Chapter 321: Fallen Faction (2)
Kai didn’t really have any expectations for Markus.
Heck, he wasn’t even thinking about anything more than what Markus had to say, as that’d be the make-or-break in his view over the Fallen Faction. But even if he did have an expectation, it’d most certainly not be like the person he was staring at right now.
Markus was far older than him, around his late thirties or early forties, which was expected.
But his face was impossibly smooth, and his naturally curling lips gave a pliant impression.
Someone who would not hurt a fly.
He had long, messy brown hair that reached his nape and a goatee. His brows were flat, even tilting up above his eyes, which enhanced his pliant look. And he was smiling with his teeth, like he was someone who had never experienced trouble in his entire life.
No—perhaps his smile was precisely because he had gone through a lot.
Just that he didn’t let it burden him as most would.
Kai looked down at the extended hand, and then back up again. "You’re... Markus?’
"Do I not match the person you’re expecting?" His smile broadened.
"It’s not like that... Actually, it’s like that."
"No need to fret about it; I’m not offended. But my name is Marcus with a C."
"R-Right." Kai finally accepted the hand and shook it firmly. "Nice to finally meet you."
Marcus retracted his hand, put his mask again, and then turned around. He waved his hand to his side, and an intricate table complete with two chairs placed in opposite directions came out of nothing.
So, this is his power.
Kai’s eyes narrowed.
He wasn’t sure what Patron God could create a fabricated place inside his own mind—but the Supernal who did it was Marcus. Earlier, he thought it was the other figure who was standing across from him, but he was wrong.
"Please," Marcus said, sitting on the chair and then gesturing towards the other chair. "Have a seat."
Kai hesitated for a second, but eventually sat down.
Since he had already come here with an iron will to know more about the Fallen Faction, he should go through it until the end. Bella taught him that once he decided to do something and said it aloud, then he would need to finish it until the end.
No going back.
Or else he’d be betraying himself, and unconsciously never believe his own words.
So, he sat down and stared at Marcus directly in the eyes.
"You said you want to know more about us before you decide." Marcus placed both arms on the table, crossing them by placing the right over the left. "Tell me, Red Prince Kai, what do you want to know first?"
"What is the purpose of the Fallen Faction?" Kai asked without needing to think.
Above all else, this was undoubtedly the most important.
Better to get it out of the way first.
"Long ago, decades ago, there was a boy..." Marcus intertwined his fingers and pressed them against his upper lip as his eyes travelled to the distant past. "Like many others, he was forced to become an Angel—for the betterment of mankind. He soon realized the life of an Angel was harsh, incredibly harsh. Young people filled with youth and future died left and right. But he wasn’t disturbed about their deaths. After all, as Angels, either we live or die; we wouldn’t be a waste. It was our blessing, they said. As long as we follow the rules and fulfil our duties, we would always help mankind survive.
"So—the boy continued. Made friends. Found comfort in one another. Grew stronger. But by the time he reached higher skies, there was no one left beside him. He was alone. And worse—up there, he learned the harsher truth: everything had been for nothing."
Kai listened attentively.
He heard the melancholy and regret in Marcus’ voice.
And that alone told him the identity of the boy.
"The Blue Void is dangerous, yes, but it was not as dangerous as the people in charge made it out to be. At least not yet. Every year—the Blue Void became stronger. News outlets filled the media with that news, but that was a lie." Marcus sighed exasperatedly as if talking about this was draining him. "Everything was a lie."
"But why do they need to lie?" Kai asked, brows furrowing together. "I don’t understand."
Spreading a false narrative about the Blue Void would create public unrest worldwide.
Nobody understood the Blue Void. What was it? Where did it come from? Why is it hostile? None knew the answers to those questions. That alone was already scary enough for most, so there shouldn’t be any reason to instigate more fear in the public.
Or at least, Kai couldn’t think of a reason.
Marcus blinked his eyes, and they became as cold as ice.
"Because Demigods still hadn’t met their ceiling."
"What...?"
"It’s exactly what it meant. We still don’t know how strong a Supernal could reach."
Ever since the Blue Void appeared, and its first gates emerged on the surface, the entire world was turned upside down. Mayhem reigned—and mankind had no other choice but to fight for survival.
Peace returned when the Gods intervened and blessed a few with their powers.
People who got the Gods’ blessings became Supernals.
Regardless, the world mankind knew was gone. It was never the same since.
Democracy still exists—but the strongest Supernals wielded power unlike any other. Most of them became presidents of nations, restricted only by cabinets who represented the common people’s interests.
Even then, it was all formalities.
In reality, only Supernals could restrict Supernals.
And that realization was when power became the only detrimental factor in the entire world.
"Everyone wanted to grow stronger, like how everyone wanted to become rich before the Blue Void. And this created a hyper-competitive space that only resulted in bloodshed. Many died, but some were able to grow to unprecedented heights, becoming Demigods."
Marcus closed his eyes and pressed his locked hands against his forehead.
"And even then—none of them could even feel a trace of their limits. There’s still another level that lies above Demigods."
Since he decided to meet with Kai, he didn’t hold back.
And Kai got the answers to the questions that had been making him restless.
In the earliest era, when Supernals were still new to their powers, the bloodshed was extreme. Battles spilled across the world with no restraint, no law, and no end. Normal people turned from fearing the Star Beasts to fearing the Supernals.
It was this chaos that drove the strongest Demigods of the age to gather.
And then they concluded that if this bloodshed continued, only anarchy would remain.
As modern humans, they knew that fighting like cavemen would only hinder progress.
Naturally, they decided to become more civilized.
For the next couple of years—the strongest Demigods slaughtered the lawless, gathered more forces, and rebuilt nations using the foundations of the old nations and people. And only then did peace reign.
After the purge, the strongest Demigods divided the nations.
All of them became a founding president of the new nations with their own leading methods.
But even then, their desire to become even stronger was still there.
So, they created a system that would help them harvest mana ores from underground and the sky above. It was this system that gave rise to the professions of Demons and Angels, and due to how profitable it was, the system spread across the new nations, becoming one of the main cornerstones of the new world.
"This system, or what the elites called the New World System, is dominantly capitalism with a bit of add-ons here and there." Marcus stared into Kai’s eyes again as he reclined back. "Just replace proletariat with Angels, bourgeoisie with Demons, and the currency with mana ores.
"Since mana ores are a monopolistic industry reserved for the elites, resisting the temptation of exploitation was never going to happen. And that—" He swept his hand toward the world, "—is how we ended up here. In this utopia of madness."
Kai swallowed harshly.
He wasn’t expecting this meeting to be so revealing.
Now he clearly understood why things were the way they are, and it was making him more furious.
Just the interests of a few led to the exploitation, deaths, and madness of many.
Some would argue that these founding Demigods were the ones who restored peace by killing lawless Supernals֫, but that feat meant nothing when they were doing it for their own interests. Afraid that they would be killed and lose the absolute strength they possess.
Not to mention, it was they who also participated in the bloodshed to grow stronger.
It was basically a problem that they created with their own hands.
"A-And..." Kai swallowed harshly—his throat was dry from the rage inside him. "What does that have to do with them having no ceiling in their powers?"
"It hastened the madness," Marcus replied. "They grew greedier, desiring to reach—the next level faster than anyone else and capitalize on that growth. They went even further, exploiting the Angels in ways that were never necessary. Yes, Angels occupy a place in divinity—and in the long run that could be a problem. But there was no need for the extremes, as there was no need to rush since the Blue Void wasn’t as troublesome as they made it out to be.
"Why not regulate the Angels? Let them live like normal people. Let them choose where they want to work. Make the government offer them the chance to adopt a child if they wanted to have one. There was never a need for extremes." His voice hardened. "The mortality rate for Angels was already high, so many die closing the gates. But even then, they had to take it even further. They had to enslave them. They had to drive them mad."
Marcus reclined his head back.
Just speaking about this made his mind throb from the emotions rushing up to his head.
It was infuriating that the few could ruthlessly dictate the many.
Even keeping the normal people safe was nothing more than maintaining their fantasy.
Ruling a world with no people wouldn’t feel good—so the elites kept them safe while putting all the burdens on the Angels. "I’m sure you understand it by now." Marcus lifted his fist and clenched it hard. "The Fallen Faction’s purpose is to expose the elites for their barbarity. Make them be seen as they were... monsters. Expose their lies that have been going on for a century.
"And then, if possible, make the world a better place for everyone. Especially the Angels."
He straightened his posture again, and his eyes turned to slit from his smile.
"Now that you know what we are," He reached out his hand with an open palm. "What would it be, Red Prince Kai? Are you going to be one of us, or would you rather let madness continue to run the world?"