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Chapter  518 116.2 - Faceless Woman

"I need to speak with Varnis," I replied, my tone resolute.

"Why?"

"There\'s something I want to ask of him."

"Can you promise to make it quick?"

"It will not take more than five minutes."

Shanks studied me for a moment before nodding, a trace of understanding in his eyes. "You\'re thinking there\'s more to this than what we\'ve uncovered."

"Indeed," I confirmed. However, revealing the source of my concerns was clearly impossible for now, as how could I say I suspected this because of a game?

Well, not that I need to reveal this anyway. It is not like I have any responsibility, and I should have earned at least this much right to probe a little.

Shanks gave me a final, scrutinizing look before he stepped aside, allowing me to enter the room. I nodded in acknowledgment and walked past him, pushing the door open to the interrogation chamber where Varnis was being held.

The room was dimly lit, a single overhead light casting harsh shadows across the cold, sterile walls. Varnis sat slumped in a metal chair, his hands shackled to the table in front of him. His appearance was haggard, his eyes bloodshot and tired, a far cry from the once-imposing figure he had been. With his mana sealed, he was nothing more than a normal human—vulnerable and powerless.

As I stepped into the room, Varnis slowly lifted his head, his gaze locking onto mine. For a brief moment, there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes, followed by a deep, simmering resentment. He knew exactly who I was—the one who had caught him just as he was about to escape, who had thwarted his plans in the final moments.

"You…" Varnis rasped, his voice rough from exhaustion and defeat. "You should have killed me when you had the chance."

His words were laced with bitterness, but they didn\'t faze me. I remained calm, my expression unreadable as I regarded him. "If you wanted to die, you wouldn\'t have fought so hard to escape."

Varnis sneered, though the effort seemed to drain what little strength he had left. "Escape was the only option I had left. But now… now I\'m just a prisoner, awaiting whatever fate your organization deems fit. Death would have been a mercy compared to this."

I didn\'t respond to his self-pity. Instead, I pulled out the chair across from him and sat down, my eyes never leaving his.

Varnis chuckled, though it was laced with bitterness. "So, now you\'re here to play the interrogator, huh? Fine, ask your questions, but don\'t think for a second that a kid like you can do anything to me."

I didn\'t rise to his taunts. Instead, I remained calm, my expression neutral. "How did you first realize that your Trait had a special quality?"

Varnis barked out a laugh, his voice dripping with contempt. "Oh, I see what this is. You\'re hoping to find some hidden potential in yourself, aren\'t you? Hoping to use the same method I did to get stronger? How pathetic."

His words were meant to cut, to provoke a reaction, but I didn\'t give him the satisfaction. I simply repeated the question, my tone steady. "How did you notice that your Trait had a special quality?"

Varnis sneered, leaning back in his chair as he stared at me with disdain. "Even if I told you, it wouldn\'t matter. It\'s not something that just anyone can do, even if you wished for it with all your heart."

I nodded slightly, acknowledging his response. "That must be correct," I agreed, my voice calm. "After all, not everyone can swallow such a seed from an eyeless woman."

The moment the words left my mouth, Varnis\' demeanor changed. His eyes widened in shock, his breath hitching as if he had been struck. The confident, sneering expression he had worn moments before vanished, replaced by a look of utter disbelief.

\'As expected.\' I thought to myself.

\'That thing was involved.\' Such a discovery of a trait. While it was something that was not impossible, its direction was slightly strange.

I leaned forward slightly, my voice calm but firm as I pressed him for more information. "Did she give you a name, Varnis? What did she call herself?"

For a brief moment, Varnis hesitated as if weighing the consequences of speaking further. His lips parted, and it seemed as though he was about to reveal something, the name lingering on the tip of his tongue.

But before he could utter a word, his body convulsed violently. His hands shot to his throat, his eyes bulging as he struggled to breathe. A choking, gurgling sound escaped his lips as he gasped for air, his face contorted in agony.

I stood up quickly, my eyes narrowing as I watched him. It was clear that something—or someone—was preventing him from speaking, and I knew what it was.

\'The psychic mana in his mind. It is a \'Placate\'.\' It was just as expected.

That thing would not leave any loose ends.

Within moments, Varnis\' struggles began to subside, his body going limp as the last of his strength faded. His eyes, once so full of terror, now stared blankly ahead, his chest rising and falling in shallow, ragged breaths.

Just then, the door to the room burst open, and Shanks rushed in, his expression one of urgency. He took one look at Varnis\' condition and immediately moved to assess the situation.

Shanks knelt beside Varnis, his fingers checking for a pulse even as he shot a questioning look at me. "What happened here, Astron?"

"A \'Placate,\'" I replied, my voice steady but filled with the gravity of the situation.

Shanks\' eyes widened in shock as he pulled back slightly from Varnis\' limp form. "Are you sure?" he asked, his tone tinged with disbelief.

"I am," I confirmed, meeting his gaze. "The moment he was about to reveal something, it was triggered. His reaction, the sudden convulsions—it all points to a psychic mana curse. A Placate, to be precise."

Shanks looked back at Varnis, a grim expression settling over his features. "Placate... that\'s rare and dangerous. Almost impossible to counter unless you have someone with high-level psychic mana. It\'s a failsafe designed to silence anyone who gets too close to the truth."

"Exactly," I agreed. "Whoever placed this on him didn\'t want any loose ends."

"What did you ask?"

"I was suspicious of how he had discovered his trait. When I asked, he revealed that he had seen an eyeless woman in his dream. But, when he was about to reveal her name, the placate was activated."

Shanks furrowed his brow, the wheels turning in his mind as he tried to make sense of the situation. "It doesn\'t add up," he muttered, his voice laced with suspicion. "Why would the Placate only activate when he mentioned the name? Why not when he started talking about how he discovered his trait? It\'s too specific, too targeted."

I knew the answer, but it wasn\'t something I could reveal. The Placate had triggered because I had brought up the eyeless woman myself. The curse hadn\'t recognized the earlier part of our conversation as a breach because I was the one who had introduced the subject. But when Varnis tried to speak the name, that was when the trap was sprung. It was a clever safeguard designed to prevent any direct exposure of the woman\'s identity.

But I couldn\'t share that knowledge—not without raising questions I wasn\'t prepared to answer. Instead, I offered a plausible explanation.

"Maybe the person behind this wanted to leave a clue. A name could be a breadcrumb, something to mislead us or maybe even point us in the right direction. It\'s possible they wanted us to know something, but not too much."

Shanks stared at me for a moment, his eyes searching for any sign of deception. I kept my expression neutral, waiting for his reaction.

No person, unless a mind reader, can get something out of me just by looking at my body.

Finally, he let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of his neck as if trying to relieve the tension building there.

"Maybe," he conceded, though it was clear he wasn\'t entirely convinced. "It\'s a stretch, but it\'s the only explanation that fits for now. I\'ll buy it, but we need to tread carefully. Whoever we\'re dealing with, they\'re smart—smart enough to plant these traps and cover their tracks."

He glanced back at Varnis, who was now slumped in his chair, barely conscious but still breathing.

The man\'s once notable presence had been reduced to a hollow shell, a stark reminder of the consequences of delving too deeply into dangerous waters.

\'Dangerous waters…..Knowing too much can be dangerous sometimes.\' Shanks turned back to me, his expression softening slightly. "Go back to your room and get some rest. I need to handle the aftermath of this."

I nodded, understanding the subtle dismissal. Shanks had a lot on his plate now, and I had pushed the boundaries of what I could probe without drawing too much attention to myself. "Understood. If there\'s anything else you need from me, just let me know."

"Most likely not," Shanks mumbled with a low voice, though I could hear him. Not that I cared.

After all, most likely, I will be sent to another place this evening.

Later that evening, as I rested in my room, recovering from the day\'s events, the notification I had been anticipating arrived.

My smartwatch buzzed softly, the screen lighting up with a message from the organization. I reached for it, my fingers brushing against the cool surface as I opened the message.

------------------ Nôv(el)B\\\\jnn

MISSION NOTICE: SOLO OPERATION

Location: [Shange Town]

Objective: Investigate recent anomalous activities and neutralize any threats.

Details: The mission requires discretion and swift action. Further details will be provided upon arrival.

Departure: Immediate.

----------------

I wasn\'t surprised. After what had transpired with Varnis, it was only natural that they\'d want to send me on a solo mission, away from the prying eyes of others. A chance to test my capabilities further and, perhaps, to keep me occupied while the higher-ups dealt with the aftermath of the Veilcroft operation.

\'It seems they really want to keep me busy,\' I thought.

But it didn\'t matter. If anything, a solo mission suited me perfectly. There were fewer variables and fewer people to worry about or to cover for. Just me, my abilities, and the task at hand.

\'And if I showed that I was better at solo missions, that would also suit better for my future.\'

I leaned back against the headboard, the soft glow of the smartwatch illuminating the room. The details were sparse and intentionally vague, but that was standard for operations of this nature. They\'d fill me in once I was on-site, ensuring that only those directly involved would have the full picture.

\'A solo mission means they trust me, at least to some extent,\' I mused, my mind already shifting gears to prepare for what lay ahead. I needed to be ready—physically, mentally, and strategically. Whatever awaited me at the mission site, I would face it head-on, just as I had done in Veilcroft.

As I began to pack my gear, methodically checking each item to ensure it was in perfect condition, I couldn\'t help but wonder what this new mission would reveal.

\'Well, let\'s see what you have in store for me this time.\'