"What do you mean — we wouldn't understand?" Yu Lan asked, frowning.
"If you're so eager to know, then I'll tell you. Our organization, called Arctic, seeks to change the world for the better."
"For humanity?" Yu Lan asked cautiously.
"For humanity? Ha-ha…" The man hidden under the cloak suddenly burst into laughter. His laugh was mad and piercing, making everyone freeze.
When he finally stopped, he said mockingly,
"Why would we do anything for such pitiful creatures as humans? We're not interested in that. Everything we do — we do for the sake of demons."
Hearing that, Arthur grimaced.
"That's kind of cliché. Maybe come up with something more original? And 'Arctic'— really? That's a boring name for such a pathetic organization," he said with a smirk, staring at the man under the cloak.
But in his mind, Arthur was thinking something else entirely:
I need to buy time for reinforcements to arrive. His abilities are too dangerous — he tore off Yu Lan's arm in a second. And I'm still in chains, protecting these two…
"Arthur Lachowski…" the man under the cloak suddenly said. "The one who bears the title Lord of Gravity. The one who commands the force of attraction itself. One of the strongest men alive. The one who defeated a half-ranked demon and formed a contract with the god Gravion. The one who can manipulate orbits, stars, mass balance, gravity — and anti-fields."
Arthur's face went pale.
"How do you know about me?" he asked.
"To us, the Arctic, nothing is unknown. We know about you, about the strongest, about everyone who might become a threat in the future. That's why we are the most powerful organization," the man replied calmly.
"Isn't that a bit arrogant?" Yu Lan said coldly, narrowing his eyes.
The man under the cloak chuckled softly.
"Don't be like that, Yu Lan. You, who managed to clear the Prologue and defeat a mid-ranked demon… yet still failed to form a contract with a god. Why do you call yourself the weakest among the world's ten strongest? I suppose it's because you feel your own inferiority."
Yu Lan lowered his gaze. His mind sank into darkness.
Is he right?.. Yes, he's right… I've always been weaker than the others. Even though I wield the Light attribute — one of the strongest there is — I never managed to form a contract with a god. Why? Why must I suffer like this?.. When my family found out, they turned their backs on me. They wanted a strong heir, someone who could lead the Yu Clan to greatness. And I… I became their disgrace. Even after becoming one of the world's pillars, they still refused to acknowledge me. Their pride blinded them.
Seeing Yu Lan's state, Arthur frowned, unsure of what to do. His mind raced, searching for a plan.
Meanwhile, the cloaked man smiled faintly beneath his mask, noticing Yu Lan's broken expression.
"Seems I've touched a nerve. Well, no matter… perhaps I'll share a glimpse of our plans."
Arthur eased slightly, but his guard never dropped.
"Soon," the man continued, "the Arctic will resurrect one of the Fallen Angels — those who defied the divine order. We will bring back one of the Seven Deadly Sins."
Arthur tensed instantly.
"Don't you dare! You have no idea how dangerous they are! They'll turn on you!"
Standing behind him, Xing asked,
"Master Arthur, who are they?"
Arthur exhaled heavily.
"The seven fallen angels who each sinned in one of the seven ways: lust, greed, gluttony, envy, despair, evil, and pride.
The god I'm bound to once told me — the strongest among them are the Sin of Evil and the Sin of Pride. Their power was so immense that it took the blood of two gods just to seal those two away…"
"Are they really that powerful?" David asked, horrified.
"Yes," Arthur replied quietly.
"How fascinating…" The cloaked man tilted his head slightly. "You know quite a bit about fallen gods… but all of this is getting dull. Your god must've told you too much already. Looks like your backup has arrived — I'll take my leave."
He placed a hand on Astra's shoulder.
"Until we meet again," he said — and in that moment, he and Astra vanished, swallowed by a rift he had created.
Xing stepped forward, ready to chase after them, but Arthur raised his hand to stop him.
"Not now," he said quietly, staring into the empty space where their enemy had stood just moments ago.