Chapter 153: The First Name

By the time Jet returned to Zenith, the excitement of awakening Ilios had finally settled into something more manageable.

After testing his new abilities in the Thousand Boughs, he had returned through the marked anchor to the abandoned building in the wilderness, checked his surroundings, and immediately begun the journey back.

The trip had taken considerably longer than his escape from the volcanic mountain, particularly because he had no intention of exhausting himself by maintaining the Asura Physique throughout the journey.

Nevertheless, he had reached the city’s outer transportation network without encountering any serious trouble.

Now, sitting beside the window of a passenger transport entering Zenith, Jet examined the familiar skyline with a satisfied expression.

Four days had passed since he’d departed, and although the expedition had nearly ended with him being torn apart by a furious Lord-Rank Mana Beast, the results had exceeded his expectations.

The Eight-Armed Asura was no longer his only awakened Divine Rune. Ilios — The Undying Sun had joined it, granting him abilities that would fundamentally change how he approached combat.

His greatest concern was learning to control those abilities properly. Samadhi Flame had proven remarkably versatile, but Pashupatastra was another matter entirely.

The destruction he’d caused in the Thousand Boughs had been far greater than anticipated, and the enormous Mana consumption made it unsuitable for careless use.

Until he understood its limitations, he would have to treat it as a finishing technique rather than something to unleash whenever an enemy appeared.

Jet lowered his gaze toward his chest, where the Ilios tattoo remained concealed beneath his clothing.

He could feel its warmth even without activating it, a constant reminder of the extraordinary power now residing within his heart.

Fortunately, the Divine Rune remained dormant unless he deliberately called upon its abilities, and there was nothing about his outward appearance that would reveal what had happened during his absence.

"Let’s hope things have been quiet while I was gone," Jet murmured, returning his attention to the city outside.

Unfortunately, Zenith had been anything but quiet.

---

Adesewa stood beside a large table covered in photographs, communication records, and several documents recovered during the counteroffensive against the assassination network.

Cassian occupied the chair opposite her, examining a list of financial transactions, while Marcus stood near the window with his arms folded.

Safiya had arrived shortly before them, bringing information obtained from one of the captured intermediaries.

The investigation had continued throughout Jet’s absence.

Corvin’s capture had provided their first substantial opportunity to examine the organization from within, and Adesewa had wasted no time exploiting it.

Several safehouses had been raided, communication devices confiscated, and individuals connected to the attacks questioned.

Although many of those involved possessed only limited knowledge of their employers, the combined information had begun revealing a network of financial arrangements and intermediaries operating across Zenith.

The organization had suffered considerable damage.

However, its leader remained unidentified.

"Three of the accounts have been emptied," Cassian reported, placing a document on the table. "The transfers happened within hours of our second raid. Whoever controlled them realized we’d found the payment network."

Adesewa examined the transaction records. "And the remaining accounts?"

"Two were frozen before the money could be moved," Cassian answered, tapping the relevant entries. "The third was closed months ago, but Marcus found something interesting in its transaction history."

Marcus approached the table and indicated a particular name. "Most of these accounts were registered through temporary companies. This one was different. Several payments passed through a legitimate security contractor before being distributed to the people carrying out the attacks."

Adesewa studied the document.

The company itself wasn’t particularly remarkable. Zenith contained hundreds of private security businesses, many of which employed Awakeners to protect commercial properties, escort valuable shipments, or provide additional protection to wealthy clients.

What interested her was the individual responsible for approving the payments.

"Lucien Veyr," Adesewa read aloud, narrowing her eyes. "Who is he?"

Marcus opened another document. "Forty-three years old. Financial consultant, former logistics administrator, and currently the director of a private contracting firm called Meridian Security Solutions. He’s been operating in Zenith for nearly fifteen years."

Cassian leaned forward. "And according to the records, his company authorized payments to at least four intermediaries connected to the attacks against us."

Adesewa examined the transactions more carefully. The amounts were substantial, but they had been divided into smaller payments and disguised as ordinary security expenses.

Without Corvin’s information identifying several intermediary accounts, the transfers might never have attracted attention.

"That makes him worth investigating," Adesewa said, placing the document aside. "But it doesn’t prove he’s the one giving the orders."

"Exactly," Marcus agreed. "He could be managing payments for someone else. He could also be unaware of how his company was being used, although I find that possibility increasingly difficult to believe."

Safiya placed another photograph on the table. "There’s more. One of the men we captured recognized Veyr’s name. He claimed Veyr personally arranged payments for certain assignments, although he never explained who the actual client was."

Adesewa looked toward her. "Did he meet Veyr himself?"

"Twice," Safiya answered, folding her arms. "Both meetings involved collecting payment after completing surveillance assignments. He never received instructions directly from Veyr, but the money came through his office."

Adesewa considered the information.

For the first time since the attacks began, they had identified someone whose name appeared repeatedly across several independent sources.

It wasn’t enough to establish the individual’s precise role, but it was considerably more promising than chasing anonymous communication accounts.

"Then Lucien Veyr becomes our first priority," Adesewa decided. "I want to know who employs him, who pays his company, and which clients he’s been dealing with over the past six months."

Adesewa lookes at the information infront of her with a deep frown on her face. The person behind all of these attacks is still at large, she has deployed all resources available to her but still can’t the person behind all these attacks but current lead she gave enough faith that this time, they will find the person behind all of this.