"Ah… ah…"
His panting echoed off the stone walls as he trudged through the hallway, sweat clinging to his brow.
"Woo—ah… oh God. I'm so tired. This is killing me. Jeez, I'm starving"
dragged his feet, passing by ornate paintings and shimmering sculptures. For a moment, he paused, eyes lingering on the polished artwork. How hard did Grandpa work for all this? he wondered. He built this all on his ownno help, no shortcuts. No relying on… them.
His thoughts drifted again, back to Liones. The betrayal still stung. Servants who once bowed and scraped for his attention, now the first to scoff at his downfall. Friends who praised him, made him class captain, who called him their leader vanished. And the girls… their attention, once so constant, now gone without a trace.
That day... they all ignored me. Some laughed, some mocked… but no one—no one stood up for me.
"Lost in thought again?" Augustus's calm voice broke through.
"Yeah Just thinking about… them. How they treated me."
"Let it go," Augustus cut in firmly. "If you don't, it'll weigh you down. Cleanse your heart, and hold your spirit steady."
All he could do was sigh, forcing a nod. "Hmm… okay, sir. Hey, wait… is that spaghetti?"
He laughed softly as Josen's face lit up. In seconds, Josen dashed into the kitchen, sliding across the floor to scoop himself a generous plate.
As they sat and ate together, the conversation gradually turned.
"Grandpa," he spook mouth half full, "how are you so damn strong? I mean… shouldn't Dad and the other elders know about it?"
A small smirk curved Augustus's lips, the glint of pride flickering in his eyes.
"Well," he said with a shrug, "I am pretty powerful."
"Oh really? How powerful exactly?"
"I'd say… somewhere around the level of an SS-ranked player."
CLINK.
Josen dropped his fork.
"What?! SS-rank?! That's insane! There are only ten SS-rankers in all of Liones. And you're saying you're at that level?!"
Augustus chuckled. "Yes. And trust me, you'll grow far beyond that. I just started late."
"Late?"
"After I was cast out of the Malkador family, they gave me some money as compensation. I used it to seek something more valuable than power—knowledge."
"Knowledge?"
"I traveled the world," Augustus said, his voice softening with memory. "Found ancient temples and ruins most people don't even know exist".
leaning forward, intrigued.
"Those scrolls taught me that we—Defectors—aren't cursed. We're different. We aren't tied down by the system. Our growth has no ceiling."
" infinitely? That doesn't even make sense. Wouldn't that make us, like… gods? Then why aren't more Defectors strong?"
Augustus's smile faded.
"Because they've been made to forget. Brainwashed. Centuries ago, there was a great Defector. His power surpassed system logic. They say he rivaled forces that were beyond the system."
"Beyond the system?"
"Yes. The scrolls didn't go into too much detail, but this man… he terrified the world powers. So they allied with the strongest players and the global government to take him down."
"They captured him and made an example out of him—broadcasted it everywhere. That fear? That defeat? It spread like poison. Since then, Defectors have lived in shadows."
He sat quietly, eyes widening.
"But he… he didn't just disappear. He left behind those scrolls to preserve his legacy. To give us something to build on. Something to believe in."
Augustus's eyes met Josen's.
"And maybe someday… we'll not just survive—but stand shoulder to shoulder with the strongest. No longer ridiculed. No longer feared. Just… seen."