After hearing Ryze's explanation, Link's heart couldn't help but pound furiously.
New City. Tier-8 esper. Berserker.
Those three keywords combined perfectly described the person he had been searching for.
But outwardly, Link maintained a calm demeanor. He didn't want to alert anyone prematurely.
He trusted Headmaster Ryze to keep the contents of their conversation confidential, especially since Ryze had sworn a Soul Oath. But as the saying went—even the tightest walls have ears.
There was always the chance that Dragan might catch wind of someone secretly investigating him. That would complicate everything.
As expected, Ryze reacted exactly how Link had anticipated—he began defending Dragan.
"Link, I think it would be best if you took back what you said. The Sion family holds considerable influence in New City. Otherwise, Dragan wouldn't have so easily become the Supreme Commander of the Dark Watchers there. Besides, you don't have any concrete evidence proving that he betrayed humanity, do you?"
"Well…" Link scratched his head, hesitating. "No, I don't have any hard evidence right now. But I…"
"That's enough," Ryze cut him off before he could finish.
He stepped toward the window, peered outside carefully, and then shut it tightly after ensuring no one was nearby. Then he beckoned Link to follow him into the far corner of the room.
As they moved, Ryze lowered his voice and said, "I stopped you earlier because I didn't want you to accidentally bring trouble onto yourself."
"You remember how I mentioned the Sion family's deep roots in New City? Do you know why their influence runs so deep?"
Link shook his head.
Ryze explained, "Because the Sion family's background is no joke. One of the Seven Sages who slew a moonfolk leader—now honored as one of the Seven Sovereigns—was White Sion, the current patriarch of the Sion family."
Link's eyes widened slightly at this revelation.
He had suspected the mysterious figure he was after came from a significant background.
But after hearing Ryze's detailed account, Link finally understood just how weighty that background truly was.
A descendant of a Sovereign. Holder of an SSS-ranked talent. A Tier-8 esper.
Any one of those factors alone was enough to shake the world.
Dragan possessed all three.
Link gritted his teeth in frustration. Someone with such noble heritage, immense power, and a position of political authority… It would be difficult enough just to get close to him, let alone accuse him of treason.
Even if Link had irrefutable evidence in hand, what could he do against such a figure?
And the reality was—he had no evidence right now.
But Link had no intention of giving up so easily.
After a moment of thought, he asked Ryze a question.
"Mentor, I might not have direct evidence that Dragan betrayed humanity, but one of my talents may offer strong cause for suspicion."
He then proceeded to explain the effects of his SSS-ranked talent: Spiritual Powers Manipulation.
However, he carefully avoided mentioning anything about that day's encounter—the one involving the Book of Wisdom's incarnation, Lib, and the prophetic notebook written by his future self.
Even though Ryze had previously sworn a Soul Oath promising never to reveal Link's secrets, Link still didn't want to bring those matters to light.
Because even the purest soul could fall.
He couldn't—and wouldn't—gamble on Ryze's character always remaining steadfast. If such trust were absolute, humanity wouldn't have so many traitors in its ranks to begin with.
Ryze, a seasoned esper and no stranger to secrets, could tell Link was holding something back. But instead of pressing further, he merely nodded with quiet understanding.
Once Link finished speaking, Ryze summarized, "If everything you say is true, then we shouldn't make any rash moves. Dragan's position is too high. Any unusual activity will alert him immediately. My suggestion is to observe him from the shadows—wait for the right moment, then move in to bring him down all at once. What do you think?"
Ryze was intelligent. He didn't make the decision for Link. Instead, he approached it as a friend seeking consensus.
Though the content was the same, the delivery made all the difference. The way Ryze presented it gave Link a sense of reassurance.
It was a subtle display of emotional intelligence—and a clear sign of why Ryze had been able to rise to the position of Headmaster in such a competitive academic world.
Naturally, Link had no objections. In fact, Ryze's thoughts perfectly aligned with his own.
If he couldn't act now, then he would simply extend the timeline.
As long as Dragan continued to betray humanity, the truth would one day come to light.
And Link could wait.
After concluding their secret discussion, Ryze lit a desk lamp to dispel the darkness in the corner of the room.
The warm glow flickered, casting faint shadows across Ryze's features, sometimes hiding them, sometimes revealing them.
After a moment, Ryze spoke again, his voice low and steady.
"Link, as an esper, increasing your Power Values is important—but don't forget to collect high-level talents as well. They're your means of survival in enemy encounters. As the Headmaster of Astral Nexus Academy, I'm often swamped with work. I won't always be able to sit and talk with you all night like this."
"That's why, what I'm about to say—you must remember it carefully."
"Soon, another guest will come to visit me. You and I will work together to acquire a talent from him. After that, I'll take you to three locations—all of which have vast stores of talents waiting to be harvested."
"However… I don't have your die-and-revive ability. So from that point on, I'll be relying on you to guide me. Do you understand?"
Link nodded firmly.
Ryze smiled in satisfaction.
"Good. Now, could you tell me—what cycle of life and death are we currently in?"
"Mentor, I haven't even met that guest yet."
Ryze looked slightly embarrassed. "Oh… so it hasn't started yet. Well, in that case—since we have a bit of time—could you explain to me how you initially managed to replicate my Soul Oath talent?"
Ryze had wanted to ask that question for a while, but back then, he and Link hadn't reached this level of trust. Asking too soon might have shattered the fragile bond they had just begun to build.
Now that Link trusted him more, Ryze felt it was the right time.
Link didn't waste words. He simply activated his Veil of the Impostor talent.
Because sometimes, a visual demonstration was far more effective than any explanation.
Sure enough, when Link's appearance and physique completely transformed into that of a stranger right in front of Ryze…
Ryze's jaw nearly dropped.
He immediately used an appraisal skill to assess Link's current stats—and what he saw stunned him.
Link's talent could even alter his Power Values.