Kaito Shirogane stood up and walked toward the dark-haired woman. The instinctual, physical reaction from her body wouldn't lie: her muscles tensed, and she subconsciously flinched backward.
This woman was afraid of him.
And yet, despite this fear, she had actively approached him, even risking being killed to expose his identity.
Tsk. Another madman.
Kaito could see that beneath this woman's sowhat timid facade was a core of iron-clad resolve.
And... a woman, he thought. Heh.
Kaito watched her reaction as he drew closer, deliberately letting his gaze linger and size up her body. The Professor's reaction, or lack thereof, made the corner of his mouth curl. A normal woman, in this situation, wouldn't react like this. Won from East Asia almost all had an instinctive, protective habit regarding their personal space. Just like Elizabeth; when he looked at her, she would either instinctively turn away or glare back, both of which were self-protective behaviors.
But the Professor had no such reaction at all. Her fear of him was purely one of life-and-death, with none of the other usual anxieties.
Kaito looked at the Professor with a playful expression and suddenly spoke.
"You're actually a man, aren't you, Professor?"
"Is a female avatar more expensive than a normal one?"
The Professor looked as if he'd been struck by lightning. His face went instantly pale. In that mont, he was overco with an imnse, primal fear, as if his entire disguise had been ripped away. He glanced wildly from left to right, completely forgetting that he had just scanned the entire area with his own spiritual power.
This reaction caused Kaito to break into a disdainful smile. He held up his hands and took two steps back, sitting down again. This Professor certainly had his secrets and so special talents, but in Kaito's opinion, he was far too green. Even the clown Evans, who had died at his hands, was more mature.
The Professor stood frozen, his face a ghostly white. He knew his carefully constructed facade of an experienced veteran had been shattered. He no longer had any bargaining power with this man. Worse, if this person had ill intentions, he was now vulnerable to horrifying blackmail.
Haaa… He took several deep breaths to stabilize his emotions. His mind raced. He had always known the Nexus was full of monsters that couldn't be asured by common sense. Hadn't he prepared himself for this? All that had happened was that he'd finally t one.
Wild, powerful, and terrifyingly smart. He had none of the recklessness or arrogance of the powerful characters in stories. Beneath his seemingly insane actions was a sharp intellect that saw through everything.
The Professor looked at Kaito again. He had now firmly equated this man, who had made his avatar into the absurd visage of an Elder God, with the monsters of legend he had heard about. He t Kaito's gaze again, his own eyes now calm.
"rcenary Tao. I want to make a deal with you."
Seeing that Kaito didn't imdiately refuse, he continued. "I believe you are also a newcor. And one without any backing from an established faction."
"I want to trade a piece of information—information directly related to 'Special Reincarnators' like you and —in exchange for your promise. For the duration of this mission, you will not join the faction opposing ."
Kaito watched the man with amusent. He had managed to stabilize his emotions and pivot his entire strategy in such a short ti. Perhaps he wasn't as pathetic as Kaito had first thought. When it ca to Reincarnators, "talent" ca in many forms; combat prowess wasn't the only one. This Professor's ability to judge a situation and manage risk was excellent. For instance, his request was precise: he only asked that Kaito not join the enemy, which clearly signaled that he didn't want to fight him. He didn't overreach by asking Kaito to team up, nor did he try to restrict him further.
Although this world seemingly only had two main factions—the [Demon Slayer Corps] and [Muzan Kibutsuji]—the plot divergence ant that many third-party factions would naturally erge. This was the exact reason Kaito hadn't bothered to placate Kanae Kocho.
"You don't seem very brave," Kaito said, smiling. "This information of yours… if I were to, say, kill you and torture you for it, wouldn't you be very likely to tell anyway?"
His tone was gentle, but his words were chilling.
The Professor, however, had already cleared his head. He calmly t Kaito's gaze and shook his head. "You won't do that."
"Mr. Tao, you may act like a madman on the surface, but you are actually extrely rational. Now that I have hinted that I have a powerful organization backing , you won't kill without reason. The reason isn't fear of retaliation, but…"
The Professor stared at Kaito, his voice filled with certainty. "...but because that kind of behavior isn't profitable."
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Kaito began to applaud, slow and deliberate. He now fully acknowledged the "Professor" who had disguised himself as a woman. He had changed his opinion. This person was, in his own way, another very interesting and very talented Reincarnator.
"Go on, then. Tell about these so-called [Cardholders]."
The Professor let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Although he had logically analyzed "rcenary Tao's" behavioral patterns, the man was constantly radiating a dangerous, predatory intent. And his ability to kill a Reincarnator in a peaceful, cooperative world and still receive a Crimson Drop was terrifying. He suspected it was a special power unique to the [Great Sin] series of Cardholders. Such an ability was practically designed to incentivize a Reincarnator to beco a murderous lunatic.
In fact, he had heard that all the [Great Sin] Reincarnators who had appeared in the Nexus's history had, without exception, risen in power with terrifying speed... and then, just as quickly, fallen in a mission after making too many enemies. In the Nexus, you could be crazy, but you could not be limitlessly crazy.
He organized his thoughts and began to explain the secrets of the Nexus.
"I don't know how many missions you've been on or how much you know, but I'm sure you've realized that a Reincarnator's strength isn't just defined by their power rank: [Paper], [Mortal], [Strong], [Cataclysm], [Berserk], [God], and [Exceptional]. There is another kind of level."
"A level that defines your value to the Nexus itself."
Kaito nodded. He had seen this at the Goddess's Sanctum.
The Professor continued. "After a Reincarnator surpasses the 3-Star Authority rating, they will receive a unique [Title] and beco a so-called [Titled Reincarnator]. Each one of them possesses an extrely powerful and high-priority special authority."
"Beyond them, it is said that when your personal attributes exceed a certain extre, you will be invited by the Nexus to participate in a grand tournant to compete for the title of [The Peerless]. There are multiple [Peerless] Reincarnators in the Nexus, each one the absolute apex of their specific archetype."
"But in this Infinite Space, there exist special Kings who stand even above [The Peerless]. These Reincarnators, who hold the title of [King], have sohow usurped a portion of the Nexus's own authority."
"They forged 52 [Cards] that were never ant to exist."
This information was a genuine secret that Kaito had never heard before.
"The Twelve Heavenly Stems, bestowed upon those chosen by fate."
"The Seven Sins and the Eight Virtues, bestowed upon those born as anomalies."
"The Twenty-Two Tarot, bestowed upon The Chosen."
"And finally, the three most mysterious cards. No one knows their face, and no one knows their power."
As he spoke, the Professor materialized a card in his hand. On its face was a demure priestess. At the top was the Roman nural "II."
It was the second card of the Major Arcana—[The High Priestess].
~~~
Guys We cross the 100 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Next goal 200 power stone,co on guys you'll can do it, good luck.
~~~
Every 5 new reviews = 2 extra chapters
Every 100 Power Stones = 1 extra chapter
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