----

"I'm not quite sure who that is," Matthias answered. Even after using his ability to inspect them, he was unable to glean any of their attributes, or basic information, for that matter.

'That's odd, only the Extraordinary can escape the grasp of my Supersensitivity. I should be able to distinguish the general level of his abilities. Just who is that?' Matthias wondered.

"Wait...isn't that him…" Priscilla muttered while gazing at the side of Lucian's face. Although his change altered some of his features, she wouldn't forget the angle of that sharp jawline screaming in despair. She received a vivid image of it when Lucian shifted his gaze between her and the Knolls.

"Are you saying that's that fragile boy? No way, I don't believe it," Elliot responded. He couldn't accept that these were the same people. The physique of this youth was now comparable to Cezar when he first entered the tutorial.

It was mind-boggling and nearly impossible to think about.

"No, it's him! I know it. That's him. I think he arrived alongside Cezar. His presence is just so thin no one noticed. What the hell? Is he some type of ghost? Look at that hair," Priscilla remarked.

All of a sudden, Lucian felt the gaze upon him and turned towards the party. As soon as that happened, his and Priscilla's eyes met. It was only for an instant, but Priscilla felt her chest tighten as she gazed into his crimson eyes.

While there wasn't any animosity present in his eyes, Priscilla felt as if her entire being had been looked through. It was a sensation she only felt once before, back during the time of her initial Awakening. The apparatus used felt as if all of her secrets were laid bare.

However, that sensation produced the most thorough awakening possible for humanity. After all, the Guardian Corps possessed knowledge directly obtained from the Fractured Monolith's extensive compilation of universal knowledge.

Even knowledge pertaining to spatial technology wasn't farfetched. However, such information required an exorbitant price and, for its current use, it wasn't worth it to exhaust all of their resources on this single matter.

Eventually, Lucian moved his gaze away from the others and returned to conversing with the Overseer Vohr. For the most part, he was interested in uncovering the events that took place during the lapse in surveillance.

However, Lucian avoided a proper answer.

"I was unconscious for most of the event. All I know is that I felt a spark in my inner being and took a grasp of it. It allowed me to come across my hidden power. Although it's not the strongest, it will suffice. I don't need to remain the vulnerable child I once was," Lucian responded.

Since there was no fluctuation in Lucian's body language, Overseer Vohr could not sense any discrepancies in his stories.

"I see. It is true that you're definitely much stronger than before. To jump 3 ranks in potential is quite surprising. At the very least, you'll be able to enter the Beta Echelon," Overseer Vohr commented before rubbing his chin in thought.

'It seems something is on this youth's mind. Why does it feel like his attention is elsewhere?'

"Vohr, I'm sure you recall your offer, right? As well as being aware of the situation in my team," Lucian said suddenly, allowing Overseer Vohr to understand the reason behind his current attitude.

"Of course I remember. If my memory were so decrepit, how would I retain my current position?" Overseer Vohr chuckled before continuing. "Do you wish to change your team now? I have come across a team who has unfortunately lost one of their partners to the second floor."

"Before that, how would you judge their personalities?" Lucian inquired. He wasn't hasty in his decision because he didn't wish to enter the same predicament once again. Being inside Matthias' team was an educational experience. So, his first instinct was to compile information on these potential teammates with the help of Overseer Vohr's authority.

Regrettably, Overseer Vohr seemed troubled over this request. "It's not that I can't help. This service requires a mandatory fee. If not, I'll receive questioning for not remaining impartial."

"That's no issue. What is the payment; Enhancement Points or Merge Tokens?" Lucian asked. This question drew Overseer Vohr's surprise as Lucian's guesses left Accumulated Destinies completely out of the equation.

"Why didn't you assume the price was destinies?"

"Because the role they play is too large to be sacrificed over this inconsequential request. So, it should be the more easily procured Merge Token or Enhancement Points to comprise the fee," Lucian answered truthfully.

After hearing this logic, Overseer Vohr didn't know if he should laugh or cry. 'He's become sharper after whatever he's experienced. Is this the mental acuity that was hidden under his previous circumstance? If he continues to grow at a steady rate, he'll eventually become a frightening existence.'

All of the sudden, Lucian posed another question, "On what premise do you Overseers receive promotions?"

"Hm? It depends on the state of our batch. If they shatter records on timed floors, rank up with unprecedented speed, or fulfill certain milestones; all of this contributes to our evaluation for promotion. As for the price of your request, I'll settle for 65 Merge Tokens."

Lucian nodded whilst holding out his unbent forearm. He then raised a palm until his arm was bent at a 90° angle with his palm facing away from his body. A digital meter appeared before his eyes and the number on it continued to rise in accordance with his palm. Soon, the number 65 lingered before his eyes.

With a snap of his finger, Overseer Vohr accepted the payment and transmitted the desired information to Lucian. According to what he received, this team struggled for quite some time and was part of the preceding batch to be summoned.

Once he analyzed their information completely, Lucian nodded with a pleased expression. 'This is only a brief summary. If they experience enough trouble, then there may be a possibility that they've changed accordingly. Nevertheless, they're better than what I have now.

"If they're willing to accept me, then I will accept the offer generously given to me," Lucian answered.

Overseer Vohr gestured to convey his understanding before motioning his hands many times over. After a few seconds, the notification of party member removal appeared within Matthias' and the other's eyes, verifying Lucian's identity.

"So he left," Matthias nodded but kept a complex expression. 'I'm not sure if I should see it as a smart move or the prelude to his vengeance. Nevertheless, a vacant spot works in our favor. As long as the new member is useful there should be no problems.'

Meanwhile, Overseer Vohr asked Lucian a question that made him ponder the usefulness of it for quite some time. "Do you wish to announce how they've treated you within the party?"

"No, there's no need to be so petty. Besides, I'm fairly certain everyone would have agreed with their actions. Don't you recall how I was previously tossed aside? Why would my well-being matter? I have a better route in mind to handle this situation. But, there's a more important question. How would you like to rise through the ranks?"

A glimmer of light shone in Lucian's eyes before a translucent dome erected around him and Vohr. It was a draining action to keep it active, but Lucian felt his new few inquiries were worth it.

On the other hand, this display of Lucian's abilities shocked Vohr. Though the shock threw off his estimation, it wasn't entirely incorrect.

"This is a new level of reinforcing. Melding the Mana particles together to create an obstructive barrier? Interesting. Though, some of the logic injection seems to be off," Overseer Vohr commented.

"The best I can claim to be is a novice. It'll take some getting used to before I can become adept with minute Mana usage. Now tell me, would you like to form a kind of deal? I've received your favor, and I'd like to return it in some way as I move forward. So I think we can enter a mutually beneficial relationship."

Overseer Vohr was stunned because the confidence displayed by Lucian was shocking. As he looked up, he now understood the reason for the barrier and its odd logic. Shockingly, it was blocking out surveillance signals.

"What do you have in mind?"

"Nothing major, just satisfying the conditions to earn your promotion. In return, I'd like for you to, let's say, fool the system when it comes to my requests. I have promises to fulfill so I can't afford to fail. What do you say?"

"Gamble with you?" Overseer Vohr paused before taking off his mask to present his eerily handsome but oddly menacing face. Furthermore, he carried a faint smile. "I'll be glad to accept the offer, after all, some of us Demonborne like gambling the most," Vohr said with a bow.