousands of years for them to refine and perfect it… and now, the real game has begun.”
Victor’s mind raced. ‘Is that true, Log?’ he questioned inwardly.
Yet, unlike before, there was no immediate response.
The silence in his mind caused him to frown slightly, but he quickly refocused. “So, in order to prevent destruction, we need to kill the chosen ones?” he asked, his voice darkening as he turned his focus to Jack, his eyes gleaming with a deadly intent. “Then shouldn’t that guy be dead by now?”
[+10 AP]
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Jack visibly flinched as Victor’s killing intent washed over him, intense and almost suffocating, ‘W-What…? That bloodlust… it’s as if I were his sworn enemy… How in the world can he switch his emotions like that? Damn… it’s making me… hot~’ Jack thought, his inner voice tinged with a twisted sense of admiration.
The Master said, “No! It’s not just about killing them. We gave them an option—to side with us, just as Jack Sparrow did. This organization is for a higher cause, Victor. We aim to create a greater world. A better one!!
Not controlled by anyone… You know, right? Being controlled by the Sovereign… She will dictate your actions… which is not in our Organization”
Victor narrowed his eyes but gave a slight nod, though his attention remained locked onto Jack, “I see… But even if they side with us, to stop ‘The Beginning,’ we still need to eliminate the others, don’t we?”
A heavy silence fell over them.
Finally, after a long, charged pause, the Master responded, “You will—”
But before the Master could finish, one of the other holograms interjected, its voice sharp and tinged with frustration, “Wait! Master, are you seriously going to just trust him like that? What about the test? The trials you made the rest of us go through to prove our worth before entering the organization?”
The Master’s gaze turned icy, its silence chilling. The other hologram quickly lowered its head in submission, trembling under the weight of that gaze. Even the garden itself seemed to quiver, as though responding to the Master’s presence.
“I-I am sorry…”
After what felt like an eternity, the Master finally spoke again, his voice unyielding, “Of course, he will go through the test.” The Master turned to Victor, the hologram glowing slightly, “You don’t mind, do you, Victor?”
Victor shrugged with casual nonchalance, a hint of amusement in his eyes, “As long as I get to have fun playing with lives, I don’t mind at all.”
[+1 AP]
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Victor smirked inwardly, ‘Looks like three of them are interested in me… good. That should work in my favour.’ His eyes flicked to Jack, who was still grinning at him with unsettling intensity.
Find more to read on empire
[+100 AP]
Victor felt a shiver crawl down his spine. ‘What’s his deal? Why does he keep staring at me like that?’ he thought, feeling an odd sense of discomfort ripple through him.
The Master asked, “You Elite all were planning to visit the Pyra Fulgur Empire for the trial, correct?…. I want you to gather some critical information while you’re there—specifically about the Origin Emperor.”
“Origin Emperor?” Victor frowned, ‘So even they don’t know much about this Origin Emperor… Guess I have only one choice now.’ He nodded slightly to himself, his mind already calculating his next move.
“Yes, you’re tasked with gathering information about the Origin Emperor, and—” the Master’s tone became colder, “—you will also eliminate one of the chosen ones while you’re there.”
A collective gasp filled the room, the holograms reacting with clear surprise.
“Master, isn’t that too much for his first mission?” The hologram Victor had sat on questioned with a slightly tensed tone.
But before the Master could respond, the other hologram—the one that had been visibly irritated by Victor’s presence… snapped, “Too much? After all the privileges he’s been given, I think it’s the perfect mission.” It turned its mechanical gaze toward Victor, its disdain evident. “Kill one of the chosen ones. Prove your loyalty. Only then will we truly believe you belong here.”
Victor cast a sidelong glance at the Master, noting the lack of response, ‘So they’re testing me already… Fine,’ he thought before nodding in acknowledgement. “Very well,” he said, his voice smooth and unwavering. “I’ll do it. I just hope you’re all ready to enjoy the show.” With that, he stood, preparing to leave.
“Until we meet again, Victor,” the Master said. It raised a hand to signal the end of the meeting, but before it could finish—
“One more thing,” Victor interrupted, “When exactly is this ‘Beginning’ supposed to happen? Is there some sort of deadline, or do we have a timeline to follow?”
The Master paused before replying. “There’s no fixed time limit. It all depends on when the trials are completed. The sooner they end, the sooner the beginning will commence.”
Victor nodded, “Understood.”
The Master’s hologram shifted slightly as it added, “And Victor, remember this: you’re not doing this for nothing. Once you complete your mission, you’ll be richly rewarded. And based on your performance and contributions to the organization, those rewards will continue to grow and… Most of all, Betraying my trust is the worst thing you do in your life!”
Victor gave a single nod of acknowledgement.
With a snap of the Master’s fingers, the room shifted, and Victor vanished from the garden.
The moment he disappeared.
“Are we really sure we can trust him?” one of the holograms asked, its voice betraying the unease. “Even though he signed the contract, he still has the ability to absorb Arcane energy. None of us have ever seen anything like that before… we can’t just—”
“Careful,” Jack interrupted, his voice suddenly cold, almost indifferent, though his killing intent simmered just beneath the surface. “You had been Questioning the Master’s decisions… are you eager to die?”
The Master raised a hand, silencing the tension before it could escalate, “There’s no need for concern. Victor… I will personally monitor his actions.”
The other holograms seemed to relax slightly, some even sighing in relief.
With the topic of Victor seemingly settled, the Master shifted focus. “Now, on to the more pressing matter. According to Jack’s latest report, Kennedy has betrayed us. He acted independently, led a massacre… and failed miserably.”
The room fell silent at the mention of Kennedy’s name.
“However…” the Master continued, its voice taking on a more thoughtful tone, “it seems that before his death, Kennedy managed to accomplish something. Jack, I need you to investigate any unusual activities in the worlds. Any sign of emerging monsters, strange phenomena… anything that stands out, no matter how small. I want to know about it.”
“Understood, Master,”
The Master’s voice took on a darker edge, “Since you’ll be heading to the Pyra Empire, keep an eye out for any remnants of the Phoenix bloodline. If any of them are still alive, bring them to me. And one more thing… Since, Kaelen Drakfang has chosen to leave the organization….Add him to the elimination list.”
Jack bowed deeply, his expression serious. “Absolutely understood, Master.”
With a nod from the Master, Jack vanished from the room, leaving the remaining holograms behind.
The Master’s gaze turned toward the others. His tone was low, but a hint of amusement crept into his words. “A storm is coming…”