Chapter 158: Mole, Factions

Catherine Lorrain POV

Catherine stood at the edge of a broken rooftop, high above the shattered city blocks.

The wind howled as it rushed past her, tugging at her coat and whipping her hair into wild patterns.

She didn’t bother brushing it back.

Her eyes, sharp and golden, were focused entirely on the giant moving through the ruins ahead.

The Sentinel.

Even from a distance, it dominated the skyline.

The Sentinel was a towering construct of metal and war-grade alloy, created during the era of Lost Civilization.

Now, it moved with a strange lurch.

If one looked closely, they’d spot it: pale, vine-like growths wrapped tightly around its joints, pulsing with faint red-green light.

Those were the signs of a Metavore infestation.

Catherine’s lips curved faintly, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

Her grip on her sword tightened.

"Combat prowess of a Level 50 Champion from a high-rank species," she muttered. "And corrupted by a hive no less."

She drew her blade.

It didn’t come out as a simple weapon.

Instead, it elongated as it left the sheath, unfolding section by section into a long, segmented whip-blade.

The weapon gleamed with faint violet energy, tuned to her aura.

The wind hissed as the steel flexed in the air, reacting to her will.

The Sentinel turned.

Its optics scanned, then locked onto her position.

The sound of shifting plates echoed across the empty ruins as it readied itself for battle. Systems activated. Gears clicked into place. Energy surged through its frame.

Catherine tilted her head.

"So that’s how the nagas planned to tip the scales. They managed to corrupt a Sentinel with Metavore. That explains their confidence."

She didn’t move right away. She was trying to see how deep the Metavore infestation had run, and if it was possible to destroy the infestation without harming the Sentinel.

Unfortunately, the tendrils had merged with the Sentinel’s internal systems already. The Sentinel was under control of Metavore.

Its body had become another hive.

"How long have the nagas been working in these ruins? A structure this size, that much infestation... this isn’t recent."

"The nagas must’ve spent a lot of time to create a specialized Metavore Hive, and to corrupt the Sentinel."

She glanced at the dead streets below.

The patrol zones for awakeners extended this deep into the ruins. Still, they never encountered a naga, which meant the nagas had been operating in a blind spot.

It was too much of a coincidence.

Corrupting a Sentinel, and creating a hive would take time. At least one awakener should’ve seen a naga, or noticed something was wrong.

"They nagas are receiving help," she said. "Someone inside the stronghold is rerouting patrols."

Her thoughts moved quickly, connecting threads that had once felt too scattered.

A mole. It had to be someone high enough to alter official routes. Someone trusted. Someone with reach.

Catherine clicked her tongue.

She would deal with that later.

For now, her attention returned to the Sentinel. It was fully activated now, stance lowered, arms shifting into combat formation. The corrupted energy at its core pulsed brighter.

Her eyes stayed locked on the towering construct. A war machine laced with hive instinct.

And yet there was no fear in her expression.

She adjusted her grip on the whip-blade.

"Let’s see what you can do."

Without waiting for it to strike first, Catherine jumped from the rooftop.

She descended into the dust and chaos.

...

Isaac POV

Renald looked toward Isaac and gave him a nod of genuine approval.

"You handled the command relay well," he said. "Some areas could’ve been smoother, but that’ll come with experience. Honestly, you’re already ahead of most veterans I’ve worked with."

Isaac nodded politely, accepting the praise without showing too much emotion.

Before he could say anything in return, members from Team Eta and Team Omega rushed over, surrounding him with excited chatter.

"Captain, you were insane out there!"

"I saw you hold the left flank on your own. Those flesh-cyborgs didn’t stand a chance against you!"

"You’ve gotta teach me how you controlled the battlefield like that."

Amid the flurry, Isaac responded calmly, offering short but thoughtful replies.

He wasn’t boastful, nor dismissive. His presence remained composed, giving the impression of someone used to being in control.

Team Gamma had surrounded Emily by then, showering her with praises. She kept fidgeting, unsure of how to respond to the attention.

"It was nothing... really... I mean, I just did my part," she muttered, cheeks red.

"You one-shotted that bipedal cyborg," one of the Gamma members pointed out.

"And you even fought the Guardian Machina to stalemate," another added. "Seriously, there is no need to be so humble."

Nearby, Alice stood with her arms crossed as members of Team Delta approached.

"You were amazing, Miss Alice."

"That final strike... I’ve never seen anything like it."

"I’ve—"

Alice gave them a single sharp glance.

The crowd quieted.

No one dared to get too close to her after that.

The awakeners looked at each other with awkward glances and laughed. Alice might act like she didn’t care about them, but they had seen how she had been responsibly protecting everyone.

Suddenly, the sea of Awakeners parted.

Vale Rae and Celia Rae were approaching. Members of the Titan Edge guild followed them, walking in measured steps. Their presence alone pulled attention.

Vale stepped forward, extended a hand toward Isaac, and said, "Good work."

Isaac accepted the handshake with a nod. "Likewise. You handled the Nodes quickly."

Celia, standing just behind her brother, smiled brightly. Her eyes sparkled with admiration.

"You were incredible, Isaac. I watched you from the Command Center. You moved like you’d done this a hundred times before. I think I’ve become a fan."

Isaac raised an eyebrow. Before he could respond, Celia stepped closer.

"Can I take a selfie with you?"

He looked at her for a second, then at Vale. When he saw no reaction from Vale, he nodded. "Sure."

Celia clicked the photo, looked at it with satisfaction, then immediately posted it online without another word.

As she walked back, Titan Edge guild members exchanged stunned looks.

"Am I dreaming? Did the Guild Master’s sister just take a selfie with a boy?"

"He’s dead. No way Guild Master will let this slide."

"He’s probably already marking the time and place of execution."

Vale turned toward the muttering group and narrowed his eyes.

The members coughed awkwardly.

"Haha, well, you know. Guild Master isn’t

that

overprotective. He’s open-minded."

"Yeah, super chill guy. He probably encouraged her to make friends."

"Exactly, it’s just a selfie. Why would anyone die over a selfie, right?"

Vale sighed, clearly unimpressed.

After a moment, Vale turned back toward Isaac, gave him a respectful nod, and quietly left.

It didn’t take long before the rest of the members of the Titan Edge guild gathered around Isaac. Several of them had been saved by his interventions, whether it was rerouting traps or drawing aggro from mutated enemies.

"Thank you for earlier. If you hadn’t rerouted us, we would’ve triggered two more flesh bombs."

"Your Grains... those were life-saving. There mana recovery helped a lot already, but thanks to their calming effect, we could use skills in rapid succession without putting too much burden on our spirit."

"Seriously, we owe you."

Isaac accepted their thanks with the same calm demeanor he had shown earlier.

"It wasn’t much. Everyone played their part today. We won because we worked together."

Renald watched from a short distance, arms folded. He lit a cigarette and took a long puff.

"What a fearsome brat," he muttered.

His assistant raised an eyebrow. "You mean Isaac?"

Renald nodded. His eyes were still on Isaac, then drifted briefly to Emily and Alice.

"Two of them are confirmed SSS rank Awakeners. And based on her performance today... that girl’s probably one too. Master of Sanctum really struck gold this year."

His assistant nodded. "Yes, appearance of three SSS rank awakeners in one year is unheard of."

Renald exhaled slowly, the smoke trailing into the sky.

"Humanity only has nineteen SSS rank Awakeners. Normally, you’re lucky to get one a decade. Celia Rae awakened four years ago, and everyone assumed we wouldn’t see another for a decade. But now we’ve got three... all joining the same faction."

"That should be a good thing, shouldn’t it?" the assistant asked, realizing something was wrong with Renald’s tone.

Renald didn’t answer right away. He stared up at the sky, brows slightly furrowed.

"It would be... if they had joined different factions."

"Why?"

Renald took another puff before speaking again.

"The Governor is a dangerous man. He plays nice while he’s on top, but if someone threatens to replace him...."

He did not complete his words.

But the intent behind them was clear.

The Governor wouldn’t stay still while another faction hoarded strength, and grew rapidly.

Currently, five factions held sway in the city.

The Governor Faction was the ruling power, backed by the city’s top guilds and mid-sized organizations. Their grip on policy and operations was absolute.

Then came the three university factions—Sanctum of Masters, Aeternum, and Horizon.

While they had influence due to training most of the city’s talented Awakeners, their actual power couldn’t match the Governor’s.

Lastly, there was the Calloway Faction.

They were a neutral player. They didn’t interfere in politics but maintained cordial ties with everyone. Many businesses preferred to operate under them to avoid being pulled into faction disputes.

But the most ambitious companies? Those had pledged to the Governor a long time ago.

Renald flicked the ash from his cigarette, watching it fall to the ground.

"Let’s just hope," he said quietly, "that nothing wrong happens."

The Governor must be upset due to his current situation already. Most of his powerful awakeners were swept up in the Mourning Frost Mountains, and busy there.

It was why the Governor Faction was not one of the parties exploring the Fortified City 89.

If not for the urgent situation in Mourning Frost Mountains, the Governor would’ve never let go of the sweet pie named Fortified City 89— no, Renald was sure the Governor had plans to either push back the other factions before they took the new city, and then snatch control from them.

’There is no way that old snake would sit quietly after the new awakeners of Master of Sanctum faction showed their strength.’

The wind picked up, carrying the scent of smoke and blood from the battlefield below. The operation had ended in victory.

But the real storm, perhaps, had only just begun.

...

Isaac unaware of the approaching storm was resting in a private tent given to him.

Outside, the wind was shifting as dusk settled. There was no urgency in the air, no system alert buzzing in his mind, no enemies approaching to kill him.

’Emily’s Quest should’ve completed. I wonder what new Quest she must’ve gotten, if she got one.’

It was peaceful.

That peace shattered when Alice barged in.

Before he could even turn his head, she had crossed the space in two quick steps and grabbed him by the collar.

"Why did you do that?" she said.

Her voice wasn’t raised, but the weight behind it made Isaac look up. Her blood-red eyes glared down at him with controlled fury.

"Huh?"

"Why did you put Emily in so much danger?" Alice’s grip tightened. "She would’ve died if I didn’t reach her in time."

He blinked once.

Emily, who had been following just behind Alice, came to a halt like she’d hit an invisible wall.

Her smile faded.

She had been planning to toss herself into Isaac’s arms, and ask for headpats because she worked hard today. But now her stayed floating at the tent’s entrance.

Alice was angry at Isaac...?

Emily had never seen that before.

"Um, Alice—" Emily started, voice small, unsure.

"Shut up," Alice snapped. She didn’t even look at her. "I’ll talk to you later."

Emily flinched.

Alice’s attention turned back to Isaac. Her eyes narrowed. But he wasn’t panicked. He wasn’t startled.

He was smiling.

And then, she realized.

Isaac had done it on purpose.