The interrogation facility wasn't a normal building.
It was a fortress.
Mana-reactive walls. Surveillance crystals floating like silent eyes. Hunters in black uniforms everywhere—each one radiating enough aura to crush any unawakened civilian.
Axel followed the two agents silently, the blue system screen flickering at the edge of his vision.
[Warning: Host's mental state unstable. Steady breathing advised.]
He ignored it.
Every step deeper into the building made the air heavier. He could feel the auras leaking from the Hunters around him—dense, sharp, like invisible blades pressing against his skin.
So this is the Awakened Society…
He'd seen strong Hunters before.
But this?
This was different.
These were monsters in human skin.
They entered a private elevator.
But instead of buttons, there was just a glowing panel that scanned their auras. The elevator dropped fast, moving deeper underground.
Axel gripped the rail. His stomach twisted.
[Detecting high-density mana pressure. Host body integrity at risk.]
"Are we… going underground?" Axel asked.
Neither agent replied.
The elevator stopped with a soft chime.
The doors slid open.
A wave of killing intent hit him like a punch.
Axel staggered back.
The hallway ahead was lined with Hunters—SS-level guards, judging by the golden inscriptions on their badges. Their auras were so thick the air vibrated.
In the center of the hall was a giant black door carved with runes glowing silver.
The agents stopped.
"You will meet him alone."
"Him?" Axel whispered.
They didn't answer.
The door opened by itself.
The room was circular, walls covered with floating screens showing mana flow, awakened reports, global dungeon alerts.
But Axel didn't look at any of that.
His eyes locked onto the man sitting at the center table.
White hair.
Calm eyes with a faint, ancient glow.
A presence so overwhelming it felt like the room itself bowed to him.
Chairman Arcturus Vale.
Leader of the Awakened Society.
The strongest Hunter in the nation.
Rank: Apex-Class.
No known limit.
No known weakness.
No known equal.
The moment Axel stepped in—
He couldn't breathe.
It felt like an ocean dropped onto his shoulders.
His lungs burned.
His knees nearly gave out.
So this… is an Apex being.
Arcturus didn't move. He didn't release killing intent.
He didn't even look hostile.
This was simply his natural aura—the weight of a man who had stood on top of the awakened world for decades.
"Sit," Arcturus said quietly.
Axel obeyed instantly. His body didn't even ask his brain for permission.
Up close, the aura was unbearable. Axel felt like he was sitting next to a neutron star wearing human skin.
[Warning: Host has entered a hazardous mana zone.]
[Stabilizing mental processes… failed.]
[Recommend minimizing eye contact.]
Axel stared at the table instead.
Arcturus watched him with unreadable calm.
"You're overwhelmed," the Chairman said. "That's normal. You're… very weak."
Axel couldn't even argue.
All he could manage was a shaky breath.
Arcturus continued:
"A normal E-rank Hunter would faint in my presence. The fact that you're still conscious tells me two things."
He raised two fingers.
"First… you're not ordinary."
"Second… you're unstable."
Axel's hands trembled under the table.
Arcturus leaned forward slightly. That small movement sent a tidal wave of pressure washing over the room.
Axel bit his lip hard to keep from collapsing.
"You walked out of a dungeon that completely vanished," Arcturus said. "And every other member of your party is gone without a trace."
His eyes sharpened—predatory, calculating.
"Explain."
Axel opened his mouth…
But no words came out.
His throat locked.
Memories of Markus's mutated body flashed.
His own bones breaking.
His death.
The blue screen.
I can't say any of that.
[Quest Reminder: Survive the interrogation without revealing the System.]
[Failure Consequence: Unknown — High risk.]
Axel swallowed hard.
"I… I don't… remember everything," he whispered.
The Chairman's aura intensified for half a second.
Axel nearly threw up.
"I see," Arcturus murmured. "Trauma. Fear. Confusion. All legitimate… but convenient."
He stood.
His full aura surged.
The room cracked.
The table legs bent.
The air felt like molten iron.
Axel felt his consciousness slipping—
[Emergency Support Enabled]
[Activating Passive Skill: Will Reinforcement]
[Host mental collapse prevented]
He gasped and stayed conscious by a hair.
Arcturus watched with interest.
"…Interesting. You didn't faint."
Axel didn't reply. He was too busy trying not to die.
The Chairman turned his back and walked toward the wall.
"You're weak, Axel Kaiser. So weak that even a low-ranked dungeon killed you."
Axel flinched.
"But…"
Arcturus glanced over his shoulder.
"There is something inside you I can't identify."
Axel's heart skipped.
"Something that feels… wrong. Like an error in the world's code."
The Chairman stepped closer again.
"And that makes you dangerous."
Axel's blood turned cold.
Arcturus looked him directly in the eyes.
"From this day onward, you are under my observation."
The pressure vanished entirely.
Axel collapsed forward, gasping for air like a drowning man pulled from the ocean.
Arcturus's voice echoed through the room:
"Grow stronger, Axel Kaiser.
Because if you become a threat…
I will erase you myself."