Inside the car, Kyle sat beside the driver, the driver being the Commander herself, who was currently leading him toward a rift.

As they drove, curiosity surfaced in his mind. "How do you guys locate rifts? Does it work similar to sensing Genesis? Like some kind of Absence sensor?"

Veronica shook her head. "There isn’t any device capable of directly detecting Absence. Yes, we have measuring devices that can estimate the level of a rift, but when it comes to detecting a rift’s appearance, we rely on Genesis sensors."

Kyle hummed thoughtfully. "So the sensors react in a certain way that lets you know a rift has appeared?"

Veronica nodded. "They either fizzle out or get suppressed by the overwhelming Absence in the air."

"And what if there isn’t a sensor nearby?"

"The chances of that happening are extremely low since we’ve covered every accessible location. But even if it does happen, we immediately receive reports from the CPV regarding anomalous incidents."

"Oh...right. They’re allied with you guys." Letting out a sigh, he added, "Still, that sounds pretty unreliable. Ghouls are visible to normal human eyes, aren’t they?"

"Which is why we often have to knock people out and erase their memories," Veronica said grimly.

Kyle gave a wry smile. "You people are really determined to keep everything hidden."

Veronica hummed softly. "It’s necessary. Unnecessary chaos would only make people fear what they have no power to fight against. And it’s also one of the reasons the world government manages to maintain peaceful relations between countries."

"Unity to maintain secrecy, and secrecy creates safety," Kyle concluded, earning a nod of agreement from Veronica.

Kyle leaned back in his seat and asked curiously, "What’s the greatest level of threat you’ve faced so far?"

Veronica’s fingers tightened faintly around the steering wheel as she muttered, "A Sentinel."

Kyle’s brows rose. "You mean the gatekeeper of a Bridge?"

Veronica nodded. "I never intended to challenge one, but circumstances forced me into facing that thing head-on. Even now, I still can’t forget how helpless I felt that day."

Kyle was taken aback.

He had already seen how powerful Veronica was. Even through his hazy consciousness, he remembered the way she utterly thrashed Ava. And the fact that she had become a Commander at such a young age only proved she possessed both strength and a capable mind.

And yet...for someone like her to tremble in fear just from recalling a single enemy...

Kyle didn’t pursue the matter any further.

But for a brief moment, fleeting as it was, curiosity surfaced within him.

What did it truly mean to stand before a Sentinel?

.....

The car eventually came to a stop in front of an abandoned industrial complex spread across a vast area. The entrance was large enough for Veronica to drive the car straight inside the building itself.

"So, here we are. And the first thing you’ll do is use this." She pulled out a badge-like device with a faint blinking light at its crown.

"A locating device, I assume?" Kyle asked as he took hold of it.

Veronica nodded. "Yes. It’ll help you locate the Rift easily."

Kyle gave a wry smile. "I have a better method...the Rift is over there." He pointed behind them. "Second floor...and we’ve got company."

Veronica frowned. "Near the Rift? Have those creatures already broken through?"

Kyle shook his head. "I don’t think so. There are humans up there. Two of them, actually."

Veronica’s frown deepened. The Rift had appeared last night, which meant they should’ve been the first Nightwalkers to arrive, especially since this Rift fell under their jurisdiction.

"Stay behind me," Veronica said, suddenly far more cautious as she walked toward the staircase.

Kyle silently followed behind her, carefully watching his steps so he wouldn’t accidentally crunch over debris and announce their arrival.

They slowly reached the second floor. Veronica moved ahead first, telling him to remain close to the stairs while she approached the source of Absence.

But the moment the Rift came into view, her shoulders relaxed slightly.

"You can come out, Kyle," she called as she walked toward the man standing before the Rift.

Kyle’s brows rose. "Isn’t that...the Headmaster?"

Veronica nodded. "Now let’s find out why he’s here."

As the two approached, the boy standing beside the old man narrowed his eyes. "Grandpa?"

"Take it easy," the man said calmly without even turning around to look at the duo. He had already sensed their arrival.

"When you said you had some business in Montclair, I thought you’d be spending time with your family," Veronica called out.

The Headmaster might lead the academy, but he usually stayed in Fortis because of work. So when he returned to Montclair without heading to the academy, Veronica naturally assumed he was visiting family.

But now...

"I am spending time with my family. Here, meet my grandson, Charles," Christopher said as he rested a hand on the black-haired young man’s shoulder.

Charles kept his red eyes fixed on Veronica as he asked, "Are you Miss Veronica, the Commander of the Montclair branch and the student my grandfather considers my competition?"

Christopher groaned. "You weren’t supposed to say that last part."

Veronica let out a faint chuckle. "You guessed right. And this person here is a trainee, Kyle." She introduced him to the two.

Christopher’s gaze shifted toward the young man silently standing beside her.

He had seen Kyle before while he was unconscious, but now that the boy stood at his full height, Christopher could properly assess him.

"I can’t even sense a speck of Genesis from him..." Christopher muttered. "How are you suppressing it so well? Or is that some kind of skill?"

Kyle almost laughed at that. If only they knew...

"You could say it’s natural," he replied casually. Not that he would’ve revealed it even if he really did possess a Genesis-concealing skill.

"Quite cocky, aren’t you?" Charles muttered before narrowing his eyes slightly. "And...a trainee? At this age?"

Kyle immediately felt the stab land right where he was vulnerable. Here came the complications.

"Yes, circumstances delayed his entry into the association," Veronica said, her voice carrying a slight edge. For some reason, she was already starting to find the brat irritating.

"Headmaster, why are you here?" Veronica asked, shifting the topic. "Is there something unusual about this Rift?"

Based on the readings from the first inspection, it only appeared to be a second-grade threat, with the highest possibility being a single Majin emerging from it.

The man hummed before saying, "Well, do you see the reading?" He held up the measuring device, its numbers ranging between 300 and 500.

"Hmm...I don’t understand." Veronica frowned. The readings matched the report perfectly. Nothing seemed unusual or alarming.

Christopher gestured toward the Rift. "Feed some raw Genesis into it. A large amount, if you would."

Veronica grew even more confused, but she didn’t question him. Raising her hand, she gathered Genesis into her palm.

"Woah..." Charles’ eyes sparkled at the sight of the radiant energy surrounding her hand. "...you can manipulate Genesis at will...that’s so cool."

Kyle crossed his arms. So it really was difficult, huh?

Veronica paid no attention to Charles and extended her hand toward the Rift.

The instant her Genesis struck it, the numbers on the measuring device shifted violently.

1200-1500.

Or in simpler terms...

A Special-grade threat.