Chapter 166: East Anekta Crisis (5)

Finding the potion storage floor took longer than expected.

The corridors were filled with reinforced cabinets and secured display units, each containing various items awaiting their appearance at the auction. Several containers had already been opened, and the floor was littered with broken glass and discarded packaging.

Eden moved quickly, scanning the labels.

Most of the merchandise was unfamiliar to him. There were potions designed to accelerate Essence recovery, elixirs that temporarily enhanced physical attributes, and several rare concoctions intended to treat injuries that ordinary healing skills couldn’t repair.

Then he found what he was looking for.

Two small, carefully sealed containers rested inside a reinforced cabinet.

Kitsune Essence Potions.

Eden picked them up and examined the labels.

They were genuine.

He placed both into his inventory before continuing through the shelves.

The next item was a little harder to locate, but eventually he found two bottles of Wyvern Elixir. Their contents were a deep amber color, and each container was secured with a metal seal.

The effects were exactly what he remembered.

An increase of fifty points to all five attributes.

Not a temporary boost, but a permanent enhancement.

For an Awakened, that was an extraordinary reward. Even one bottle would be enough to attract the attention of wealthy collectors and powerful guilds.

Eden took both.

’That should be enough.’

He intended to give one Kitsune Essence Potion to Lucy and keep the other for himself. The Wyvern Elixirs would be useful as well, particularly with the challenges he expected to face in Japan.

He was about to leave when he heard footsteps approaching from the corridor.

Several people.

Eden immediately activated Stealth.

His presence vanished, and he moved behind one of the storage cabinets.

The footsteps grew louder.

Five people entered the room.

Eden recognized their uniforms immediately.

’Blue Crest?!’

He frowned.

’What are they doing here?’

They weren’t security personnel assigned to the storage floor. Their equipment and auras were unmistakably those of the freelancer group. Five A-Rank Awakened, all moving with a sense of urgency.

One of them looked around before approaching the potion cabinets.

"Is this the right floor?"

"Yes. The inventory list says the potions are stored here."

"Then hurry the fuck up. We don’t have much time."

Another man began checking the cabinets.

"Where are the Kitsune potions?"

"Over there. Wyvern Elixirs should be in the same section."

Eden’s attention sharpened.

They were looking for the exact items he had just taken.

’These greedy Bastard’s are using the chaos to their own advantage.’

Eden remained motionless, listening.

One of the men cursed as he opened an empty cabinet.

"Where the hell are they?"

"Check the next one."

"We’re wasting time. Blowing up the Security HQ already took longer than expected. We need to get these before the others realize what’s happening."

Eden froze.

For a moment, the sounds around him seemed to fade.

’What did he just say?’

He slowly turned his head toward the group.

’The Security HQ?’

The pieces fell into place with unpleasant clarity.

’They’re aren’t merely trying to gain profits from this attack...’

’Blue Crest is part of it!’

’Or at least some of its members are.’

Eden’s gaze settled on the five Awakened searching through the cabinets.

He remembered Ember’s explanation earlier that afternoon. Blue Crest had been hired to assist with the island’s security. They had been given access to the facilities, the storage buildings, and presumably the security arrangements.

It was the perfect cover.

They could move freely without raising suspicion, learn the island’s defenses from the inside, and sabotage the entire operation before anyone realized what was happening.

But there was one thing Eden still couldn’t understand.

’What about Ember and Leonard?’

’Are they involved too?’

’Or did their subordinates arrange everything behind their back?’

He didn’t have time to find out.

The five men were still searching for the missing potions. One of them was growing increasingly irritated, kicking a storage cabinet when he failed to find what he wanted.

"Fuck! They’re not here!"

"Check the inventory again."

"We don’t have time for this!"

Eden released Stealth.

The moment his presence reappeared, all five men turned toward him.

Two of them barely managed to raise their weapons.

Black light flashed.

Eden’s Dark Matter blade swept across the room, passing through the first man’s neck before he could react. The second tried to step backward, but Eden’s follow-up strike caught him just as cleanly.

Their heads hit the floor.

The remaining three staggered backward.

"What the—?!"

"Intruder!"

Eden didn’t give them time to recover.

His killing intent surged.

[Malicious Spirit]

The air became suffocating.

A tremendous pressure crashed down upon the three remaining Awakened, forcing them to their knees. One collapsed face-first onto the floor, unable to withstand the spiritual force. Another began trembling violently, his hands pressed against his head as though trying to keep it from splitting apart.

The third struggled to remain upright, but even he was unable to move.

Eden approached them.

"Now, let’s talk."

He crouched in front of the nearest man.

"Why are you attacking the island?"

The man tried to answer, but only a strained groan escaped his throat.

Eden’s eyes narrowed.

"Who ordered you to do this? Was it Null?"

Before he could continue, the floor beneath them exploded.

A tremendous impact tore through the reinforced concrete, sending chunks of debris flying in every direction. Eden immediately stepped backward as a figure emerged from the floor below, rising through the dust and shattered remains.

A black blade swept toward him.

Eden raised his Dark Matter sword.

The two weapons collided, releasing a violent shockwave that rattled the storage cabinets and shattered several glass containers. The force pushed Eden back a few steps, while the newcomer landed between him and the three restrained Awakened.

Purple flames flickered along her weapon.

Long purple hair. Purple eyes. A familiar face.

Ember.

Her expression was no longer the calm, welcoming one he had seen earlier. She stared at the two severed heads on the floor, then at the three men struggling beneath Eden’s Malicious Spirit.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Her blade remained pressed against his.

"You’re stealing merchandise and attacking security personnel?"

Eden stared at her.

For a brief moment, neither of them moved.

Then Ember’s eyes narrowed.

"Answer me."

Eden slowly withdrew his blade.

’So she came to rescue them.’

His gaze moved from Ember to the three men behind her.

’But it doesn’t seem like she’s aware...’

If she was involved, then her reaction was an exceptionally convincing performance. But if she wasn’t, that raised an entirely different problem.

He had no idea how much of Blue Crest was compromised.

And considering the strength of the woman standing in front of him, he couldn’t afford to make the wrong assumption.

Eden kept his sword raised.

"Before I answer, I’d like to ask you something."

He glanced toward the three men behind her.

"Are you aware of what your subordinates have been doing?"

For the first time, Ember’s expression shifted.

"What?"

Eden’s eyes remained fixed on hers.

"Because I just heard one of them explain how blowing up the Security HQ took longer than expected."

The purple flames around Ember’s blade flickered.

She looked back at her subordinates.

Then at the two bodies on the floor.

’This Bastard is trying to pin this on us.’