...The dark fissure in the fabric of reality was a Dream Gate.
But a Dream Gate could not be hidden in an underground reservoir beneath the Central Government HQ. Because there was only one Supreme in the world, and only one Dream Gate... the radiant Dream Gate of Chanigng Star, the living goddess of humanity.
This Gate, however, was out of place. It brimmed with an impenetrable darkness, making June shiver as if chilled to the bone.
He was not someone to deny what he saw, however.
'A... second Dream Gate?'
If there was a second Dream Gate in the world... that meant that there was a second Supreme in the world, as well.
He almost staggered.
Awakened Kim patted June on the shoulder.
"Relax, Corsair. This secret is fully sanctioned by the Ivory Tower."
June gulped.
"B-but... the Lord of Shadows... he's dead. I saw him die with my own two eyes."
She smiled.
"Did you?"
With that, Awakened Kim left the elevator and entered the reservoir.
It was only then that June noticed that there were various cargo containers placed chaotically here and there on the floor of the underground chamber, as well as several people busy unloading building materials and supplies from them.
"Kind of creepy, isn't it?"
He flinched, headring a friendly voice speaking into his ear.
Turning around, June noticed a young man looking at him with an amiable smile. Quite disturbingly, he had not sensed the young man's approach at all.
It had been years since anyone had managed to sneak up on June. He still had scars from the near-fatal encounter.
The young man pointed to the Dream Gate.
"A creepy black portal hidden in a secret underground chamber... I nearly fainted the first time I saw it!"
June looked at the towering fissure once again, trying to regain his composure.
"The Lord of Shadows... is alive?"
Not only was the sinister fiend alive, he was also in charge of an elite clandestine force that supported the Ivory Tower from the shadows.
So...Lady Nephis and him had staged the fateful duel, for whatever reason.
June tried to come to terms with that fact.
Somehow, it made a comforting sort of sense.
One Supreme was like a radiant sun, shining upon manking from the heavens. The other was like a vast shadow hiding in the eternal darkness deep underground. Both were working hand in hand to protect humanity. Ŗ𝘈ɴоᛒĚS
The goddess and her shadow.
June exhaled slowly, then froze.
'Wait... that's "our boss" Awakened Kim kept talking about?!'
He suddenly felt dizzy.
Who went around calling a Supreme "boss"?! Wasn't... wasn't that sacrilege?
The young man turned to Awakened Kim and saluted her respectfully.
She smiled.
"Oh. Ray... are you and Fleur back from the Eastern Quadrant?"
He nodded.
"I am, but she stayed behind to treat the civilians. Oh, by the way, will Master Quentin be returning any time soon? She wanted to thank him for his guidance."
Awakened Kim shook her head.
"You know that he mainly stays in Bastion. Now that our princess is there as well, he won't be back for some time."
The young man - Ray - sighed.
"I don't get it... I really odn't. When i first learned that Rani - I mean, Rain - was royalty, I was honestly a bit envious. But she went straight back to a road crew after the war! And now she's delivering coffee in Bastion. Isn't our boss a little too ruthless to his sister?"
It was only then that June noticed Ray wearing a suit of black armour similar to that of Awakened Kim.
Everyone in the underground chamber was, in fact, all emblazoned with the coiling serpent insignia.
That suddenly made his heart flutter.
'Does this mean that I'll get one too?'
Would he be getting a bespoke suit of Transcendent armor?
'She did say that our benefits were stellar...'
Awakened Kim, meanwhile, pointed to June and said neutrally:
"This is our new recruit, Corsair. Corsair, this is our best stealth specialist, Ray. Be nice to him... his girlfriend is a healer."