Chapter 109 Strip for the devil I

Chapter 109: Chapter 109 Strip for the devil I

Then dozens of people emerged from a particular room, one after another, through a massive golden door. But among all of them, the most dramatic appearance was the last shadow that slowly made its way toward the gathering. Before the figure even appeared, the entire atmosphere changed. The room became deathly silent. The laughter stopped. People who had been casually talking suddenly shut their mouths as if they had been warned not to make a sound. Even the murmuring gradually faded until there was almost nothing left. It was as though nobody was allowed to breathe too loudly.

Luna swallowed carefully. The silence was so creepy that she was almost certain that if she swallowed too loudly, everyone in the hall would hear it. She glanced around—what the hell was happening?

Adrian, who had already sat down on the floor after their rather humiliating entrance, was holding his chest and trying to focus on everything happening around them. His breathing was still uneven from the strain of opening the portal. Then his eyes narrowed. "The hierarchy," he said quietly. "Can you all see it?"

The others almost immediately looked toward him. One after another, they turned their attention back toward the people gathered around them, as though they had somehow missed something obvious. Luna did the same. She studied the main hall carefully. The room was incredibly well-lit, bright enough that she could make out almost every face. The people coming from the golden door continued marching into position with an eerie level of discipline.

The first group Luna noticed consisted of women dressed in red overalls. There were dozens of them. Each woman carried a stick-like weapon that looked completely harmless at first glance, but Luna wasn’t stupid enough to assume something was harmless just because it looked simple. The way they held those weapons told her enough—they knew how to use them, and judging by the expressions on their faces, they wouldn’t hesitate to do so.

Surrounding the women in red were people wearing what appeared to be server tags. Servers—that was what their clothing suggested, at least. Luna narrowed her eyes. For people who appeared to be almost at the lowest level of this entire place, their auras were completely ridiculous. She could feel their power from where she was sitting—almost SS-class-tier. Her eyebrows twitched. What kind of place had servers with that level of strength?

She looked toward the men standing around the perimeter. Bodyguards. At least, that was what they looked like. They wore tight black clothing that emphasized their enormous muscles, black masks that covered most of their faces, and they stood with the discipline of trained ninjas. They weren’t moving unnecessarily. They weren’t speaking. They were simply watching—watching everything, watching them.

Luna’s eyes narrowed further. There was something strange about this arrangement, but she couldn’t understand what. Except for the servers, she couldn’t see anyone who looked like they belonged at the bottom of the pyramid.

"They’re not at the bottom," Luna finally declared, looking around again. "I don’t think any of them are."

Adrian opened his mouth, probably preparing to explain what he meant, but before he could say anything, Kai cleared his throat. "They aren’t." Everyone looked toward him. Kai’s expression had changed—the childish amusement he usually carried was gone. For once, he looked completely serious. "The servers aren’t at the bottom. The bodyguards are."

Luna blinked. Kai pointed subtly toward the men in black. "The strongest people here are the servers." That statement made Luna stare at him. "The servers?" Kai nodded. "Exactly."

Rowan immediately focused on him. Ethan did the same. Even Adrian stopped rubbing his chest for a moment and listened. They didn’t have much time—the leader hadn’t appeared yet, and they needed to understand this place before that happened.

Kai continued, "There’s a power play happening here." He glanced around the hall. "It’s designed to make everyone think the bodyguards are the strongest people in the room. They’re the ones wearing intimidating clothes, standing around the perimeter, watching everyone, so naturally your eyes go to them first." His gaze shifted toward the servers. "But they’re not the strongest."

Luna remained silent. Kai continued analyzing the room. "The servers are positioned differently. They’re allowed to move around freely, and everyone seems to react to them differently. They’re probably the real heavy hitters." He pointed subtly toward the back of the hall. "And if I’m right, the strongest position is at the back."

Luna followed his gaze. The golden door was behind them. The massive golden chair was further ahead. Everything seemed arranged around that area. "The leader would stay there," Kai continued. "The strongest people would naturally be positioned closest to him. That’s why the servers are there." His eyes moved toward the women in red. "The women in red are probably another layer of enforcement. If the servers are occupied or unable to deal with a threat, they’re the ones sent in to finish it." Then his gaze shifted to the bodyguards. "The bodyguards have a different purpose."

Luna frowned. "Which is?"

"Threat detection." Kai’s answer came immediately. "They aren’t standing there to fight everyone. They’re watching." His eyes narrowed. "They’ve been observing us since we arrived."

Luna looked at the masked men again. He was right—they weren’t staring at them like ordinary guards. They were studying them. Their movements. Their expressions. Their abilities. Their weaknesses. "Look at their hands," Kai added. Luna followed his gaze. Several of the bodyguards were holding small devices—recording. "They’re collecting information," Kai said. "Their job isn’t just physical protection. They’re probably the people responsible for identifying threats before they become problems." He paused. "Then there’s the civilians." Luna’s eyes shifted toward the people standing farther away. "And above them..." Kai looked toward the golden chair. "The second-in-command." His voice dropped. "And the leader."

Silence followed. Luna’s jaw dropped slightly. Ethan looked equally stunned. Rowan stared at Kai. Adrian simply blinked.

"You figured all of that out just by watching them?" Luna asked.

Ethan nodded in agreement. "We’re all here watching the same thing, and I couldn’t even tell them apart." He looked around the hall. "They all look like they’re part of the same system to me."

Kai shrugged. "This isn’t that complicated." Luna stared at him—she couldn’t believe those words had just come out of Kai’s mouth. Kai continued as though he hadn’t noticed their expressions. "You just have to watch their movements. Pay attention to who gives orders, who receives them, who everyone avoids, and who everyone seems to respect." His gaze moved around the hall. "You can learn a lot from how people look at one another." Then he sighed. "But this place..." His expression became serious again. "...is going to be hell."

The mood instantly changed. Luna’s face fell. Kai looked toward the enormous hall. "If we get out of here without being injured, killed, captured, or forced to reveal everything we can do, it’ll be a miracle."

"Why would you say that after giving us hope?" Ethan muttered.

Kai shrugged. "I’m just being honest."

Luna rubbed her forehead. "You’re seriously annoying." She was about to open her system panel to scan the area again when she remembered something—people were watching them. She couldn’t expose her supermarket space. Not here. Not surrounded by this many powerful awakened. If someone discovered that she possessed a space capable of storing supplies, food, weapons, equipment, and practically everything they needed to survive, she didn’t even want to imagine what would happen. She closed her hand, then looked directly at Kai. "Since when have you been this smart?" Kai’s face twitched. Luna continued, "You’ve been acting dumb this entire time. Why?" Kai looked away. "And why do you always rage-bait me when I know you actually understand what’s being said?" Kai remained silent. Luna narrowed her eyes. "Well?" Nothing. "Kai." Still nothing. "You have absolutely no shame." Kai simply turned his head farther away.

Before Luna could continue, Rowan spoke. "Enough." Luna looked at him. "We should be thanking him," Rowan said calmly. "He gave us useful information about the hierarchy. That information could help us survive." Luna opened her mouth, but Rowan continued, "Questions about why he acts stupid can wait." Luna’s lips pressed together. She knew when she had lost an argument, so she said nothing. Instead, she turned her attention toward the golden door.

Smoke was slowly spilling from the room beyond it. The entire hall remained silent. Then a figure emerged. A man stepped through first. He was huge—almost gigantic. His body was heavily built, and even from a distance, his appearance was enough to make several people in the hall blush. He was handsome—far too handsome for someone who looked like he could crush a person with one hand. But the reaction of the crowd told Luna something more important than his appearance. Everyone moved. The moment he stepped forward, people immediately cleared a path. Nobody wanted to be in his way. They scattered like frightened insects.

Luna’s eyes narrowed. So this wasn’t the leader. Then what was coming behind him?

The man stopped. Another shadow appeared through the smoke. The atmosphere changed instantly. Every foot froze. No one moved. No one spoke. Then slowly, two enormous feet stepped into view.

Luna’s eyes widened. The figure was wearing massive golden armor. It gleamed beneath the lights, every piece polished so brightly that it almost hurt to look at. The pressure radiating from him was overwhelming. It wasn’t just strong—it was suffocating. The civilians nearest to the figure immediately collapsed. Even awakened people struggled to remain standing. Their bodies were being forced downward by the terrifying pressure. Luna felt the force pushing against her body, and her teeth clenched. What the hell was this?

The figure continued forward. His entire body was covered. His face was hidden. His eyes couldn’t be seen. Not even a single piece of skin was visible beneath the golden armor.

Kai stared. Then, unable to stop himself, he whispered loudly enough for everyone around them to hear. "Okay..." He tilted his head. "Where is the rest of him?"

Rowan’s face immediately twisted. "Oh shit." He grabbed his forehead. "How could you say that?"

Adrian, despite everything, looked at the armored figure. "For real." He nodded thoughtfully. "Where are the remaining parts of his body?"

Ethan stared at both of them. "You two are going to get us killed."

Luna didn’t even have the energy to scold them—she was too busy watching the armored figure. He walked toward the back of the hall. Every person moved aside. Then he climbed the elevated platform. At the very top stood a massive golden chair. The figure sat. The moment he settled into the chair, the entire hall became even quieter. It was as if his presence alone commanded silence.

Then the armored figure finally looked toward them. Toward the enormous fishing net hanging above the floor. Toward Luna and her group. Luna’s heart sank. They had just entered the most dangerous place they’d encountered since the apocalypse began, and the person sitting above everyone else had yet to even reveal his face.

His voice finally thundered through the hall. "Bring them here." The command echoed against the metallic walls. Then came the second order. "Make them strip." Luna’s eyes widened. The armored figure continued without hesitation. "I want to see what they came with."