Chapter426 – For Krythos

Then he turned toward Axel. “How are you feeling?”

Axel blinked. Feeling? He had no idea what the man meant—but he reacted quickly. “You and Mr. Zoltan are both incredibly powerful,” he said sincerely. “Compared to you two, I’m still far behind.”

Lamar smiled faintly. “You’re not bad either. After all… you managed to withstand Mr. Zoltan’s first strike.”

“Among the younger generation, you have every reason to be proud.”

Axel’s brow twitched slightly. Then he laughed awkwardly. “You’re joking. Mr. Zoltan only used Force.”

Lamar’s smile grew more meaningful. “It seems… you don’t know much about the Divine Might Realm.”

“The biggest difference between the Divine Might Realm and lower realms lies in Force itself.” Seeing Axel’s confused expression, Lamar explained directly. “For someone who has reached the Divine Might Realm, their Force begins to reflect the characteristics of their talent and awakened technique.”

“In other words… Even without activating their awakened technique, a Divine Might practitioner can reproduce a simplified version of its effects simply by manipulating their Force.”

Axel’s mouth slowly fell open. He stared blankly for several seconds.

So ridiculous… No wonder the Level Seven powerhouses among both humans and mutated beasts rarely launched direct attacks.

Even casual exchanges between them could be devastating.

But Axel’s mind was already racing. If Force characteristics are the defining trait of the Divine Might Realm…

Does that mean understanding one’s Force nature is the key to breaking through?

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. And along with them came even more questions. Questions that clearly held the key to his future breakthrough.

But they weren’t problems he could solve immediately. Axel quickly steadied himself. Then he bowed deeply.

“Thank you for your guidance.”

“It’s nothing.” Lamar waved a hand lightly. “What matters is your own accumulation and understanding.”

He paused briefly. “Compared to your contribution in this battle for Krythos… this advice is insignificant.”

Before Axel could respond, Lamar gestured toward the door. “I have nothing more to ask.”

“Although, as Mr. Zoltan said, I cannot cover everything for you… I also won’t allow you to be slandered so easily.”

Axel looked at him in surprise. “You… don’t doubt me at all?”

Lamar was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke slowly. “I don’t judge people based on accusations.”

His voice softened slightly, as if remembering something. “What you’ve done…”

“And how your comrades evaluate you… That tells me far more about the kind of person you are.”

Comrades… The word made Axel pause.

For a moment, he felt strangely dazed. Then a thought surfaced. It seems…

It’s finally time to see them again.

Axel broke into a bright, easy smile. “Don’t worry,” he said lightly. “I’ve got my own backing.”

With that, he gave Lamar another respectful bow, then turned and walked out without hesitation.

The doors closed softly behind him. The man standing nearby stepped forward, lowering his voice. “Sir… did you get your answer?”

Lamar stood with his hands clasped behind his back, eyes resting on the now-empty doorway. “No need to ask,” he said calmly. “The answer was already there.”

The man frowned slightly. “Then… he is hiding something. But sir, you—”

“It doesn’t matter.” Lamar shook his head faintly. “Opportunities like that…” he murmured, almost to himself, “only truly shine in the hands of someone like him.”

“As long as he stands with Krythos… as long as he fights for Krythos…” A faint smile touched his lips. “What harm is there in letting him keep a few secrets?”

“Everything… is for Krythos.”

.......

Axel’s mind was already racing.

As he walked away from the building, he replayed everything Lamar had said—especially the part about Force characteristics.

Every movement. Every fluctuation. Every subtle shift when he activated his Awakening Technique.

He dissected it all over and over again in his head. By the time he stepped outside, two groups were already waiting for him.

“Who the hell are you people?” Zelda snapped, leading a squad of Silverwyn Awakened. “Daring to interfere with the Silverwyn family?”

The opposing group didn’t react to her hostility at all. “We’re the Hearthbound Squad of the Whisper Syndicate,” the leader replied calmly. “We’ve been assigned to assist in guarding the suspect, Axel.”

Zelda’s expression darkened instantly. The Whisper Syndicate…

An elite force within the military. Picking a fight with them here would only backfire.

She shot Axel a venomous glare before turning on her heel and leaving.

“Axel of Obsidian?” The squad leader stepped forward, smiling as he extended his hand. “Arthurian. Captain of Hearthbound.”

He paused, then added casually, “I served with your captain, Vince.”

Axel blinked, slightly surprised. “Then… how are they?”

Arthurian chuckled. “They’re doing just fine. Fighting hard in the northwest, trying to catch up to you.”

Axel smiled at that— Then stiffened slightly. “…So they’ve heard.”

Arthurian studied him for a moment, then gave his shoulder a firm pat. “Relax. They trust you.”

He lowered his voice. “Not just your character… they trust that you’ll turn the situation around.”

A faint grin tugged at his lips. “Millers said it best—Axel doesn’t suffer. He makes other people suffer.”

Axel couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah… that sounds about right.”

Arthurian’s expression turned a little more serious. “Trust is one thing. Procedure is another.”

“This time, we’re ordered to work with the Silverwyn family to guard you.”

“But with us here…” His eyes sharpened slightly. “They won’t get to pull anything funny before the formal confrontation.”

Axel nodded. Even without Lamar’s backing, he had full confidence in handling whatever came next. But now—

A new thought surfaced. I got played.

Looking back, it was obvious. Lamar had already suspected something. And Zoltan’s sudden intrusion… He let that happen.

With Lamar’s strength, he could’ve stopped Zoltan instantly. But instead, he waited.

Watched. Forced Axel to react. And Axel had responded instinctively—using the Aquarius Gesture.

That alone was enough. Enough for Lamar to confirm that Axel had gained something from the golden light.

“Clever bastard…” Axel muttered inwardly. And yet— Lamar hadn’t pressed further. He had simply… let it go.

Why? Axel didn’t have an answer. But he didn’t dwell on it. For now, Lamar didn’t seem to be an enemy. And that was enough.

.......

Back in his meditation room, Axel pushed all distractions aside. He calmed his breathing. Cleared his mind. And sank into deep contemplation.

A full day passed in silence. Then—

The door opened. Arthurian and Zelda stepped in together. “Time to go,” Zelda said coldly. “Your moment of judgment has arrived.”

Axel didn’t bother responding. He simply nodded to Arthurian, then calmly extended his hands.

The shackles clicked into place. The moment they locked— His body stiffened slightly. His Force felt as though it had been filled with molten lead, its flow slowing to a crawl.

Control? Almost nonexistent. These were military-grade restraints—designed specifically to suppress high-level Awakened. But after a brief moment of sensing them…

Axel smiled. The vast reserves of Force within his Natal Treasure remained untouched. Which meant—

At any moment, he could break free. It would cost him a bit of backlash, maybe some minor injuries… But he could return to full strength instantly.

From the outside, though—

He looked like a restrained, unstable criminal. Zelda sneered. “Go ahead. Keep smiling.”

“Let’s see if you can still laugh after the verdict.”

Soon, they arrived at the heart of Northern Spiritual Town. At the top floor of the central building—

The main conference hall. Under the watchful eyes of soldiers and officials, Axel was led to one side of a wooden platform. At the same time—

Another man was escorted in from the opposite side. The moment their eyes met—

The man’s face twisted in sheer terror. “You—!”

He stumbled back, panic flooding his voice. “You… stay the hell away from me!”