"You sure are efficient." Selina removed her mask.

"I am a good kitty, after all." Mater shrugged.

"So... What are we going to do with these Nether Rocks?" Selina pointed to endless cargoes of glowing purple stones.

Mater rubbed his two hands together greedily. "We’re going to take them all, obviously! We don’t know what they’re planning but without these, they for sure can’t do it. Additionally, Abyssal Floor will benefit greatly from these rocks."

"Rob them naked then?"

"Let’s rob them!"

Mater opened up a portal in the Chaos Realm. Illuminati members flooded out. Crow the Abomination stepped out.

"Master!" He knelt down.

"Woah... You’re Medium Rank-3 already?" Mater scratched his head.

"It is already a decade, Master." Crow said.

"Right, I forget you guys are in the Wilds."

The Wilds had a portal leading to Chaos Realm. And Mater could open a new portal anytime, linking the two worlds together.

"Quill?" Selina noticed her former classmates, who was now a tall matured man.

He had also reached Rank-2. And many other Institute students were also. In fact, this group of Illuminati members consisted of almost Institute students.

But they weren’t those innocent Psychics anymore. They were battle-hardened soldiers of the Dark Court.

Quill bowed gently, "My lady."

"You look different." Selina said.

"A lot of things can happen in ten years. We are currently having another war."

"With who? I thought we signed a peace treaty with the Sun Court."

"That’s right. They’re actually our allies at the moment. The Venus and Mercury Court are attacking us. So we and the Sun Court stand together to fight them back."

"Sheesh. The Wilds really like to fight each other." Mater commented.

"I have become a captain within the Abyss Battalion under General Crow command. Jesse is within my squad. Astrid and Miles has followed Tony and became craftsmen for the army. Loretta actually creates a new department with every capable seers within it. Rebecca is also a captain in the Glacial Battalion under General Aurora command. Clive is with the Strategy Council. Ken is, suprisingly, one strong soldier, and is the best heavy hitter in the newcomers of the Infernal Battalion right now." Quill roughly summarized what happened to everyone.

"Hah. They’re doing quite well, I see." Selina said.

Quill nodded, "Certainly. They have to. After we learned the true nature of our world, we have to seek for strength. It’s the only way to get our freedom."

Mater clapped his hands. "Alright! We should hurry up and get all these Nether Rocks into the Abyssal Floor."

"Yes, my lord!" The soldiers bowed.

They rushed at the cargoes and pulled everything inside.

Mater snatched their valuable Nether Rocks under Vieta’s nose and they didn’t even know it.

At the same time, a tall dark figure walked through the hallway and entered the courtroom. Inside, many people were already sitting.

They all sat up and bowed. "Madam President."

The tall woman nodded before sitting down at her chair.

"The Lutheria Accords was broken by a new force within Valeria. They called themselves the Illuminati. Which force is this?" The President said. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"According to our intelligent, this force is backed up by an anarch."

"Anarch?"

"A warlock, Ma’am. They are parasites that leech off the power of everything they come accross. A notable Warlock even steals our power once."

"Ah... I heard about that guy. The Blood Warlock."

The President leaned forward and put her hand together. "Valeria is in its greatest turmoil at the moment. The graps of the Neilos Pantheon on it is the weakest ever. What is our battle plan?"

"We’re expecting to collect enough Nether Rocks at the end of this month. One that happened, we can launch an all out attack at Valeria."

The President nodded. "Good. Then so it be. Dismiss."

The others stood up and bowed before leaving.

Iris leaned back in her chair. Her eyes stayed unfocused as she looked back on whaf happened.

"Selina... I wonder what you are right now. I hope you live well."

A shadow materialized behind her and wrapped his arms around Iris from behind.

It was a gentle loving hug.

"She should be fine." Thomas said. "After all, we left her with the Anti-Fate. The Pantheon shouldn’t be able to influence her."

"I know. But I have a feeling... That she’s very close to us. Like she’s in the same building."

"Yes, dear. I feel the same also."

"I’m going to sleep now. Guard me as always."

"Yes, dear."

Iris went to her quarter and lay down. She closed her eyes.

Then and only then, the shadow grinned widely. Its white mouth cracked unnaturally.

Iris opened her eyes once to look at him. He was normal again.

"I’m sorry, Thomas."

"What’s for, honey?"

"If I hadn’t come here, you wouldn’t have died." Iris said.

"What matters is we’re together always."

Iris smiled faintly. A bittersweet smile. Then she slept.

Mater cleaned the entire warehouse away and closed the portal.

"Alright. We’re done robbing! Let’s go find your mother and father!"

They put on the Mimicry Masks again and left the warehouse.

One of the officials that just attended the meeting saw them.

"You two! Warehouse workers aren’t supposed to be here."

"Oh well!" Mater snapped his finger. Black chains shot out and wrapped around the Abomination tightly. The chains squeezed his neck tight, preventing him from screaming.

Selina approached him, "Do you know the name Iris Sordenfield and Thomas Isles?"

The official widened his eyes, "What do you intend to do with our President?"

’President? Isn’t Selina’s mother an agent of the Union?’

Suddenly, the Lotus tower shook. The door at the end of hallway blasted open. Iris walked out.

She was a tall woman with dark hair. She was much larger than Selina and looked like a proper bulked up soldier.

"I was wondering why I can’t sleep. So there are two rats lurking around."

Iris clenched her hand, Nether Spears shot up from beneath the ground and broke the black chains.

The official was freed. He immediately darted back toward Iris.

"They must be spies from another country." The official shouted.

Iris nodded grimly.

Selina stared at her. She was the same in her memory. Same face. Same look. But with one big difference.

Iris was filled with the power of Nether. She wasn’t a human no more.

Selina removed her mask, "Hello, Mother."