Chapter 380: Nexus Candidate

The words still hung above the ancient machine.

CANDIDATE STATUS: UNCONFIRMED.

Nobody spoke for several seconds. Lily stared at the message, and Sera looked at Kai. Gabriel folded her arms, then sighed. "Well."

Kai glanced at her. "That doesn’t sound good."

"It isn’t bad either," Gabriel said, looking at the kneeling machines. "It’s simply inconvenient."

Sera raised an eyebrow. "Inconvenient?"

"We’ve just learned that ruins across the continent may recognize something called a Candidate, and we still don’t know what that means."

"That’s accurate," Kai said.

"However," Gabriel said, turning to him, "there is something we can do about it."

Kai immediately grew suspicious. "What?"

Gabriel smiled. "Nexus can accept you as its Candidate."

Kai blinked, and so did Sera. Lily slowly lowered her scanner. "...What?"

"Nexus City can recognize you as its Candidate," Gabriel repeated.

Kai stared at her. "You want to make me the Candidate?"

"Not exactly." Gabriel shook her head. "We can’t simply declare it. The ancient system has already told us your status is unconfirmed."

"Then what are you proposing?"

Gabriel’s tone turned serious. "Recognition. Nexus could formally recognize you as the city’s Candidate."

Kai frowned, and Sera crossed her arms. "Why?"

"Because Mythal already has one."

That stopped all of them. Kai’s expression changed, and Lily’s eyes narrowed.

"You mean..." Sera began.

"Yes," Gabriel said. "The Candidate who guided Mythal."

The ancient guide who had watched civilizations rise and fall, recreated them in simulations, and given Mythal the knowledge it needed to prepare for the Disasters. According to the Church’s records, he had never done that for anyone else.

"That Candidate is not an ordinary position," Gabriel said. "Mythal was extraordinarily fortunate. He chose to help your city. He shared knowledge, gave warnings, and let Mythal test different strategies against the Disasters."

"And he didn’t do that for anyone else," Lily said.

"Correct. That’s why the Church considers Mythal’s situation unprecedented."

Sera looked at her. "So Nexus wants its own."

"That’s one way to put it," Gabriel said with a faint smile. "But there’s another possibility. Nexus doesn’t have to wait for an ancient Candidate to appear."

Kai frowned. "You’re saying the city could choose one."

"Potentially."

"But that’s not the same thing," Lily said.

"No, it isn’t," Gabriel agreed, and she looked straight at Kai. "But perhaps the ancient system doesn’t require the Candidate to be chosen by the ruins."

Kai’s eyes narrowed. "Then what does it require?"

"We don’t know," Gabriel admitted without hesitation. "But you’ve already shown something no other modern Hunter has. You didn’t just survive three Disasters. You led your city through them, and Mythal passed."

The Hunters nearby had gone quiet again, and Gabriel’s voice carried across the street. "That has never happened in the modern era. Before Mythal, no city had come through a Disaster of that scale. Now one has."

Kai looked away. The praise made him uncomfortable, but Gabriel didn’t stop.

Sera slowly understood. "That’s why you want him recognized."

"It’s a possibility."

Kai stared at Gabriel. "You want me to be Nexus’s advisor for future Calamities."

For a moment, nobody said anything.

"That’s what this is about?" Lily asked.

"Partly," Gabriel said with a shrug. "Nexus has thousands of Hunters, experienced leaders, researchers, relic specialists, and an enormous Hunter Association. But none of them have led a city through a Disaster."

"So Nexus could use his experience," Sera said.

"Exactly."

Kai thought about it, and it wasn’t entirely unreasonable. Nexus was older, larger, and more powerful than Mythal, but that also meant it had far more factions, systems, and people pulling in different directions. Mythal had only survived the Six Calamities because everyone eventually worked together, and Nexus had never faced anything like that, at least not in the modern era.

Lily frowned. "But then how do the ruins know?" She looked at the kneeling machines. "If a Candidate is just someone who’s led a city through a Disaster, why did these machines recognize Kai the moment they saw him?"

"That’s what I was thinking," Sera said, turning to Kai. "Either the System did something to you, or there’s something about you they can sense."

"Something that reinforces the recognition," Lily said, nodding.

Kai stayed quiet, and something stirred inside him. A familiar voice rose in his thoughts.

She isn’t wrong.

Tiamat. He hadn’t heard from her since the aftermath of the Third Disaster, and her voice was calm, almost amused.

You do seem to attract ancient things.

That’s not helpful, Kai replied silently. And where have you been?

I wasn’t trying to be helpful. But I was silent because the system has been obsvering you for a bit before going away.

That sounds very concerning. I’m guessing it not right now?

It isn’t but you consider moment when I go full silence because of it. Now for the current problem, the aura theory is interesting.

You know something?

I know many things.

That wasn’t my question.

After a pause, Tiamat answered. I don’t know what the Candidate is.

Kai’s expression grew more serious. You were around before these civilizations. You saw earlier Disasters. And you’ve never heard of a Candidate?

Tiamat was silent for several seconds, and when she spoke again, her tone had changed. I have heard the word. Just not the way you’re seeing it now. Candidate was never a title I associated with rulers.

Then what was it?

A designation.

Kai’s eyes moved to the ancient machine. For what?

I don’t know. Her voice grew quieter. And that bothers me.

That was rare. Tiamat had seen things modern humanity could barely imagine, and if even she didn’t know, then the Candidate was no simple ancient title.

Kai.

Yes?

Don’t let them convince you that becoming a Candidate is the same as understanding what a Candidate is.

Kai glanced at Gabriel. I won’t.

Good. Because I don’t think the ruins are recognizing you because Nexus wants them to.

Then why?

Something about you is already recognized.

Then she went quiet.

Sera was watching him. "You’re doing that thing again."

"What thing?"

"Where you stare into space because something’s bothering you."

"He definitely does that," Lily said.

Kai sighed. "I’m thinking."

"Exactly," Sera said.

Gabriel studied him. "You don’t agree with the idea."

"I don’t know enough yet."

"That’s fair. I wasn’t asking you to accept it right now. I was giving you a possibility."

Kai looked at the kneeling machines. "A possibility that could cause a lot of problems."

Gabriel smiled. "Yes."

Sera laughed softly. "At least you’re honest."

"I work for the Astral Church," Gabriel said. "We have a long history of discovering that ancient mysteries create problems."

"That’s the most comforting thing you’ve said all week," Lily said.

"I’m improving."

Kai shook his head, and then Gabriel’s communicator buzzed. She looked at the screen, and her expression changed.

"What?" Sera asked.

"The Hunter Association wants to speak with Kai. They’re calling it an emergency meeting."

Lily looked around. "Why?"

Gabriel glanced at the kneeling machines. "I think we all know why."

...

The Nexus Hunter Association filled an enormous complex in the Central District, and unlike Mythal’s new Hunter Guild, part of it had existed long before the current Hunter era. The lower floors were modern, all glass, steel, security checkpoints, and training facilities, but ancient stone formed part of the upper walls, and huge pillars rose through the middle of the building. No one knew who had built the original foundation. The Association had simply built around it.

The main conference hall was already full when Kai, Sera, Lily, and Gabriel arrived. High-ranking Hunters, Association officials, guild representatives, and ruin researchers filled the seats, along with several people Kai didn’t recognize. The room fell quiet as soon as he walked in. Some of them looked curious, some skeptical, and a few openly uncomfortable.

The Association’s chairman rose. "Kai. Thank you for coming."

"You said it was urgent."

"It is." The chairman gestured to an empty seat, and Kai sat while Sera and Lily took seats nearby. Gabriel remained standing.

Everyone in the room had already seen the footage of the machines kneeling and the message floating above them. "We’ve also received confirmation that your Candidate status is currently unconfirmed," the chairman said.

"Yes," Kai said.

A Hunter leaned forward. "Then why is everyone already treating you like the Candidate?"

"I don’t know."

The Hunter frowned. "You were standing in the middle of the ruins when the machines activated. They recognized you, and they knelt in front of you. And you don’t know why?"

"No."

The Hunter leaned back. "That’s convenient."

Sera’s eyes narrowed, but Kai stayed calm.

"Enough," said an older Hunter across the table. His gear was simple but clearly expensive. "I don’t think Kai is lying."

The first Hunter turned to him. "You trust him?"

"No."

That surprised everyone, and the older Hunter continued. "I don’t know him." He looked at Kai. "And that’s the problem. Why should Nexus follow someone from Mythal?"

The room went silent, because that was the real question. Everyone knew Kai was strong, and everyone knew he had survived the Disasters. What they didn’t know was whether his authority reached beyond Mythal.

"You don’t have to," Kai said.

The older Hunter blinked. "What?"

"You don’t have to follow me. I didn’t come to Nexus to lead it."

"Then why are you here?"

"To investigate the ruins, and to find out what a Candidate means."

The Hunter studied him. "And if Nexus needs someone to lead it through the next Calamity?"

"Then Nexus should choose whoever it believes can do that."

"You wouldn’t take the position?"

"I didn’t ask for it." Kai leaned back. "Mythal is my city. Nexus is yours. If you want my help, I’ll help, but I’m not here to take control."

The Hunter slowly sat back, and for some reason, that answer seemed to bother him more than an argument would have. "You make that sound simple."

"It is."

"No, it isn’t." His expression hardened. "Nexus has millions of people, thousands of Hunters, dozens of major guilds, and organizations that have existed longer than Mythal."

"I know," Kai said.

"And you’re telling me you can walk in here, investigate our ruins, and leave?"

"No. I’m telling you I’ll help where I can."

"And nothing more?"

"Nothing more."

Before the Hunter could answer, the entire building shook.

BOOM!

The lights flickered, and a second impact followed, sending alarms screaming through the halls as the floor trembled beneath them.

"Ancient activation!" someone shouted.

The chairman grabbed his communicator. "Where?"

"Basement levels!"

Another explosion rattled the windows, and the ancient pillars inside the walls began to glow.

Lily’s face changed. "Those aren’t part of the modern system."

Gabriel looked down at the floor. "They’re waking up."

Kai stood. "Everyone, out."

The Hunter who had challenged him stood too. "I’m going down there. People are trapped."

Kai nodded. "Then let’s go."

The Association erupted into chaos as Hunters rushed for the exits, medical teams headed for the lower floors, and security barriers slammed into place. Ancient symbols spread across the walls as Kai and the Hunter reached the bottom level, where a massive section of the floor had collapsed. Several Hunters were pinned beneath fallen stone, and beneath them, something was moving.

The Hunter cursed. "Everyone back!"

A giant construct tore up through the rubble, its body plated in stone and blue light burning in its chest. Kai stepped forward, and the Hunter raised his weapon. "Stay back! I’ll handle it."

The construct swung, and the Hunter blocked, but the impact threw him across the room. Kai caught him before he hit the wall.

The Hunter stared at him. "What..."

Kai set him down. "You okay?"

The Hunter coughed. "Yes."

The construct turned toward them. Distortion moved through the air around Kai, and the machine froze, its massive arm stopping inches from him as the light in its chest flickered. Then it slowly lowered its weapon.

Kai looked at it. "Again?"

"Kai!" Lily’s voice came through the communicator. "Don’t destroy it!"

"Wasn’t planning to."

"Good!"

The machine lowered itself to one knee, and the Hunter who had challenged Kai stared at it. "You really weren’t trying to control them."

"No," Kai said.

Behind them, the trapped Hunters were being pulled out of the rubble, and no one had died. The Hunter walked over to Kai and stood in silence for several seconds. Then he lowered his weapon and bowed, not deeply or dramatically, just enough.

Kai looked surprised.

The Hunter straightened. "I was wrong about one thing. You’re not trying to take Nexus."

Kai shook his head. "No."

The Hunter looked at the kneeling construct. "Maybe that’s exactly why it keeps recognizing you." Then he turned to the others. "Help clear the rubble."

They moved immediately, and for the first time since Kai had arrived in Nexus, nobody was asking him to lead them. They were simply working beside him.

Deep in his mind, Tiamat spoke again. Interesting.

What?

The machine recognized you.

I noticed.

No. Her voice turned serious. It recognized you before you gave it a reason to.

Kai’s expression hardened. Meaning?

Tiamat was silent for a long moment. I think you should find out what the Candidate really is.

Kai looked down at the ancient stone beneath Nexus. For the first time, becoming Nexus’s Candidate didn’t sound like a political title. It sounded like a key, and somewhere beneath the city, something had already begun turning it.