Chương 319: Dreadrose

The artificial lights lining the vast conference chamber flickered faintly, their pale glow reflecting across polished obsidian floors and endless rows of empty metallic tables. Normally, the executive hall within the Rosemary Organization stood as a monument to order and authority, a place where the most influential individuals on Earth gathered to decide the fate of nations. Tonight, however, the room felt suffocating. An invisible pressure lingered in the air.

The catastrophe that had struck the world only hours earlier had shattered any illusion of stability humanity still possessed. Thousands of spatial fractures had opened across the planet simultaneously. Entire regions had collapsed into chaos overnight. Spawn flooded cities, dimensional storms ravaged coastlines, and countless people had vanished without explanation. And worst of all, Several of the organization's strongest warriors were gone.

Alexandria sat near the center of the chamber, one leg bouncing violently beneath the table. Her fingers tapped against the metal surface in uneven rhythm, betraying the anxiety she was trying desperately to suppress. Even now, her silver eyes moved constantly, thoughts racing behind them faster than she could process. Beside her sat Tharion. The man looked utterly exhausted. Dark circles rested beneath his eyes, his fingers twitching sporadically as waves of nervous energy rolled off him.

He continuously glanced toward the door as though expecting disaster itself to walk through it at any second. Across from them sat Cleo. Unlike the others, the woman appeared almost completely unbothered by the oppressive atmosphere. Draped in her elaborate pharaoh-like garments of black and gold, she leaned lazily against her chair with one leg crossed over the other, her expression radiating casual indifference despite the crisis unfolding around them. Then the chamber doors slid open.

A figure stumbled through immediately afterward. Fe. The blindfolded man moved inside while dragging a hand through his dark hair, looking as though he had not slept in days. Gravity distorted faintly around his body with every step he took, the air bending subtly under the pressure of his power.

"The kid is finally gone," he groaned tiredly as he entered. He paused midway through the room, visibly sensing the unstable energy lingering in the chamber.

"…Still no one else here?" Cleo scoffed loudly.

"My dear brother," she snapped dramatically, placing one hand against her chest, "have some manners and acknowledge your older sister first." Fe rolled his eyes beneath the blindfold.

"The last time I checked," he replied dryly, "we were siblings only because we're both Roses. We aren't actually related, Cleo." The woman gasped as though mortally offended.

"Excuse me?" she hissed.

"I practically raised you when you were younger. The least you could do is show some gratitude." Fe dropped heavily into a chair.

"You mean the same childhood where you used my lunch money to buy some random items?"

"That happened once."

"It happened weekly."

"Enough." Rose's voice cut through the room. The atmosphere shifted the moment she spoke. Seated near the far end of the chamber, the leader of the Rosemary Organization scrolled calmly through data on her tablet, though the tension behind her composed expression betrayed the immense pressure resting on her shoulders.

"We already have enough problems," she stated flatly.

"Save the arguments for later." Both Cleo and Fe exchanged irritated looks before falling silent. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. A moment later, the doors opened again. Three more figures entered together. Rikin. Sir Wolfgang. Muriel. Muriel, the architect responsible for nearly every high-grade weapon within the G. V. O, moved with quiet professionalism, her eyes already scanning the room analytically.

Wolfgang followed beside her, regal as always despite the visible exhaustion hidden beneath his composed demeanor. Rikin, however, Rikin looked furious.

"Where are the others?" Rose asked. Wolfgang sighed deeply before answering.

"Busy." He removed his gloves as he spoke.

"The catastrophe destabilized nearly every major nation on Earth. International leaders are demanding explanations regarding how dimensional fractures on this scale could occur simultaneously." His eyes darkened slightly.

"Most of the executives are occupied containing the aftermath. They should arrive eventually." He paused.

"All except Allison. She remains unreachable." Muriel and Wolfgang took their seats quietly. But Rikin remained standing.

"Where is my son?" The question cut through the room. His eyes burned with suspicion and restrained panic. Rose remained silent for several seconds. Alexandria glanced toward her, waiting for the answer. Finally, Rose spoke.

"Barbatos has… continued the Fourth Trial." Silence. Then the room exploded with pressure.

"He did WHAT?!" Lightning erupted violently around Rikin's body as his emotions spiraled out of control. Bolts tore through the chamber, splitting tables apart and scorching the air itself before Fe instantly raised one hand. Gravity collapsed downward. The lightning was forced violently into the floor before it could destroy the room entirely.

"Calm down," Fe muttered. Alexandria rose halfway from her seat.

"That's enough!" Her voice echoed throughout the chamber.

"I understand how you feel," she continued, glaring directly at Rikin, "but we are in a situation far worse than personal grievances right now." She pointed toward the holographic world map floating above the center table.

"The New Order struck us directly. Five Paragons have disappeared. Our strongest warrior is gone for an unknown period of time, and the planet is falling apart beneath dimensional instability." Her eyes hardened.

"We do not have the luxury of panicking."

"That's certainly one way to phrase it." The doors opened again. A woman clad in a flowing black dress entered calmly, a dark crown resting atop her head like a symbol of silent authority. Menis. The Rose of Death. Unlike most of the executives, she entered without spectacle or ceremony, simply seating herself beside Tharion as though the overwhelming pressure in the room did not concern her in the slightest. Tharion turned toward her.

"The Northern Gates," he asked quickly.

"What's their status?" Menis stared at him for several moments before responding.

"I exterminated all Spawn below the Fifth Stage." Her tone remained perfectly calm.

"The territory I had to cover was massive, however. Some may have escaped containment." She folded her hands neatly.

"I recommend deploying scouts in case of emergencies." Tharion bit his fingernail anxiously.

"…Right. That makes sense." Menis narrowed her eyes slightly.

"You seem stressed."

"I am stressed," he replied. No one argued with that statement. The room fell quiet again. Then Rikin spoke once more.

"Where is Barbatos being held?" His tone left little room for discussion.

"I'm seeing him immediately." Rose snapped her fingers. A receptionist materialized beside the chamber entrance almost immediately.

"Guide him," Rose ordered. The woman nodded quickly before leading Rikin from the room. Silence lingered briefly afterward. Then more arrivals followed. Samuel. Leviathe. Roger, the exhausted executive who controlled the global black market network. Araxius, the Paragon of the Sky himself, currently disguised in human form despite usually remaining draconic. One by one they seated themselves, though none spoke much. Every person present seemed burdened beneath the invisible tension.

The world itself had nearly collapsed within a single day. No one truly understood why. Then Alexandria suddenly froze. Her eyes widened.

"…Were my instincts right?" The room turned toward her. She rapidly tapped across the holographic device in her hands while scrolling through data logs at incredible speed. Rose frowned slightly.

"Alexandria," she asked carefully, "what is it?" Alexandria swallowed hard.

"That's what I'm trying to confirm." She placed the device onto the table. A massive holographic projection expanded into the center of the chamber, displaying countless energy signatures recorded during the catastrophe. Everyone leaned forward. Then the room fell completely silent. There, Among the countless readings, Was one overwhelmingly massive signature. Even through the hologram alone, its sheer scale felt monstrous.

"…Impossible," Muriel whispered.

"That's at least Eighth Stage," Wolfgang muttered darkly. The others stared in disbelief.

"If something like that appeared on Earth," Samuel said slowly, "how did none of us notice?" More importantly,"What could possibly kill a Herald?!" Leviathe asked grimly. Alexandria hesitated. Then she zoomed the timeline forward. The colossal signature remained visible for several seconds. Then suddenly, Like something had erased it entirely. The room grew deathly silent. Alexandria slowly deactivated the projection before speaking.

"I have a theory." Her voice had become noticeably quieter.

"But none of you are going to like it." Rose narrowed her eyes.

"Go on." Alexandria nodded slowly.

"We already know our systems aren't perfect," she began carefully.

"The global detection network was designed to monitor entities up to the Ninth Stage…" Tharion suddenly inhaled.

"…No." Alexandria looked toward him grimly.

"Yes." The room froze.

"There are only two people alive capable of killing a Herald instantly without destroying Earth in the process." No one spoke. No one moved. Then Alexandria finally said the names.

"Sir Siegfried." Even the air itself seemed to tighten.

"The founder of the G. V. O. The man who prevented humanity's extinction five hundred years ago." She paused. Her expression darkened.

"…Or my father." Silence consumed the room completely. Alexandria lowered her gaze.

"Dagon Dreadrose." The name alone felt poisonous.

"The man who nearly caused humanity's extinction in the first place."