Chương 22: Hyun and Edward

A cloud of dense smoke swallowed the cafe in an instant. Hyun pushed through the fog, running his hand along the wall to guide himself to the exit. His fingertips finally made contact with the door handle. He scanned the streets for his brother after exiting the smoke chamber, but Gray was nowhere to be seen. He broke into a sprint, scanning each establishment he passed, but Gray was gone. I messed up, he thought. I forced him into the very darkness he was trying to escape.

How will he look at me now after what I did? I have no right to be called his brother. Blue text spawned into his vision, pulling him out of his guilt-ridden thoughts. Hyun Kim is qualified to meet his mentor. Commencing teleportation to Mentor 'Edward King'… Hyun staggered to find his balance as the ground reappeared beneath his feet. He massaged the back of his neck, soothing the whiplash from the teleportation. After regaining his bearings, he surveyed the room.

He found himself in a place that contrasted drastically with the open view of the city, to something far more… claustrophobic. He was standing in a box of steel. A jail cell no larger than fifty square feet. A narrow bed occupied one corner, beside it was a steel toilet, paired with a small sink and a cracked mirror mounted above. Hyun turned around to find a wall of thick, tree-trunk-sized metal bars, with barely a gap between each. But what intrigued Hyun more than the oversized bars was what lay beyond.

There was simply… nothing. The view outside was pitch-black and stretched on forever, as if he were in the middle of a void. He turned back around, and his attention shifted to the cell's occupant. The man sat on the edge of the bed, his posture rigid, completely engrossed in a book titled The Laws of Morals. He wore a bright orange jumpsuit, looked to be in his mid-thirties, and had dirty-blonde hair parted with such precision that not a single strand was out of place.

Name: Edward King Class: Psion Level: 30 Rank: Kaiser Edward bookmarked his page and snapped the book shut. He rose from the bed and extended a hand toward Hyun.

"My sincerest apologies," Edward said, shaking his hand.

"This intermission phase completely slipped my mind. It is actually the first time I have had the privilege of meeting a disciple face-to-face." His expression darkened.

"The previous candidates… never survived long enough to make it to this point." Edward spread his arms, gesturing to the steel cell that surrounded them.

"I would offer you a cup of tea, mate, but as you can tell, my current accommodations limit my hospitality." Hyun waved in dismissal.

"You're fine."

"Did you just say that your previous disciples never made it to the intermission? I would assume anyone who inherits the Psion class would easily make it into the top ten, let alone the top five hundred."

"Yes, it is a powerful class, terrifyingly so. But therein lies the problem." Edward walked past Hyun, approaching the solid steel bars of his cage.

"When you hand a man power—absolute power—control over another human mind, survival stops being the priority, and in its stead; a thirst for domination over others." He stopped before the bars, staring out into the void.

"The ability to play puppeteer is intoxicating. In the hands of absolute scum, it inevitably leads to atrocity. It got so bad that I had to disable the vision transmissions."

"Those monsters…" Hyun clenched his fist, his jaw tightening.

"Were they eventually killed? What happened to them? I would imagine they would breeze right past the Third Level if they were that ruthless."

"They were drunk on authority," Edward replied, turning back to face him.

"They pushed too hard and too fast, abusing my class without understanding the cost. Naturally… I did not inform them of the consequences, of course."

"They did not croak from their peers or by the Riftborn; their minds simply snapped, and they ended up as drooling, brain-dead husks."

"Speaking of cost… my apologies for not informing you of the consequences. It completely slipped my mind. Thankfully, you are still intact. Tell me, was it not draining for you to subdue that Gwan boy? And then having to keep your own brother in check immediately after?" Hyun brushed a finger against his upper lip, the memory of the nosebleed still fresh, along with the pounding headache he had experienced for the first time since utilizing his abilities.

"It was… exhausting. I got a nosebleed, and it felt like my skull was splitting in two." Edward clicked his tongue and shook his head in disapproval.

"Then let us ensure we never repeat that. Our goal is for you to walk out of this race alive, with your mind fully intact." His tone noticeably softened.

"And… I should apologize. I cannot help but think that you being chosen as my disciple may have contributed to the rift between you and your brother." Hyun waved it off.

"No, that's not your fault. That was all on me. I overstepped his boundaries and pushed him to lash out." He quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, the System has been translating everything, but I can still hear a distinct accent in your voice. Are you not from Astoria?" A smile tugged at Edward's lips.

"Very observant. No, I am not from this planet. I am also a victim of the summoning, just like you. I arrived here nearly twenty years ago, pulled away in the middle of teaching my class."

"You were a teacher?" Edward nodded.

"I was a professor of psychology, teaching at the University of Cambridge." Hyun's eyes went wide.

"So, a room full of students witnessed their professor just vanish into thin air? Why hasn't there been any media coverage about that? People go missing all the time, sure, but a public disappearance like that should've been global news!"

"I am afraid that is one question I cannot answer. While the System migrates all the media created on Earth to this planet: movies, music, books. It specifically filters out any news or updates from our home planet." Edward leaned in, pressing the back of his hand to his lips, and whispered, "But if you ask me, I'm pretty sure the lizard people on Earth at the top originate from Astoria, and they're working in tandem with the System to prevent any news coverage from spreading on the matter."

"Maybe someday they'll create a Jetflix documentary about the disappearances. But until then, everyone is left in the dark." Hyun gave an awkward smile and nodded, pretending to acknowledge the tinfoil-hat conspiracies. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

"So, uh… Cambridge, huh?" He quickly changed the subject.

"I was actually accepted into the postgraduate program there to finish my master's degree after I obtained my bachelor's at NYU. But I… didn't accept the offer." Edward tilted his head, examining Hyun's face, and then raised a single finger.

"You declined the offer. To take care of your brother." Hyun went rigid.

"How… can you read minds, too?" Edward chuckled.

"Why yes, I can, actually. Your current telepathy skill will evolve into mind-reading once you upgrade it to Tier III." He turned and tapped his knuckles against the gray metal wall.

"However, anyone encased in a Nullstone cell has their abilities severely dampened."

"But I didn't need to read your mind for that deduction. It wasn't hard to piece together. You live solely for that boy, to the point where you would ask me of all people to figure out his location." A devious smile spread across his face.

"I haven't forgotten about that favor you owe me." Hyun began calculating in his head.

"Wait, if this stone dampens your power, how did you manage to use your scrying ability earlier to locate Gray?" Edward raised a single finger.

"Keyword: dampened."

"For an average Kaiser, a Nullstone prison is more than enough to sever their magic. But for the Psion, it is merely a weighted blanket." Hyun brought a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat, gathering the courage to ask about the elephant in the cell, which had been gnawing at him ever since he had arrived.

"May I ask you something? How did you end up here?" Edward raised a brow, a smirk creeping across his face.

"I thought you'd never ask." Edward brushed the dust off his shoulders and straightened his collar. He crossed his arms, then met Hyun's gaze.

"First, I will have to go over why I was locked up in here, rather than the how."

"Have you ever considered what life would look like out there? In this new world? Once this race concludes?"

"All the time."

"And when that day comes, how will you assimilate into this foreign world? What will be your priority?" Hyun scratched the back of his neck.

"Well, I'd need to find my footing first. I will have to find a job to sustain us and see where we go from there." Edward nodded.

"Perfectly rational. Biri is a capitalist country on the surface, but a few elites known as the Astarchs rule it. It is quite similar to the authoritarian capitalist framework adopted in China and Russia."

"But there's one significant aspect that differentiates this planet from Earth." He lifted one finger, emitting a faint purple marble of light at the tip.

"Magic."

"The qualifications for employment are drastically different in the two worlds. In a magic-ruled world, Earth's labor market would become completely obsolete. Why would you need fishermen when a single water mage can pull as much fish as they desire out of the sea? Why staff a hospital with capable doctors when a high-ranking cleric can pray the injuries away?"

"A single Kaiser Mage can replace the labor of tens of thousands with a mere flick of their wrist. And those elites are paid extremely well. Meanwhile, the rest of the population is left fighting for the scraps."

"There is one clear path for anybody trying to make it in this new world: the path of a Kaiser. You must bow to the System, cultivate your levels, and hope that you can become somebody of significance in this might-makes-right world." Hyun brought a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat.

"What is a Kaiser exactly?"

"It is the pinnacle. Becoming a Kaiser is the end goal. They stand at the top, and are the backbone of what makes this world habitable, whilst also being the biggest threat to it. Any rank below that, and you're simply just another Awakened. When this race concludes, the majority of the top hundred will apply for the Kaiser Exam to get into the Academy.

Once there, instructors will break them down and reforge them into breathing weapons, educating them on exactly how to neutralize the Riftborn threatening our land." He held up an okay sign.

"And eventually make a fortune doing exactly that." A brief silence followed as Hyun processed the new information.

"You, however, won't be doing any of that." Hyun's eyes went wide.

"And it is all because of me." Edward shook his head in shame.

"You have been dealt a cursed fate. A target has been put on your back, resulting in you being hunted down by the Astarchs." Hyun attempted to absorb this new information, but he just couldn't fathom it. Why him? He hadn't even been in this new world for a full week, and yet, death had already marked him. His blood instantly boiled, but he suppressed it just as quickly. He was standing before a Kaiser criminal whose abilities were only partially restrained.

The safeguards gave Hyun immunity to any attacks, but who knew what this man was capable of doing to him outside of this intermission. Getting on his bad side would be a mistake. He carefully shaped his next sentence, filtering out any signs of fury and rage from his tone.

"If you don't mind, could you be more specific? Why exactly are these dictators targeting me?"

"This isn't about you specifically, Hyun. It is about what we are. Psions are considered an existential threat. We are viewed as untrustworthy manipulators; a cancer within society that must be eradicated before it spreads."

"The fear runs deep, Hyun. So much so that Quantis Corp developed specialized technology solely to counter our class." He gestured outside the bars.

"There are ten guards standing watch outside the cell right now, each equipped with technology that renders us useless." Hyun squinted beyond the bars.

"I don't see anyone. It's just a pitch-black void out there."

"That is because one of their Kaisers has enveloped my cell in their Midnight Cloak: a sensory-deprivation field designed to keep me blind in case I get… ambitious." He leaned in and whispered, "A futile effort. We don't necessarily need line of sight to exact our will."

"Those are the measures people will take just to be around us. Your peers and allies will not merely fear you, but loathe you. You can never love or cherish, as this is the path you are now walking on. They wrongfully incarcerated me because I simply terrified them. They removed me from society, not for a crime I committed, but for the crime I was potentially capable of." He locked eyes with Hyun.

"The only way for you to survive—no, to thrive in this world is to align yourself with me, Hyun." Edward took a step toward him, closing the gap, and raised a finger. The air shimmered as a translucent bubble surrounded their heads, sealing them in a private pocket of air.

"I will iron out the logistics as you continue the race, but eventually… I will need you to break me out of here." Hyun staggered back a step. Edward clamped a hand onto his shoulder, preventing him from leaving the bubble. Hyun ran the calculations through his brain. Edward's logic about this class made sense. If a person possessed the ability to hijack your free will, society would never openly accept them. Hyun couldn't refute it. If he ever met someone like that, he would instinctively avoid them at all costs.

And yet… the narrative didn't fit. Was Edward truly imprisoned because of his class? Or was there a chapter of the story conveniently torn out? Why hadn't the Astarchs acted sooner? Why allow the 'cancer' to grow to the pinnacle of Kaiser before deciding to lock them away? Regardless of the validity of the backstory, one thing was certain: orchestrating a breakout from a maximum-security void prison wasn't in the cards for him. It was beyond anything he would ever agree to.

Throughout the entire conversation, Hyun had maintained a mask of politeness despite the escalating insanity of the situation. Edward's madness had hit its peak, but now wasn't the time to let that mask slip.

"Break you out?" Hyun asked, keeping his voice indifferent.

"Is that even possible, given the situation?" Hyun gestured toward the void. Edward gave a dismissive wave.

"Oh, don't concern yourself with the mechanics behind the actual breakout. I have an associate outside who will take charge of the operation and accompany you through the breakout."

"What is my role in the whole thing?" Hyun asked. Edward tapped his temple.

"Even at the low rank of Awakened, the Psion class is powerful enough to persuade the minds of others temporarily. Your role is disorder. Cause enough chaos among the guards, and it'll guarantee the success of the job."

"Are you willing to help me? To secure your place. Your future in this new world?" Absolutely not, Hyun thought. I'd rather take my chances with those dictators. Hyun forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Of course I'll help." Edward's eyes locked onto Hyun's, his expression immediately going slack. He just stared. The silence stretched, and after a solid ten seconds had passed, Edward grunted.

"Fantastic." A wide grin spread across his face.

"With that settled, it is time for you to receive your boon." A frown tugged at his lips.

"Unfortunately, I do not have access to any of my equipment, so I will have to grant you an ability instead. You won't be getting a new skill, but rather upgrading an existing one to Tier II."

"I'll be enhancing your passive mastery skill: Psion Mastery." He tapped his temple.

"Think of your mind as a complex circuit board. You're pushing too much voltage through the tiny wires, causing you to almost faint. This upgrade will reinforce the brain against all of that pressure, preventing your synapses from burning out and, most importantly… keeping you alive." Hyun slowly nodded, agreeing with the logic.

"That seems absolutely necessary. Without a stable foundation, the entire house will crumble." Edward nodded.

"Precisely. Now, lean forward and tilt your head."