The mont Ethan’s deanor shifted so completely, Jenny’s composure cracked. Her jaw actually dropped, just a fraction, but enough to betray her surprise.
"A clever man is truly a clever man," she said, a short laugh escaping her. "But aren’t you worried? This is my fifth floor. Who’s to say I haven’t laid traps or ambushes everywhere? You must have felt it when you tried to probe . This entire level is built from anti-psychic material. It doesn’t just block perception, it can turn into a prison for a Soul-Wielder."
Even standing here, the walls seed to swallow intent and sound alike. She studied him closely now, her curiosity unmistakably genuine, not hostile.
"Enough gas," Ethan replied calmly, his voice grounded and businesslike. "You brought us up here, so you already know why we ca. As long as your loyalty is not with the Divine Sea Temple, I think we can work together. There’s an old saying. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. As for this place..." He gestured lazily around the room. "Aside from this main hall and a bedroom, the rest is storage. You’re sitting on quite a fortune. A hundred billion, give or take."
With that, he leaned back and sat down on the sofa again, as if the tension from monts earlier had never existed. The oppressive aura was gone completely, leaving him looking like an ordinary man with nothing remarkable about him at all. The contrast was so sharp it unsettled her more than his earlier threat.
Jenny stared at him, disbelief written plainly across her face. "That’s impossible," she said slowly. "This floor is a psychic void. You shouldn’t be able to sense anything at all. How could you know the layout? And that number..."
Ethan only smiled, offering no explanation, his expression settling into one of quiet, inscrutable confidence.
The truth, of course, had nothing to do with psychic senses.
Shatterstar.
While the anti-psychic materials rendered spiritual perception useless, they ant nothing to the most advanced scanning technology of the First Universe. The instant Ethan had stepped onto the fifth floor, Shatterstar, still in orbit above the planet, had completed a full structural scan and transmitted the data directly to his wrist unit.
The scan revealed everything. Not just the massive vault of gold and cash, but also two crystal caskets hidden deep within the storage chambers. One held a man wearing the sa uniform as the Divine Sea Temple envoy Ethan had killed earlier. His identification token bore the number three, marking him as a high-ranking officer among the fabled 108 envoys. His death was clean and final, a precise hole drilled straight through his forehead.
The second casket held a woman dressed in simple peasant clothing from an ancient era, her body bearing a brutal, gaping cavity in her chest.
Before the caskets stood a small altar. Spirit tablets rested upon it, engraved with careful reverence: "In Loving mory of Father Francis" and "In Loving mory of Mother Zena." Fresh offerings lay before them, along with incense that had clearly been burned not long ago. The air still carried a faint, lingering warmth.
The story practically assembled itself. A high-ranking Temple agent fell in love with a mortal woman. They had a child. The Temple discovered the truth and ca hunting. The mother likely died first. The father fought back, perhaps killing those sent after him, but in the end succumbed to a psychic strike. A clean execution.
Jenny, knowing all of this, could never have been a loyal servant of the Divine Sea Temple.
There was more. Shatterstar’s scan had also revealed that the fifth floor’s extensive defensive systems were all oriented outward. There were no traps inside, no chanisms ant to restrain visitors once they were here. Her invitation had been sincere.
Jenny seed to realize, all at once, that there was nothing left to hide. Whatever secrets she had guarded for decades were now exposed. She exhaled softly, resignation settling over her features. Sothing old and guarded finally loosened in her eyes.
"If you already know everything," she said quietly, "then fine. I’ll help you conduct your business here. But in return, you must help with one thing."
"You already know what we want?" Ethan asked.
"Of course," she replied. "There was a disturbance earlier, and one of my contacts went silent. Then you arrived. I assu he’s the one you dealt with." Her gaze flicked briefly toward Amber, making it clear she was aware of the earlier communications. In a place like the black market, Victor’s dramatic arrival would not go unnoticed for long.
"State your request first," Ethan said. Inwardly, he smiled. He had a feeling this would fall squarely within his capabilities.
"I want you to enter the Divine Sea Temple," Jenny said evenly. "Find one specific person. And kill him."
Ethan’s eyes narrowed instantly. "Enter the Temple? No," he said flatly. "Absolutely not."
Jenny did not argue. She fell silent, as though she had expected the refusal all along. Her gaze drifted to Victor, still seated cross-legged on the floor, imrsed in deep ditation.
"Don’t even think about it," Ethan said sharply, catching her intent imdiately. "He’s not going either. That said, the person you want dead, I will find him."
Jenny shook her head, a sad, faint smile touching her lips. She clearly dismissed his words as empty reassurance.
"It wouldn’t work," she murmured. "If you’re not a Soul-Wielder, you can’t even get close to the Temple’s inner circle. If it were that simple, I would have found him myself a century ago." She spoke more to herself than to Ethan, effectively ignoring the second half of his promise. "Forget it. I won’t push the matter."
Her resignation was unmistakable. She believed Ethan was simply trying to spare her feelings.
"Oi, lady," Blackie cut in, his patience finally snapping. "My Boss just told you he’ll take care of your guy. What’s with the long face and pretending you didn’t hear him? You really think he’s bluffing?"
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