Six Primecore stood in the vast emptiness of space, their bodies radiating distinct auras that reflected their unique powers.

  The vacuum seemed to pulse with tension, underscoring the rarity of such a gathering.

  Grandmaster Ardyn regarded each of them with an icy gaze. It was no secret that the relationships between the Primecore were fraught with discord.

  The three men present were Orion, Malric, and Solan. Apart from Grandmaster Orion, who bore an aged visage akin to Ardyn, the other two exuded youthful charisma, their appearances strikingly handsome.

  On the opposite side, Elara and Zaira stood with an air of grace, their beauty weaving an illusion of gentleness. Yet Elara’s sharp, blade-like gaze and Zaira’s cold, thin smile hinted at nightmares lurking beneath their serene exteriors.

  Elara, her fiery red hair gleaming like molten flames, cast a piercing glance in the direction Venix had departed.

  “This experiment is too dangerous,” she whispered, her tone smoldering like fire in the dark. “If it fails, the Seed of Chaos won’t just be a nightmare—it’ll be the end of us all.”

  “The greatest risk standing before me now—is you, Elara,” Grandmaster Ardyn replied, his voice cutting like frost.

  Elara’s lips curved into a faint smile, her movements relaxed yet calculated. “Don’t worry, Ardyn. I haven’t done anything… yet.”

  Ardyn’s stare remained cold. Despite her youthful and seemingly innocent demeanor, he harbored no trust toward Elara.

  “Can’t we just seal it?” Zaira asked, her gaze drifting to where Venix had gone.

  Malric, who carried an air of calm mystery, turned to Grandmaster Orion.

  “What do you think, old Orion? Will a seal suffice to stop the Seed of Chaos?” Malric’s tone was calm but piercing.

  “A seal might delay it, but it won’t eliminate the threat,” Orion replied, his voice heavy with the weight of years. “The Seed of Chaos cannot die. Killing it merely silences it for a while.”

  Silence descended upon them. Orion’s wise and piercing gaze seemed to stretch beyond the horizon, pulling the Primecore into their own introspections.

  Even Elara, typically brimming with confidence, lowered her eyes, while Zaira clenched her fingers tightly.

  The prophecy Grandmaster Ardyn had shared with Venix was far from fully revealed.

  The Seed of Chaos was more terrifying than Venix had imagined. Even the Primecore had debated fiercely over Venix’s existence, unsure whether he should be eliminated or spared.

  After much deliberation, they concluded that harming Venix might only make it easier for the Seed of Chaos to seize control of him.

  Grandmaster Solan, who had a relaxed demeanor, remarked, “We can’t even solve our own problems, and now, the Seed of Chaos emerges to add to our burdens.”

  Grandmaster Orion closed his eyes briefly and said, “I didn’t expect its arrival to be this soon. I initially thought it would take at least a decade. Yet, here we are, only a year since the prophecy reached me.”

  “There is no clear or better path than this,” Grandmaster Ardyn declared coolly. “If I can help eliminate the Seed of Chaos, we not only gain a far superior Meditation Technique but also rid ourselves of its threat. Venix will become the pillar of our world—his potential far surpasses all of ours!”

  Grandmaster Solan eyed Grandmaster Ardyn steadily. “If the boy succeeds, and if he demands your life, you won’t refuse him.”

  “So what?” Grandmaster Ardyn laughed. “Even if I must sacrifice myself to ensure the survival of our civilization, I’d gladly trade my life for its safety.”

  One by one, the Primecore fell silent.

  Among them, Grandmaster Ardyn stood out as the one most willing to set aside personal interests for the greater good.

  In contrast, the other Primecore prioritized their own agendas over the collective well-being of their world.

  “If you and the boy fail, we’ll deal with it ourselves,” Grandmaster Malric said calmly before his figure blurred and vanished in an instant.

  Grandmaster Solan and Grandmaster Zaira waved their hands, their forms disappearing just as swiftly.

  There was nothing more to say. The agreement had been set long before Venix’s existence was revealed, and Grandmaster Ardyn showed no intention of renegotiating it.

  “If you need my help, you know where to find me,” Grandmaster Elara said with a teasing smile.

  Grandmaster Ardyn snorted coldly. “If I had a gun with two bullets, and we were in a room with you and Venix, I’d shoot you twice.”

  Elara chuckled and gazed at Ardyn with a coquettish grin. “You’re so cruel to a young woman like me. But… I like it.”

  A moment later, Elara’s figure blurred and vanished into the void, her melodious laughter lingering in the vacuum of space.

  Grandmaster Orion shook his head slightly and sighed. “I hope you’re right, and that you succeed.”

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  Ardyn turned to Orion, his expression softening slightly. “I didn’t expect that of all people… you’d be the one to support me now.”

  Orion gave a faint smile. “It’s a simple Technique. Offering it doesn’t mean I fully endorse you.”

  Ardyn regarded Orion intently. “The Heavenly Scholar Technique, which you’ve passed down to only two disciples in your entire lifetime—you’re just handing it over to Venix?”

  “The Heavenly Scholar Technique is the culmination of my life’s work,” Orion said softly. “With it, the boy might find enlightenment at a critical juncture and turn the tide against the Seed of Chaos.”

  Ardyn frowned. “You know, I can offer you more than my previous deal if you’d sell that Technique to me—”

  “Enough!” Orion snapped, his tone cold. “I’ll never sell it to anyone—not even you!”

  Ardyn exhaled heavily at Orion’s sharp retort.

  With a flick of his wrist, a small jade stone appeared between Orion’s fingers. With a gentle push, he sent the jade toward Ardyn.

  “Prophecies are merely warnings,” Orion said softly. “You’ve seen the results of my attempts to stop the inevitable on my own terms. Even when I succeeded, the outcomes only grew worse.”

  Ardyn chuckled dryly. “Truly, Old Orion, I’m disappointed in you. Not only did you worsen the situation, but you also cut off our hopes and trapped yourself here.”

  Orion raised his gaze to the endless expanse of space. “I’m more disappointed in myself than you’ll ever be.”

  With that, Orion’s figure began to fade, disappearing before Ardyn’s eyes.

  Ardyn caught the jade stone, his powerful fingers gripping it so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His expression darkened, the weight of the world seemingly resting on the small artifact in his grasp.

  “I cannot fail,” Ardyn said, his face resolute.

  ---

  On his return journey to the Numan World, Venix felt as though he didn’t need to do anything—the coordinates of his destination seemed preordained.

  Fortunately, Venix wasn’t afraid of heights. Otherwise, his face would be ghostly pale by now.

  He landed swiftly on the roof of a massive building, distinctly different from Grandmaster Ardyn’s previous dojo.

  Waiting for him on the ground were Luna and Leoric, standing side by side.

  They greeted Venix briefly, without probing into what had transpired in the cosmos.

  Leoric led Luna and Venix into the structure, which turned out to be an experimental facility prepared specifically for Venix and other subjects.

  The three entered the building, drawing the immediate attention of those inside, who greeted Leoric with warmth and deference.

  Leoric returned the greetings with his usual charming smile and laughter.

  Venix glanced at Luna, puzzled.

  Was Leoric this popular with everyone?

  Catching his look, Luna gave a faint, wry smile and shook her head slightly.

  She couldn’t explain it here, especially with Leoric present.

  Moreover, Luna felt too self-conscious around Leoric. Even the slightest glance from him made her lower her gaze, unable to meet his eyes.

  Finally, after numerous greetings, the trio reached an elevator door.

  “This facility is tailored for you, Venix. The research lab is in the basement,” Leoric explained as he pressed the elevator button.

  Moments later, the doors opened, and the three stepped inside.

  Leoric pulled out a card from his coat and swiped it across the scanner. A hidden set of buttons lit up, revealing nine underground levels.

  He pressed the button for the ninth floor, and the elevator began its descent.

  As the elevator hummed downward, Venix stared at the glowing button, his thoughts churning. After a moment, he broke the silence.

  “If I succeed… will the Meditation Technique be enough to shatter the boundaries of this world?” he asked, his voice tinged with hope.

  Leoric shook his head slowly. “No. It’s just the first step. We’ll need time, new generations of Awaken, and the results… could take years. Perhaps even lifetimes.”

  “But you have the Awaken Injection,” Venix pressed, confused. “Isn’t it just a matter of producing enough Awaken? In a year, the results should start to show.”

  Luna interjected softly, shaking her head. “It’s not that simple. You already know the truth. Why do you think we can’t restore the power of the Awaken in this world?”

  “Because the Awaken aren’t strong enough?” Venix guessed hesitantly.

  There are three levels of Awaken quality, and the goal of this research is to create the latest Meditation Technique to enhance the quality of an Awaken.

  "Yes, that's one of them," replied Luna with a slight nod. "However, if we lack quality, we can compensate with quantity."

  "That... makes sense," said Venix, agreeing with Luna's explanation.

  Although quality is indeed the main focus, it doesn’t mean quantity cannot rival or even surpass quality.

  “The problem isn’t just power,” Luna added weakly. “The number of Awaken we have… is pitiful.”

  Leoric chimed in bitterly, “They’re as fertile as barren soil. Compared to ordinary humans, the fertility rate among Awaken... is extraordinarily low.”

  "Which is why, not only do we lack quality, but the quantity of Awaken is also far too insufficient."

  Venix finally realized that the problem was far more complicated than he initially thought. Many aspects contributed to the dire situation they were facing.

  "But... we could use the 'The Lost Sheep,' couldn't we? There must be a significant number of them, enough to meet the minimum quota for unlocking the prisons in this world," Venix suggested, recalling the figures of The Lost Sheep he encountered when he first entered the Virtual World.

  “The Lost Sheep are no coincidence,” Leoric said, turning to him with a faint smile. “They are part of a plan, tools deliberately created to save this world.”

  “Created?” Venix’s eyes narrowed.

  If he remembered correctly, The Lost Sheep were people from isolated tribes who rejected the progress of the modern world.

  But now, the truth was revealed—the leaders of this world had intentionally created The Lost Sheep!

  Leoric paused briefly before continuing, “They were isolated, cut off from the outside world. Their task... was singular—to reproduce. To produce ordinary humans, like livestock raised for harvest.”

  Venix's heart trembled upon hearing this!

  The term "The Lost Sheep" was not merely a nickname—it was a harsh reality.

  Venix froze, his heartbeat accelerating with each word Leoric uttered. Those people he had thought to be ordinary tribal communities were nothing more than livestock, bred and raised for future harvest.

  “Cruel, isn’t it?” said Leoric, his calm smile hiding a deep bitterness in his eyes.

  Venix turned to look at Luna, who appeared unfazed upon learning this truth.

  "I didn’t know about this before, and I only found out when you left with Grandmaster Ardyn," Luna said softly. "There’s a reason why I didn’t interrogate that woman, the one who ordered me to kill you when you had just become an Awaken."

  Luna turned her gaze back to Venix and said, “Anyone working at the Awaken Injection facility—we’re forbidden from questioning anything they say. Even if we accidentally learn something, we’re not allowed to ask about it or share it with others.”

  Venix felt his chest tighten, as though the air in the room had suddenly vanished. The puzzle that had haunted him for so long now fell into place, but instead of relief, a new burden crushed him like a massive hammer.

  He recalled the oddness in Luna’s behavior in the past, when she discovered that The Lost Sheep could see his Seed Origin, the Seed of Chaos.

  Although Luna had shown a strong interest, she didn’t probe further and had sent The Lost Sheep to the pod for Awaken Injection.

  After that, Luna never mentioned the strangeness of that woman again.

  Venix also remembered Leoric’s earlier statement that only certain individuals and The Lost Sheep were aware of the Seed of Chaos!

  Piecing together all of this information, everything finally became clear to Venix.

  The Lost Sheep were people deliberately imprisoned to give birth to humans, treated like actual livestock!