Guys, I was just joking about stopping writing because of the lack of support — it was just a test.
So, I will make it up to you with this chapter.
See you soon, this was Akram Kok.
....
"We are not a burden..." Silver said
hesitantly, as if trying to convince himself before others.
"Really?" Korgami replied with deadly coldness, as if it didn't concern him.
"Yes, we are not a burden... We are the leaders of the Organization, the Four Chiefs! We will do anything for the King!" Martin answered confidently, adjusting his hat that nearly flew off under the crushing pressure still filling the air.
"The Organization? I've heard its name often at the Heroes' Union headquarters..." said Korgami, looking at them for the first time with genuine interest.
Martin cleared his throat, then answered in a low voice as if recounting a forbidden legend:
"It is the most evil place on the planet Varyon... where the remnants of the world are cast. Criminals sentenced to death, thieves, murderers, traitors... every kind of crime gathers there. It is an organization whose roots extend to every corner of this world. The natural enemy of the Heroes' Union."
"And we are merely the leaders of one of its branches..." said Martin in a confident tone, yet tinged with caution.
Korgami took a step forward, his gaze piercing them as if seeing beyond their words.
"How many branches? And where?"
Silver answered this time, as if his courage had awakened anew:
"Seven main branches... spread across the planet Varyon. One is established beneath the frozen Eastar Sea, another inside a dormant volcano on the Terras continent, and another... in the sky itself, above the dark clouds where no human treads."
Martin interrupted and added in a hushed voice as if revealing a great secret:
"But the most dangerous one... lies near the continent controlled by the Monsters.
That branch... hides amidst the ruins, in a dead zone where light doesn't reach.
A region overrun by Monsters for over a century, covering an area roughly 45% of the entire world of Varyon."
Korgami's eyebrow rose slightly, as if this last piece of information had finally touched something in his memory or piqued his curiosity.
"A branch in Monster territory?" he muttered, then looked at them with something close to a cold smile. "Isn't that a risk... or is the Organization making a deal with them too?"
Martin laughed bitterly, then said:
"In the Organization... nothing is called impossible. We don't ally with the Monsters, we use their chaos as a cover. Who dares approach that cursed land? No one. And that's why... that branch has become the beating heart of our most secret plans."
Then he stepped forward, defiance shadowing his eyes:
"And soon... you will know why we are not a burden."
---
An idea struck Korgami when he heard Martin speak of the Organization's branches spread across Varyon... but he wasn't satisfied. He looked at them and said...
"Oh, really? Is that what you're saying?! Or are they just words to hide behind, after you doubted me?!" Korgami replied to Martin's words sarcastically...
Then he turned back to Ragnar, who remained kneeling and unmoving...
"Hmm, what do you think, Ragnar... Should we give them a chance to bring destruction to the noble estates?!"
Korgami's plan had been to dispose of these leaders once he was done using them. But when he heard Martin's words echoing in his head, he decided to exploit them further...
"Sir, your word is above all others.!!"
"No, no... I want you to decide, *you*, Ragnar..."
Korgami insisted on hearing Ragnar's decision, for he was the only one he trusted. And how could he not? Ragnar was considered his right hand. When Korgami was in a bind at the Academy in City C, when that Class B Hero intervened, Ragnar had saved him...
Even when his master lost his memories, Ragnar stayed by his side, like a mountain defying storms. No matter the storm's strength, the mountain does not bend...
And when Ragnar saw his master pressing him to reveal his wisdom, he decided to speak.
---
Ragnar spoke in a voice saturated with loyalty and said:
"If you want to deal a real blow to the Heroes... you must make the enemy target their supporters... I mean the Nobles."
"A good choice..."
Korgami stepped closer, placed his hand on Ragnar's shoulder, and said calmly:
"You deserve to be my right hand."
Then he raised his gaze and said loudly:
"Did you hear? I want you to target the most influential Nobles in the Heroes' territories..."
"...the areas that make up 25% of this world's landmass."
"But... do not approach the house of a certain Heroine... her name is Amicia... her home is near the wall dividing the poor and the rich."
Martin spoke while tugging his beard suspiciously:
"But... didn't you hate the Heroes? Why do you want us to spare that Heroine?!"
"Just... carry out the order."
Korgami spoke in a clear voice... while his eyes emitted pulsing, purple sparks...
Silver moved with lightning speed and forcefully clamped his hand over Martin's mouth before he could make things worse...
"There's a saying..."
Silver said while pressing down on Martin's mouth:
"The more you know... the higher the chance you'll be disposed of."
"I have brought you something..." Korgami spoke in an enigmatic tone...
Then he slowly opened his palm... Vortices emerged from the void, carrying huge, glowing bags – the kind that use internal spatial magic to carry heavy and precious items.
The bags were covered in protective and stabilizing enchantment runes, shimmering mysteriously, hinting at containing priceless treasures.
Each chief grabbed his bag:
The first contained luminous crystalline stones of a deep violet color, radiating a hidden fiery energy.
The second was filled with transparent celestial stones, glittering as if holding the very breath of the sky.
The third shone with radiant green stones, resembling pure emerald, emanating a subtle glow of life.
The fourth contained incandescent crimson stones, as if from the heart of volcanic flame.
The colors reflected unparalleled purity and quality, unmatched by anything they had known or possessed before.
Astonishment gathered on the faces of the Four Chiefs as they stared at the glowing bags containing hundreds of billions worth of pure crystalline stones.
It wasn't just the quantity that was surprising; the purity and unique quality of the stones were even more startling.
Korgami had brought the bounties placed on *their* heads and put them in *their* hands.
They had thought he was just a teenager speaking without weight, that he would keep any power or wealth for himself.
But now they stood before a different truth: Korgami had been sincere in his promises.
Amidst their stunned silence, a sinister smile spread across his lips, interlaced with faint, demonic chuckles. He then spoke in a voice blending mockery and threat:
"No matter how high a human rises, ascending over the corpses of their ambitions, reaching the limits of age, tasting the bitterest awareness of this world...
What you see in their eyes is nothing but a shiny mask hiding endless greed.
Righteousness? Merely a mirage that deceives weak minds, concealing wild, covetous desires beneath its cloak.
The higher the rank, the more the beast of greed rages like a tempestuous lake drowning kind souls without mercy.
Greatness is but a canopy sheltering petty betrayals and flaws only perceived from atop the peaks.
And in the end, all that remains is that dark laugh... the unbearable sound of truth, the echo of a merciless world, where the mask alone survives."
That's why humans were the greediest beings... and at the same time, the easiest to manipulate...
Korgami realized that the darkness embracing him would never betray him... unlike the Four Chiefs. If their interests ceased to align with his... they would betray him at his first moment of weakness. Therefore, Korgami decided to use them a little longer. After he was done with them... he would kill them all.
"Sadly, there is no one like Ragnar these days..." Korgami muttered as he prepared to leave...