This wasn’t just confirmation of a connection. It was a declaration of power.
The kind that could shift the balance across entire sectors without a single move being made openly.
On stage, Adam turned his head slightly toward Redy, catching her profile for a brief second. Then he faced forward again, saying nothing. His role was clear, to remain ambiguous.
And he played it perfectly.
Behind the mask, his gaze swept across the crowd slowly, letting the pressure build naturally.
****
The impact of her answer spread faster than the noise itself.
For years, one question had lingered in the background, quietly debated but never answered. Why would a Saint intervene at all? Especially in a matter as contained as the Reliance launch incident.
Saints didn’t act without reason.
Their existence alone was enough to dominate entire sectors.
So when the Saint’s disciple appeared back then, disrupting everything without hesitation, it created confusion. So suspected another Saint was involved, but even then, the reasoning didn’t fully add up because In most cases, they avoided interfering with each other directly. That was the unspoken rule.
Until now.
Redy’s confirmation changed everything.
If the Eden Group had been connected to the Saint’s disciple from the very beginning, then the situation beca clear. The intervention wasn’t random. It wasn’t interference for its own sake.
It was a response.
A calculated move backed by intent.
Across Tristan, the realization hit almost simultaneously. Viewers began connecting the pieces quickly. The timing. The protection. The imdiate reaction during the Reliance launch.
It all pointed in one direction.
Miss Eve had requested support.
That alone justified everything.
Her position as the head of Eden Group already carried weight, especially given her reputation in advanced herbal research and resource developnt. But now, that influence was backed by sothing far greater.
A Saint.
And not just any distant connection.
A close one.
****
The initial shock slowly settled, though the tension never fully disappeared. Reporters regained so composure, adjusting their posture and tone as they continued. Redy handled them smoothly.
What she could answer, she did without hesitation. What she couldn’t, she redirected with ease, guiding the narrative without ever losing control. The press conference stabilized, flowing steadily despite the weight behind every word spoken.
Minutes passed like that.
Then soone shifted the focus.
A reporter stood up, hesitating for only a brief mont before turning toward Adam. The movent alone drew attention instantly. Conversations quieted again, the atmosphere tightening as the target changed.
"Saint’s disciple... this question is for you," the reporter said.
Adam had been leaning slightly against the bone podium, watching the exchange unfold without involvent. The shift caught him off guard for a split second, but it didn’t show. He straightened subtly, his presence sharpening.
His gaze locked onto the reporter.
"What is it?" he asked, his voice low and cold, carrying clearly across the space without needing to rise. The tone alone was enough to make several nearby reporters tense instinctively.
The man swallowed audibly.
It wasn’t just nerves. It was understanding. Everyone present knew what stood behind that mask. This was soone who could contend with multiple Profound Lords and that was before disappearing for two years.
Now?
No one knew where his limits were.
The skull mask didn’t help. The shadows beneath the hood hid any readable expression, leaving only pressure behind. Facing him directly felt like standing in front of sothing unknown and dangerous.
Still, the reporter pushed through.
"There have been speculations," he began carefully, forcing his voice to stay steady. Adam raised a slight brow, giving nothing away but signaling him to continue.
The reporter took a breath.
"Miss Eve, as a martial artist, is part of a team," he said. "A group consisting of four other mbers Master Felicia, the fearso Master Scott, the Red Demon Artisan Nigato..."
He hesitated slightly before finishing.
"...and a newly introduced, unnad mber... referred to only as John Doe."
****
Adam’s eyes narrowed slightly behind the shadow of his hood. He already knew where this was going. This wasn’t a random question. It was a probe, one they had expected, and prepared for.
The reporter steadied himself and continued. "The speculation is that you are this new mber," he said carefully. "For the past two years, this individual’s mission logs have been completely empty."
He pressed on, gaining montum. "That absence aligns exactly with the period you and Miss Eve were unavailable. And the timing of this mber’s introduction... matches when the Saint’s disciple first appeared."
A brief pause.
"And currently," he added, "this John Doe cannot be found anywhere."
The implication landed clearly.
Across the audience, subtle reactions spread. So leaned forward. Others glanced at Adam more intently. It wasn’t just a question anymore, it was an attempt to connect identities.
Adam didn’t respond imdiately.
He let the silence stretch just enough to build pressure. Then he tilted his head slightly, gaze still locked on the reporter as he asked a single, calm question.
"What was John Doe’s cultivation talent?"
The reporter froze for a mont.
He understood instantly. This wasn’t a denial. It was a trap, one built on logic. Still, under the weight of expectation, he answered.
"...D-rank," he admitted.
Adam nodded once. "Then answer this," he continued. "Do you believe soone with D-rank talent could stand where I am right now?"
The crowd went quiet again.
Even without raising his voice, the question hit harder than any denial could. It wasn’t defensive. It was absolute. A direct comparison that didn’t leave room for interpretation.
Adam didn’t stop there.
"Even with a special ability," he added, "it would still fall within that sa limitation." His gaze swept briefly across the crowd before returning to the reporter. "So tell , can that level reach this?"
No one answered.
Because the answer was obvious.
The logic was clean, undeniable. There was no realistic path for soone with that level of talent to match what stood before them now. Not in power. Not in presence.
The speculation cracked.
But as it did, another question rose silently in its place.
If The saint disciple wasn’t John Doe...
Then where was he?
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