"Head Cameron is in this building?" Micheal froze when he heard s.h.i.+n's next words .

"Yeah, he dropped by around half an hour ago to talk to me . My injuries and everything are still pretty fresh . " s.h.i.+n replied quickly .

Micheal felt blood pound in his ears as a mix of horror, excitement, fear, and worry flooded him .

If Head Cameron was in this building…

Then it was very likely the G.o.dfather would know Micheal was here with s.h.i.+n .

Head Cameron of the G.o.dfather Organization was a very powerful S Ranker . Officially, he was ranked second, right behind Director Prime on the Main Cl.u.s.ter Ranking List .

Micheal was well aware of the man's Abilities, able to recall reading about them due to his own personal interest .

In particular, Cameron's Gravity Domain Type Ability was what was worrying him now .

This Ability allowed Cameron to project a Domain that could cover a huge amount of ground, anything within roughly 200 meters of him . The area it affected was a giant sphere, with Cameron's body at the exact center .

Cameron was aware of any living creatures within his Domain . He could pinpoint their location within a meter, knowledge that he gained innately . He also could build up a vague image of the world in his domain, enough to form a rough mental image .

Through his Domain, he was able to manipulate gravity, limited only by the power of his Soul . At his current Soul stat, per history, Cameron wasn't able to affect his entire 200 meter Domain, but could pick out any 10 meter large clump and s.h.i.+ft gravity within that range . The closer that clump was to him, the more he could s.h.i.+ft its gravity .

His Gravity Domain Type Ability had a downside as well, however .

He was not immune to the effects of the modified gravity . After all, reality itself was s.h.i.+fting . He was unable to prevent that s.h.i.+ft from affecting himself .

In the past, the Ability had intrigued Micheal and he'd done a little research on it .

If one's Soul stat was sufficiently high, it was actually possible to manipulate gravity using this Ability and remain unaffected . Down here on the First, however, achieving a high enough Soul stat was near impossible . The advent of using Nest Cores to boost one's Soul stat was a new avenue that might work, but Micheal got the feeling that it would offer diminis.h.i.+ng returns as he broke more Nest Cores .

'He knows I'm here . He will know I broke in through the window . ' Micheal's heart continued to pound as he processed this thought .

'But he doesn't know I know that!' Very little was known about Head Cameron's Limited Type Ability, outside of its gravity manipulation powers . The fact that he could sense people's location in his Domain was something the G.o.dfather had successfully kept as a secret, one of his trump cards .

Micheal whipped his focus back to the present as he looked back at s.h.i.+n .

"Is everything alright?" s.h.i.+n asked first, staring at Micheal with concern,

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"You aren't going crazy on me again, Micheal?"

Micheal paused his reply for a split second as he gave s.h.i.+n an odd look,

"Again?"

"In 6th grade you told me you liked Nickelback . " s.h.i.+n shrugged nonchalantly .

Micheal blinked slowly . He resisted the urge to hang his face in his hands a third time as he sighed, a small smile forcing its way onto his face . The smile faded as his eyes turned serious .

"s.h.i.+n, I need you to listen to me very carefully . "

. . . . . . . . . . . .

A small amount of time later . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

s.h.i.+n looked at the big, Heaton Sniper Rifle Micheal had given him after they finished talking .

It was large and felt resoundingly solid in his hand . It didn't feel heavy, largely thanks to his boosted strength, when meant maneuvering it would be easy .

Once Micheal learned that s.h.i.+n had gone with a long range and/or gun heavy fighting style, s.h.i.+n's best friend had taken it oddly . s.h.i.+n didn't find it too surprising, considering the vision of the future Micheal had seen . He, supposedly, was very different then .

Micheal hadn't argued against that choice, but had instead given him what he termed a 'spare gun' that he no longer needed . s.h.i.+n had taken it gladly .

This gun condensed energy from the air to form a 'heat bullet,' according to Micheal . s.h.i.+n was extremely curious about how this would interact with his Expand Ability .

'I can't teleport energy, at least for now . How about Expanding it?' The thought was one he couldn't shake .

s.h.i.+n hoisted the gun up with his right hand for a moment, tucking it with his arm . He then spun it up to lean on his shoulder, craning his neck to be able to look through the scope .

He frowned .

'Aiming it with one hand will be a problem . '

According to the medical review of his injuries, his arm had been severed at a very deep level . The attack had sliced through his arm to a microscopic degree, imbued with an energy that was extremely invasive .

Micheal had recognized his injury after learning that Number 6 dealt the blow, saying it was caused by a 'Weapon Mastery' Ability . It was possible to regrow his arm, according to Micheal, but it would take a very long time if he started the process here on the First Layer . At least a year .

Instead, Micheal had recommended s.h.i.+n seek out another option for now .

Abruptly, s.h.i.+n heard footsteps echo outside his door . His eyes flashed with a hint of appreciation, tinged with disbelief as he stored the new sniper rifle in his Spatial Ring .

A light knocking echoed out .

"Sub-Executive s.h.i.+n? Mind if I come back in?" A polite, gentle and familiar voice sounded off, carrying through the door .

The voice of the G.o.dfather, Head Cameron . The man had dropped by to visit again, just minutes after Micheal left .

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Exactly like how Micheal said he would .

"Yes sir!" s.h.i.+n leaned back in his bed, donning an exhausted look that was entirely fake .

Head Cameron's familiar form appeared as the man walked in, giving s.h.i.+n a calm smile . He took several steps into the room, till he was around two meters from s.h.i.+n's resting bed .

"My newest Sub-Executive . I thought I sensed a presence down here . I figured I'd come check on you to be certain of your safety . " s.h.i.+n felt vaguely jealous of Cameron's deep voice as he heard the man continue .

"Ah, that was a friend of mine, sir . A man I knew before the advent of the 7 Layers and someone I trust like a brother . " Like Micheal had instructed, s.h.i.+n openly told the truth .

Something appeared and then vanished in Cameron's eyes, far too quickly for s.h.i.+n to notice . The G.o.dfather then smiled back at s.h.i.+n .

"Oh? Well, if that is the case, I won't begrudge him sneaking in . His feat is rather impressive given the security perimeter we have set up here . " Cameron looked around the room and nodded his head slowly .

s.h.i.+n continued,

"He's decided to join Sophia and I, more permanently as part of my own team . " All the Executives and Sub-Executives had their own private forces . The G.o.dfather Organization fostered an environment of freedom and compet.i.tion in that aspect .

"He actually just left to go meet up with her . I told him where she was staying . " s.h.i.+n stayed perfectly calm as he shamelessly mixed the truth with lies . He and Micheal had worked this plan up in less than a minute, forming a believable excuse .

While it might not hold up under extensive review, that didn't really matter . After all, according to Micheal, they would be done here on the First Layer within 30 days .

"If you find him trustworthy, I won't have any objections to the team you form . However, he can't just be traveling about unescorted so far into our inner territory . " Cameron shook his head as he raised his right hand and tapped on a Spatial Ring .

A smartphone popped out . Cameron quickly typed something out on it, sending a message before he returned his attention to s.h.i.+n with a smile .

"As long as he remains within the building, there won't be any issues . "

"He's going to stay here, don't worry! I already let him know . " s.h.i.+n ducked his head as he quickly replied .

"Very well . " Cameron nodded . He glanced back towards the doorway, as if he was preparing to leave, his mission here completed .

"Ah, Head Cameron? I have a request I would like to make . " s.h.i.+n jumped in before he left, trying his best to remain perfectly calm . There was something about the Head that made one nervous just seeing him . He had a certain air about him that practically emanated authority .

"Hmm? Go on . " Cameron nodded at s.h.i.+n .

"I'd like to request a Melding Plate Arm from the Armory . " s.h.i.+n directly requested what Micheal had suggested he ask for .

A Melding Plate Arm was an Artifact that costs 68,750 Points in the Shop . It was a variation of a Melding Plate Artifact, one of the rare Artifacts that had a slew of sub-options to select from .

It was a magical tool that could connect to his stump of a shoulder and form a completely new, metallic arm . The power of his arm would sync up with his body, but also be largely dependent on what metals it had absorbed .

"A Melding Plate Arm?" Head Cameron looked at s.h.i.+n for a few moments in contemplation .

"That's a pretty pricey Artifact, if I recall correctly . But, on the other hand, I can see how lacking an arm could greatly impact your effectiveness as a Sub-Executive . " Cameron seemed to weigh his options for a moment before he smiled at s.h.i.+n .

"Alright, I can give the Armory the okay to send you one . But in return… I'll need you to do a small favor for me . "

s.h.i.+n listened on, partially in awe .

Micheal had given s.h.i.+n two scenarios of how he thought events with Head Cameron would play out . And so far, almost everything that Micheal had said might happen in his second scenario had happened, with near unnerving accuracy .

s.h.i.+n raised his head proudly, pus.h.i.+ng aside his awe as he yelped out,

"I would be happy to!"

. . . . . . . . . . . .

A small amount of time later . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Micheal felt a drop of sweat drip from his forehead as he knocked gently on a door in front of him . The door was made of wood and looked ornate, with a pink trim around the side of it .

Behind him, a mostly empty hallway spread out . This was one of the VIP sections of the Medical Bay, filled with various patients . Getting in here at all had proven a trial for Micheal, requiring a bit of subterfuge and sneakery .

In the end, it had been a bit easier than expected . He'd managed to fake his way through a squadron of guards in one of the stairwells almost too easily . It felt, to his experienced eyes, that they were letting him through on purpose .

Still, he pushed his suspicions to the side for now as he focused on the present . He needed to check on Sophia, first and foremost .

The G.o.dfather might have been infected by the Vile King and he had just visited Sophia . There wasn't too much known about the Seeds the Vile King spread . Micheal knew that they were more effective on those that had recently suffered through some traumatic event or had a weakened force of will .

Head Cameron's return from essentially death was a solid example, one that led Micheal to believe s.h.i.+n . In history, Admiral Cardell was a powerful S Ranker that rose to power through his own skill .

Becoming an S Ranker was nearly impossible . In the current Main Cl.u.s.ter, there were only 6, after all, and each one held incredible power .

The leaders of the Big 3 were the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd ranked S Rankers . Prime, Cameron, and Sylvester . The remaining 3 kept out of any major political issues, pursuing their own goals .

Tandrum the Explorer, a man obsessed with discovering the secrets of the First Layer, worked alone .

Anastasia Myu, a woman that had formed her own private kingdom in a side Cl.u.s.ter, but had a neighboring small chip of territory she claimed control of in the Main Cl.u.s.ter .

And finally, Hou Shenyeng, the Enlightened Monk . A wandering monk that focused on 'enlightenment' and his own understanding of his Abilities, ignoring outsiders unless they interfered with his actions .

These 6 were the only S Rankers that had formed of the tens of millions of human beings that lived in the Main Cl.u.s.ter . While it was true that millions more had moved on to the next Layer, the number of S Ranker-equivalent humans was still an incredibly diminutive number .

The chances of Admiral Cardell developing into an S Ranker right after Head Cameron died, even if he was as powerful as he currently was, were still pretty slim . If the Admiral was constantly being boosted by the Vile King over time, however…

'In fact, didn't Number 1 also become an S Ranker in the near future as well? His rise to power was through raw talent too . ' Micheal frowned as the thought pa.s.sed through him .

All of a sudden, he felt as if the number of people he could trust or be certain of had drastically fallen . Even with his foreknowledge of the future, there was so much he didn't know .

"h.e.l.lo? Who is it?" Sophia's voice broke into Micheal's thoughts, echoing out from beyond the closed door .

Micheal took a deep breath, steeling himself as he prepared to reply . His eyes flashed with grim promise as he gathered his will .

The chance was slim… but it was possible Sophia had been infected by the Vile King .

And if that was the case…

He might have to kill her .

.