Chapter 120: Information Agency & Trust
What kind of organization wielded a seventh-star mage as a mere team leader? In Solaris, the seventh star crowned the heads of ancient families, their sun’s rank etched into centuries of legacy.
’He’s hiding his strength,’ Baines thought, his gaze piercing the team leader’s calm facade. Perhaps it was his magic sharpening his senses, or the nearness of grandmaster status, but Baines saw through the subtle tells.
This display clarified much. There were countless strong people in the world, not limited to what he could see in Solaris.
If Baines had learned compromise with a future enemy the hard way, now he was learning to tread even more cautiously. Yet, he didn’t want to dwell on potential or future enemies when he already had loads of them.
His eyes drifted to the sky destroyer, its skeletal frame looming in the warehouse’s heart. Two hundred meters of raw potential, its silhouette echoed the blueprints Eye had shown him. It was like seeing Darkan’s ancestor in flesh. Even now, when it was still inactive, he could feel the threat over him.
Baines leaped onto a platform beside the ship, his hand brushing its cold, rune-etched surface.
[SCANNING...]
Eye’s interface hummed, projecting faint streams of data as it scanned the vessel.
"What do you think?" Shuphern asked, trailing close, his voice tinged with pride.
"I didn’t expect you’d come this far," Baines admitted, his tone measured. "So, what’s missing?"
Shuphern sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That’s the issue. It’s nearly complete, but it doesn’t work."