Soul system:Return Of The SSS-Ranked Troublemaker-Chapter 52: Game Of Fate (10) Five Suspect’s.
The group finally laughed together, easing the tension as they sorted through the stolen food. For a moment, the chaos faded—replaced by a quiet warmth, a strange sense of unity growing in this unfamiliar land.
After chatting and sharing bites, they finally decided to head back to the hotel.
The moment they stepped into the hotel lobby, K looked around with wide eyes.
"Damn... this place is huge."
"It really is," Edith nodded in agreement, glancing around the elegant interior.
"I guess thirty million won was worth it after all," Calvin added, running a hand along one of the polished support columns.
"Yeah, c’mon," Zion said, leading the way toward the elevator.
They all stepped inside, fitting comfortably despite their numbers.
"Yo, this elevator’s actually spacious," Mon said, surprised.
"These handles are painted gold... Think it’s real?" Nom asked, tapping one.
"Don’t even try," Mon replied dryly.
The twins chuckled.
Moments later, they reached their designated floor. As the doors slid open and they entered their temporary home, the group reacted with awe.
"Holy crap—this place is massive!" K exclaimed, dropping his bag by the couch.
"It’s definitely worth the price," Karina added, already scouting the kitchen area.
The group dispersed, exploring the space, talking, laughing, and finally enjoying the rare comfort of rest. For the first time in days, they weren’t fighting, running, or plotting.
Hours passed.
The clock ticked past midnight.
Zion lay back on the large couch, staring at the ceiling with one arm resting behind his head. In his free hand, he held a sleek new phone.
"Finally," he murmured. "Time to catch up."
He unlocked the device and scrolled through familiar apps. One in particular caught his attention—Messenger.
He tapped it open.
"Wilfred...? He’s online?" Zion muttered, surprised. "Weird. He should be asleep by now."
Without hesitation, he typed:
> ’Yo, Wilfred. How’s the war going over there?’
The "seen" icon appeared almost instantly.
"Huh. That was fast..." he said under his breath.
Seconds later, a reply popped up.
> ’The war is going steady. No major breakthroughs yet. Most lead villains have pulled back for now... but it feels like they’re planning something.’
Zion’s expression darkened.
"Backing away...?" he repeated.
Just then, Zero materialized in the form of his usual floating system avatar.
"They’re not retreating. Nyx wouldn’t allow it unless they’re scheming something."
Zero’s tone was calm, but there was a hint of warning beneath it.
Zion sat up. "So this could be a setup?"
"Most likely," Zero replied. "You should’ve gathered more intel before entering this training scenario. The timing feels... deliberate."
Zion exhaled slowly, eyes fixed on the screen.
"Maybe it’s not just training... Maybe they knew I’d be disconnected."
He glanced toward the hallway where the others were resting.
For now, they were safe. But that peace could be temporary.
"Master... tell me," Zion asked, eyes narrowing as he leaned back against the couch. "What exactly is Nyx’s power?"
Zero’s expression changed instantly—his usual playful smirk vanishing, replaced by something grim.
"From what I remember during our last encounter," Zero said, his voice low, serious, "she can manipulate the dead. Not just mindless corpses—she awakens them and turns them into sentient puppets that obey her every command. They’re coordinated. Controlled. Dangerous."
Zion frowned, brows furrowing.
"Sounds like necromancy..." he muttered, memories of old RPG games flashing through his head. "But you said they weren’t mindless."
"Right. More like... cursed warriors with fragments of memory. Not zombies." Zero replied. "Honestly, I’m not that familiar with your game terms, but the concept fits."
Zion nodded slowly, absorbing the information. His fingers danced across the screen, typing another message to Wilfred.
> ’By the way, why are you still up at this hour?’
Wilfred saw it almost instantly and replied just as fast:
> ’We’ve lost too many. Too many injuries. That’s why I came out of retirement.’
Zion’s eyes widened slightly.
"Right... I forgot," he muttered. "Wilfred used to be a hero too."
He stared at the message, thinking aloud.
"How are they running out of heroes already? I thought three nations were backing Germany right now..."
Zero reappeared at Zion’s side, arms crossed.
"Exactly. It doesn’t make sense. And these days, we barely see any villains... Just constant portal outbreaks."
Zion’s eyes sharpened, a theory clicking into place.
"What if... they’re not running?" he said, voice low and intense. "What if they’re planning something bigger? Like orchestrating endless battles to weaken the hero forces over time—feeding Nyx with fallen warriors and chaos?"
Zero tilted his head thoughtfully.
"A bold theory. But one that fits. Still, proving it won’t be easy. No one in power will take your word for it."
Zion smirked, leaning back with confidence.
"Come on. My parents are rich. I’ll just buy the influence I need."
Zero couldn’t help but laugh, the mood lightening for a moment.
"Spoken like a true spoiled brat with a death flag."
Zion shrugged.
"If I’m dying, might as well go out rich and dramatic."
Zion leaned back on the sofa again, the dim lights of the apartment casting long shadows across the room. He picked up the phone and began typing.
> "By the way... do you know anything about Nyx?"
A reply came almost immediately.
> "Surprised you know that name."
"Yeah, I’ve heard of her, but never crossed paths with her directly."
Zion’s eyes narrowed.
> "I think she’s behind all of this."
There was a pause in the chat—only a few seconds, but long enough to feel like hesitation.
> "Why do you think that?" Wilfred asked.
> "Isn’t she the only big-name villain left after Kitler disappeared?"
"Everything feels too coordinated. Like it’s leading somewhere..."
Wilfred replied with a short laugh.
> "Haha. Could be. But even if you’re right, Zion... money doesn’t buy credibility. People will just mock you, or worse—call you delusional."
Zion’s gaze darkened, but he smirked to himself.
> "Didn’t expect it to be this complicated... but I guess I have no choice."
"If I want them to listen, I’ll climb up the ranks and use my own power to change things."
Zero materialized beside him, arms crossed and a faint grin on his face.
"Now that... is the right mindset."
He chuckled. "But tell me, why’d you even want to be a hero in the first place? You could’ve just gone full vigilante if you’re not interested in playing by the system."
Zion paused, thinking. The screen’s glow reflected off his eyes.
"I don’t know." He exhaled.
"Maybe I just liked the idea of revenge. The way heroes do it in those comics I used to read. Felt... cool. Purposeful."
Zero snorted and cracked his knuckles.
"You really are a crazy bastard."
Zion smiled faintly.
"Takes one to know one."
Then Zero leaned in closer, his expression turning serious again.
"Enough small talk. Ask Wilfred for the names of the five bastards you’re hunting. If you’re serious about rising through the ranks... it starts now."
Zion’s grin widened.
"You’re right."
He returned to the chat and began typing his next question—eyes burning with intent.
Zion tapped on his phone again, fingers flying across the screen.
> "Wilfred, did you get the info on the five S-Rank heroes possibly linked to the death of SSS-Ranked hero Lockerum?"
Wilfred’s response came in just seconds.
> "Yeah, I got what I could. Here’s what I found on them—along with their current statuses:"
1. Raizel Varek
Age: 38
Rank: S-Rank
Current Role: Serving in the war
Known Abilities: Multi-elemental Mystic Arts
Signature Style: Dominates with advanced fire arts
Notes: Currently the principal of the hero academy—you know, the one that got bombed. There’s been a lot of speculation about how he handled it... or didn’t.
2. Crayne DeLeon
Age: 30
Rank: S-Rank
Current Role: Frontline war support
Ability: Creation Magic
Signature Move: Everlasting Chain – a binding ability that adapts to power levels
Notes: Youngest among the five. Comes from a humble background. His mother’s suffering from a rare illness that even high-tier healing magic couldn’t cure. The guy’s been taking risky missions for funding. Could be a motive... or a vulnerability.
3. Mary Lance
Age: 32
Rank: S-Rank
Role: Lead strategist in the war front
Specialty: Tactical deduction & combat analysis
Notes: Only female among the five. Has no boyfriend, no extended family—just a younger brother and sister, 15 and 13. Exceptionally smart, precise, and has a cold reputation. People say she sees five steps ahead of most commanders.
4. Grey Herd
Age: 33
Rank: SS-Rank
Current Status: Disappeared
Abilities: Complete mastery over all known mystic arts
Notes: This guy’s a ghost. No records of his family, past, or even his place of birth. His background is almost scrubbed clean. Only surfaced five years ago. Some say he was raised off-grid by a secret faction. No confirmation. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
5. Anthony Kitler
Age: Unknown
Rank: SSS-Rank
Role: Unknown
Ability: Stressmation – rumored to be a manipulation of stress to fuel power
Notes: Grandson of the infamous Kitler. He became SSS-Ranked overnight—and on the same day, all of his family and known connections mysteriously died. No known activity in the war. In fact, he’s almost unreachable. It’s like the world bends to keep him hidden.
> "That’s all I’ve dug up for now. Hope it helps. Gotta sign off—got patrol duty tonight. Stay sharp out there."
The message ended.
Zion leaned back against the couch, eyes still locked on the screen. The names lingered in his mind like ghosts.
"Five suspects... five different mysteries."
Zero appeared beside him again, arms folded, the faint blue glow of his projection reflecting off the glass window.
"A killer, a loyal son, a tactician, a ghost, and a god complex. Which one do you think did it?"
Zion’s lips curved into a small grin.
"Obviously all of them."
