Kael spoke again, his tone calm and unshaken.
"How can someone like a secretary run the kingdom alone unless something happened to the Lord?" he said.
"Also, in the medical room—when they heard someone survived Nightmare corruption, their expressions were shock and disbelief. That means it was their first time seeing such a result."
He paused briefly, his eyes steady on Garrick.
"So I connected the pieces."
Garrick leaned back slowly in his chair, studying Kael with a deeper, more calculating gaze.
The room fell into silence again, only the faint sound of papers shifting on the desk breaking it.
"…So you observed all that just from timing and reactions," Garrick said quietly.
Kael did not respond, only waiting.
A faint exhale left Garrick as he tapped his fingers once against the table.
"You're sharper than I expected," he admitted.
Garrick's gaze stayed fixed on Kael for a moment longer, as if trying to measure the depth of what stood in front of him.
Then he slowly stood from his chair.
"…Very well," Garrick said calmly. "Then I won't hide it."
The atmosphere in the room tightened immediately.
Kael remained silent, watching him without any change in expression.
Garrick adjusted his coat slightly and continued.
"You're right. Something did happen to the Lord."
"Our Lord is in a state of corruption," Garrick continued gravely. "However, because he is Nascent-God Level, he can resist it for a long time."
He paused, his expression darkening further.
"But what worries us most… is that a Seven-Core Nightmare is forming inside him."
The room went completely silent at those words.
Even the air itself seemed heavier, as the implication of a Nightmare forming within the ruler of the kingdom settled over everyone present.
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly, finally showing a hint of seriousness he rarely displayed.
"…Seven-Core," he repeated softly, as if analyzing the weight of the words.
Garrick nodded once.
"Yes," he said. "And unlike the one you fought earlier, this one is not external. It is growing inside the Lord's body."
He leaned forward, palms resting on the desk.
"If it fully stabilizes, Fortress Genesis will not survive its awakening."
Kael remained silent for a moment, processing Garrick's words with calm focus.
The idea of a Seven-Core Nightmare forming inside a Nascent-God Level being was not something simple—even to him, it carried weight.
"…So that's why you need me," Kael said quietly.
Garrick didn't deny it.
"Yes," he replied. "Your ability to destroy cores directly is unlike anything we've seen. If anyone can stop it before it fully stabilizes, it's you."
The room fell into a tense silence again.
Outside the office, the faint sound of the fortress continued, unaware that its fate had just been placed in Kael's hands.
"I will agree… for some conditions." Kael said calmly.
Garrick's eyes narrowed slightly. "And what is that condition?"
Kael looked at him without hesitation.
"Give me everything connected to healing. Books, records, people with healing abilities—anything that can heal."
He paused briefly before adding, his tone still steady.
"And also give me information about those ranks…Called Peak-Mortal Level, Grandmaster, and everything above it."
Garrick remained silent for a moment, carefully weighing Kael's request.
His fingers tapped lightly on the desk as his eyes narrowed in thought.
"…Healing resources and system power ," he finally said. "System power no problem, but for healing you needed there will take a while."
Kael did not respond, waiting patiently.
After a brief pause, Garrick exhaled and gave a slow nod.
"Very well," he said. "If you're going to deal with something involving a Seven-Core Nightmare, then you'll need access to everything we have."
He turned slightly toward the door.
"I'll have the archives prepared."
"But… why would he need healing books and people…?" Garrick murmured under his breath.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Kael leave the request without any hesitation.
"He's trying to learn it…?" he whispered to himself, confusion mixing with curiosity. "I can't read his thoughts at all…"
Garrick leaned back slowly in his chair, exhaling through his nose.
"…Even so, someone who can take down a Six-Core Nightmare so easily is already a massive variable on its own," he muttered, his expression growing more serious as he stared at the closed door.
The office fell into a brief silence after Kael left the room.
Garrick remained seated, fingers interlocked as he stared at the documents on his desk, though his mind was clearly elsewhere.
The weight of Kael's request lingered heavily in his thoughts—especially the demand for healing knowledge and rank information.
"…He's not just strong," Garrick murmured to himself. "He's searching for something."
Outside, the fortress continued its nightly routine, unaware that a far more dangerous storm was already beginning to form beneath its surface.
The office fell into a brief silence after Kael left the room.
Garrick remained seated, fingers interlocked as he stared at the documents on his desk, though his mind was clearly elsewhere.
The weight of Kael's request lingered heavily in his thoughts—especially the demand for healing knowledge and rank information.
"…He's not just strong," Garrick murmured to himself. "He's searching for something."
Outside, the fortress continued its nightly routine, unaware that a far more dangerous storm was already beginning to form beneath its surface.
Garrick slowly stood from his chair and turned his back toward the desk.
In front of him was a massive glass window overlooking Fortress Genesis, its lights stretching across the night like a sleeping giant.
"My Lord… you will be alright now," he whispered to himself.
"Because we've seen a hope."
His expression darkened slightly as he continued, voice lower and colder.
"And those politicians… a bunch of cowards and useless men who only wished for your downfall… now they will beg and kneel."
A faint glint of resolve appeared in his eyes as he stared at the fortress below.
Then—
A man in a black and red suit appeared instantly behind him, as if stepping out from the shadows themselves.
"My Secretary Lord, are you alright?" the man in the black and red suit asked quietly.
Garrick didn't turn around, still staring out at Fortress Genesis through the massive glass window.
"I'm fine," he replied. "I think we finally have hope to heal our Lord, Red Shadow."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Red Shadow stood behind him, expression hidden beneath his composed demeanor.
"…Yes," he finally said softly. "You're right. I also hope he can be saved."
While Kael was walking out of the castle, he passed through the long stone corridor leading toward the outer gates.
The air was calm, but the presence of knights moving in formation made it clear the fortress was still on alert.
Then, as he turned a corner—
He saw her.
A beautiful woman in knight armor with long flowing blonde hair was walking in the opposite direction.
For a brief moment, they passed each other without a word.
But after a few steps, the woman suddenly stopped.
"Hey, young man," she called out, turning slightly toward him. "It's my first time seeing you here?"
Kael paused and looked at her quietly.
The blonde woman—one of the strongest commanders of the fortress—was known as the East Border Commander, The Radiant Knight, Elena.