"Is… is that Carl!?" One of the enhanced humans pointed at the crevice.

"W… what!?"

​​

They felt a certain wind whipping through their faces earlier, causing them to close their eyes… to think that once they open it again, they would see the corpses of their comrades scattered on the ground, mowed down and in pieces.

"What… what just happened?"

"That old woman… is Charlotte Gates!"

"Charlotte Gates!? Why did she attack us then!?"

"What is happening!? Why did the strongest Explorer in the country attack us!?"

"Maybe…"

Even though the voice that was coming out of Charlotte's mouth were only whispers, it was still enough to shut up those who were near her, almost as if each syllable of her words made their hearts stop. They tried to get away, but it was as if their feet had minds of their own and were refusing to go.

"...I can't control it that well after all," Charlotte let out a sigh as she slowly dropped her arm. She then looked towards Ronald, who seemed to be already pissing himself on the ground, literally.

"This is it?" The disappointment in Charlotte's tone was evident, "This is what you people are spending your time and resources on? Even one of my granddaughter's friends could probably take one of these guys one on one."

"That… that…" Ronald could not even form words as he looked back and forth between Charlotte and the crater she made from her fist. How was something like this even possible? Ronald knew how strong Charlotte was… but this was defying everything he has ever learned. How can one form craters with just the shockwave of their fists?

The goal of their experiment was for the normal humans to gain powers equaling that of the System Holders, it was a noble cause. The System Holders have been growing more and more rogue throughout the years and are becoming uncontrollable. And more and more, people were starting to deviate the System Holders from the Circle, causing their authority to be questioned even by the normal population.

Instead of relying on the Circle, they were starting to rely on individual System Holders, Explorers, and guilds. And with their experiment now successful due to Clark Hearst's contribution, they could finally once again regain their authority-- by giving the normal population a power of their own, and this time, it would only come from the Circle.

That was supposed to be the plan… but the System Holder in front of him made him realize how far they truly were from ever being reaching the powers of those who stood on the peak.

Charlotte Gates… was without equal. Ronald was right, his infatuation with Charlotte was not unfounded.

But still, how quickly his infatuation turned to fear as Charlotte slowly approached him.

"What about you?" Charlotte said, "I assume you're a System Holder? What kind do you have?"

"I… I'm an M… Mage-type--"

"Never fought a high-ranking official from the Circle before," Charlotte let out a slight chuckle, "Want to have a go? What level are you?"

"One… one hundred twen… twenty-two," Ronald could not help but take a nervous gulp.

"122!?" Charlotte slightly backed away as soon as she heard Ronald's words, "Then why are you shivering on your ass? Besides that brat's brother, you probably have the highest level here in miles…

...well, if you don't count me in, that is." Charlotte then let out a burst of laughter, causing the enhanced humans to slightly flinch. "You know what… there might actually be another one that's of a higher level than you."

"W… what?"

"This one's quite tricky," Charlotte muttered as she stepped back a few steps, "Why don't we ask him… boy?"

"B… boy?"

"..."

"I already know you're here, brat. Stop hiding!" Charlotte stomped her foot on the ground, causing the land to tremble, "You've been here as soon as I arrived!"

The enhanced humans looked around, trying to see who it was that Charlotte was talking to, and after a few seconds, someone stepped out from the crowd. And as soon as he did so, those who were behind him could not help but jump.

"A kid!?"

"Where did this one come from!?"

"I am curious as well," Charlotte said as she looked towards Van, who had been hiding in the crowd from the start, "Just why did you follow me here?"

"...How did you know I was here, Miss Charlotte?"

"I recognized the sound of your movements as soon as you arrived," Charlotte let out a small smirk.

"The sound?" Van could not help but furrow his eyebrows, "You can do that?"

"Let's just say I can do a lot of things," Charlotte let out a chuckle.

Ronald, and the remaining 240 or so enhanced humans could only look at each other as the two suddenly casually started a conversation as if they weren't even there.

"Are you going to kill everyone here?" Van then nonchalantly said as he scanned the enhanced humans.

"...Why do you ask?" Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows, "I was going to let them go since they are just brainwashed fucks, but do you have something else in mind?"

"Hm?"

"Like seeing who can kill more of them?" Charlotte's tone then turned serious as she looked straight into Van's eyes.

The enhanced humans who were unfortunate enough to hear Charlotte's words almost let out fettered gasps. Were they… really going to die here? But they were supposed to do god's work through the Circle.

"Not really. I have no interest in them," Van said as he let out a small sigh.

"I heard you've been killing a lot of people lately," Charlotte continued, her eyes not straying away from Van's, "That is good and all, but seeing as my granddaughter likes you, a path of blood is never--"

"Only in him."

Before Charlotte could finish her words, Van pointed towards Ronald, who was now trying to stand up from his fear, "The others don't really have a use for me."

"What?" Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows as she heard the cold tone in Van's voice, "What do you mean?"

"I need his EX… I want to test how strong I am against him," Van cleared his throat mid-sentence.

"You're… going to kill him?"

"W… wait, we surrender!"

Ronald raised his hands and kneeled on the ground, the enhanced humans looked at each other first, before quickly doing the same. They really thought that they would have a chance to stretch their legs tonight and see the extent of their power. They could still try-- but against Charlotte? They couldn't even see what she did earlier.

"It doesn't matter," Van, however, shook his head as he looked Ronald straight in the eyes, "You're going to die here, mister Ronald."

"W… what?"

"..."

Charlotte squinted her eyes as she looked at Van. She wasn't surprised that Van would respond the way he is doing now, after all, with the minuscule amount of time she had spent with him, and also with her extensive research on his background, Van had every right to be cold.

And they always said that prison can change a man.

And with the time he has spent in the Pit, Charlotte expected him to become even colder, but it would seem that the Pit had made him into a completely different person. It wasn't cold that Charlotte was seeing right now…

...It was almost as if Van was not even looking at Ronald as a person. He wasn't looking down on him, no… maybe he wasn't looking at him at all.

Van wasn't cold...

...he is indifferent. As if taking a life was nothing more than unconsciously kicking a pebble that blocked your path.

Dangerous… Van is dangerous, Charlotte thought. Maybe… she should keep her granddaughter away from him after all?

No, but the emotions that he shared with his friends earlier were genuine, Charlotte was sure of it.

"Maybe just throw him in the Pit?" Charlotte then said, trying to gauge whether or not Van was just a mindless death machine.

"...Why?" Van asked, his face showing his confusion.

"He already surrendered," Charlotte let out a short sigh, "It will leave a bad aftertaste in your mouth if you kill him while he is down."

"I don't think it will, Miss Charlotte," Van also let out a sigh of his own, "The Circle was getting ready to slaughter us inside the New Wall, an imprisoned race that has not even known what true freedom is-- my people. It is only right that they die."

"He already surrendered," Charlotte repeated her words, "Killing a man while he is down… and weak, how does that make you any different from your father?"

"Pft," hearing Charlotte's words, Van could not help but let out a tiny chuckle, "That's the thing, Miss Charlotte… For those of you who are up in the clouds, all of us in the ground are all pretty much the same."

"...Where did that even come from?" Charlotte furrowed her eyebrows, "That's not what I am saying at all, Va--"

"But you know what…" Van stepped forward towards Ronald before Charlotte could finish his words, "...You might be right."

A trickle of golden lightning then emerged from Van's eyes as his hand rushed straight towards.

However, what welcomed Van was a trail of blood and guts as Charlotte smashed her whole body through Ronald.

"!!!"

Van quickly moved to the side as he tried to move away from Charlotte, who knows what would happen if he accidentally rammed her.

"Why did you do that!?" Van screamed as soon as he turned off his skills, the disappointment in his tone obvious from losing a good source of EXP, "That was supposed to be my--"

"Are you truly hearing yourself, boy?" Charlotte's voice slightly trembled as she removed Ronald's guts off of her body. She had everything now to confirm what Van truly is.

"I really am thankful for what you've done for my family, Van. Because of you, I finally heard my grandson talk and my daughter could finally hug her son once more," Charlotte let out a long and deep sigh as she looked straight at Van's eyes, "But the way you are now. I don't think you're a good influence on my granddaughter… as well as your friends."

"..." Hearing Charlotte's words, Van could only return her stares. He already thought of that when he was talking with Latanya just this morning. But as soon as he saw his friends, the feeling of wanting to be with them overpowered any thoughts he had of leaving.

If he was going to explore the world, he wanted it to be with his friends.

"You're alright, Mr. Evans," Charlotte said as she cracked her neck and knuckles, "You just lack a little…

...motherly spanking."