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Whoever had thought of this was either crazy or brilliant, because it was both vague and specific at the same time. What was a bond, anyway?

Either they had left it up to those who were participating to figure out and find the answer, or they had purposefully made it so that no clear explanation was given so that the difficulty would rise.

Either way, they would have to handle this, but what Daneel really did not like... Was that it was not really in his hands.

He hated this feeling of not being in control. In all the other tests, and most of the situations that he had found himself in, he could depend on either himself or his power to get him out. In this case, though... He needed to depend on this guy in front of him, and the man had already declared that there was no way that he would form a bond with them.

That could change, but to what extent? He didn’t even know how much of a bond was necessary!

The only consolation was that he did not need to worry, at all, about the bond between him, Faxul and Elanev. They had known each other for the longest time, and their bond was that of brothers - they would be prepared to give up their lives to save the other, and there was no doubt that there would be any problem.

With a sigh, Daneel decided that he would get into it right away.

"Look. No matter how you see it, you have no chance but to build a bond with us. You are the only weak link here, because the three of us know each other in the real world, and our bond is thicker than even that of blood. So, it is up to you, now."

A small glint lit up in Perfect’s eyes as he heard this, and he remarked, "I expected as much. But still... It remains to be seen whether we can get out of this properly, without becoming enemies. I see that you are a smart guy, Overload. Can you guess why teams become either foes or companions for life after they’re done with this mission?"

Daneel didn’t even need to think much to answer.

"Trust. Clearly, to build a bond, they have to speak about themselves, and this results in them giving a lot of clues which could be used to find their real identities. We all know that this is dangerous, so after exiting, those who have been forced to share these details will become paranoid, thinking that they could be used against them. So... they become enemies, and end up killing each other."

Perfect nodded, and it really did look like he was back to normal. He was still unwilling, but it seemed that he had understood that he had no choice now.

He was about to continue, but he paused when the Overload spoke again, and this time, the man’s words astonished him so much that he could only drop his jaw and stare.

"Look, I’ll make it clear. I am ready to tell you everything about myself. Well, almost everything, at least. I’m ready to trust you, because I trust my own power. If you didn’t understand, I’m basically saying that if there is even a hint that you might betray me, you will die before that thought even completely forms in your mind. I’m confident that I’m capable of doing that, no matter in which corner of Angaria you try to hide in. I’ll be frank with you. Ever since I met you, you have been a refreshing change from all those tryhard seeds or members of the Order who just want to get stronger and stronger. I don’t know yet, clearly, whether you can be trusted, but my gut feeling tells me that there shouldn’t be a problem. So... Listen up. I’m from the Central Continent, and I had to claw my way here. That is my past. As for my future... I want to rule this entire continent. No matter who comes in my way, I will hammer them to death, and that applies to the Church, too. So... What about you?"

From the Central Continent?!

Perfect could only continue to stare for a few more seconds, and understanding that it was better if his shock came all at once instead of coming in waves and wasting time, Faxul and Elanev stepped forward and told their introductions, too.

"I’m also from the Central Continent. I have a Bloodline which allows me to stand at the top, and I will reach the peak and look down on all those who think they’re special because they were born special. I grew up with no parents, and I want to make sure that in this continent, those who have to undergo the same fate will be reduced to a minority. And for that, my goal is to help him rule."

"If you haven’t gotten the clue yet, all of us are from that place you people keep calling a sh*thole. I lazed around for most of my life, but then, I found a direction because the girl I liked ended up liking this guy. I thought that if I became more powerful, I might be able to get her back, but that was just dumb. Still, I like the way it felt to keep achieving, and I kept him as my goal. As for my future... I don’t know! But at least, I know that I don’t know it!"

Even Daneel looked at Elanev with a raised eyebrow as he said this, as his answer had been truly unique.

In response, Elanev only shrugged, and together, the three of them looked at Perfect, waiting for the man speak.

His shock lingered for a few more seconds, but after that, he finally controlled himself and said, "The Central Continent? Really?! I could never have believed that! But you do know that your real identities can be easily found out by me now, right?"

The response... Was given with a smirk by the Overload, who look more sure of himself than ever.

"Like I said, I will end you before you even succeed in doing anything like that. And besides, if my plans go well, I won’t need to cover my identity for long. You can either get an ally for life, or an enemy who will certainly kill you. It’s your choice."

Daneel had thought that Perfect’s character might be one which would bow to power.

Yet... From the man’s response, he was proven wrong.

With a frown, he replied, "I don’t like being pushed into things. I have a bottom line, and if that is not crossed, I will focus on keeping myself alive. But if it is... Even if I die, I will make sure that those who go against me find out the true wrath of my family’s bloodline. Anyway, it is clear that you do trust me. Let’s put aside that stuff about killing me, because I honestly don’t think you can succeed- if I hide in my family’s headquarters, not even the Church can do a single thing."

That last statement was said with a hint of pride, and it made Daneel take a step back and wonder just what the background of this guy was.

Was it possibly more terrifying than all those he had met so far in the Order?

As this question drifted in his mind, Perfect spoke again.

"Yes, you’re right. We are in this situation, and we have to be open about each other. I was born in a prestigious family, with the topmost talent, and I was raised with a very strict schedule. I was deprived of most things as a child, all in the name of using the best time of youth to train and take my power as far as possible. That is my past. As for my future...I-I guess I don’t know, either."

Perfect’s confidence faltered when he said that last part, and Daneel understood that he had been about to say something else.

Yet, before he could say anything, a change came over the atmosphere.

The ground started to shake, and screams began to be heard from the outside.

"The Blight! It’s here! Whose bond has been shaken?!"

"Quick! Spot it, or we’ll die!"

With panic appearing in their eyes, Daneel and the rest rushed out to be greeted by a horrifying sight.

The sun was completely blocked out by a dark mist that had come out of nowhere, and absolute darkness had taken hold of the village.

Lamps began to be turned on, and they only made it worse.

The light that was shined onto the sky showed hints of writhing tentacles within, and this was so terrifying that the children in the village all started shouting for their parents with fright.

"What’s going on? Why is it-"

"It’s the first Blight! Everyone, hide!"

An elderly man burst out of a house nearby and shouted this, following which all of the villagers ran back into their houses.

Daneel and the others did so, too, and that was when they understood the reason behind the strange shapes of the buildings in this village.

With a loud sound, all of the houses...sunk into the ground, leaving no trace behind, and making the land look as if it was barren.

Daneel had the system which did not need to use magic for surveillance, at least in short ranges, so he could see what was going on outside.

The barrier had broken barely a minute after the houses had disappeared, and that large mass of black mist had assaulted the ground before howling, as if in frustration.

Within, a creature that had countless tentacles could be seen. Its most grotesque feature was actually its face, which also had many tentacles sprouting outward, almost like warts, while the eyes, mouth and nose could barely be seen if one focused.

"The legend goes that there was once a talented man in a village who was so absolutely good that he treated his entire village as his family. Yet, due to a fault in his training technique, he was supposed to have undergone a transformation which made him into a deformed, twisted creature. All those whom he had loved with all his heart turned on him, and although he thought that it was because they were shallow and had only acted as his family because of his potential, the truth was that it was his technique which had taken the thing he loved most and destroyed it because of his failure. He began to detest all sorts of bonds, and he is attracted to places where there are those whose bond is not so strong. If no defences are present, he massacres all and moves on. This was the first attack of the Blight that he has become. He will rest after this, and we have two more chances. If our bond is not strong enough by then, too...we will be doomed. Heavens help us."